Postcards From the Lake: Fall Flowers, Fauna and Birds

One of the things I love most about the change of season is how the landscape evolves, turning from the brighter greens of spring, the golden brilliance of summer to the softer tones of fall. Acorns are everywhere. 

 

Pine cones, too. 

Most of the true "flowers" are gone and wildflowers, some might call them weeds, have taken their place. 

 

We see more berries, all kinds and colors. 

 

During my pine needle raking I uncovered more fungi, including this little mushroom village. You can't make me believe that fairies and sprites don't live in those little houses with the cute roofs!

This was the first day. By the second, they had doubled in size! 

 

 And of course, you can't miss the "Color Show." Here's a sneak preview!

 

One evening, as Rick and I were eating dinner on the porch, we saw Harry North in the almost-dark twilight. No photo, only a photo of the heart, but we were mesmerized by his stately, patient stance as he slowly stalked through the shallows, then rapidly dipped his beak into the lake for his catch. It was a masterful moment in grace.

 

I've seen some wonderful waterbirds, too. The cormorant (above and below) has been out quite frequently. He's very skittish and I haven't been able to catch him other than in flight (and quite cropped to enlarge.) But he's fun to watch.

 

Throughout the summer, I see mallards, and only the females. The lighting is bad here but these might be Mergansers.

Any more definitive thoughts, Bird Bloggers? 

 

And I loved the seagulls with their angel wings!

 

This was the perfect day for the birds. They were flying, fishing, pecking at each other. 

 

Their pristine white feathers look so dazzling against the rough, deep blue water. 

 

Now, if they'd only done this earlier in the morning, the trees in the background would have popped. Sigh. Can't make seagulls romp on cue!

   

Besides, they're pretty fascinating as is!

 

 

 

I'll leave you with one glimpse of color from my walk.

 

 

 

But there is much more to come! 

Postcards From the Lake: A Few Days On My Own

There's something bittersweet about hitting the road for the lake and knowing it is the last time you'll be there for the next six months. The sunflower fields on the highway medians have gone brown and as I drove farther and farther north, the colors grew a little brighter. 

But it's still early. Peak should be in a few days and I will (hopefully) be here to see it! Meanwhile, I'm savoring what I can -- and really, it isn't too shabby!

Homefront: Early Autumn at the Ditch

Before I went back to the lake, I took a couple of jaunts to the ditch. It was still early, so color hadn't fully kicked in but you could see the promise of it in some of the golds and a bit of red.

 

There were plenty of brown tones, too. Those soft browns of tall reeds that have turned.

The Heart Knows: Experiences in the ER

Well, it was quite a week or two! I'm healing well from the dental surgery, and thanks for your support. I still can't eat popcorn or seedy things (I miss my granola and certain breadsticks with lots of seeds!) but it's healing well. 

 

Some of you know I had a 14-hour ER visit on Sunday night/Monday morning. I went into Afib -- considerably higher (and then way lower) than usual and was a little worried. We thought Sunday night wouldn't be bad. Think again! 

September Books

Five books this month -- three mysteries, one novel and one that's pretty hard to categorize but I'll call non-fiction/history. All of these books are by favorite writers of mine, and I was predisposed to like them (and I did!) But they might not all be for everyone!

 

Homefront: Friends from Afar

When I came back from the lake earlier this month, it was to head to some appointments and enjoy some time at home (if you call looking at the house that needs to be downsized and putting away much of a summer's worth of stuff enjoying!) 

 

But it was also a treat to spend some time with far-away friends. Rick (below) and Zara live in California, but have family roots and friends in town. Fortunately, we were able to connect for a lovely lunch.

Homefront Rehab! Oy!

I'm home for a bit, as lake life slows and life here picks up with appointments and gatherings. But in the midst of summer, life on the homefront was (at least for Rick) a mess. At least for Rick!, as he engaged in the art of home rehab. I, on the other hand, was enjoying the lake and missed much of this!

