Eight Miles at Bowman

Got in a good hike with Cathy and here is the selfie to prove it!.

We had planned to hike in the warmer part of the day, but then I found out I had a meeting right after lunch, so we went earlier. Temperature was hovering right at 32° and it snowed on us for a while. But it did warm up a bit before we finished.

The red morning sky really didn't live up to its reputation. I don't think a few snow flurries counts for much in the way of storming. But it was very pretty.

My goal was to walk eight miles. We started at the north parking area and walked south for four miles on the NCT. I usually do the loop, half of which is not NCT, but I wanted miles that would count for Hike 100 today. This took us south of 56th St for an additional mile. Then we had a snack and turned back.

Bowman Lake is one of my favorite places on our trail. It's a glacial kettle lake. Looks a little hazy with the snow flurries.

This is a sight you don't really see in the summer. This is the ridge of hills on the northeast side of the Pere Marquette River, across the river from where we were.

Then we ran into a trail crew! Jack was out cutting downed trees, and Sue and Kathy were swamping for him. Dumb me, I didn't take a picture of them working. We had been thinking that the trail was pretty clear without too many things to step over, but now it's completely clear between 56th and 40th Streets!

We moved one of their vehicles for them so they wouldn't have to backtrack, and I made it to my meeting on time.

I'm trying to stretch my mileages. We did the full eight, and my hips and knees were a little stiff but OK. And I was tired, but I did manage to work on a few things in the afternoon. I wasn't totally done in. Elevation max and min were only 125 feet apart, but there were numerous ups and downs, so this was a good workout.

Miles walked in 2026: 129.0
Hike 100 Challenge 2026: 32.6

North Country Trail, Lake Co. Michigan, 40th St south four miles and back for 8 total.

See Bowman Lake 2024

Adams Flower Show 2026- Around the World

I've been saving the Adams Flower Show pictures (also from time in New York). This show is put on every year by Adams Markets. This is Marie's primary produce store. They also have meats, organic stuff, a deli, and a garden department.

Well, what we found out this year is that they actually do five of these shows, one at each of their locations, all at the same time. I really don't know how they can pull this off. And it doesn't cost a thing to attend. They fill a greenhouse with the exhibit each year. This year's theme was "Around the World."

At the entrance were suitcases filled with plants and flowers.

I'll tell you up front that the pictures aren't as crisp as I thought they would be. The central waterfall was putting out a lot of mist, and I didn't realize that was making everything a little foggy. But it was awesome.

The first section was tropical plants.

And around the corner, you arrived in the Netherlands.

The Orient was across the way.

And there was a desert section.

You'll see some more individual plants from this show. It's always stuffed with bright flowers! Maybe another year we'll go to more than one location. We like how it's not so crowded as the Philly show, and although there are not contests and big sweeping themes, you can get really close to the plants.

This is the show we've usually taken Selma to, but she wasn't really up to it this year.

Today was busy with the usual tasks, errands, bell choir, and a walk.

Miles walked in 2026: 121.0
Methodist and Ludington School Forest trails, 3.5 miles.

See Adams Show 2025

Witch Hazel Relatives

This post will be part Philadelphia Flower Show and part not. I want to shlow you a couple of witch hazel relatives, and the native shrub.

I'll start with one from the Flower Show that I wasn't familiar with. This is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena.' It's a cultivar with reddish flowers, but it's still recognizable as a witch hazel. It's the ragged pom-poms, not the maroon hellebore that is also in the picture.

But I learned something new this year. The very popular 'Mt. Airy' Fothergilla is a witch hazel relative. Fothergilla is a genus in the Family Hamamelidoideae, as is Hamamelis. Fothergilla bloom in the spring (witch hazel in the fall). The exact name of this cultivar is Fothergilla x intermedia 'Mount Airy.'

Here are the flowers a little closer. Mt. Airy has won the highest honor from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Just as a reminder, here is a native witch hazel. It grows as a small tree/large shrub with many stems in a copse. It has yellow flowers in fall. Here is one blooming locally in 2012.

I did pretty well with my work lists today, and had a meeting in the evening. The meeting involved a little walking, so I did get in a short COLD stroll!

Miles walked in 2026: 117.5
Mason County fairgrounds: 1.6 miles

See More Witch Hazel 2024

Is It Spring Yet?

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely ready for something a little more spring-like outside.

Meanwhile, it was Easter! A great worship service this morning, and then a very laid-back dinner for Om and me. Just ham, salad, and strawberries for dessert, with the rest of the hot cross buns. Oh, and a little cheese.

What's happening in the gardens? Very little.

The oriental poppies are getting some nice leaves. This will be the red one.

The rock garden is pretty much still dormant. OK, that may be better than having things green up too early, but hey... things are about 2 weeks behind last year.

This is the pasqueflower, trying to get something going.

This is the same one, ONE, mini-iris that came up last year. These don't seem to spread for me either. They just struggle along for a few years and then die. But one is better than none. I used to have purple, yellow, and blue.

It was a laid-back day. I did a few things, but not with much dedication.

See So Early! Too Early?

Hot Cross Buns!

I modified the healthier recipe that I used at Christmas for cinnamon rolls and made hot cross buns for Easter.

Rolls like these have been associated with the Christian tradition of Easter at least since the 12th Century. They are basically just a sweet roll recipe with spices and usually fruit included with a cross of icing on the top. The symbolism of the cross is obvious. The spices are to represent the spices associated with Jesus' burial. The rolls were a treat associated with breaking the fast of Lent.

This time, I included currants and a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

The nursery rhyme: "Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns" has, like most folk rhymes, had many other words added over the centuries.

One really unusual fact is that under the reigns of both Elizabeth I and James I of England it was illegal to sell hot cross buns except at Easter, Christmas, or for funerals. The penalty was that the breads were seized and given to the poor! Consequently, the treats were usually made in domestic kitchens.

They are a nice treat! We each had one tonight and will have our other two each tomorrow along with a ham.

I've made them in the past, but not for a while. We always made them at Easter when I was growing up.

It was pretty nasty outside. I edited a lot and did watch a movie in the afternoon.

See Christmas 2025