Winter Scenes

 I did more today, but am still impossibly tired in between. Started with a virtual appt with a doctor. I guess I'm going to finally be forced to get a primary care physician. Anyway, he wasn't very happy about it, but I talked him into some Prednisone. So then I had to go out to get that.

I came home on Conrad road. The winter sure is beautiful. I have no energy to enjoy it yet, but maybe there is hope for February. This is a paved road, and yes, it is plowed. Still very difficult to see with no shadows on the white.

Drove through the tunnel of trees. It doesn't look as "tunnel-y" in winter, but still interesting.

I have to admit that all I really wanted to do while I was out was get back to bed. I'm impossibly weak yet. Hopefully that will begin to change soon. My taste buds are starting to return to normal.

I napped and read in the afternoon.

I have a Zoom meeting this evening, so this is a big activity day for me given the past three weeks. Hoping I sleep better tonight. Really weird dreams.

See Tunnel of Trees

Miscellaneous

I'll start with my drive to get to a cleaning job this morning. I took Conrad Road where it goes through the tunnel of trees. Link below will lead to other seasons. It's just a favorite local place.

Now we'll back up to some more from the weekend. Jean and I stayed at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. It was everything you would expect at a popular park in the summer. Full, busy, semi-noisy, and almost more wood smoke than was pleasant. But it had a bathroom and didn't cost what a motel or cabin would have. Basically we just used it to crash.

I have a lot of leftover hiking food yet. I ate backpacking meals for most of the weekend. I did allow myself to buy a hot dog and an ear of roasted corn, and a blueberry muffin, but that's it. OK, I had a slice of pizza in the car on the way home but I needed something I could eat in the car. I need to keep making a dent in the leftover trail food! This is one dinner. Cous-cous salad and some mixed fruit. I know this doesn't look like much, but that's the point. A small amount rehydrates and is very filling.

Here's one of the friends I ran into. This is Les. I don't think I've seen him for maybe 15 years! We both belong to the same organization from Ann Arbor days. We had a nice visit. And you can see what a great trail advertisement the new shirt is.

Today I had the cleaning job, answered a lot of correspondence, and tried to chill a bit. I'm really grateful for the cleaning jobs. They require no thought or decisions. I just show up, do the work, receive money, and leave! I can use some of that in my life.

See Conrad Road Tunnel of Trees

Fall's Final Fling?

 
It wasn't raining, and it wasn't even bitterly cold, just gloomy. I decided to take a walk and picture some of the places I show fairly regularly. This fall hasn't had spectacular colors, and what's left will start coming down in the rain predicted for later this week.

Nevertheless, my "usual" spots aren't too shabby. Here's part of the line of trees along the edge of the cemetery.



The Cemetery Creek is always an old friend. I haven't been walking out back very much. Long story, not a quality one. Maybe I'll tell you another day.



It rained last night, and that makes the tree trunks dark, so they contrast nicely with the bright maple leaves in the cemetery proper.



A mile away, around the corner, is a small wetland. You've seen a number of pictures taken there at various angles. This is just a long shot of one end. Sometimes nice fall pictures are as much about texture as color.



Another tree line in the distance with an asparagus field in the middle ground.



And now we've reached my photographic destination, the tunnel of trees on Conrad Road. I figured it would still look pretty good, and I think I was right.



About a 4 mile walk.

In other news: I wrote in the morning, baked bread (maybe you'll see that tomorrow), and worked on photo sorting a little.

	See Conrad Road Tunnel of Trees See The Creek in Winter
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Conrad Road Tunnel of Trees- Summer

 
Took a slightly longer walk today so I could snap a picture of the Conrad Road tunnel of trees in full summer for you. It's really kind of a special place, although quite short. The trees are getting very old, and probably dangerous, so I'm cherishing every time I see it that limbs haven't fallen or the county hasn't decided it has to be cut down.



Links below to spring and fall views.

In other news: I got my act together and have the Books Leaving Footprints newsletter nearly ready to send out. Of course that involved getting more things working on the computer. It's amazing how many little tweaks there are to getting everything back to the way I like it.

