We live in a rural area with a large field behind us and wooded swaths about half a mile north and we get a lot of birds. All winter we have cardinals, sparrows, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, gold finches, juncos, mourning doves, purple finches plus the odd blackbird, blue jay and robin and lots … [Read more...]
Warm January Weather Melts the Snow and Shows the Mess
It's been unusually warm the last few days, 40s Wednesday - Friday, mid-50s today, 50 tomorrow, before we get back to our normal high 20s/low 30s. This is Michigan after all, and no matter what the groundhog sees on February 2, spring is at least a couple months away. The sun felt so good this … [Read more...]
Exploring for Mushrooms in Our Winter Lawn
Right now the snow is mostly gone, leaving grass and leaves and interesting mushrooms out for us to see. We had unusual mushrooms in our front yard this fall that I've not seen before. These oval ones all growing in a group remind me of mini loaves of bread. Each one has a crack in its … [Read more...]
Shore Birds on Lake Michigan Fall 2016
We camped by Muskegon in September where gulls and shorebirds were in and out of the water, swimming and walking and flying, busy searching for food. Gulls are smart and wait for people to discard pretzels that fall on the sand. This guy was persistent! (Yes, we gave him and his friends … [Read more...]
Enjoying the Path – Kleinstuck Preserve in Kalamazoo, Michigan
My dentist's office sits on a ridge above a deep wooded ravine. There is a trail at road end just before we park that I've wanted to walk but somehow something always got in the way - work, snow, rain, obligations - until today. The path leads to the Kleinstuck Preserve, a 50 acre woods with … [Read more...]
Canadian Geese Say Hello – Camping in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
In the spring and fall big flocks of geese fly overhead in long V formations, going north, or south, or over to the next puddle of water to take a break or stay for the summer. We didn't see geese or ducks much when I was a kid; in fact we didn't have nearly the variety of birds at all that we get … [Read more...]
Beach Transformations – Lake Superior Waves, Sand and Rocks
Last month Dave and I camped at Lake Muskallonge state park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula right on the shore of Lake Superior. Our Great Lakes are nothing like small natural lakes or dammed reservoirs; they are huge, too big to see across, with wild storms, deep and cold. Lake Superior is enormous … [Read more...]
Watch Out! Little Green Frog in My Pool
A little green frog likes to sit on the top of our pool liner, right below the overhang. He's hard to see unless you are swimming. I notice him even without my glasses on because he is vivid green against the dark blue liner. He's tiny, about 2 inches long. The swimming pool is not a good … [Read more...]
Critter Wars 2016! Here We Go Again
It's been a while since I posted about our ongoing battles with rabbits, moles, deer, chipmunks and squirrels. We maintained a truce the last few years: We won't trap or poison and they can do what they want. Some truce! Now the stakes are higher with this big hole right in the middle of my … [Read more...]
Marked for Death: Pokeweed! Kill This Invasive Weed
Last summer I noticed a new, big weedy plant in sunny spots alongside the road we live on, pokeweed. When pokeweed has only a few leaves it looks like a 4 o'clock plant but it's obviously different once it grows a bit. Later flowers develop. They are white in pointed clusters, rather … [Read more...]