Northport Creek, Overflowing, in the Rain

The overflowing creek is flowing into Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan with already-high water levels this year. 

Good Morning ! Before the Storm...

The sky was dark, and the wind was blowing hard, but thunder and lightning and rain had not yet arrived when Sarah and I got out for our morning constitutional. Later on, my, my! But my camera battery needed recharging by then.

I Meant to Say This Earlier

That is -- Good morning! What a beautiful, shining, sparkling morning after yesterday's rain! The day called out to Sarah, as it did to me, and we had to make time for a little adventure before our day in the bookstore. 

The water at the Bight looked heavenly in the morning sun.

Inland, away from the water, the world was no less lovely.

Sarah waited patiently while her dog-mom obsessed over tiny flowers and leaves and stones along the road (even bindweed and chicory looked great to me) -- and then we stretched our legs and ran back to the car, just for the fun of it!

Here are the fossil treasures I collected this morning. Sarah has her olfactory memories, and I my pocket objects.

Worth a Closer Look

Catalpa blooms in central France (and goes by the name catalpa in Paris, too, which makes things easy), as well as in the American Midwest, and it has a relative in Arizona's desert willow (not a true willow), which was blooming in the Southwest back in May. Giant trees covered with blooms are magnificent, but I always love to look more closely at the blossoms, which remind me of orchids.