Snowy woods are magical. Yes, it's cold. You have to dress for it. And it's worth the extra effort, because...the stillness. You can hear yourself think! (Or, not. Sometimes not thinking is the point.) American poet Robert Frost must have known this when he wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." (See him recite … Continue reading Woods on a Snowy Evening
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
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
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?
We did it in 12 days. It's wasn't The Great Loop - but it was a loop, and it was great! The Lake Superior Circle Tour is "a thing" among northerners...to drive the 1,300 miles around the biggest, coldest and deepest lake in the world. I grew up on this lake, and saw "Circle Tour" … Continue reading Lake Superior Circle Tour – Pt 1
For Many Moons 