Moods of the Winter Woods

  Loren and I snowshoed today. Our primary goal was just to see how much we could do before we got too tired. We started at Timber Creek on the North Country Trail.

Remember, we got significant snow over the weekend. That made different parts of the woods look different. This is a red pine plantation. Can you find the blue blaze?

Still a lot of red pine here, but quite a lot of understory catching the snow on branches.

A little farther and young white pine were growing up between the deciduous trees.

How did we do? The first mile or so had been previously snowshoed, so that wasn't bad at all. Not long after that, it looked as if the hikers turned around, but there had been a fat tire bike that had gone on. Then even those tracks disappeared. That was a little weird, since it wasn't obvious that the rider had turned around, but suddenly there was no track. We went about another half mile, for a total of two miles out. Then we turned around. In the picture below we were still in the previously snowshoed track.

Koa was hilarious. Loren said she had barked her "I need to poop" bark even before we started, but the trail was a trench that was halfway up her back. She didn't want to go into the deep snow, so she managed to hold it for more than two miles. Finally, on our way back, she couldn't hold it any longer! So, the humans got to clean up after her.

The return trip was graced with a few snatches of sunlight. Amazing how much better that makes a person feel!

So, we managed a total of 4 miles. I was tired, but my knees didn't hurt, so that was good. It was not a good day for equipment. The binding on one of my snowshoes broke and I had to jury-rig it to finish the hike, and one of the clips on my snow boots broke (not the new boots).

Hike 100 Challenge for 2021 is at 67 miles

North Country Trail, Lake County, MI, Timber Creek north, 2 miles and back

Best thing other that that was another gorgeous sun pillar for the sunrise.

In other news: I managed to work a little bit on a couple of projects, but I actually fell asleep this afternoon. I don't take naps too often, but I did today!

See A Worthy Sun Pillar

A Worthy Sun Pillar

  Haven't seen a sun pillar in just over a year. And it was about a year before that for the next to the last one. Neither of those was very spectacular. This one at sunrise... well. You can judge for yourself.

I took a relaxing day. I wrote in the morning, but didn't finish a whole chapter. In fact, I only managed 303 words. Then I gave up trying to be disciplined. Started reading a new book, and then started another jig-saw puzzle. They are supposed to help us old fogies retain cognitive function. And, here, I thought I was just having fun!

See Sun Pillar posts

Just a Michigan Winter Day

 
Cold and gray here. Just a normal Michigan winter day. One nice thing is that you can always cool your feet with a quick trip to the compost bucket.


The gray sky opened up a tiny bit in the morning, showing pink linings



About noon, the SUN actually shone for maybe two minutes. And just at sunset we got a sun pillar.



It's one day away from the full moon, but with one more tiny break in the clouds I thought I should picture it. We might not see it tomorrow.



A friend from my hometown in New York is always posting beautiful sky pictures. Almost every day. Sigh... I had forgotten how gray our wonderful lake keeps the skies here in Michigan in the winter. Just gray.

In other news: I worked on North Country Quest in the morning and Accidentally Yours all afternoon. I am working on uploading the ebook, but still getting errors. Will keep working.

	See Along the Way
if you like this blog, click

Along the Way

 
It was a good day to travel. Very cold this morning, but the roads were fine. I left just at sunrise and the sky coughed up a sun pillar. It actually got a lot prettier, but I didn't stop for another picture



The cold made frost patterns form on the windshield.



And then, a tiny rainbow appeared in the ice crystals dancing in the air right in front of me. After I took the picture it was like I drove right through it!



The sun came out mid-day, but it was still frosty.



I arrived safely at Irene's just before dark. We visited a bit, and I have the Women's Health and Wellness show tomorrow. So after that, we'll work harder at having a good time.

My back doesn't tolerate that many hours in the car quite as well as it used to, but no real complaints. And I'm here safe and sound.

	See Packed
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Things Look Good on Skis

 
It's the just-like-all-the-others picture of the first skiing of the season.



We have about 5 fluffy inches. Not much, but more likely to be provide opportunity to ski than snowshoe. And it wasn't sticky, which it often is on the first day. Did my loop out back and my 4 little hills.

You can see the trail on one of the hills just below the pines, going up one side and down the other.



Here's my best hill. Not today, though. Needs a little more snow to get smooth.



It's hard to beat snow sticking to evergreens (this is Scot's pine) for winter beauty.



I was out about 30 minutes, my typical first time. The sun was going down, and looky, looky.... we got a bit of a sun pillar. It showed more clearly to the naked eye than the camera, but it's there.



In other news: laundry, some misc stuff, forgot to tell you that I mailed 5 books yesterday! I hope to write a little bit yet tonight, but I have to hang up the wet clothes and do some paperwork. We shall see.

