Not a creature was stirring...well

The family is here and it’s time to trim the tree. Having a houseful of people you love is truly a treat and we are SO lucky. All together there are eight of us, plus two dogs and one cat and we are getting ready for the holidays. Very little decorating had gone on here. The house concert (did I not blog about it? I will, and add pictures, soon) took my attention and we really needed the space so the tree didn't go up until yesterday.
The deck was shoveled so the tree could be brought in through the French doors. Like magic, when I returned from walking the dog the tree was in the living room and looked great, but very bare. All decorations are stored in tubs in the garage attic. Boxes were unloaded and brought into the house. Lights were placed while dinner was prepared and the house smelled of roast and pine needles.
After dinner the boxes began to be unpacked. Like many of you, we love to look at the decorations and tell the stories they bring to mind. When did this one appear, who purchased that one, this was a gift from... and so on. Looking into one large plastic tub Michael stopped unpacking when he saw mice damage. He was worried that the mouse was still in there. I continued unpacking and sure enough, the cutest little brown mouse came running out. He ran around the fireplace and into the powder-room then down the hole the hot water pipes come up through. Now we have a mouse in the basement somewhere.
We are starting to miss Seymour the cat! Well, we've missed him periodically since his move to Alaska, but most notably when we see creatures in the garage (or house in this case); he was definitely a great hunter and kept us pest free. Some of our decorations were destroyed, but the damage wasn’t too bad. This Christmas we are will be listening and hoping that on Christmas Eve, not a creature is stirring. I'll keep you posted.

Thanksgiving

Its been a while since we traveled out of state for the holiday, but this year we did just that. We visited family in Chicago and had a blast. Who would have thought that adults could play like children and have such fun!

My sister hosted (very brave of her) and my Mom & Step-dad, all 3 of my siblings and most of the children attended. The only missing children were my oldest who live out of state. In addition to this were a variety of friends, some who came for dinner and some after just for the fun. Well, I thought it was fun...my sister may still be cleaning up from the day!

Luckily travel was good this year. We had a rainy trip down with a detour of a few miles and a sick dog (don't give bones as treats on a long ride....lesson learned!) but was otherwise uneventful. The temperatures were well above freezing, unlike past trips. One in particular I remember because I had offered to bring down a fresh turkey from a local turkey farm and ended up in a hotel overnight around St. Joseph due to a horrible snow storm. All worked out fine that year, but it was nice not to have the stress this year.

Dinner was wonderful, of course. How can Thanksgiving dinner be anything but wonderful. Lots of food to choose from. Our family tradition is to have Polish foods in addition to the traditional Turkey & sides. In addition to turkey, dressing, sweet & white potatoes, peas & carrots, cranberry, etc. we had fresh Polish sausage, Kapusta, & a variety of Peirogi - all yummy & MUCH to much food. Of course this was all followed by pies, many of them!

After dinner the fun began. My younger brother (the youngest sibling) took pictures and I'm sharing one here. My sister had some silly string, which soon devolved into whipped cream. I don't know how it started, but it sure was fun! The uncles (my brothers) are such great role models. I can't think of anything better for children to see than adults playing and having fun. All I could think about what what wonderful memories the children would have!

Cleaning up the (people are easy) carpet, walls, etc. are another story. My sister is a true sport.

Silly Raccoon

We often have wild visitors on our deck. We feed the birds and find that the squirrels, wild turkeys and raccoons love birdseed too. The raccoons in particular make a mess and do damage so we scare them off whenever we hear them banging around out there, almost always after dark. We had a mother on the deck with 5 little babies one spring, the little ones were so cute. This was when we were building and there was no deck rail up yet. The mother ran for the hills shimmying down the deck support pole while the little ones ran to the edge, turned, and were slightly over the edge hanging on for dear life. They stayed there looking at us as if they feared they would be our next meal and considering their options. Five little baby faces peering at us, so adorable! One by one they either attempted to descend the railing after mom, simply jumped or lost their grip and fell. Being very small and having a soft landing on the forest floor they all survived. We were surprised that the mother deserted her children like that, but she must have stayed close & we did not see them again.

