Quit Clownin' Around

 The sky needs to quit clowning around.

It also needs to stop crying. Maybe it's a sad clown.

Well, it was looking better in the afternoon. Yes, that's Lake Superior.

But we broke down in the rain.

It really was a pretty good day after about 11 am. Sales are going well.

See Rain in Paradise

Mini Typhoon

  Turned out we probably could have hiked our planned distance twice before it actually started storming, but there were severe weather warnings renewed all day long, so we never went.

Finally about 3 pm. we actually got a storm. To be fair, it was pretty impressive.

Big winds, and it brought down two tree limbs. It put a divot in Joyce's driveway, but missed Marie's car except for a brushing of leaves.

We taught Joyce how to play Quiddler, and we have another aficionado! She's a good player, too.

I did a fair amount of work. Got IngramSpark to accept my text file, and after way too many tries and some help from a friend, I got the cover accepted too. Here's the final full cover.

A utility pole came down at the end of the street, so there's been no power here for about 4 hours. I have to shut down the computer now. We should be good to hike tomorrow.

See Tonawanda

Sky Day

The sky was impressive this evening. This is actually southeast- the late sun was reflecting off the clouds

All of these pictures were taken over a 20-minute period. I think we are doing a transition from the rainy day to something else. Maybe not sun, but lots of changes happened up there. This is the view south.

Just a sliver of a sunset to the west.

Big changes off to the northwest. All that roiling appeared in a half hour as a black cloud broke up.

But the rain's not over for someone yet!

I edited and did a few other things. My back is still not right. Sigh. I hate that it takes time to recover from whatever sets this off occasionally.

See Hikin' in the Rain

Relief?

  The humidity has been just about unbearable here for a couple of days. Perhaps we are going to get a little relief. We are having intermittant thunderstorms right now. Loved the clouds. Sorry about the wires, but I can't make them go away.

A little rain. It's cooler for now. I have the deck door open and a fan trying to pull some of the cool air into the house. Feels delightful!

In other news: I edited, I wrote a chapter. This is sounding like a broken record, but this is how I'm paying my bills, so it's a good day when I tell you these things. I did two loads of laundry. Then I did errands and grocery shopping and came home and gnashed my teeth because I hate shopping and all its lack of fulfillment SO much. I worked on the trailer, and I have nothing at all to show for it, but I may had figured out how to do what I need to do next. So there you have today.

And now it's raining again. VERY nice.

See Sterling Marsh North

That Mystery Tree

  When Robert was here the other day we were talking again about the mystery tree back by the railroad tracks (because he's a tree enthusiast, so we often do botanical things together). It seems to be some sort of hybrid cherry tree, although it has never borne fruit. Some years, it is exceptionally beautiful, and it has a lovely shape. This was yesterday

It looks more mysterious today. And wetter

The rain didn't actually begin until late afternoon. I probably could have worked on the well pit. However, in the morning I was taking a class and doing an assignment about book advertising (which I'll be doing all week). Then in the afternoon I did some volunteer work, and read another book.

I thought I was done with this blog post, but the after-rain sunset decided to be a bit showy. That tree again. I do love it.

And the view straight west.

Trying to make my mind get busy cooking up the details of the plot for the next Dead Mule Swamp mystery, but I'm continually drawn to the next Dubois Files book. Making notes, and trying to steer myself back to the other series. We'll see which one wins.

It looks like two more days of nice temperatures, then more rain, and then significantly colder. I'm going to try to finish the above-ground work on the well pit in those two warmer days.

See Finally Some Color

Signing in the Rain

  No, that's not a typo. I don't think any singing happened today. However, Chris (a fellow crafter) came out and helped me put up the sign for next Saturday. We did a little weed whacking. Then it started raining.

Actually, I had a definitely tired day. I kept nodding off. Managed to get another layer of paper mache on my bowl, and did the print cover for The Lonely Donkey.

I hope I can talk myself into doing one more layer of paper mache. Mostly, I ate too much and dabbled at things I was supposed to do.

See Playing in Paste

Rain, Cold, Slow

 
It rained all day again today. Needless to say, I did not start a new project. Neither did I work much on any of the old ones. Was kind of a slug. Ms. Fuzzytail keeps coming back to the bird feeders that we haven't filled for several years because of her and her kin. In the wild, they are lucky to live 3 years, so it seems unlikely that this particular squirrel remembers the feeders. But it's possible. In captivity, they can live 7-10 years.



Here's a somewhat shocking fact. Red squirrel mortality is 75-80% in the first year of life. It's a tough world out there in the woods.

I goofed off pretty much. The only news of note is that I went out to the trailer last night after dark when it was raining in sheets. OK. Now I know where it's really leaking. The corner of the back window has a river pouring out of it, and the vent leaks too. I'm pretty bummed, but also glad that now I at least know where to direct my efforts instead of guessing.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice. Time to get energized for a project!

See Ms. Fuzzytail

Wet and Miscellaneous

 
It rained all day. Things will start to green up now!



The Crabapple tree is starting to get leaves.



I finished the first of the puzzles Sue brought me. This one is called "Bless This Mess." It was fairly hard.


