Nature--Not Always Cute and Cuddly

It looked like the remains of some mythical or prehistoric sea serpent, unaccountably cast up between the rows of cherry trees. Only in a tropical jungle would a snake attain such length, so even with the absence of leg bones, what was left could be nothing other than a partial deer skeleton, the spine continuous from jaw to pelvis, the tufts of hair in the grass nearby....

Wasting nothing, Nature brought ants to clean the bones.

Then There Are Daffodils

Backlit

Stained glass or Japanese parasol?

Apple blossoms not open yet.... Come back later....

Not Roses This Time

This time of year reminds us that not all flowers bloom near the ground. These roadside poplars, willows (weeping and black), and maples are blooming now in Leelanau County, and the first couple apricot trees along M-22 are showing their first blossoms. Soon it will be time for cherry and apple orchards to deck out in their annual finery. 

Five-Dollar Roses

A week after being purchased at the $5 sale price, these roses are still beautiful.

It's a Tough Trail Ahead

Here Comes the Sun!

Clouds lifting over Lake Michigan

We went out under still-overcast skies, but in the west, over Lake Michigan, the clouds were lifting, promising a sunny day.

South Fox Island like distant white mountains

Manitou Islands kiss on the horizon

New Year's Day -- OUTDOORS!

A beautiful day for trekking and tracking

Neighbors were out early

Sarah loves this kind of adventure

Ice is beginning to form on the creek

Thin ice, that is

Who but a squirrel would attempt this?

But the whole area is well travelled

Mystery clump surrounded by deer tracks

Probably not an elephant turd

Broken apart, clearly it's moss....

We were far from the road

where the scenes were lovely

and many dramas had taken place--

An invigorating start to a new year!