Moonwalk

 
I managed to complete a project today, and thought that would be the quality item, but it was instantly outclassed by a moonlit walk I took on my trail out back. It's two days away from the full moon, and this picture doesn't do it justice. There were moonshadows, but not enough light to get their picture. It was chilly but not cold, it was quiet.

Loving the cooler weather.

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My Little Squirt is 39

 
Can't resist showing you the little cutie Steve was. He was born 39 years ago in Gia Din, a suburb of Saigon. He weighed 4 lb, 10 oz, and had congenital syphilis. This was quickly cured with penicillin, but if his mother had not cared enough to go to a hospital to have him, he probably would have died. This was the first picture of him we received in January.



We expected to say hello to a small, thin baby in April. Instead we got a healthy 17-pound hunk of a boy! I think he wore this cute jumpsuit about one week before I could no longer get it on him.



Since he doesn't read my blog he can't protest in embarrassment. Oh, and he no longer lets me call him Squirt!

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Irish Music Festival

 
Today, Om and I went to the Michigan Irish Music Festival in Muskegon.




We managed to catch two full shows and a little bit of a third. First we listened to Gasta, two guys who are actually from towns near us. They were on the "second stage," but are destined to become better known, I think. They have a nice varied repertoire. The drummer sings, and plays several instruments, and the fiddler can really play. He did Devil's Dream and he did it really well.



Then we caught one of the top bands, We Banjo 3, from Galway, Ireland. They were very funny, starting with a joke about what was obviously a major flaw in their name (they have four members, and they begin with two banjos, a guitar, and a fiddle).



We thought the food options there would be seriously overpriced, but they were ok, so I had a corned beef sandwich and Om had a banger on a bun (which was a brat, and someone said wasn't very authentic). The food was good, and our only real complaint was that the only condiment was plain yellow mustard.

Kennedy & Kennedy; John & Seamus played in one of the smaller tents. Seamus is originally from Ireland, but has been in the US for a long time, and does a combination of Irish, American Folk, and humor. We only heard their last two numbers. One of them was a folk type song poking fun at current television shows, and ending with the line "We need more Andy Griffith and a lot less Jersey Shore." This really resonated with the mostly over 50 audience.



Om would have gladly stayed longer, and there was a band later with an accordion, which attracted me, but I was falling asleep on my feet, so we left.

We also watched part of a small Highland Games event. That needs its own post. Stay tuned. If not tomorrow, soon.

Fun day.

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Short Hike and a Little Prairie Patch

 
I helped spot a hiker today for a weekend trip, and then I took a little hike after I dropped him off. Where? On the North Country Trail, of course. I've hiked his little piece a lot of times. I had noticed the Showy Goldenrod before, but not the Blazing Star. Both of those are prairie plants. Made me want to start ripping out all the stupid spotted knapweed to help these higher quality plants along. But that would be a thankless, unfruitful task. This is right beside a road.

Anyway, here's the Solidago speciosa, Showy Goldenrod. It's easy to ID with a tall, straight club of flowers, thick purple stems growing from a clump. The bees sure like it.




At first I thought the Blazing Star was just some of the stupid Spotted Knapweed. The blossoms are about the same color. Then I realized the leaves weren't the same at all. I knew it was one of the Liatris, but which one? I should have had the book with me, and will need to check again, but I think this is Rough Blazing Star, Liatris aspera. It's not very happy. I hope it manages to survive.



The only thing special about this section of trail is that it has one of the biggest hills on the NCT in the Manistee National Forest. Not that it's really very big. But you definitely hike up and then down. Ditto on the way back, by the way. I hiked four miles, and I don't care that there isn't anything "special" to see. One easy answer to the question, "What's your favorite section of the trail," is "the one I'm hiking right now."

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Tropical?

 
It's beginning to look like autumn here. Not anywhere near full color, but a few trees are turning. This early sumac doesn't look chilly though. I think it looks positively tropical. Red or orange is typical.



But how about green, yellow and pink? I think these look like dancing ladies.

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