Enriched, invigorated, fortified (not in that order)
Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Fortified: by a fort.
Invigorated: by socially distant socializing with a long-time friend over cocktails.
Enriched: by a wide expanse of beauty.
Musings
In which we see a Great Lake
Sunday, 16 August 2020
We felt the need for an outing today—a gen-u-wine Sunday drive. We stopped first at these charcoal kilns (at least, they’re for charcoal if I remember correctly). The smelting facilities were up on Lake Superior, but they established industrial-sized charcoal-making stations at some distance—this one is just a few miles north of Lake Michigan. And on private land, so I looked from the road.
And the Guru looked from above. The overhead drone shot shows the foundations of buildings that surrounded the kilns, and makes the complex look tiny rather than imposing. The arches in the shot above are probably 10 feet across.
Since we were close to Lake Michigan, we went down to Seul Choix lighthouse, although we didn’t go in. I wonder what the lighthouse staff would have thought if you could go back in time and show them GPS navigation….
And finally: Lake Michigan. This view is to the ENE, which is tricky on the north shore.
Disused buildings
Thursday, 13 August 2020
Not far from here is a house that has an incorporated train car. No one even visits the house anymore (don’t know the back story, but I’m guessing aging owner(s), plus this year’s special complication: Covid19), although someone local does mow the lawn. Anyway: train car house.
This is in the corner of a field that has been fenced off from the rest of the field with a small orchard. I’m guessing old chicken house, but maybe it was geese or turkeys. In any case, the building and the fruit trees seem no longer maintained/used.
Sunny, with great clouds
Tuesday, 4 August 2020
We got antsy this afternoon and took what on another day would be called a Sunday Drive. No destination. No agenda other than Getting Out of the House. Which is a fine goal.
This place is called Eagles Nest.
And here’s a Great Lake and some low sand dunes, foreground, and much higher dunes in that rather distant shore-curve.
Wandered down a dead-end road and found a half-barn. What beams! And the silo is wood, too, with metal straps encircling the walls one above another.
S is for…
Monday, 20 July 2020
Spartan! Yeah, an ag school…different kind of maize here than at that big, noisy school down the old Indian trail to the southeast.
Sheriff…as in behind the law on top of the bridge.
Cloud cover looks a bit thicker than it was. Just want to mention: temp about 69°F. Soooooo fiiiiiine.
Different day…DIFFERENT
Wednesday, 8 July 2020
Did the Fates sleep in this morning and that’s why I did? Dunno. Fact remains that I woke up late…well, later than usual. I finally left the house at 7:38am, and downtown sure looked different than it did much earlier in the morning on the first—different sky conditions, I admit, but not THAT different.
Also, from what I saw today—at least eight different species—the weather (warm, moist) is bringing on mushrooms, here’re two kinds co-existing.
I’ll keep watching
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Such lovely delicate pale purple shades in these hosta blooms. Nice visual contrast from that wandering periwinkle vine.
I’ve been watching this house, first empty, then with for sale sign, then sold sign, then empty, then one little machine and several guys taking down part of the back of the house, and more disassembly in back including some high-energy sledgehammer work on the back wall (right, out of frame), more slow disassembly by hand…and now, it’s down to this. Can’t figure—are they taking the materials for re-using?
Little surprises
Monday, 29 June 2020
When I saw on the morning weather that it would be 81° by 10am, I thought: get moving! And, after the usual milling around, I did!
Yeah, and outside it also was HUUUUUU-mid. Although, during my wander, I did find a fine, upstanding mushroom (with gorgeous gills), and a wee library (not closed like the government ones) with foundation problems.
Blue heart
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Sometimes I scan my surroundings and continue walking, then my brain jogs me to go back for something I passed. That happened with this window…because of the heart. I went back for a blue heart.
And, yes, rain overnight, and high humidity all day. Happy hostas.
Look fast
Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Lately, about once a week I traipse by this building to see if it’s still standing. It began as a light industrial nexus adjacent to a railroad track.
Now the railroad track is gone, and the right-of-way is an artery for foot traffic, segways, bicycles, and the like. And the edifice was long ago converted into artist studios and apartments.
Such is the evolution of land use.