	See First Skiing Winter 2016 See Sun Pillar in Pink
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Sunset

 

I haven't been outside much lately except for dealing with the endless snow in the driveway. However, the end of the day today was pretty special. (Yes, I left the snowblower running and sprinted for the camera).





I thought it was pretty much over, and then there was a sun pillar!

	See Sunset Sun Pillar
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

First Sun Pillar Since January

 
Hope you aren't getting tired of seeing these. I never do. This is the first one I've seen since January (of course, that doesn't mean some didn't happen!). This was yesterday at sunrise. Not a spectacular one, but that's OK. They always make me smile.



Off to work in about an hour, but I don't have to get up in the morning. That also makes me smile.

	See other Sun Pillar posts
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Sunset Sun Pillar

 
I know I've brought you a lot of sunsets lately, but this one has to be included because it's another "first" for me. I see sun pillars at sunrise from my house fairly regularly, once a year or so, but I'd never seen one at sunset from where I live.

Tonight, the sun was sinking, and was shining in my eyes through the window. I decided to at least stand up and take a peek at what the sky was looking like, although I didn't have any expectations of anything too exciting.

Wrong! I went charging through the house for the camera and a pair of boots to slip on, so I could get out the door before it faded. They only last a few minutes.



Lesson- don't forget to look for the unexpected, even in ordinary places.

The camera didn't record the definition of the pillar as well as it showed to the naked eye, but you can see it for sure.

	See Christmas Eve Colors for another sunset sun pillar See Sun Pillar for an explanation of why they form
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Christmas Eve Colors

 

We had the biggest part of our Christmas today with Loretta at her place. She cooked (there's the quality in MY day- I sit at a table and food appears from somewhere- I could handle that). She and Om both wore red and green. I guess that's the color part of that picture.



Then Om and I went to Cadillac to a concert he wanted to attend. We got there just at sundown, and saw the most magnificent sun pillar at sunset I've ever seen. It may be the tallest one I've ever seen at all. This picture doesn't show the full height, but it concentrates the colors more.



The concert was contemporary, and Om has a lot of friends there, so he had a very good time.



Tomorrow we will mostly chill out, and I have to do a bunch of paperwork.

	See Cold for another sunset sun pillar
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Cold

 
The tent was dry inside. However, before I even got back to it last night the rain had changed to snow, so I awoke to this. (Actually, I awoke to the lining of my sleeping bag, but you know what I mean.) And I did awake, which means I got some sleep, but the grain dryers won most of the battle last night. You'd think I'd be tired enough to sleep anyway, wouldn't you?



This is the first time I've had this little tent out in rain or snow, and it is great. Not wet inside at all. It's hard to get out and in without bringing some snow in, but that's true of any of these small tents that open at an end. This is the Big Agnes Fly Creek Tent. I'm still very happy with it.

The car door was frozen shut, but I got it open and discovered a winter wonderland on the windshield.



Even with eating breakfast, breaking down camp, and driving to my starting location, I was walking at 9 am. Pretty impressive for me. Hey, you don't think so? You haven't dealt with me in the morning.

This fellow was a bit more lively. Yes, he has 6 points.



I'm afraid this post isn't going to be too artistically written. I'm getting sleepy. I think it's the combination of little sleep and finally warming up. I slept warm enough in the tent, but the air didn't warm up much all day, holding just a little bit below freezing. Those northwest Ohio fields sure do look bleak in the winter, and there is nothing to stop the wind. On the outward trip, it was more at my back and tolerable. This lovely crossing of the Portage River was one of the prettiest sights of the day.



But when I turned around for the homeward journey. Wowzers! That was one cold walk. Flags were standing straight out from their poles. That puts the wind speed somewhere around 15-20 mph. It was sunny, so that helped a bit. Sunshine on the shoulders really does make me happy. But still cold.

Here's a question. What is the value of a small woodlot like this one?



There are all kinds of answers involving the ecosystem, wildlife habitat, preserving botanical diversity. Practical answers like "as a woodlot, duh." But the plain and simple answer to a hiker walking through harvested agricultural land is that it is a place to pee! Very important in peopled landscapes.

The sun was setting as I drove through Grand Rapids. Saw my first sun pillar at sunset. It was spectacular, but almost faded by the time I could find another opening in the tree line and stop on the Interstate. In just those few seconds it had faded almost away, but you can see the last of it just to the right of center in this picture.



I'm heading for bed. Forward progress on the Buckeye Trail this week- 18 miles. Total miles walked- 34 (managed to cut off a corner on the way home today, and walked an extra bit yesterday, so the total is not double the progress).

	See Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Ear See Sun Pillar in Pink
if you like this blog, click the +1   or