 

It all started out when the wallpaper was removed from the wall to fix some moisture. The moisture had been around for a bit and -- well, ignored. (You know -- doesn't seem bad at the time!) It may have been helped along by when the tree fell on Rick's roof during the tornado. The holes were patched but it was some time before the actual repairs took place. Boy, was it damp! The wood had rotted from water and carpenter ants. A builder came in to repair this, building a false wall of studs to support the ceiling until new studs and wood could be put into the wall. Then came the dry wall.

Postcards From the Lake: Bits and Pieces

We're wrapping up peak season at the cottage. Yes, there will be more visits, but they will be shorter and the weather will be colder. Soon it will be time to close up. I always dread that. Yet, these later days have their charms. There have been evenings when we could eat dinner on the porch -- or enjoy some snacks as we watch a sunny day turn into twilight. 

 

There's something about the light at this time of day. It's perfect. 

Postcards From the Lake: Sunflowers, Butterflies, Friends and Art

 Some things just make me happy. For example, when I'm riding up north and straight ahead I start to see this sight!

 

I mentioned the sunflowers growing in the median of the highway going north before. I forget about them until late August when all of a sudden they burst into bloom.

Postcards From the Lake: A Walk on September 1

We may not technically be into fall, but it certainly is beginning to feel and look like it. Mornings and nights are cooler, sometimes downright cold. And we're beginning to see all the signs in nature too.

 

Not long ago, it was time for Queen Anne's Lace.

Until Blogger is working again

Good morning! People use use the Blogger reading list (google followers on the blog) are noticing that for almost 48 hours (maybe more, now) the list is not updating. When I posted this last night (for example), it does not show as a new post. (Today it isn't even letting me load photos to make this more interesting! The ones in here are via copy/paste.) NOTE: Photos are now loading again from computer, google or blogger.

Till they get this figured out, I'm going to take a little lake break. There's plenty of content here, though, that you might not have seen and you can find it on the menu bar tabs.

Postcards From the Lake: More from Art Camp

Biggest sigh. Another art camp wrapped up. Of course, the art doesn't stop and neither does the fun. Yet it remains one of my favorite events of the year. And yes, we're all worn out!

 

Years ago, I did this version of a gate in Giverny near Monet's house. I did three in gouache and one in color pencil and thought "maybe I'm better now," so I did it in watercolor. Here they are in my journal from 2016.

The Books of August

NOTE: Blogger comment issue appears to be solved! Thanks for checking back!

 I didn't have high hopes for August being a great reading month. There were a lot of things on the agenda. Part of the time I was home with appointments; then I was doing some online art workshop tutorials. They were only available for a short time, so I couldn't save them for a more convenient. And then there was company -- always good! But busy. And during art camp, I only read a night before bed, for the most part.

 

Surprisingly, I knocked off six books: three mysteries and three memoirs. And there wasn't a disappointment in the bunch! 

Postcards From the Lake: Art Camp

Every year for maybe 20 years, quite possibly more, my friend Kate and I take two weeks (now; when we were working, it used to be a weekend!), and head north to the cottage to focus on art. We call it Art Camp.

 

Over that time our art has changed -- and it  hasn't. We're better now. (Kate was always good -- art was her profession; I'm better. than I used to be) We did  collage, painting, polymer and every combo thereof. My cottage guestbook is a journal I made during art camp. And of course we  do other things. Read. Walk. (Well, this year my walking is hampered but Kate is walking. I did some.) 

Postcards From the Lake: Road Trip to a Castle!

I promise the next post will be about art camp (unless it's a book wrap up!) But I thought I'd wrap up earlier events first. You may remember that my friend Suzanne came to the cottage for a visit in late July. Most of the time we hung around home, talking, puzzling, farm marketing. 

 

But on one beautiful day we opted for a road trip to Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was a castle, yes, but a relatively modern one. Architecture, garden design, collections -- the place was art in itself.

