Monday, 12 July 2021
I tried to beat the heat and walk in the shadows, and pretty much accomplished that. And found this shorn and rotting tree-stub way in the woods lit by a nomadic, momentary shaft of sunlight, perhaps this stump’s last blaze of glory.
Saturday, 10 July 2021
First data point: green white pine cone. Parsed, this means a new, this-year’s pine cone, essentially ripening.
Second data point: we attended two (!!!) social functions today. Vaxxing makes this possible in these pandemic times.
Thursday, 8 July 2021
The coast in this case is the Mother Lake, that is: Lake Superior. Great view from Crisp Point Lighthouse.
We worked our way east from there. This is Little Lake, which is a little lake, quite round, right next to Superior, with a short connecting waterway that cuts through a dune. Little Lake was and is a safety harbor for small boats that faced bad weather. I was surprised to see the diversity of plants in shallow water from the dock. Two loons noted our arrival from close to shore, working their way farther out as we hung around.
Next stop: mouth of the Two-Hearted River. That’s it in the foreground, with Superior behind the sand and stone.
The Two-Hearted water is tinted by its time in cedar swamps in the upper catchment. It is not dirty.
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
Walking through the swamp, I found many puddles because it rained off and on for the previous dozen hours or so. This was the only puddle a vehicle hadn’t run through and churned up. Clarity!
And this was the hyper-green view toward Mud Lake, although all you can see is the creek, narrow and supporting a substantial population of duckweed with its tiny leaves. That’s not the name of the body of water on the Goo-Maps, but that’s the name I learned. And it is a shallow, filling, hummock-rimmed pond-lake, so it’s an appropriate name. I think the Goo-name is from non-locals…my pet hypothesis.
Tuesday, 6 July 2021
I enjoyed a raven sarenade as I paced the road this morning. I went early enough that I was mostly “in shadow.” Cooler and better for my aging skin.
Later we visited the neighbors and their garden of delights. Today we snagged lettuce, both types. Soooo very tender.
Monday, 5 July 2021
It was raining, and the sun was out. Until I got outside, camera (aka phone) in hand. Then, where the rainbow I’d hoped for would have been, just this as the sun had departed with its magic capabilities. Pretty, sure, yet NOT the same.
I managed to catch this beauty with the wings fanned. Such vividness.
Saturday, 3 July 2021
We had to go to town for grocs for tomorrow’s scaled-down party, and on the way, look what we found in the road. Shell was maybe a foot long. I think the black color is from algae or other growth. Meet a small-to-medium sized snapping turtle. I stood around until s/he turned around, and I stayed behind her/him until I saw him/her disappearing under a bush. In the shade. Until then anyway, a happy ending.
For various reasons, like it was hot hot hot, I took my walk late (for me), and the sunlight was in ray form, and just stunning. I tried to capture how magical the ferns looked, but they just look meh.
Thursday, 1 July 2021
We hit the road today and got out of the big city. Somewhere along Frost Bottom Road (if I recall correctly), we found a goat. Welcome to the country, where most veggie gardens featured maize, tomatoes, pole beans, and okra. None of that froufrou broccoli or endive.
At a rest area—guess which state—we found gold Equidae statues, including this alert, cute colt.
Finally, the sky cleared and we found the clouds stunning. The sunset sky included orange, pinks, lilac, and purple, yet was not at all garish.
Monday, 21 June 2021
Most saturated hydrangea. Ever.
Whatta neighborhood! We have a Beer Car. 😎
Alterations along the BeltLine. Looks like an elongated pond. We’ll see if it stays that way.
Friday, 18 June 2021
I watched and heard a spate of tree removal and trimming early in the spring, and there’s another round underway this week. That hollow, rotten core means this tree was a goner if it hadn’t been removed.
I saw the title on a t-shirt back in 2019…had to use it myself. Or am I repeating myself? Oh, well, it’s a keeper line.