Snow Mushrooms and Other Events of the Week

Today was nuts, but I got a whole list of uninteresting things done. I walked the property tax payment down to the town hall and found these snow mushrooms on the shoulder of the road.

They look huge, right? Nah- about 8" tall. This is the best one, and you can see other items for perspective.

I finished the jigsaw puzzle I'd been working on. It was an easy one; Churchyard Christmas by Charles Wysocki. 1000 pieces. (And started a new one that Om bought me last fall- it's 2000 pieces and pretty hard.)

His puzzles are always fun because they have so much going on with people and little details. There was a one-man band who had an accordion.

And speaking of accordions, there was even one in my game this week. Neither of these is a piano accordions (the kind I play).

Last Sunday had a beautiful sunrise. And the really deep cold is over for a while. I'm not sorry about that.

It took just about forever to get the things done that I had to accomplish today. I started the next page of Moose In Boots, but will have to finish it tomorrow.

Miles walked in 2026: 36.5
Road walk to township hall and back 3.0 miles.

See Accordion posts

Chilly and Short

Had to do errands and get groceries today, so even though it was cold, I decided to walk. My body really wanted something more physical too.

Did the loop and spurs at Cartier Park which had been plowed, so it was better walking. But it was 11°!

This is Lincoln Lake.

Stumps had biscuits perched on top!

I spent the morning doing stuff for Confidence Camp, then all the on-the-go-stuff. Then a volunteer zoom meeting, and another meeting in 5 min. There you have my day.

Cartier Park, Ludington, MI, Loop and both spurs. 1.8 miles

See cARTier Trail

Blue Bonsai, Plus

The news of today is all about the return of the snow. I think we only got about 4 inches, but it's super fluffy.

The best picture goes in the "moods of my backyard" series, and it's pretty nice.

What started the post was a picture I took when I went shopping. Just trees in the parking lot, but I like how they looked.

But just before I took the first picture, a look out the kitchen door showed blue sky behind the white "apple bonsai." Cool!

I did the usual things and went shopping. Not very energetic. My insides are a little jumpy. I don't think it's anything serious, but I may go lie down with a book.

Got news that a friend from college days has passed. More and more of the people my age are fading. It feels weird.

See Three Tales of a Tree

Three Tales of a Tree

I was going to share a Tale of Three Trees. Instead, it's more interesting to give you three tales of the same tree.

This tree is a small apple tree in our side yard. In the 30 years our house has been in this spot it's grown small wormy apples once. It never seems to get bigger. It's a pain in the butt to mow around. So why don't I cut it down?

Sometimes it's my own personal bonsai tree. This is last week on one of our snowy days.

Here it is on a foggy winter morning in 2018

And a sunrise picture also from 2018

I was pretty good today. Editing and all that. Cleaned up the kitchen. Wrote my column for Ludington Daily News. Also wrote a shopping list. Good writers are versitile like that.

There was an LOL moment. I'll share.

See Great Balls of Fire! Or Not

First Snowshoe Winter 2025-26

It always looks about the same, but I usually blog about my first day to use the snowshoes each winter.

We got more snow overnight here, and there are maybe 10 inches on the ground. You can see flakes in the air in this picture.

I did about a half mile, which was plenty for the first outing. And the wind was pretty cold. It was all overcast, so there are no shadows to help you see the tracks. But if you can tell, yes, I was using the wood snowshoes. The bindings are shot. Cheapest new ones I can find are $50! I'm pondering options and temporarily still using duct tape for repairs, but it's iffy. I do like the wood ones better than the small foam ones although those have their purposes.

The sky looks pretty much the same as the ground without the line of tracks!

I did a little bit of work today, but it was really a non-starting day for me. I played my game more than I should have and didn't do much.

I think maybe I didn't snowshoe at all last winter. We didn't get much accumulation. At any rate, I didn't blog about it.

See First Snowshoe 2023

See Me Walk a Mile

 I was determined to find out if I could do it. I had to run one errand that gave me a place to park on a side road, so I set out to walk a mile. I guess the snow was surprised to see me out there again. I was pretty tired, but I did it!

I can't decide if this looks like a swirl on a cinnamon bun, the letter 9 with a decimal point, or a comma and a period.

It was really lovely during the time I was outside.

Doug plowed our driveway, which is good because it was getting bad and we are supposed to get even more snow tomorrow.

Today was fairly energetic. The walk and bell choir practice. About 90 minutes of screen time, but bell practice is a lot of eye use, although not as stressful as the computer. I feel as if I'm really making progress, although I still have to take 5 ibuprofen a day. Hopefully, I can cut those back soon.

See Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake

Chilly Wonderland

 The temperature here was 3 degrees this morning. Some of you registered even colder! I had to cancel my doctor's appt. There was enough new snow I couldn't get out of the driveway.

Doug came over after lunch and plowed me out. Cathy came too and we had a little visit. This was the first day I've been able to sit up for longer than 20 minutes. And, I can see!

However, last night, my body decided that it was going to be allergic to something, so I have hives from head to toe and we've added full-body itching to the fun. It's better this evening which is good because I don't tolerate itching well at all, and can't take much Benedryl.

I got cleaned up and went to the store. Schools are already cancelled for tomorrow.

I think I'll try to do a little work on the computer tomorrow. I'm getting behind on things I'm supposed to be doing for clients.

But now, I'm going to lie down and hopefully continue to heal. Dr. appt. rescheduled for Wednesday.

See First Snow

Blue Dusk

 Not much to share again. I got out and did all the grocery shopping for Christmas. I edited a little bit.

Enjoy one of my favorite times of day. Blue dusk. Picture not taken today. I looked for some Christmasy sights while at the stores. Nothing doing. Wreath and tree sale racks are nearly empty and looking tacky. Nowhere that I went had any kind of display just because it's Christmas.

