Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Oh, that Gitche Gumee is formidable, and continues to maul this wreck. Water levels higher than I’ve seen for some years, I’m pretty sure. We read 57° and 59° as we drove along the shore, with a wind that made it…chilly. But the brilliant sun compensated….
Monday, 11 August 2014
Chore day*. High point was a picnic lunch stop here. A lone seagull witnessed our dining…hoping.
* Chores included laundry, library, tire fix (whoops; tire’s low!), big groc run….
Friday, 8 August 2014
Hey, a Great Lake! This is Lake Michigan, near the northern shore; the other end laps on Chicago’s toenails. I like this limestone bed that I’m standing on—it acts rather like a shelf along this section of the shoreline. That lighthouse is modest; it’s on the pier off Manistique aiding navigation into and out of the small port. Mostly it’s used by pleasure boaters these days, although the park where I was standing to take this is named after a ship that went down in the late 1950s, about 23 miles offshore. Twenty-foot waves are tough on marine craft.
Two summers ago, if I remember right, it looked like the paper? mill in town would close—a huge blow to this community, which otherwise is managing to hold on with a high school, small harbor, and I think a small clinic. Turned out that at the last minute it was sold, and continued in operation.
Meanwhile, over in Gulliver, the yard seems to have the largest stockpile of logs we’ve ever seen there. Acres. Not sure if it ships into Manistique, or farther west. Pretty sure, though, that the logs leave 1) by rail, and 2) towards the setting sun.
Saturday, 2 August 2014
We enjoyed the extended sunset-glow and watched the beach-fire at the same time. Heavenly!
The water level is down somewhat (yea!), and we saw several avian fly-bys zooming just above the water moving parallel with the shoreline. Mostly ducks, I think.
While we were mellow, the mosquitoes found us, and, geeze, they are aggressive at present!
Our neighbors (year-round residents) observed that this evening was the first that felt like summer, as it has been cool to very cool all summer (last winter, too!). So we shall behave summerly!
Friday, 1 August 2014
Turns out the New River is an anomaly. It crosses the Appalachians yet is not tidal. It is geologically ancient despite its name.
We found it simply darned pretty.
I’m ready to go back and get to the bottom of it, however….
Thursday, 31 July 2014
I’m not sure we can make one of those universal assumptions, but today’s data point indicates that drivers should expect fog on the way to Knee of Kennedy, or Wrist of Washington, or Leg of Madison, or Mouth of Wilson. Whichever is real.
Thursday, 10 July 2014
I’ve been seeing robins several times each day bobbin’ in the back yard (garden). But I can tell the squirrels have been busy, too.
In an almost-non-sequitur, one fellow I passed today when I was walking had on a t-shirt that read The SQUIRREL WHISPERER. I figure there was a great story there, but I didn’t ask.
(Pause.)
Darn Google. Apparently it’s a sky-mall item. Darn darn. My version (in my head) was better!
Thursday, 10 July 2014
When I depart, it’s no longer dark, although I don’t see the sun. I begin to make my “side loops,” up and back on side streets that add steps without taking me farther from home. I find spots of sun and delightful shadows. I hear doves. I see several cats, awake and watchful.
Hunting? Certainly posing like they’re hunting.
I pass under a tree and feel a leaf land softly on my neck. I reach up to brush it away. It’s not a leaf. Ick.
Wasn’t a bird. Must have been a caterpillar. I’ve been poop-bombed by a caterpillar!!
Monday, 23 June 2014
Yeah, we made like sardines* and got high today. Great views of Rainier as we drove to the airport before sunrise. Also saw a quick view as the plane turned onto the runway. Then we leveled out over the Rockies, and I watched the sierra-layers until the cloud cover obscured visibility.
* Ancient plane compared to the last few we’ve flown state-side, with no screens in the seat-backs.
Saturday, 21 June 2014
So much fun today. I’ll just give you the sunset. Not quite so spectacular as yesterday, but darned fine!