September Pivot

The weather in Michigan has made the September pivot from summer to fall.  Nighttime temperatures have slipped into the forties.  Grabbing a fleece seems like a good idea on morning walks.  A fleece sometimes seems like a good idea in the house as well.  And harvests are coming in.      The neighbors around the corner… Continue reading September Pivot

Along the Sidewalks

The trumpet vine growing up the utility pole at Georgetown and Yorktown is starting to bloom, which is a real treat for birds, bees, and people.  The trunk—and, yes, I do mean trunk—of the vine is approximately as big around as the utility pole itself.  The foliage is so thick that it hides untold numbers… Continue reading Along the Sidewalks

Snow Joy

And the children of the land rejoiced.  We have several inches of snow on the ground.  Yesterday was a snow day with no school.  Furthermore, the white stuff is packing snow.  Out walking with the dog this morning, I saw a snow snail in all its glory.  About waist-high, it was detailed, with antennae, long… Continue reading Snow Joy

Getting Through

Sometimes in the morning, setting off on a Bakehouse run, my husband drops Rascal and me off at a location of my choosing.  That way, the dog and I can enjoy territory too far from home for it to be reasonable to walk both there and back.  Rascal is elated by these extended walks, doing… Continue reading Getting Through

Cold or Cozy

     Children who live near us have been entertaining us again, brother and sister playing out on the court.  They’re elementary school age and, during this time of post-season games, the boy has been outside throwing a football around.  Coming home from walking the dog one day this week, my husband heard the girl ask… Continue reading Cold or Cozy

Maneuvering

If any season of the year feels like it speeds along, it’s this one between Thanksgiving and the end-of-year holidays.  Days are short, activities plentiful, and to-do lists long.  It feels like we all have a lot of balls in the air.      At our friend Pat’s house, more than balls are in the air. … Continue reading Maneuvering

Getting Ready

     There was a skin of ice on Thurston Pond this morning, as thin and wrinkly as plastic wrap.  This first ice of the year is transparent and reflects the trees and sky and clouds the way the pond did before it froze.  It will melt later in the day, as the temperature goes up,… Continue reading Getting Ready

All Hallows

The neighborhood’s most startling Halloween tableau this year occasioned me genuine alarm.  Walking the dog, one foggy morning this week, I saw ahead of us a car where it didn’t belong:  partly in the street and partly angled up over the curb on the lawn extension.  I hurried to see if anyone needed help.  When… Continue reading All Hallows

Shop and Fetch

Yesterday, for the first time since the pandemic closed everything, I worked a volunteer shift at the Ann Arbor Thrift Shop.  I’m excited to be there again.  We’ve been in business since 1932 and provided millions of dollars, both in gifts in kind and in real green money, to individuals and organizations that need it. … Continue reading Shop and Fetch

Hot as Hot

     “HOT AS HOT” was the TV weather report this morning.  The map behind the cheery meteorologist proclaimed “SEVERE STORMS.”  We woke to rumbling thunder.  The sky got darker and darker, till it looked like the last moment of twilight before night falls.       The dog was frantic.  He always is when there’s thunder.  He… Continue reading Hot as Hot