In less than a week, I will be "on pilgrimage." That's what it's called when you walk El Camino. And I've been walking a lot to get ready. A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place, during which personal transformation may take place. Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus have been doing this for centuries. … Continue reading Walking For El Camino
When I arrive in Virginia, I hear "welcome home!" When I arrive in Michigan, I hear "welcome home!" Michigan's U.P. in the far-north is my original home--where I was born and raised, and returned as an adult to buy some land and create a camp. Northern Virginia became my adult home while working in and … Continue reading Home
Houses and landscaping need maintenance, and sometimes fixes. Visions do, too. Also nations. While our nation argues (and argues!) about how to maintain its foundations and what needs fixing, here's a few examples from Camp Many Moons on Huron Bay - because visitors don't see the messy behind-the-scenes labor that produces the visual "wow." And … Continue reading Fixes
Herewith, a hodge-podge of odd, unusual, and interesting items from the far north in the past month, in photos and captions. This 12-inch-diameter fungus -- also called mushroom, because "fungus" is a yucky word -- appeared on my sandy beach overnight. My plant identifier app calls it polyporaceae. (How to pronounce that??) Contains neurotoxins, yikes! … Continue reading Weird Stuff
Many people live on the water, or wish they did, for the calm that it offers. They appreciate simply looking at it. It calms me, too -- but some of us need to experience it with more than our eyes. We want to feel it under us, and around us. We want to play with … Continue reading Water Play
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
For Many Moons 