Winter has arrived in Michigan, and with it come certain expectations. Michiganders know there will be grey slushy days and days so beautiful they remind us what a privilege it is to live here. Children will build snowpeople, then head for the sledding hills. Hockey players will clear rinks on the pond. Dogs will cavort,… Continue reading Winter Surprises
Author: Nancy J. Moncrieff
Enough Boots
Another cold grey day today. Yesterday was glorious and sunny, but that was then. The situation today is snow on the ground, clear sidewalks, and the path through the woods so icy you could skate on it. What to put on my feet? As I surveyed my choices this morning, I decided I might not… Continue reading Enough Boots
Tracks in the Snow
One sunny day this week, I went to one of our public golf courses to look for animal tracks—I’ve seen some good ones there over the years. My husband was a little concerned about the isolated location. He didn’t voice the concern, but it was clear on his face, and he admitted to it later… Continue reading Tracks in the Snow
Little Dog in Deepish Snow
It snowed overnight, about seven inches. The thermometer is stuck in the teens. The wind is blowing. There are puffs of snow stuck in our screens. But if you have a dog, you go for walks. That’s the way it is. Our little mutt likes his walks. He’s a trooper. His cheerful outlook in all… Continue reading Little Dog in Deepish Snow
A Good Week for Ice and Snow
It was busy on and around the pond this morning. On our way to the easement, dog and I saw three adults peering up into an evergreen, the man pointing with his whole arm extended, the women trying to see what he was seeing. All were intent, concentrating hard. The object of their scrutiny… Continue reading A Good Week for Ice and Snow
Why Should I Get Up?
Why should I get up? I wonder that to myself nearly every morning as we close in on a year of pandemic shutdown. What is one good reason to leave the lovely cocoon of covers, that haven of warmth and comfort? We’re retired. There’s nowhere we have to be. The dog might beg to differ,… Continue reading Why Should I Get Up?
Taking It Like a Dog
As we approach a year of living under the constraints of CoVid-19, those of us still here are feeling dejected. Who imagined we’d experience a pandemic in our lifetimes? That we’d close the schools? That churches would be open for neither Easter nor Christmas nor, quite possibly, Easter again? That a trip to the… Continue reading Taking It Like a Dog
Intimations of Spring
All over our part of Michigan, there are intimations of spring. For starters, we’ve had a thaw. From temperatures in the single digits and teens, we’ve jumped into the thirties, forties, and even fifties. Winter is a long way from over in this Northern state, but this respite reminds us that winter does not, in… Continue reading Intimations of Spring
Great Things Happening
We’ve been having a heat wave. At first, we thought we’d just gotten the January thaw in February, but the temperature went up even more as we pulled into March. This week, we had some sixty-degree days and a peek at what seventy looks like. While taking full advantage of every warm moment, we understand… Continue reading Great Things Happening
Buds and Bulbs and Color
What is so exciting about buds on plants and bulb flowers sending up shoots? Is it the prospect of spring? Life renewing itself? A change of texture in the world? Whatever it is, plants are fattening up their buds and sending up shoots, and it’s wonderful. It’s so wonderful, in fact, that people sometimes… Continue reading Buds and Bulbs and Color