Musings

I offer another attempt at capturing subtleties of the rising sun—less successful, yet with some unexpected details.

In the afternoon, I undertook a chore using a tool borrowed from our kind neighbor. I used it to prune wayward branches higher than I could reach from the ground. It has an extending handle, and the business end has a saw and a slicing mechanism activated by a rope, both VERY sharp and VERY effective. [Note that the plug-in hybrid is being charged…there’s no electricity in the garage, hence the temporary location by the cottage.]

Posted at 8:50 PM | No Comments »

Lovely early sun…

…and pretty at the beach a bit later….

This busy bumbler was diving-for-apples head-dunking in these blossoms, one after the other. Despite multiple shots, I didn’t get a total head-immersion shot…but this’ll do.

Posted at 10:08 PM | No Comments »

Drippy-rainy morning, with pink lupines…

…and aging dandelion blossoms….

Bonus: looking back west from the point, plus the foggy far shore.

A lighter moment with milkweeds budding [already]…

And, with more light, mayflies on the cottage door. [Not shown: seagulls swooping to snap up mayflies-in-motion.

Posted at 9:07 PM | No Comments »

Pink lupine, but you knew that.

Blue-purple lupine, with bumbler, with orange-red pollen.

I labelled this “mystery tracks,” then I checked the magic AI/online ID system, which indicates they’re raccoon.

In ATL, peonies were at this stage in early April, so over two months ago. That’s what latitude can do to plants!

We had an errand on the other side of the lake. We’re not motorboat-across people, so we drove around. On the way back we stopped at this new wheelchair-accessible structure for fishing, but we just looked at the water and surrounds. In the foreground, you may be able to pick out red foliage in the grass. That’s the remnants of the poison ivy that used to blanket the area before they dumped all the gravel, etc., here, and made modifications.

And here’s the lazy creek, with a promise of fish, if you read the signs.

Posted at 7:19 PM | No Comments »

A few minutes before the sun crested the trees….

Using the spotlight filter in full sun on a fern frond….

The fading sun turns the lupine blooms into jewels….

Posted at 8:37 PM | No Comments »

Clouds #1.

Clouds #2.

Overcast at the bridge, but not threatening as it appears.

Jetsam.

Approaching sunset.

Posted at 10:01 PM | No Comments »

Early-ish, I braved the dew-wet grass to capture an image of the sentinels; however, the shadow makes them less interesting.

Here’s another group, far better lit.

I thought I was seeing tiny dew drops when I took this, but maybe it was just lupine hairs, now that I examine them enlarged.

Ordinarily, I would post an image of The Bridge on this travel day, but I’m mixing it up and posting one of the view south from what my family called The North Country Hill. It’s just north of Clare, and I assume it’s glacial, perhaps a moraine. Without the contrast of passing through the rolling hills to the north, it doesn’t look like much. Bridge photo next time?

Posted at 7:44 PM | 2 Comments »

Overnight rain produces morning fog. That elm survives on the north fenceline. I think twenty years ago there were a trio. Such is the power of Dutch elm disease.

I neglected to look up what this is, and just named the photo beaut.

I discovered there are TWO flower stalks on the rhubarb. This is the same one as in yesterday’s shot.

Two pink lupines, contrasting with their purple-blue brethren.

Here’s this year’s “garden.” There are four basils under the squirrel cage. It kept squirrels away in ATL, until there was too much shade for veggies. Then, I brought it up here, where it keeps the deer from dancing on the soft soil. I noticed a goldfinch under it this afternoon, but by the time I got out to free it, it was gone. [I’ve covered the flanks of the mound with grass and rhubarb leaves to reduce evapotranspiration.]

Posted at 9:05 PM | No Comments »

Fern art.

Quiet water (morning; wavy in the afternoon).

Lupine shot, morning. I meant to take another in the afternoon, but…got distracted.

The barberries and apple trees are noisy with bees. Bumblebees particularly favor the barberries, but are difficult to photograph, so I present only the barberry blooms.

Posted at 9:54 PM | No Comments »

First light (ish).

First apple petals blown off the trees in large numbers.

First color showing on lupines.

First bath in the lake. I visited the fishes.

First ferns all the way unfurled.

Posted at 9:18 PM | No Comments »