Carol had warned Marilyn and me, before we joined her on Beaver Island, that Lake Michigan was still cold. She did not exaggerate. Marilyn and I found that the pause and gasp generally experienced when cold water reaches one’s torso occurred when the water hit the arches of our feet. Carol said that, when… Continue reading Being on Beaver Island
Getting to Beaver Island
Marilyn and I drove north last week to meet Carol for our sisters weekend on Beaver Island. En route to Charlevoix, I saw two things I’d never seen before. One was car-carrier trucks with just a few cars on the trailer. We did see one fully-loaded car carrier, but another ahd only… Continue reading Getting to Beaver Island
Normal People, Weird Food
Janice and I were celebrating the freedom of having been vaccinated by going somewhere together in the same car. Our destination was the Container Store, which both of us thought would be fascinating, and it was. Even more fascinating was something Janice said when looking at a small, two-section food container. “I’d put carrots in… Continue reading Normal People, Weird Food
Intensities
The dog hurt his knee while running around wildly, leaping, and barking at the dogs next door (who spend their time barking yo mama jokes at him until he can’t take it anymore). Now he’s supposed to be resting while he heals. Only he doesn’t know that. He thinks I’ve gone lame, and not in… Continue reading Intensities
Beebalm, Bergamot, Monarda
Gardens are a means of time travel. You only need to be close enough to a garden to smell what’s blooming to know this is so. The scent of lilacs, wafting on a spring breeze, transports me to early childhood. Mom and Dad had planted a row of lilacs and other flowering bushes in… Continue reading Beebalm, Bergamot, Monarda
Cicadas and Safe Places
According to a Michigan State University entymologist, Washtenaw County is the favored Michigan location for Brood X seventeen-year cicadas. Throughout our neighborhood, we have cicada emergence holes, exoskeletons, and cacophonous jubilation. People have mixed feelings about all this. One neighbor in particular is less than thrilled. Her yard is like other yards. In… Continue reading Cicadas and Safe Places
Beginnings
Brood X, our batch of seventeen-year cicadas, is getting easier to find, especially in Cherry Hill Nature Preserve. This 160-acre park owned by Superior Township is heavily populated by Brood X and people there to see and photograph Brood X. Sue and Tesla and I went walking there yesterday—Sue and Tesla’s second visit this week. … Continue reading Beginnings
Contact
Small, tender trees near us are sporting costumes of fine white mesh, secured around the trunk. They look like not-very-scary-sized alien life forms. In fact, the netting is to protect them from nearly-alien life forms. The 17-year cicadas called Brood X are beginning to emerge. They’re pretty benign as invaders go, but can be tough… Continue reading Contact
Drama, Subtlety, and the Long View
Drama and subtlety have been the watchwords this week, and Baltimore orioles have starred in the drama department. With their vivid markings, all they have to do is show up to create drama, and they’ve just returned to southern Michigan. I came upon one in the woods yesterday that was so gorgeous, the sight of… Continue reading Drama, Subtlety, and the Long View
In Motion
Whether critters going about their business, a truck moving about its appointed rounds, or excited children, this was a week in motion. The freezing weather seems to be behind us at last, and the world is busy. When the dog and I were out walking in Sugarbush woods, we came upon a garter snake. … Continue reading In Motion