Ottawa County Hike- Just Pretty Pictures

 
Today, I'll just share some pretty pictures from my two-day hike from Ottawa Sands, through Ottawa Dunes, into P.J. Hoffmaster State Park and back. Tomorrow, more of the low-down.

Part of the trail is along the Lake Michigan shore. You can still do it in this year of high water, but you'll get wet feet. This was the only section of trail of any length I had to repeat, and it was quiet and beautiful this morning with the waves making bargello patterns on the sand.



I expected a lot of the hike to be hot and passing through openings like this. It turned out that most of it is forested and shady, but this was a pretty space. Still, I'm glad very little was open and sunny.



Grasshopper tracks on the sand.


One bright leaf that decided to leave the summer scene way early.



A tiger beetle.



And a many-branched beech tree. I just liked the rhythm of the trunks.



I have a ticket for a play tonight, so wanted to post this before I leave. I'll do a serious post about what the hike and the trails were like tomorrow. Gotta scoot!

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I Spy

 
Just a baby rabbit to make you smile.



The most interesting thing is that if it's sitting on the dirt pile outside it's home burrow, that is very close to the woodchuck hole. I'm surprised they are sharing such close quarters.



I'm posting early because after writer's group tonight I need to pack up the last little things I need for a quickie hiking trip. I leave tomorrow morning. Just two days and one night. There probably won't be a blog post tomorrow unless I try one from my phone. I might, but it's a real pain to do.

I'm using my old external frame pack because it's lighter. Also much smaller, but it will work for one night in the middle of summer. Total weight of food, water and all gear is only 22 pounds.


I will probably send a couple of pix to Facebook from the phone. That's easy to do. See you!

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Happy Birthday, Dad

 
If my dad were alive he'd be 115 today. How is that even possible? I just don't feel that old.

I scanned a couple of new pictures for you. One of the things Dad liked to do was teach me about the ways of nature. This doe had been hit by a car (not ours) and he stopped to let me see and feel her while she was still warm. He was always sad when animals got killed in the road, but he was a farm boy. Death was just a part of life, and it was accepted.

He also showed me my first litter of opossums. That, too, was a road casualty, and all the little pink babies were still clinging to mom's tail. Dad's matter-of-fact attitude about it all kept me from being sad. There was always a sense of, it's a shame, but things happen. And it was fascinating to be able to examine the critters so close up.

Of course, Dad also hunted. We ate wild meat more often than meat from the store. Actually, it was this same summer (I was four) that Dad taught me how to skin a rabbit.



Dad taught me all kinds of things. There was a right way to do everything, particularly if it required the use of tools. I believe this might be the day he gave me this spot of my own to dig a hole. I'd read a Huey, Dewey, and Louie comic book where they were going to dig a hole to China and I was convinced I could do it too. This became my very own hole for the next ten or so years. I just liked to go out and dig sometimes. I grew up where the ground is hardpan gray clay. I never made it to six feet, let alone China, but I can wield a serious shovel. Still. The pickaxe too.



And I loved that jumpsuit.

In other news: I wrote in the morning, did laundry, got some things ready to mail and walked to the Post Office, and did some bookwork. It doesn't sound like all that much, but somehow it took all day. Oh yeah, and retrieved my car. That's the biggie. I have to decide if it's worth a major repair or get a different one. Stay tuned.

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Ruby Meadowhawk Again

Once again, let me say that exact identification of red meadowhawk dragonflies is supposed to be extremely difficult, and I'm no expert. I'll just continue to say it's in the genus Sympetrum



They are so bright, and they stand out nicely against the green. Maybe that's part of why I see them. Of course, they also tend to perch which makes it easier to get pictures. They like swampy areas and are really territorial.



In other news: I wrote in the morning, and did some miscellaneous housework in the afternoon, then delivered my car to be checked in the morning. It may have a serious problem.

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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.

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