Last week we once again heard the banging and noise on the deck that meant a 'coon was at the feeder. This raccoon was on the deck when I ran out the back door making noise to send it running in hopes that it would be scared enough not to return for a while. Well, evidently I scared it alright. We can only imagine it is this years baby and still young and inexperienced. It ran to the corner of the deck and simply froze. It seemed to think that as long as it couldn't see us we couldn't see it either & it was safe. I stood not 4 feet from the critter as it peeked over the railing at me and then quickly hid its head again. Calling Joe to come and see I waited while he came up from the lower level, got his jacket on and come out onto the deck. I thought for sure that at any minute it would run along the railing to the edge of the deck and out into the night. That or, as the mother did some years back, head down the deck post to the ground and safely make its way into the woods. I didn't want Joe to miss seeing him up close and standing still. He had his chance and we both stood and talked with the raccoon for about 5 minutes. The raccoon did not respond, or move again for that matter. We went in and watched from the window for a few more minutes but the raccoon did not budge. Since we had all the lights on we felt that this was probably the reason for the continued game of 'statue'. Off went the lights and when we checked back a 1/2 hour later the raccoon was gone. Its been very quiet on the deck lately & while we enjoy having these up close experiences, we are happy for the peace as well.

Walking with dog - the sequel

Maddie and I take many solitary walks through the various trails and hiking paths around Boyne. The woods change with the seasons and fall is one of my favorites. The leaves on the ground make a beautiful blanket and you can once again see the contour of the land through the trees.

This fall there has been a large amount of little white moths on the floor of the woods. When Maddie runs along through the leaves they rise up behind her and it looks like a silver fairy trail floating a few feet off the ground. I would love to have a picture for you, but my camera is not up to the job. This silver path is simply amazing as it sparkles and moves. Walt Disney couldn't have had a better model for tinker bells magic trail. The Northern Michigan Woods are truly a magical place.

Maddie likes to run, but with the possibilities of hunters in the woods she wears her 'hunters orange' to decrease the possibility of any accidents. She's a trooper and doesn't seem to mind this, or the new back pack we purchased for her so she can carry her own drinking water and treats, leashes, etc. On the trail, Maddie will find any available standing water and take a drink. Some of the water does not look incredibly palatable, but so far she has not gotten sick from these nature made bowls. I'm hoping her luck holds or she gets a little more choosy about where she drinks. We had a traveling water bowl but she chewed it. I'll get another and with a fresh water supply and portable bowl in her backpack she'll be ready for hiking in health and style.

Running with dogs

OK, So I don't actually run with them, but they run. I've been walking Maddie at a local park in town where it is a bit safer to let her run during the fall hunting season. People are not supposed to be hunting in that area so I put her orange vest on her and can let her go. A lot of people take their dogs up there to give them some exercise and although I believe technically you should have them on leash, most are not. Maddie LOVES to run and really NEEDS to get her energy out. Once she's had a good hour walk she is chill for the rest of the day, just the way we like it!
A couple weeks ago I ran into two women who were also walking their dogs up there and we walked together while the dogs played and ran. We all got along so well that we've been walking together whenever possible and the dogs, a Golden Retriever and a Wheaten Terrier along with Maddie who is a Belgian Tervuren Sheepdog just have a ball together. We meet every day we can so the dogs (and us by default) have a good hour walk/run.

Each day the dogs seem to find a lot to explore and often find things of interest. They have a spot with a double tree where the bottom makes a natural bowl so they can get a drink, they have returned first with little round burrs and more recently with long pointy ones that we talk about combing out of our respective dogs in the evenings. More recently a spot was found with something fowl (we believe turkey poop) and the other two dogs have rolled in it requiring baths. Until today I was very pleased with Maddie for not joining in and therefore not needing a bath. Today it was bath day. She ran ahead and when I saw her she was rolling on her back in the offending spot. I called her over, took one whiff and knew what the rest of the afternoon held for me. Luckily she is a great dog when it comes to baths and doesn't put up much of a struggle.

I love walking through the woods and seeing or hearing the turkeys on the ground, or as the other day, roosting in the trees. The little gifts they leave on the ground that the dogs can't seem to resist are a whole other story!