I did get a great deal on a ham with a coupon and shopper card. Buying groceries is serious business any more.

I guess I should just be glad I was able to get cranberries this year. Some years the stores are completely out. Today the missing shelf item was peanut butter. I did get some in a smaller jar, but the big jars have been off-and-on available since Covid started.

My back is lots, lots better. I think it's the fastest I've ever "come back" from this bad an attack. But carrying the groceries today reminded me it's not 100% yet.

See deer in snow

Snow Shots

 I had to do a few outside chores and took a little walk out back. the snow is still sticking to the plants.

Branches.

Jackpine cones

Thistle heads

Scots pine.

And my favorite- on motherwort.

In other news: I edited a lot. I'm trying to get a book finished up for a client. I did the little outdoor tasks. I did laundry. It is enough. I'm surprisingly tired.

See Snow 2019

I've Got (Half) a Ticket to Ride

 The big local news is snow.

We are socked in. But that's not the focus of my day. This is one of those stories that goes on so long it becomes ridiculous. I've been trying to get a train ticket East to go to the 2025 Flower Show.

I started trying to get a ticket yesterday. I already knew the Amtrak web site is bad, but how bad? I could get the round-trip ticket and the correct dates etc in my cart, but could not pay for it. I also could not see the return trip times. That seemed worrisome, but I used their live chat and it was explained to me how to see that, which I then could do.

Kept trying to pay for the ticket. Of course, after 5 minutes the site times out. Tried to log in, but it said I don't have an account. Well, I did... so I wonder how long that lasts before they dump a customer out of their database. Ran out of time before Monica picked me up yesterday.

Started trying again today. Created a new account Tried in two different browsers. Still no way to actually pay for the ticket, and every time you have to start over because it times out. Tried to get help through the chat. Explained it all. They bumped me up to a supervisor. Explained it all again. No go. That person told me to call the 800 number to make my reservation.

Ten minutes on hold. Their voice activated system could not understand me saying the word "reservation." Last I knew, I speak standard English. Lady with thick Spanish accent finally came on. She said I sounded like I was talking under water, and she could not understand me. She hung up.

I installed the Amtrak app on my phone, loaded in all the info for the trip yet again. It would not take a payment.

Called the 800 number again. Got a robot named Julie! This is possibly good. It speaks English. It took the reservation and quoted me a price that was double the online price. I hung up.

Tried the web site again in both browsers. No. Tried the phone app again. I got it to take my payment!

The e-ticket arrived and it is one way.

Well, I'm going East at the end of February. We'll see if I am returning. I really can't tolerate working on this any more today. I've already spent over two hours.

This is the kind of thing that makes me absolutely NUTS.

Now, here's what I really wanted to share today. I had posted this picture once long ago on Facebook, but then I couldn't find it. Well, the original slide is somewhere, but I knew I had it digitally. It just wasn't filed where it belonged. Anyway, here it is!

This is from a Girl Scout campout either my junior or senior year in high school. I actually don't know most of the girls because it was some kind of council exchange thing where our troop went and camped with another troop.

I have no idea who owned the truck. It was borrowed for the occasion, but my mother agreed to drive it. My mom had spirit! She is sitting on the running board.

The woman standing on her right (picture left) is Delores Bush, the school librarian who was our assistant scout leader. She was rigid and severe at school, but had a fun sense of humor and spunk when one got to know her.

I am sitting top left in the picture with my hands on the head of Vienna Louma (nickname Vanilla. I was Chocolate, and another girl with red hair- not in the picture- was Strawberry) whom I met at Camp Comstock. She was from Ithaca. Sitting next to me is Faith Hiltbrand, a friend from school. She died a couple of years ago. The only other person I recognize is Lexi King of Trumansburg who has her head sticking out of the cab window (or maybe she's standing on the running board).

The truck makes this look like it's a scene from about two centuries ago instead of only one! We didn't care. It was a truck to haul our tents and gear, and we had a blast. Thanks to whomever trusted the ladies to borrow it. I'm wearing my standard out-of-school uniform. Jeans and t-shirt. See My Natural Habitat

I am pretty much in a snit about the ticket. Edited a little, but I'm busy snitting. See you tomorrow.

See Sunrise from the Train

I'm Out!

 My big accomplishment for the day is that I got the driveway clear enough to get out and in. I may be getting a little old for that much shoveling, but I got 'er done. Not much contrast, but I hope you can see the open lane.

There is a Scout song. "God had created a new day. Silver,

and green,

and gold. (this morning's sunrise)

Live that the sunset may find us worthy His gifts to hold."

Don't worry... this song isn't saying that we become acceptable to God because of what we can do. It's not in opposition to GRACE.

However, it's almost a direct quote from several places in the New Testament, like Colossians 1:10- "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." We do have a responsibility, once we've accepted God's grace to "walk worthy."

In other news: I edited, I formatted, as mentioned... I shoveled. Then I was tired. Snowblower should be picked up tomorrow for repair.

See Driveway 2014

Fade to Blue

 As anyone local will tell you, the news today is that we actually got some snow.

Here was the situation at 2:30 this afternoon. We got enough that it derailed a hike we had planned for morning. Several people could not get out. But the snow stopped before noon.

There isn't much else to report from today. I've started working on tax prep. How's that for exciting? Right.

But I love trying to catch the blue light of dusk in pictures. Here was that same scene at 6:20 which actually looks brighter than the shot in the afternoon.

At 6:25

6:30

And 6:35

Which shade do you like best? I particularly like that it is no longer pitch dark at 6:30!

I also did some editing today.

See Another Blue Dusk