Camping is defined as "the activity of spending a vacation in a camp, tent or camper." So says one dictionary, anyway. For some of us, it's simply getting away from "home base" for a night, preferably in nature. Below, in photos and captions, some recent one-night getaways in Michigan's far-north (Upper Peninsula). This lighthouse, captured … Continue reading Camping
There's something about walking in nature, or "hiking." (If it's not natural terrain, it's called "walking." 😊) The eyes and ears open and life's stresses melt away, at least for a while. The Japanese call this forest bathing, and have exported this idea as a form of nature therapy. Whether you call it hiking or … Continue reading Hiking/Forest Bathing
When you have a new house on the waterfront, people come - especially in summer, which is the only season that most people want to visit the far-north. Visits from family and friends was one reason for building in the first place. (I was pretty content to live in a trailer and use a compost … Continue reading Visitors
Summer is short on Lake Superior. As I write this in late August, it already feels like fall -- a good time to reflect on some midsummer memories in photos. It's been an off-kilter summer in many ways, so this is much delayed. More to come soon... Since a house has been added at Camp … Continue reading Midsummer, Remembered
Some hire an expert. Some try to figure it out themselves. I'm the 2nd kind, with mixed results. A house isn't a home until the landscaping is done. As with this house itself, DiY is preferred when possible. (I'm all for experts in areas where my knowledge is lacking and consequences are big -- like … Continue reading Amateur Landscaping
I've camped around bears and beavers and tiny biting things, but never wild horses -- until this week. Wow. They may be wild, but they sure are bold. Chincoteague Island is more known for wild horses because of the book ("Misty of Chincoteague") and its "pony swim." (A pony is just a smaller version of … Continue reading Camping With Wild Horses
Some of you want to see the inside of "the house that Jeff built." (That's what a lot of people call it.) In photos and captions... His staircase is the crowning glory. (I chose the design and some of the materials, and painted the metal parts, but the woodwork is all his.) I loved adding … Continue reading The Inside
The bad news: spring arrives slowly here on Lake Superior. The good news: you can watch it arrive day by day and appreciate each gift as it comes. (And sometimes goes again, which makes its return all the more precious.) Gifts don't always come wrapped in tidy packages. Sometimes they're messy, or slow to arrive. … Continue reading Slowly but Surely
Here on the 46th parallel, we're closer to the North Pole than the Equator and the arrival of spring isn't always apparent. March and April bring mixed weather...60-degree melt one day, re-freeze the next. It keeps things interesting for both animals and humans. Herewith, photos of how it looks these days on the north (Lake … Continue reading Spring?
Enough. Can we stop yelling publicly at each other, please? Yes, we are living through extraordinary and disruptive times, even historic times. Yes, name-calling has become "the new normal," modeled from the top. So yes, strong emotions by the rest of us are natural, even justified. But is it productive to share them in public? … Continue reading Peace, Be Still
For Many Moons 