Friday, 8 August 2025
This morning we had noisy, busy visitors, feeding on the birch log section that’s atop the stump. They made chunks of the partly rotted wood fly. [Apologies for the screen view.]
I finally, after how many decades—don’t answer, looked up the definition of pileated, and it refers to the tops of mushrooms, alternately called toadstools. To me, the red caps of these large(ish) birds look nothing like fungi.
Monday, 4 August 2025
I took a morning stroll down to the beach, because: well, it’s there, and pretty, and interesting, and fine. En route, I found a flitting monarch, just where you’d expect it to be.
At the beach, by the dock, I was surprised to see this guy/gal. I’d seen only a few living ones, and the parts I’ve seen (for years?) have been of much smaller specimens. This one was perhaps 15cm, tail to tips of the claws…and those of lovely blue. You don’t see much blue in critters, no?
Friday, 20 June 2025
We took a wee side trip to stare into Tahquamenon River, way in the upper reaches…I estimate only some 15% of the catchment is upstream of this spot—for whatever it’s worth. 😉
We found four of these spell-binding swallowtails (if you can tolerate butterflies) flitting about on the boat launch apron next to the bridge.
The Guru calls it Take-Home-A-Sac (sarcastic harhar).
Monday, 16 June 2025
During my morning beach stroll, I spotted these offspring freeloading on mom’s back as she cruised away from a potential threat—meeeee.
Then, up in the field, I spotted ears above the lupin (just right of center in this shot), which resolved into a doe watching me. She never moved beyond keeping her focus on me as I walked here and there, then departed. I figured she didn’t move because she was by her fawn. [Just a few minutes ago, we saw a doe-(very young) fawn combo in the orchard, which could have been this postulated pair.]
Tired of mom-stories? Here’s one of my oft-repeated water barrel reflection shots…illustrating our overcast, yet pleasant day..
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
These tracks were in the water this morning the whole length of “our beach.” Big, so perhaps a great blue?
Also, it’s forget-me-not season. I’ve been unable to take a shot that’s in focus until this one—which is close.
Here’re the ferns by the door, but the view from the cottage into the yard.
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
We headed to Manistique to have a better grocery selection than are offered at nearer stores, and began our adventure with lunch, followed by a stroll on the boardwalk (mostly paved) along the Lake Michigan shore to look at the lighthouse. It’s rather stubby and unprepossessing; good thing it’s painted red.
And just to the left, moments after the photo above, I caught a gull taking flight. Look! No horizon in the background, and this was merely perhaps an angle of 40° different.
Next stop: groceries. I guess a version of the shopping-after-lunch plan was in the air, as we saw both parties that were eating when we arrived at the lunch place at the grocery place. Great minds? (Snort; I don’t think so, just restocking after a long holiday weekend.)
Back at the ranch, I got the grocs put up, then headed out to check on the lake and just wander about. The barberries next to the cottage are in bloom. Indeed, we watched a (smallish, dark) hummingbird busy with the flowers just yesterday.
I checked the lupin pair pictured yesterday, and the development is noticeable. This is about 30 hrs after the previous photo.
I just went out to close up the entry porch, and realized the buckets I put out to drain and dry now seem to be a convention. I used the buckets to water in the new top-dressing I added to the rhubarb in the bed I created last fall down at the stone house. The plants’re small, yet doing well, and all survived (a major coup).
Monday, 26 May 2025
I postulate that this is one of last year’s spotty fawns. It hangs with about five others, and they all have this tawny color at present. I think it hasn’t lost all its winter fur. I got to enjoy watching this visitor’s slow progress around the cottage as I sipped my first cuppa coffee (photo through screen, cancha tell?).
The lake was so still this morning; this was 8:20am.
Mid-afternoon, I found this lupin with just the barest bit of purple showing. Also, around the orchard are many more buds than I saw three days ago.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
This critter got trapped inside our house. I’m thinking it’s some kinda green lacewing. And, yeah, this shot’s outta focus.
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
How do you make your state capitol building, here a state house, look more impressive when it has only two stories: put it part way up a hill with a cascade of steps below the main entrance.
Complex tiling patterns in the entry of the public library, Randolph.
Dam and falls in Bethel; mill buildings are to the right.
Exposed interior structure, Howe Covered Bridge.
Orange County Court House, Chelsea.
Oddly, Chelsea has two commons separated by a rushing creek. I spotted this chicken on the bridge connecting the two commons, which of course provoked the question: why did the chicken cross the road? Data based on this chicken is null as it did not cross while I was watching.
We visited several covered bridges along this section of the White River, and this one, Moxley, had an actively used ford just below the bridge, while none of the others did. I figure it’s used by farmers and so on with large equipment.
Cilley Covered Bridge: although the bridge dates to 1883, these boards are from perhaps the last few months.
I’ll spare you any more covered bridge photos; how ’bout some ornamental, um, apples? Guessing…that’s way too dense a flowering pattern not to be an ornamental variety, and I think it’s apple, but I’m no botanist.
Friday, 11 April 2025
We strolled around the lake at Old Fourth Ward Park…
…and encountered a napping mallard family…
…and a pair of large-ish turtles…that may be a family, also…we couldn’t tell.