In other news: It would be great if I would use my time to better advantage, but I didn't. I did some stuff, but I certainly could have done more. I did some planning for my big hike. I mailed some books. I did some other promotional stuff. But I goofed off a lot too. It's just so tempting to think that I should be taking it easy because the rest of the world is in slow motion.

See Monsoon Day

Monsoon Day

 
The clouds at dawn were beautiful, but also a little ominous.



The final fling of Books Alive! was a casual breakfast with four of the authors staying to discuss authorly topics. Following that, Jean and I headed out to Shagway for another day of sales.

Well, we had hoped for a day of sales. Instead, we set up in the rain, but we had a canopy, right? And people often come to these events despite rain because there is live music, and it's more fun than the beach in the rain.

By noon, the heavy rain got pretty serious, and when it began blowing underneath the canopy and getting our books wet, we packed up and left. No sales.



Roads were beginning to flood as I drove home. With short breaks the heavy rain continued.



We heard on the news that the eastern part of the county got up to 13" of rain. The highway between Scottville and Manistee is closed for a stretch of several miles with as much as 18" of water over the road. Part of downtown Ludington is flooded.

I decided it was a good afternoon to rest and read. Finished one silly book, and started one serious book.

	See Rain and Mud and Slime
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Rain and Mud and Slime

 
Talk about a wet day. The forecasts all said the rain was going to stop around noon. It finally gave up closer to 4:30. Nevertheless, I managed to check out some pieces on foot.

But when I first thought it was letting up and then it began to pour, I decided to have some coffee at Johnny T's.



I left there when the green spot on the radar had passed by. Yesterday there was some mud. Today...



Even the paved multi-use part of the trail was having some water issues.



This is my favorite rain-related picture. It was also taken on the piece where I got totally soaked when it decided to pour again. The raindrops were landing on this duckweed covered water. The drops were big and would separate the duckweed leaves, making polka dots.



And now for that slime mold. Remember yesterday's picture? Here's a longer shot with the hemlock log.



And today's. I did go back. This confirms both the orange and the brown are slime molds. Gone!



Today, I broke that remaining piece of orange apart, and as you can see, it has little orange tubes projecting from a sort of white membrane.



Then I checked a few spots of the brown that were still there. These looked older and less structured, and they did seem to be sort of disintegrating, but they also have that inner white membrane.



Now I'm wondering if the orange and the brown are the same species at different point in their life cycle. Or maybe the almost black ones have died. After last night I was thinking the dark ones might be a thing called "Chocolate Tube Slime," but now I don't think so. The "chocolate" tubes are tapered.

There isn't anything like a field guide to slime molds. I have one textbook about them, but there is more that is not known about them than what is known. Just fascinating!

And here's a beautiful oak tree on the Baw Beese Trail section, looking even more lovely because the rain made the trunk so dark.



Anyway, I managed to walk about 6 miles today, and drove a bunch more road sections checking things out. It was about 26 years ago that I hiked this section. Chips was with me then, and one of those days was also in the pouring rain and miserable. Maybe Hillsdale just hates me! Ha ha.

North Country Trail, Hillsdale County, MI, small pieces in Lost Nation State Game Area, and parts of the Baw Beese Trail, about 6 miles total.

	See Lost Nation
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Day Twenty-Four - Midland to Mackinac

 
The proof! Here I am in Mackinaw City at the sign where the Midland to Mackinac Trail heads south. It was eight years ago that I stood in this spot (older signpost then), having reached it from the North Country Trail side and first thought about hiking this trail.

Just go to the next sign, and you can keep going on the NCT- either direction you want! (toward New York or North Dakota)

My timing was perfect- perfectly wrong! I sat indoors all day yesterday in warm and beautiful weather, and today I hiked in rain and wind, the entire day. Well, I'm not complaining. I wasn't too hot, and I really needed some rest. Gumby II did the job. And the water enhanced the colors of the leaves.



Can't stop taking pictures of the beautiful stretches of autumn color along the trail.



It was pretty windy too. Look what came down from somewhere. Glad it's late enough in the year that the inhabitants have died off.



First view of the Mighty Mac from the trail! Made me realize that I've walked a long way!



Today's trail angel that made these 12.5 miles possible in one day- Janice Dillaha, a new trail friend who is also interested in the North Country Trail. Thanks, Jan! And I hope our paths continue to cross.



Saw one other walker- a woman out with two Malamutes. They sure didn't mind the cold and wet, the dogs that is.

One other hilarious incident. As I was just coming into Mackinaw City there were some construction guys putting a roof on a new shuttle bus waiting pavilion. They had their radio playing loudly. Suddenly I heard the announcer say (you can't make this stuff up), "Is the trail calling to you?"
"Why, yes," I thought, "but I don't think they've perfected interactive radio yet."
"Do you wish you could hike, but you're just afraid to?"
"Not so afraid, but certainly curious what you have to offer."
"Visit our orthopedic clinic...."

Forward progress on the trail today: 12.5 miles, which is the same number of miles walked- Hooray! Total trail miles: 198.5

Tomorrow I'm hoping Nancy K and I can get to one of the places I need to connect, and that she won't have driven a bunch of miles to help me for nothing. We shall see- then home.

	See Day Twenty-Three
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