The beauty of it is, Northern Michigan woodlands are SO beautiful and there is SO much of interest in the woods that these little issues are really non-issues. The dog can be brushed (and it promotes bonding) and can be bathed. The time together running in the woods is irreplaceable and the joy of breathing fresh (fall in this case) air and experiencing the outdoors is what life is all about.

Elk in Northern Lower Michigan

The Elk herd from the Pigeon River State Forest is moving west. Someday I hope to see this in Porter Creek. This appears to be a calf having fun in the water.

Squirrels, salmon & other wildlife

Fall is falling...ok, the leaves are falling. The color is still very nice out a majority of the windows, but out front we are seeing a lot of bare tree trunks. So, of course we start to look around for other interesting sights.

There is so much wildlife around here we don't have to look far. Actually, I sit here typing and can hear the wildlife. It sounds like the bird-feeder banging against a post. This is rather funny (or not depending on your viewpoint) since Joe just spent a pretty penny (as my mom used to say) for two new 'squirrel proof' bird-feeders. Yes, it is the squirrels munching away on the sunflower seeds. We have black, gray, red, & fox squirrels. At the moment it is the black squirrels (one with a white tipped tail) that are filling their bellies, but the fox squirrels are standing around barking and trying to figure out how they can get a piece of the action. The poor birds are on their own. No matter how many times I chase the squirrels away they just keep coming back. Joe's suggested squirrel stew, but I'm not sure either of us are up for doing what it would take to get the little guys in a pot.



Stepping away from the house a few feet and wandering along the stream it is fun to watch the Salmon that are still in the creek spawning. Amanda and I went to the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery yesterday. At the hatchery (a must see for visitors who want to see a LOT of fish all in one spot) they have/grow lake & brown trout. Neither are as large as the salmon we see in the back yard. These are the fish that travel from the deep waters in Lake Michigan through Lake Charlevoix and into Porter Creek to spawn. They are either Coho or Chinook Salmon we see every fall and this year is no different. The females hollow out beds to lay their eggs in and the males are right beside them to fertilize. Many times we've been standing on the creekside watching while this dance goes on. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching a nature documentary being made, but this is real life.
Spring-time brings Steelhead into the river and we get the same show again with a slightly more wily fish. Since the Salmon die after spawning they are truly focused on simply getting up river and taking care of the business of creating the next generation. The spring steelhead return to Lake Michigan so are very skittish when it comes to being seen in the water. We typically find a place where we know the fish often make beds and then stand quietly waiting for them to show up.

Other animals in the neighborhood are the ever present deer & the wild turkeys. During the summer we don't see the deer much but we DO see their tracks. They are always hanging around and we're looking forward to more sightings once the leaves are down and the deer yard up for winter. The turkeys have been wandering around and nesting in the trees. We will be seeing more of them as well once the leaves are all down.

I talked about the squirrels, but not the birds. We have so many birds, I'm looking at a female cardinal just now, a tufted titmouse, chickadees, sparrows and goldfinch. In a few weeks we'll put out suet for the woodpeckers. We've seen the flicker on our bird-feeder, but most of the woodpeckers prefer wild grub or suet. We sometimes see pileated woodpeckers, those big woody-woodpecker variety with their ratatat tat call, and often see Hairy, Downy and other varieties year round. My goal this year is to take pictures of as many as possible and post them online. Look for more coming soon...

A weekend in Empire

Empire Michigan: Gateway to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

We spent the weekend exploring the dunes and trails. Our first short hike was Friday night and it was wonderful. We saw a spectacular sunset from the side of a dune on, I believe, the Empire Bluffs trail. The dog ran off leash while we were on the trail and was on leash when we were near the dunes so she wouldn't run on the dune and disturb the grasses in this fragile environment.

What we didn't know was that ANYWHERE in the National Park a dog needed to be on a leash. Not just any leash either - a leash no more than 6' long. The other thing we didn't know...and probably wouldn't have worried about at 7pm on a Friday night was that we needed a permit to park or even be ON the park grounds. Needless to say, we soon learned about both of these items.


Our group ended up a bit strung out with one couple in the lead, a few stragglers near the back and a few of us, myself included, in the middle. The dog was running ahead of me and checking on those in the lead then coming back to check in with me. I was just starting to miss her shortly before we arrived back at the parking lot. As soon as we come into the clearing I knew why I hadn't seen Maddie in a while. She was sitting quietly next to our friends who had her by her collar. Ranger Jim was standing nearby writing out a warning.

