Taking the Back Road Home

  It's one of my rules, you know. Never take the highway if you have time to take the back road. (My rules- The Shark's Wisdom Tooth- have disappeared becuase Xanga no longer exists. I may have to resurrect them again.)

After the vendor event today, I wandered home via the "back way." Here are some of my late afternoon finds. Yellow light in a maple-beech lined valley

The north end of Bass Lake

Leaves in the water- this one has book cover potential.

Deer grazing on the hillside at the pumped storage project. They are completely aware that the fence keeps humans away from them. They didn't even flick their tails. But I like the monochromatic look of the picture.

And finally, Lake Michigan looking hazy instead of spectacular. Some days it seems to leave the showy beauty to smaller bodies of water.

In other news: The vendor event went pretty well. Not a ton of sales, but a new audience. I had to leave the house early- not my favorite time of day- so I'm chilling this evening.

See Leona Learns Local Lanes

Forgive Us our Trespasses

 
Today's adventure was interesting in light of yesterday's. Today I went trespassing on purpose. Ellen went with me and condoned the activity.

First of all, the important stuff. She gave me an early birthday party!



Then we went off to learn more "on the ground" info about the Three Sisters, which are directly across Bass Lake from her house.



I'm going to write my monthly newspaper column about them. I still don't know much history or geology. Hoping to get that from the local historical society. Meanwhile, back to the ground. They are all privately owned, which is a big local political mess. Not going to get into THAT in the column. Here, I will say that it's a shame they were sold because they are rather unique.

In the picture above, which is looking west, you can see Bass Lake, and Lake Michigan is on the far side of the sisters. On the right (north) is Eagle Crest. The middle one is Baldy, and the south one is Camelback (or Scarface according to a man we talked to).

There is a smaller unnamed bump between Eagle Crest and Baldy. We managed to climb two of them and the bump. We even got permission for one of those treks. I think I'll leave the description right there. If you are going to trespass along the big lake it's best to do it before the summer people arrive at their expensive "cottages."

Trust me, maybe they don't look so big, but climbing straight up a sand dune is a really good workout.

This is the view of the Pentwater shoreline from atop... one of them.



Here is Baldy, looking up its Lake Michigan side face.



We could see sketchy views of Bass Lake through the trees from all the tops. Pictures aren't any great shakes... just a little water through branches. But we knew what we were looking at.

With a little photo magic, we took a picture of ourselves.



We have both become very busy- me with work and Ellen with family and volunteer commitments. We don't find time for many adventures any more. Today was a LOT of fun.

	See Joan and Ellen Climb Briar Hill
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A Lakely Story

 
No, that's not a typo. My story is more than likely, it's true. Out doing cases today, and saw several lakes. I bring you pictures from three of them.

First, here are the Three Sisters sand dunes on the far side of Bass Lake. I have yet to tell you their story. The dots out there are geese walking around on the ice.



Next, I went to a house on a bluff above Lake Michigan. I thought these were going to be my favorite pictures of the day, but nope... stay tuned.



I always love that lonely long view. Calm but cold today.



I passed by Pentwater Lake and Silver Lake without taking a single photo.

Ended up far south of my usual haunts, at Stony Lake. This is just a boring long shot looking up the lake, but it gives you an idea of the shape. It's long and narrow.



But my favorite picture of the day is this one of a white birch with Stony Lake behind it.

	See Three Sisters
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Catching the Blues

 
No, I'm not sad, but I am really tired with non-stop duties since this morning. Out working today... many shades of blue. Big Star Lake was intense, then Lake Michigan so pale you can't tell water from sky. Bass Lake was something in between. Have I mentioned that I love blue?







Bedtime for me.

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Three Sisters

 
This is sort of an introduction to a topic I'll be sure to bring up again.

These three sand dunes between Bass Lake and Lake Michigan, near Pentwater, are known as the "Three Sisters." They even have names, but I'll have to be reminded of them by Ellen. That's why I know you'll hear about them again.

They do show up nicely in winter. That's frozen Bass Lake in the middle, where I often go kayaking with Ellen.



Maybe I can even find out how they got the names.

I spent a lot of today working on two projects I can't share yet. You'll see one of them later in the week, though. I promise.

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Bass Lake with Loretta

In preparation for Saturday's adventure there are some serious logistics. One of the pieces is that I needed to pick up Ellen's canoe on my car, so Loretta and I did that tonight. And since we were going there, we took a little paddle on Bass Lake, and through the outlet.



Yes, this is the same place that Ellen and I kayak all the time. That's because it's where Ellen lives, and it's easy for her to keep the kayaks there all summer.



It leads out to Lake Michigan. This is such a pretty place. There are often lots of people there because it's also a good place for kids to play. You can drive there too- you don't have to come in by boat.



We just thought this was funny. It looks like the gulls have all bought their front-row seats, and are now lined up waiting for the show to start.

When we got back, Ellen was home (she had a meeting) and the three of us got the canoe on my car. For Saturday, she's bringing a friend with a truck and the two kayaks.

I'm loving this cool week. Next week is going to be more tropical, so I'm trying to enjoy this weather to the max.

See Kayaking on November 21 See Joan and Ellen's Next Adventure

Swamp Rose Mallow and a Ducky Solution

 



One more post from Monday's adventure. Right now, the wild hibiscus, Hibiscus palustris, is in bloom. It's also called Swamp Rose-Mallow. This is a huge plant, maybe 5-6 feet tall, and the flowers are 6-8 inches across. Like any hibiscus, it has that long style protruding from the center of the flower.


It's odd in that it will grow in brackish water... along the seashore in tidal swamps, but also in freshwater marshes, particularly in the Great Lakes Region. Here we are!


Here are the buds, which are not bad looking themselves.

Now I can give you an answer to the duck mystery. I have to confess it was a mystery so long because I misplaced my bird book. Several of you gave some good guesses. Theresa, Ratty and Auntie E all correctly searched out the answer. It is a female wood duck, with (I'm pretty sure) three juveniles. In real life it was much easier, both by relative size and behavior, to see this as a family group. In fact, this picture is almost an exact match for the one in my bird book. Male wood ducks are pretty spectacular. Maybe some day I'll get to show you a picture of one.


And a P.S. on the heron. Yes, these crazy birds are at home in trees. They build huge nests of sticks on the tops of dead trees. I already knew that. But I had always mentally pictured them sitting up there with their long legs folded under them. They probably do when sitting on the nest. But I never for a minute thought that they could balance those big bodies straight up and down! I know where there used to be a rookery (a group of nests), but I think the birds moved on. Maybe I'll try to get there and see if I can picture a nest for you.

See For the Birds See BIrd Game Answer

Joan & Ellen's Next Adventure

 



I should be working 24 hours a day on this media program, but Ellen and I had made a "date" for an adventure long before yesterday. Besides, we had to finalize the picnic plans for the big Aug 3 day.



We kayaked across Bass Lake, to Lake Michigan, had a picnic lunch, swam for maybe an hour, and kayaked back. The big lake was warm! Well, ok, there were cold spots, but it was amazing. There was just enough wave action to keep the horizon in and out of sight. Very relaxing! There was a sailboat race on Bass Lake.



I know that this picture is trite, but water lilies always seem so peaceful. It's hard to get tired of them. The next one isn't so ordinary. Do you think I'm a wild enough thing?



And I got some pictures for a little game for tomorrow. It involves birds. Come back and play!

Thank you for the prayers for Betty's family. Sam died last night, so the timing was perfect.