	See Tunnel of Trees- spring See Tunnel of Trees- fall
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Conrad Road Tunnel of Trees

 
The Conrad Road tunnel of trees is a special place. Of course, the trees are getting really old, and they'll probably cut them all down one of these days, no matter how much everyone local likes the place.

Meanwhile... here is the tunnel in late winter/early spring, with just the bare trees. Going west:



And going east:



Of course, it's really beautiful in the fall. See picture at link below with the view west.

In other news: Worked, and then spent the rest of the day formatting the children's books for e-books. And I'm headed to work again in a couple of hours.

	See Late Fall Driveabout
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Late Fall Driveabout

 
I got to do one of my favorite things today... go out for a rural drive. It actually had a purpose. I decided to combine the Mason County Quilt Block Trail with quiet outdoor recreation and write my newspaper column about a way to see the blocks and get some exercise all in one day.

Here are some of my favorite pictures. Maybe more tomorrow.

This is the tunnel of trees on Conrad Road, pretty much around the corner from me. I've taken you there before (but I can't find the post, so no link).



Heading south, I thought I had discovered a great place to get a picture of The Three Sisters. But after comparing photos, I'm not sure that's what these are. I don't know what else they could be unless there are also three hills on the east side of Bass Lake. Maybe this angle is just different from the flat-on views.



There are 11 Quilt Barns in Mason County. I won't show you all of them (today anyway). This one is mounted lower than most, and you drive in to see it. It's at the Jam Farm, so it's a business, not a private driveway. The Jam Lady has developed quite a local reputation. This block is called Michigan Beauty. It's a variation of the Arrowhead Star.



I'm giving you the long view of this barn on the Quilt Trail. The house is very old, and I liked the looks of the whole place. It's also interesting that the quilt block is The Windmill, and they have a wind turbine! (It looks like it's right between the house and the barn, but they are very large- it's really well past the barn)



Then I swung to the other side of the county, crossing the Pere Marquette River at Walhalla Road.



Even though the general color never developed in the trees this year, there are occasional spots of brilliance. This is on Dewey Road.



It rained off and on all day, but I went out and did this anyway, because my column is due! At the very end of the day we got a reminder that it really is LATE fall, soon to become winter. Hail!



What do you think of Quilt Trails? Interesting or hokey?

Accountability Report:
I edited Chapter 53 of Dead Mule Swamp Druggist, started Chapter 54 and did some research so I don't mess up. Not much writing, though. Not good.
I really spent all day working on the newspaper column. Good thing I'm not counting on that for real income. I spent most of what I earn just on the gas.

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My Ten Fifteen Favorite Posts of 2010

 


Sometimes life curves away from us, ahead and behind, and we can't see where we are going... or maybe even recall where we have been. My life is a little bit like that right now. Thank you, friends who wanted this list... it has been quite instructive to me personally.

I couldn't do it. I tried really hard. I couldn't believe how hard it was to pick my favorite posts of 2010. And, then, to choose only 10... nope, ain't happenin'. Anyway, only other (almost) OCD people will know the struggle... I mean, should I pick one of each topic: birds, colors, animals, writing, crafts, humor? Should I pick the ten with my favorite pictures, or with the best writing? Sigh... In the end the first eight were easy. Then I crossed off some others with a heavy hand, leaving these 15, in no particular order. You'll just have to speculate on which were the easy 8.

Just WOW in Blue and White (color)

A Tale of Nor-Dunes (writing- humor)

The Party's Over But It's OK (NCT Quest)

The Last Day- June 24 (NCT Quest)

Jordan River- Day 2, June 16 (flowers)

Sandhill Crane Family (birds)

Who is Sylvia? (wildlife)

Where Am I Going? (friends, personal philosophy)

Salmon Sea (poem)

Inside Out (humor)

Orange (color, humor)

Swimming with Duke, Dreaming with Frida (friends, personal goals)

Philadelphia Flower Show 2010- Form (design, texture)

Moose in Boots Passes Test #1 (writing)

Dogs of My Life- Butchy Boy I (dogs, personal)

That was interesting... I labeled them just now as I copied the links. Not a single craft thing made the list. Huh... Do we ever really know ourselves completely?