I just liked this, and now you can check out your reactions. Grandview Heights architectural detail. Coffee below (out of frame).

As we pulled in the rest area on the other side of the fence, the Guru noted: this is where I took pictures of the neighboring cornfield so I think of this as the corn rest area.

No longer. Now soybeans.

Can’t really call it the monocrop rest area, as almost all are….

Farther south, we found layers of mountains, a bit blue-tinged. Temps heading for mid-90s. Pant pant.

Closer to home, the sky became dramatic, we had some rain, some wet roads. Wet continued to our driveway, with temps on our arrival in the low 80s (!!). That shower and the temp drop made arriving in the otherwise summer-hot, deep south much easier.

Toyota model skipper trapper killer. Sorry guys/ladies.

Bridge crossing was murky with the Great Lakes version of the marine layer.

By several miles south of the bridge, we were in the heat that blankets the southern/lower peninsula. Barn of northern LP.

Barn of southern LP; more active agriculture here.

We did the mosque turn differently than the highway version. Pretty light this time of day.

We stayed in the mid-summer Golden Hour in the next state south. This is a northern Ohio barn. Plenty of agricultural evidence here.

We’re holed up in AC and boring architecture. Works for us tonight!

Indeed, the focus of today’s expedition was seeing Lake Superior. That’s me in bug- and sun-resistant clothing. No fashion plate am I. Turns out, today, almost, close-to NO bugs in this area.

There at the mouth of Hurricane Creek we spotted two lampreys. I never remember seeing them in the wilds before. Scarred fish, yes; the critters, no. That brown “ribbon” across the middle of the frame: lamprey.

Instead of our usual return-to-Grand-Marais to lunch, we continued west and dined in a deli-coffee-bookstore in Munising. Yum. Such a lovely place.

On a lark, we also did the Marshland Tour at the Refuge, and of course saw many Canada geese and swans. Most of the swans were far from the car, but this wee-family was close by. I will not mention the clouds of deer flies that rode on our rear-view mirrors; such a contrast to the near bug-free conditions on the south shore of Gitchee-Gumee.

Several things about these numerals aging in place on this wooden phone/power pole are interesting. What compelled me to photograph it was that the body of the pole is clearly significantly eroded, leaving the metal pedestalled on the original surface.

Got the macro out. Of course, a flower. And of course the flower had an insect. Package deal!

My second time at the Droney flight controls, this time longer than a minute. And here’s my first Droney photo.

Beware: the future may bring more Drone-photos!

We headed out early, down the Garden Peninsula to the ghost town of Fayette. Here’s the business part of town, where workers made charcoal pig iron for 24 years. The market began to decline and the hardwoods they made the charcoal from were no longer nearby…and, pfft, an industrial town went out of business.

I always take harbor-pilings photos. The water seemed higher than the last few years.

We made our return via Kitch-iti-kipi, the Big Spring. Love the raft ride, powered by park visitors’ arms.

More trout(?) that I ever remember seeing swam in the depths as we made our slow crossing and return.

Hot day; good day to avoid outdoor chores by going sight-seeing!

Train and…reflections.

Fern and…forest-floor floral friend.

Waterfall and…reflection.

Stars and…you know.

Lovely day to take a long, slow train trip, a slightly hustling walk (The Foot, of course) during…intermission(?), and the same long, slow train trip back. Not a loop; instead, an up-and-back.

In a foreign country!

Great fun!

Pretty sure this is the Heracleum that is not friendly to the skin–sap makes the human skin photosensitive, causing blistering and burning (wild/cow parsnip).

A couple of years ago I saw one flourishing over the hill, but this one is by our beach!

Pondering how to carefully remove the plant with no…downstream negative effects…no burns, skin blistering or brown streaks that can last over a year!

Moon over Whitefish Lake. Which used to have whitefish in it, I have read. Most people don’t call it that anymore…because? no whitefish? I prefer the old name to the modern one: South Manistique Lake.

On a quiet evening, a stroll can be so rewarding. The lake was quiet. [Last night we heard a loon.]

But not too quiet. Doe and fawn also out for a stroll….

And the peonies are beginning to open. Just yesterday they were closed buds.

And the lupine field remains gorgeous. Look at the color variation. I think this year my favorites are the dark purple-blue ones and the bicolor variants.

Lake Michigan was quiet (for it) yesterday when we cruised by, and our lake was relatively quiet later today…after rain last night and breeziness mid-day.

And, this evening, plein-air dining…with birdie pepper/salt shakers! And rhubarb spice cake! Yum!