Ranger Jim seems like a nice guy. Although our friends said they'd been hearing a lecture on why dogs need to be on a leash for the past 5-10 minutes, and it wasn't even their dog! There really ARE good reasons to have your pet on a leash in the National park, it just isn't apparent when you are walking along a path in the middle of the great north woods and there were no other vehicles in the parking lot. Ranger Jim explained that there is open hunting on the park grounds and this is hunting season. Maddie looks like a fox or coyote or ... you get the picture. I'll try to post a picture of her, she really is beautiful. But we've worried around our house that someone would mistake her for a predator and are considering an orange doggie vest so would have worried there if we'd have known about the hunting.
The car permit was a non-issue with the Ranger. He must see people all the time arriving on a Friday evening and heading out for a hike before getting a permit. Since the permits are good for 7 days and we were only staying the weekend, his warning simply needed to be turned in at the Park Service office in Empire and a pass purchased. The $10. entrance fee is more than reasonable and we were glad to pay it.

On Saturday the guys went on a morning hike while the girls all went shopping in Leelanau. There were the cutest shops in the old fish-town area and the main drag. Many were getting ready to close up for the season so we hit it right for bargain shopping. The afternoon consisted of a hike up the back of the alligator on the Alligator Trail. The overlook of Glen lake was gorgeous. Colors weren't what we had hoped and we decided that the warm winds from the lake have slowed the change on this western shore.

The MOST fun (I suggest everyone give it a try) was the huge vertical drop down the dune (#9) on the Peirce Stocking drive. We didn't get to the dune climb, and frankly I've climbed dunes before, but we did this drop. They warn you that the 450+ foot drop is an exhausting climb back and not to try it unless you are fit. The sign had a personal note which cracked me up (not that I endorse writing graffiti on National Park signs), it read: Seriously dude (next to the part that reads: Return climb is extremely exhausting) think twice!

In the picture above (looking up) can you see the people at the top? They look like little sticks at the skyline.

In the picture to the left you can see our friends near the bottom of the dune at the lake-shore. Pictures really don't give you the perspective, it was amazing.

OK - here's the secret. You don't have to climb back up. If you are up for a great little beach walk, you can stash a car at the park near Bar lake and walk about a 1/2 mile along the beach to the park after your descent. I found a Petoskey stone while walking which made it extra fun. The wind was calm and the temperature was mild for mid-October. There was no-one else around and it seemed as if we had the dunes to ourselves. What a wonderful way to spend a fall day!

Deer

We would try this (see video) at Pinch-Me, but we like our roses and the deer already feel like they can simply wander into the yard and help themselves to the plants and flowers. Maybe if we were camping!
We find footprints in the driveway and yard all the time so even when we don't see the deer we know they are visiting us. This summer we brought home a puppy and were afraid that the dog would scare the deer off but they don't seem to mind. I think we are close enough to town and neighbors that the local deer are simply used to the smell and sound of dogs.
It is always fun to see deer (Mom saw 5 in the yard when she was here and more in fields) I'm not sure feeding them at the table is wise.

http://www.snotr.com/video/2772

First snow

Yes, it was only Oct 12, but in Northern Michigan you never know when the first snow of the season will fall. Our first snowfall was not nearly as early or as voluminous as those in the western mountains. We should remember, this is the temperate great lakes region. Those large bodies of water both protect us from weather extremes and cause lake effect snows.
I drove to Gaylord last night for class and as I drove the rain changed over to slush falling from the sky. When I dismissed class at nearly 10pm it was snowing. The snow was sticking to cars and trees, but was melting on the ground. Not a snow that will last this time. When I lived in Gaylord for a few years I did notice that typically once the snow began it would snow every day all winter long. Sometimes this would just be a sparkling in the air on an early morning in mid-winter and at other times it would be storms dropping a foot or more of the white stuff.
For those of you in the region waiting for a winter vacation this early snow is a good sign. Start waxing your skis and checking the bindings on your snowshoes, winter is close at hand.

