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
July 4, 2020. Happy Birthday, "We the People!" As I begin my 1,000-mile drive northward to my personal retreat, I reflect on the road our country has taken and my mind hangs on those words which begin our Constitution. We the People. What a grand idea it was, 244 years ago - a strong statement … Continue reading Knowing When to Retreat
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.
May 20, 2020 - Bull thistle. Prickly, annoying, pervasive. I've pulled up buckets and buckets of this stuff. Seeking out the newest ones has become a daily habit. They thrive in disturbed ground, and we are disturbing a lot of ground as we dig up and move dirt from here to there to develop Camp … Continue reading Weeds = Unwanted
May 15, 2020. Work began in earnest today on the septic system with the delivery of three loads of sand. (We will get up to ten more loads, then a load or two of gravel.) I made this commitment last fall when we pulled out trees to clear the space, but I still feel regret … Continue reading Development = Disturbing Nature
May 16, 2020. I have to write. I write for therapy and clarity. Sometimes I don't know what I think (or feel) until I write it down. I've been unable to write since retiring young, five years ago. Something inside was stuck in psychological mud. The mud-clog is easing now as I sit on the … Continue reading Writing on the Waterfront
