September 11, 2020. We've arrived at "the in-between." In the far-north, summer exits abruptly while autumn enters hesitantly and winter awaits at the door. The skies record this jerky transition. Before the changing of leaf-color comes the changing of sky-color. Moody. Uncertain. Evolving. Kind of like me. If we're honest, like most of us. Like … Continue reading The In-Between Skies
September 8, 2020. This is my wake-up view, before I even leave my tent. It's 50 degrees, and my cozy camper is just 30 feet away. So why am I sleeping here? Look again. That's why. Nature is so close, in a tent. I've been sleeping in tents since my teens. I made some adjustments … Continue reading In Praise of Tent Camping
Sept. 1, 2020. Cedar trees engage all your senses. Their fragrant needles tickle the nose. Their crooked, twisted branches confuse the eyes. Their sinewy bark agitates the fingers. Their snap-crackle-pop in the campfire delights the ear. The cedar tree stands for strength, and they live 100 years or more. I wonder why we've lost so … Continue reading The Life & Death (?) of a Cedar Tree
July 29, 2020. We lost two ducklings. Yesterday, there were seven. Today, just five. I know it's silly to personalize it that way. This is wildlife, and they succumb to the wildness of nature. Nature = natural! But still, I still feel sad. This duck family swims by our dock several times a day, and … Continue reading And Then There Were Five
July 25, 2020. You don't have to live on an ocean or river to experience high water. Here in the Great Lakes, it's caused by a seiche (pronounced saysh) -- an oscillating wave in a standing body of water. Folks here call it "the bathtub effect." It's the inland equivalent of a tide, but it … Continue reading High Water – The Seiche Effect
July 18, 2020. "Take warning!" Says the sailor's ditty about red skies in the morning. This red is so vivid that it wakens me. I throw on a shirt and run outside. The sun hasn't risen yet, so the green solar light that I hang at the camper door is still glowing. The contrast of … Continue reading Red in The Morning…
July 11, 2020. On Huron Bay, the sky changes moods frequently. What a treat! Some people prefer a consistently-sunny sky, such as in Southern California or Arizona, but I love variety. Clouds and mist and incoming storms fascinate me. I wonder, then, why our social divisions distress me so? I enjoy the challenge of unpredictable … Continue reading Yooper Skies: Beauty & The Beast
June 5, 2020. The strawberry moon, so-called by American Indians to recognize the short season of that luscious fruit, rose at Camp Many Moons last night. Summer arrives soon! Strawberry season is a big deal in the U.P., where summer is so brief. The small town of Chassell, 30 miles from here, holds a strawberry … Continue reading Strawberry Moon at Many Moons
May 24, 2020. A kayak isn't just for recreation. Up here in the far north, it's sometimes transportation. We paddled across Huron Bay today, to the tiny Ravine River, to get a few groceries at The Trading Post on Skanee Road. The tiny store is a short walk from the river. It feels good to … Continue reading Kayaks – Not Just for Recreation
May 23, 2020. Have you ever seen a septic field get built? Neither have I, until now. It's an admittedly odd thing to celebrate, but there is something satisfying about creating your own infrastructure and figuring out how to follow the requirements. The permit calls for 400 square feet of field, so we start with … Continue reading We Built a Sand Mountain! Septic Done.
