Thursday, 27 May 2021
We are back in northern Michigan early spring—frost overnight, and probably tonight, too. Apple blooms look okay (so far).
Offshore breeze means quiet waters (here).
Herd of deer by tree. If you can discern two dark shapes just a bit closer to me than the deer—those are a pair of sandhills…I’ve been hearing them and previous years I’ve seen them in this field…good to find them here again.
Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Yeah, that title is the prediction for overnight in the clear-sky dark-hours. Lots of blooms in danger. And if the apple blooms are hit, well, no apples come autumn.
Look immediately above the right tree and on the far left. Two sandhill crane souls captured. Two more were in the air, although I did not manage to capture their images/souls.
Sunday, 23 May 2021
Our beach isn’t the only one vastly remodeled for spring 2021. This is the mouth of the Au Train River, which flows into Lake Superior. This year the mouth is farther west than I’ve ever seen it. The water cut deeply into the bank I’m standing on, which usually slopes down to a beach zone bordering the water. No longer. In fact, the park people built a new path farther west than they ever had had one, as the old ones end in an abrupt and dangerous drop into the water. On the other hand, the lake level is not as high as it has tended to be. On the other other hand, the fire danger is HIGH because it is dry dry dry.
Monday, 17 May 2021
Sometime today, yesterday’s Cascades became today’s Rockies. These long lakes are all fake, or perhaps more kindly, they’re reservoirs. With abundant power generation. I’ll take the reflections.
This murder scene welcomed us to tonight’s overnight housing.
When I first arrived, as part of the dying fish tableau, I watched a male mallard preen before departing. And among the plants, several Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, which I know as kinnikinnick (from the Algonquian referring to the plant’s use as a smoking substance).
If I understood the weather prediction correctly, places we’ve been today and will visit tomorrow will have snowfall Wednesday after we are out on the Great Plains.
Tuesday, 4 May 2021
We stopped to stretch our legs while we were motoring west on the plains and I found these wee blooms that my magic iNaturalist ID app indicated is a milk vetch, and a legume. I can SEE the latter—look at those flower shapes…so leguminous.
Continuing west, we climbed up and up after Cheyenne, and into sleet and snow-rain. Fortunately it was over 40°F, so no ice on the road to worry about.
Soon, we descended again and I found a wee sagebrush doing springtime burgeoning. A nearby sign indicated that Wyoming hosts 13 species of sagebrush. And this one is…?
Thursday, 22 April 2021
I believe I have put the winter down duvet back on the bed four times as our warm spring switched to cool. And back. I did for last night, and it’s staying on for tonight. Then, I may pack it up until next fall.
Sunday, 11 April 2021
We’ve gotten to clematis season. This one has a shy petal.
Watched the very end of the Masters, not quite a shoo-in, so a level of excitement. Water-hazards! Sand traps! TENSION!
Always, when I look at the Masters, I wonder if they’ve had to put bags of ice under the azaleas to keep them from flowering too soon. [Except last fall…but, usually.] Maybe this year the timing worked out right and the groundskeepers didn’t have to retard the blooming process.
Wednesday, 31 March 2021
Maple detritus. Never noticed these pink ones before, or don’t remember doing so. Pink?
Oak detritus (pretty sure), plus pollen and petals. The oak bloom-twigs are new in this year’s detritus cycle.
Bonus: dogwoods, foreground, showing their understory form. And overstory oaks in the background.
Sunday, 28 March 2021
There’s a whole scene or maybe a short story that could include this moment. The waving flag is the best. Plus the “we compost” sign.
Seasonal flower photo.
We were weather aware this morning again, and again we are well, with the worst of it elsewhere. 🍀
Saturday, 27 March 2021
We left inside-the-perimeter to visit the Grey Sisters and their people, and enjoy a tasty home-made meal.
Outbound we saw beautiful pale purple dangling flower clusters of wisteria frequently in the roadside woods. Returning, we saw some dogwoods blooming near houses, but not yet in the woods.
The title is exactly as it was on a sign. No price. I can’t quite believe that the biscuits were so good people would stop no matter the price.