The garden in our old house was half shady and some of my daylilies did not do well. They survived and bloomed but never seemed to thrive. We moved to Kalamazoo in southwestern Michigan after that. Our back yard was almost all sun all the time. We moved some of our plants with us, including … [Read more...]
How to Move to St. Kitts and Nevis
Once we decided to move to the island of Nevis in the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis we had a long list of to-dos before we could go. Here are some of the more difficult steps. Buy a new homePrepare our home for saleSell our homeDecide what to take with usFind a moving companySell the … [Read more...]
It’s Been An Interesting Week
It's been an interesting week. Last Tuesday and Wednesday we had a fierce windstorm with winds more than 60 miles per hour. For the first time ever since we moved here 5 years ago we lost power for more than a few hours. In fact we were out from early afternoon on the 8th until evening on the … [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...]
The Blue Flowers of Fall
Have you noticed how few flowers are blue? Purple yes, but true blue is hard to find. In spring we have small bulbs like muscari and hyacinth; summer brings delphiniums and bluebells. And in the fall we have beautiful asters and one of my favorites, eupatorium Wayside. I used to bike all … [Read more...]
Glads from the Farmers’ Market – Beautiful Colors!
Dave got me a bouquet of glads at the Farmers' Market that is beautiful, full of colors and pretty shapes. Aren't these magnificent? I grow peonies, iris, zinnias and cosmos for picking but not glads. They aren't all that difficult, but it seems silly to use limited space for flowers that we … [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...]
How to Make Apricot Cherry Jam
Apricot cherry jam is luscious! A combination of sweet and tart with plenty of fruit and flavor it tastes superb on English muffins or toast or in jelly roll. We first heard of this from the lady we bought cherries and peaches from when we lived in Midland. She said it was freezer jam, about … [Read more...]