Musings

While roaming today, I ventured into our woods. Here’s the view from the bluff across the likely-to-have-poison-ivy flats toward the lake.

The low angle of the sun means the opposite, 180° view is totally different. Almost bland in comparison, but actually quite interesting in the detail. Most of these trees are maples. I think.

And today’s selected lake-view shot, across the tree-root art.

Rather nippy today (the sunshine you see in these shots was intermittent), so we have a fire in the stove. An internet search suggests it’s a coal furnace, so maybe that’s why it sometimes can be ticklish, tricky, and vexing to burn wood. Anyway, see the smoke? We are toasty; it got up to 89°, but is cooling now—just a pleasant 83° at neck height, less if you’re sitting. As I am.

Over and out.

Posted at 8:59 PM | Comments Off on Sunny moments

On this sunny day, we made a run to MQT. Droney made a run, too, shooting the city and this monument to downtown industrialization. Now, the remaining action is north of the city-core.

I was on the ground and had a different view of the structure. [Many people we saw around town had makeup and costumes of some sort; Happy Halloween!]

The Seney stretch is legendary for being straight and flat—for more than 25 miles! The tamaracks (Larix laricina) were golden; they are in the pine family and deciduous.

There was also gold on the ground (a few places). I remember being pretty small and Dad stopping the car on the Seney stretch somewhere to show us Michigan lilies (Lilium michiganense)—which grows in a much greater area than the state of Michigan.

Today’s sun-preparing-to-set shot of “our” lake.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Dressed up

I loved the orange at dawn. So clear.

An hour-and-a-half later, it was like a different day, perhaps a different world. A fog (cloud?) set in, and the dawn tints gone, and the color palette diminished.

By mid-afternoon, it was seriously overcast, a solid layer of blue-grey above.

At the beach, well, no beach, and a south wind sending the waves kicking up the leaves that had been floating aimlessly yesterday like poetic dabs on the lake. No more.

And by full dark, it was spitting rain. Sigh.

There’s a saying in these parts along the lines of “if you don’t like the weather, wait five miniutes,” or an hour. This was a day that fit that to a “T.”

Posted at 9:02 PM | Comments Off on Wait five minutes

Even before sunrise, you could tell the grey and rain were gone gone gone, and it was clear and beautiful out.

There was a bit of a breeze before we entered these woods to find standing water—did I mention the last two weeks (or more?) have been rainy….

As we backtracked and left the woods, we scared up this quartet of white flags. They did not stay to get acquainted.

Okay, mandatory lake shot. We did so enjoy the sunshine. The solar gain worked on the “front” porch, and it even got warmer than the house! We did little work today, mostly basked in the sun/sun-warmth and Someone took a nice nap.

Posted at 6:55 PM | Comments Off on So pleasant

Rock. Lake. View.

Under grey skies.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Nous sommes arrivés

I have managed to forget about the leaf clusters that accumulate in corners of fences and buildings and the like; I was reminded today when I found this assemblage of light, dry leaves—still retaining some fine reddish maple color.

Posted at 9:16 PM | Comments Off on Wind art

My hypothesis is that this is a new-pole crew, as there were not only the two bucket-trucks with guys working on the wires, but also another big truck with a giant auger (put away at this point, and parked down the block). I also saw a big pickup that was part of the crew—the boss?

This scenario is easier to figure out: verge ghosties.

And for those wanting a flower-fix: a bi-color camellia. With an ant and another insect (mostly obscured).

Posted at 6:48 PM | Comments Off on Common color theme by accident

The ceiling fans are muted, and the dark stays well into the summer-time coffee hour. The seasons turn.

Posted at 10:06 PM | Comments Off on Azalea time (again)

Softening the blow?

Post-Michael we’re in a cool spell—truly cool, overnights in the low 50s. All of a sudden, the season-change is revealed. Yet, I see the azalea out front is giving the spring cycle one more belated go.

Posted at 6:53 PM | Comments Off on Signs

I got down to the sidewalk and no farther as there was a work crew setting up on our street, and the fellow driving this truck was quite concerned that I understand they’d be interrupting life on our street for a while. Something about a gas line going through the sewer pipe. I couldn’t quite figure out how that could be changed by opening up one square of the sidewalk, but didn’t hang around to ask and hear the answer. Yay for infrastructure improvements.

On my mosey, I found these spider webs festooning this ground cover in an artful way. Yay for arachnid aesthetics.

Later I found this holiday still life. Beware begonias? With spiders? Yay for creativity in outdoor decorations.

We went downtown to do a bit of business with the state, and waited at a stop-light with a great view of the capital’s gold dome. At the state office, we learned that a contractor had taken over their computer system so it was “down” and I could not transact my biz. I’ll try again Tuesday, as Monday is a holiday and they aren’t open on Saturdays. Yay for government work schedules.

Posted at 6:08 PM | Comments Off on Yay for…