Falling Leaves

On Friday they said the color is 70% - it looked like it is 50%, but as the trees darken and change it can be hard to determine. On Friday I had the opportunity to drive up M-119 through the famed tunnel of trees. I had hoped for miraculous showing of brilliant colors and did see glimpses, but the peak will probably occur next weekend. That is, as long as the wind and rain don't knock the leaves down. ON Saturday I traveled to Traverse City and again had the chance to see the colors along many miles of country roads. Some spots were in full color and others looked like they had barely begun to change. It is nice to know we have some days of glorious color left to enjoy. There is always that fine line between color peak and the last of the leaves of fall.
Still, each day I see the leaves glowing from the inside out as they flash bright oranges, reds and yellows. When the sky is muted the leaves seem to light up the outdoors. The most perfect maple grows across the street and I see it each time I leave my house. I'll try to snap a picture and post it.
This is such an amazing time of year, watching Mother Nature put on a cloak of color just before the world turns white for months on end. What a gift to have the ability to see and enjoy this display. Watch out for me as I drive around for the next week or so. I tend to be a bit more dangerous a driver during color season since my eyes wander from tree to tree.

Fall Apples

The apple trees are hanging heavy on the trees. Driving down the road you see old homestead orchards bright with round red apples. I start to reminisce about taking my young children to a commercial apple (cherry, peach) orchard to pick fruit; how fun to climb the trees or ladders heading to the top where the biggest and reddest apples are found. We'd fill a bushel in no time and head home to make apple pie.

As a young adult I would often find these abandoned orchards and fill a basket for free when I knew the land was vacant and there was no house nearby. There was always the chance that the property owner would take exception to my pilfering, but none ever did. A favorite spot to pick apples is an old orchard on the township property in the woods nearby. I could imagine the deer eating the fallen fruit in the evenings while we were home eating pie or apple crisp. The old apple trees provide so much enjoyment for so many creatures.

When my children were teens I would send them out (kicking and complaining) to a tree along the roadside that I knew hung heavy with fruit. They didn't want to go for fear of having someone chase them away, but they couldn't resist Mom's insistent requests and the thought of warm apple pie after dinner. This year I have spied a gorgeous group of trees on some vacant land with the brightest, biggest apples. This year I'm passing on the adventure and purchasing my apples from the farm market. Joe is happy that no matter where they come from, he'll still get his pie.

Fall Colors

The fall colors are starting to pop. I'll get a first hand look at the region on Sunday when I travel to Harbor Springs, then down to Traverse City before returning to Boyne City. Right here they are just starting to turn and there is still a lot of green out there.

We've had a lot of rain the the Salmon are running in Porter Creek. This is both wonderful and a challenge this year because we purchased a new puppy two months ago and she wants to run into the creek and find Salmon - or just eat any remains she may find laying around. We know we have some hunters in the woods and occasionally find what they leave behind.

The Michigan economy is playing havoc with our local financial situation. Surprisingly by all reports the local retailers report doing well this summer. If we have another snowy winter like last year they'll do well in that season and have the first really good year in many. Boyne has new stores opening, a new arts enclave is growing in South Boyne (the SoBo district). There for a while I worried that our downtown was dwindling, but it is once again the vibrant community and I am SO happy to be living here.

What a beautiful day in Northern Michigan.

January 2009

Ok, so we really don't plan on making this a bi-annual blog. For now though, it is what it is.

The summer and fall went by with a flash and it is a cold week in January in Northern Michigan. We've been keeping the bird feeders full and the cats in the house. Today however, I saw a red tailed hawk hunting at the bird feeder - not exactly the kind of bird feeding we had imagined!

I tried for a picture, but it flew off. What I'd really like is to hear owls outdoors. We've heard them in years past about this time and through spring. It is so wonderful going to sleep at night listening to the hooting of an owl.

This year we purchased a wood stove for the lower level of the house. It keeps the area toasty warm and the heat glides up the stairway warming the rest of the house as well. A steamer for the top of the stove was a holiday gift and adds gallons of moisture to the air eliminating static electricity. I add cinnamon and other spices to the steamer to fool Joe into thinking I have a pie in the oven. I think he's on to me.

Oh, did I mention the wild turkey are back with a vengeance. As long as they don't start roosting I think we'll be able to cope. They are really fun to watch. We've had a flock of hens and a smaller flock of toms coming around.