My last post dealt with winter surprises, and there have been some delightful ones. An eagle. A great horned owl. I experienced a less delightful one last Thursday, when I was out with the dog and miles from home. It was a pretty day, sidewalks were clear, and Rascal and I weren’t yet at our… Continue reading Another Surprise
Author: Nancy J. Moncrieff
Winter Surprises
There are aspects of winter that Michiganders can count on. Snow. Cold. Ice. Grey days. Days so bright and beautiful they fill you with awe. These are givens. There are also surprises. Early this winter, for example, as the dog and I set out on a morning walk, we noticed two Vs of birds… Continue reading Winter Surprises
Thaw-Freeze, Spring, and Sunshine
It has been exceedingly slippery around here lately. We seem to have the freeze-thaw cycle backwards. We finally had the January thaw this month, but then we had freeze. And snow. So, the first layer on the sidewalks is ice–bumpy, hard to walk on, and slick. Walking on it, because dog, requires concentration and… Continue reading Thaw-Freeze, Spring, and Sunshine
Sturgeon Hunt, 2022
My sister Carol and her husband Paul were present for the entirety of Michigan’s 2022 sturgeon fishing season. The season takes place only at Black Lake, once a year, and this year lasted thirty-six minutes. It began at 8:00 a.m. and ended when the sixth sturgeon was on the ice at 8:36 a.m. … Continue reading Sturgeon Hunt, 2022
Recreational Use
At the condominium association near us, Traver Creek forms a pond. By the pond is a sign that says, NO RECREATIONAL USE. The dog and I frequently stroll through the area and, up till now, the sign has done its work: people have stayed off the pond. This winter, there must have been a scofflaw–it… Continue reading Recreational Use
Winter Gear
I have new boots. They’re the warmest ever. They’re waterproof. They have tread that grips the snow. And they are noisy. As I step down on one, it sounds like a tire grabbing the snow when a car gets underway. As I push off again, the boot swishes like corduroy bellbottoms. So, as Rascal and… Continue reading Winter Gear
Glimpses of Happiness
Walking Rascal up Nixon Road recently, I noticed a Little Free Library where there hadn’t been one before. Little Free Libraries are small, glassed-in bookcases, mounted on posts and offering books at no charge to anyone who happens by. People put these bookcases near their sidewalks out of niceness. The one on Nixon was clearly… Continue reading Glimpses of Happiness
Filling the Shelves
Our remodeling project is almost done. Yesterday afternoon, Don delivered a multitude of present-wrapped shelves to go in the new bookcases. He had unwrapped the shelves, festooning brown paper around the room, and installed them where he thought we might like them. It was a great starting place. Already occupying pride of place, front… Continue reading Filling the Shelves
Taking Down the Tree
“You’re just as focused taking down the tree as putting it up,” my husband observed this afternoon. I hadn’t considered the matter before, but he was right. There’s a lot that goes into taking down a tree. For instance, there’s the matter of boing-y-ness. This is the second year we’ve had this artificial… Continue reading Taking Down the Tree
Little Tender Moments
Out walking this morning, Rascal and I found ourselves for a while behind a dad with two young daughters, one daughter on each side. Suddenly, Dad started to run. Not very fast. The girls hustled to catch up. Then they started to giggle. Daddy had turned around and started skipping. They skipped, too. “What… Continue reading Little Tender Moments