Bushwacking: making one’s way through wild areas without following a designated path or trail. And so we did, during a hike yesterday to and along the Huron River not far from my camp. And it was wild! The origins of the term harken to our country's beginnings, when private individuals and "irregulars" attacked each other … Continue reading Bushwhacking
A garage is one of those practical things that adds value to a home. I've never had one. Anywhere. That's about to change, at Camp Many Moons on the shores of Huron Bay. Like many retirees, I divide my time between two states. In northern Virginia, I live in a townhouse and park in a … Continue reading Building Solid Ground (Prepping for Garage)
Terve! (Hello!) I'm North American, but my DNA is nearly 100% Finnish. It explains a lot about me and my family, and I learn more each year. I learned a lot more in my hometown last month. All of my grandparents were immigrants. There's a strong politically-generated passion in the U.S. right now about immigrants, … Continue reading Heritage Matters
Which month "goes out like a lion?" March? This year, on the 46th parallel, it was June. The last week in the month of longest days here on the south shore of Lake Superior delivered gorgeous sunsets and moonrises but also a few tempests and a remarkable movement of water. June scenes from Huron Bay … Continue reading Wow. Nature’s Work.
Mid-spring in the far north brings wild turkeys down from the woods, and torrents of rushing water down from the hills. One month into the three-month season called Spring, the changes come slowly. In photos and captions, the continuing record of seasonal changes on Huron Bay in Michigan's U.P. Turkeys are an ancient bird; some … Continue reading Turkeys & Torrents
Nature reflects humanity, and vice versa. Cycles of destruction and renewal, ebb and flow, the ugly and the beautiful. Trees fall -- and sometimes are "felled" -- and we clean up the mess to create a more peaceful scene. We often use "nature" as a synonym for refuge. It is that. But it's also the … Continue reading Spring Clean-Up
I don't remember much from chemistry class. I wish I did. How does moving water turn into ice? How does it create such amazing structures? Those are the questions that arise when you visit O Kun De Kun Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at the end of March. More photos and thoughts below... Flowing water … Continue reading Icefalls
Yay! Spring!? Nope....not yet. In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, spring teases you. One day it's here and the next, it's gone. Actually, it is "here," officially. The calendar says so, even if my eyes don't. The vernal equinox, spring's astronomical arrival, occurred a week ago. At my other home in Zone 7 (Virginia), daffodils are blooming. … Continue reading Spring? Not!
More than 3' feet fell in some places. In the end, it was an historic winter storm in Michigan's Upper Peninsula -- in some places. But not right here. Almost 40" fell on Mount Arvon, just 15 miles away. But here on the west side of Huron Bay, maybe 16" based on my twice-daily shoveling. … Continue reading Winter Storm – Prediction Vs. Outcome
Sometimes, you have to "lose" something in order to find something else. News of an expanding war is distressing to many of us military vets and retirees who served during the Iraq War and 9/11 and have studied wars through history. The "what's-happening-now?!" question lives too much in our brains. The "what-happens-next?" question follows closely … Continue reading Losing “The War,” Finding Nature
For Many Moons 