Saturday, 8 October 2016
We ventured over to the wildlife refuge to check on critters and color.
I got distracted by a tree skeleton…
…and a stump skeleton…
…as the bird count was low, and most we saw were far away. We did see a loon (near the loon overlook, of all places), a very few Canada geese and mallards, a wood duck, and this family of swans. The mostly-grown goslings cygnets, to the left, still have slightly brownish-grey feathers; I do not know when they become white.
Friday, 7 October 2016
Much of today became about images to me. Our day dawned without dawn, just a lightening that followed rain in darkness. That’s Lake Superior, our witness throughout most of today’s adventures.
This is today’s most image-y image. That’s my patella, upper right, and I am told I have loose knees. One has been ailing, got a shot, and I think at least temporary recovery is in sight.
Recently, I got my book club to read “Anatomy of a Murder” and see the movie. This is the tavern were the movie scenes were shot. It was a wing built onto the hotel for the shooting of the movie in 1959. The book is based on a real murder that happened in this town.
The stuffed peacock upper right is a nod to the present owners, the Peacock family. No peacock was on the menu.
You can stay at this lighthouse B&B. Prepare for a windy time.
The sun was out (briefly) as we toured by this stunning maple.
Then we found what we called mushroom beach. Mushrooms peppered the forest floor under the (planted pines) and we even found them among the (planted) beach grasses.
This is an active ore dock just north of Marquette proper, and quiet today. Last time we visited, there was an ore carrier docked but no loading happening.
We had a most excellent meal. The cheesecake with marinated cherries did not last….
And, then, appropriately in our rearview mirror, sunset….
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
It may not be clear what this is. It’s an ancient maple (relatively speaking), with a rust-orange lichen(?) painting the bark. Below it is a stand of lilacs.
Later, we had several spates of rain. So far, the first was the strongest, although it tapered off quickly. Those white streaks are raindrops; the largest ones are falling off the roof. I like the arcs that the barberry branches make.
Sunday, 2 October 2016
During a short stint of sunshine in mid-afternoon, I slipped out and took this shot of the woods. You can see there’s some color, but still plenty of green.
These birches behind the cottage are showing some gold.
After a mostly overcast day (the photos are from the brief sunny interludes), the clouds mostly cleared at sunset/dusk, and the lake became quiet.
Saturday, 1 October 2016
I made a grocery run, very local. Bread and milk. I know that’s a standard joke, but true today. Over off the northeast side of the lake, the leaves are well within the golden orange/brown bronze continuum, with considerable green remaining, and bits of red. This is our road, same latitude, but far more green—and many of these are maples. A Ma-Nachur mystery.
This maple, right next to the cottage, has far more colorful leaves, and many are already falling. This tree runs ahead of its neighbors every autumn, in my observation.
Down at the beach, the water was quiet, revealing a narrow sand strip. I think these are raccoon tracks.
And this rowboat…it showed up early in my childhood, making it about a half-century old. If I remember correctly. The moss and lichen are creatively obscuring the STAGECRAFT logo….
Here’s another “track” (broadly defined)…about a half-mile north of us is a swamp, maybe a quarter-mile along the road. The road bumps along only about a foot above typical water level. Sometimes, there’s a weather change at the swamp; this may sound unlikely, but I’ve noted it over and over. It happened today. As I passed north, headed for my shopping, the asphalt was wet, just damp, in the swamp, and beyond. At our end of the road, nope, dry—the air was humid, but no rain. It is expected broadly across the area before dark, however.
Thursday, 29 September 2016
I didn’t actually pick any of these barberry berries.
These, however…what can I say; we got a prolific plum tomato plant by sheer luck.
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Early morning sun…has crested trees and is backlighting droplets on squirrel-cage hardware cloth, making them spherical diamonds. Photo doesn’t capture magic.
Late evening sun…shining upstream along the Manistique. Bubbles are natural foam from upstream cedar swamps (chemistry) plus rapids (to stir it up).
Between the two all kinds of things happened (as in rrrrrt (imagine turning wheel of vehicle), change of plans), including my Wally Dinner. I might have called it walleye. Definitely yummy.
Monday, 26 September 2016
Yesterday’s blustery continued through the night and all day. Here’s the lake by afternoon. Stirred-up sand and sediments make the water unclear. I have only rarely seen linear foam patterns like this. Not sure what factors produce it. Note the boiling grey sky….
Such a tiny mushroom, and so colorful….
One lingering brown-eyed susan….
Saturday, 17 September 2016
We drove across the swamp on a gravel road that’s atop a corduroy road. Saw only a few bits of corduroy, as the wood is now well-covered and pressed into the swamp-murk. The road was lined and sometimes crossed by plenty of puddles from yesterday’s rain.
Later, westbound on the north edge of the swamp, we encountered a dirty white pickup towing a garden rake, much narrower than the bumper it followed and probably from a large multi-purpose mower-machine. I think they were scuffing the road surface to come back and look for deer/bear tracks. Of course, I suspect the immediate goal was primarily to drink beer.
I was glad to see that in spite of all the rain, the Tahquamenon was running clear. Means runoff is controlled upstream. A minor victory in the world of logging, clearing, and climate change.
Friday, 2 September 2016
What could be a better surprise find than a Buddha in a bowl?
Perhaps a blooming driveway survivor?