Postcards From the Lake: Friends, Food, Birds and Art!

Rick and I headed home early last week so I could get to a doc appointment. The day after that I turned around and came up for Art Camp, my annual time with friend Kate where we focus on art for two weeks. I'll have posts on that soon! Meanwhile, there have been nature sightings and good times at the lake with Rick. Cooking, friends, Lizzie, and yes, birds!

 

I finally had a better sighting of Harry North. These pix were taken with the Zoom, as he is pretty antsy and the second the porch door opens, even quietly, he takes off.

Postcards From the Lake: The Season of Abundance

There are those who say the season of abundance is autumn. I don't entirely disagree. But for me it begins about six weeks before the calendar officially tells us it is fall. By midsummer, and definitely in mid-August, the markets are beginning to be packed with things fresh from the farms. And it is glorious! 

 

Cherry season is over here in Northern Michigan, though some "imported" bags can be found at the grocery store. But early in the season, I bought a half-peck, then a quarter-peck and finally just a quart or two as the supply diminished. Michigan sweet black cherries are probably my favorite fruit, perhaps because their season is short.

Postcards From the Lake: Road Trip to a Birthday Retreat!

You don't turn 75 every day. Those five-and-zero birthdays are sometimes a bit of a kick in the pants. Rick wanted to do something special for my birthday and I wholeheartedly agreed. After all, between his trip south and my lake time, we hadn't seen each other for almost a month! So, he suggested meeting half-way between Lansing and Gaylord in Gladwin, Michigan. He would cycle up, I'd drive down, and we'd head back to the lake together a couple of days later. 

Postcards From the Lake: Cottage Life

I'm sitting on the love seat on the porch, a book in hand, legs wrapped in a soft, aqua throw to keep the evening chill from setting in and sending me inside too soon. The sun is a brilliant orange and as round as that on the Japanese flag, and it is beginning to dip behind the tree line. Why is it that it takes hours and hours to go from one side of the house to the other, but when it hits that tree line across the lake, it seems to dip in lightning speed, as though some unseen being was playing with the fast-forward button on a recording.

Postcards From the Lake: Visitors

My little world has seen some company lately! Talk about fun! 

 

It started out down the road when my cousin David welcomed a group of his friends dating back to high school for their annual Otsego Lake summer reunion. I've met all these guys over the years and while I'm not part of the "gang," I delight in their company.

 

This time, that included a pontoon boat ride around the lake. I hadn't done this for a long while and it was fun to see what had popped up over time, and be reminded of places I'd forgotten, like the old Arbutus Beach hotel that is now a private residence. We also said farewell to their friend, Bill, who  recently passed away. 

The Books of July

I only made it through six books in July, but when one is over 500 pages and another close to 1,000, I submit to defeat with a bit of grace. (My own personal goal was to read eight in July. Why I make goals like this, I have no idea.)

I'm pleased to say that five of the six are highly recommended. The last? It was fine. Just not memorable.

Postcards From the Lake: Lakeside Meditating

The other day was the kind that almost doesn't seem real, it was so perfect. Warm, quite warm, but not hot and not at all humid. There was no breeze, so the lake was as calm as glass and the sky that perfect shade of blue. Everything within view was reflected in that water. Even the ripples you see below weren't there at that moment -- it was that smooth. 

The neighbors were elsewhere and being a weekday, the lake was quiet, sound broken only by the occasional fishing boat or gently putting pontoon. It looked just like this, except it was daytime, not sunset!

 

I decided to go for a swim before the neighbor's return. They have family up -- teens. Nice, but active, out in the water a lot, having fun tubing and just enjoying the summer. Laughing, playful. Just as it should be.  I love to watch them -- it reminds me of summers when my cousins and I were at the lake, sometimes with friends from home.

Postcards From the Lake: What's New

Life at the lake moves peacefully and at its own gentle pace. I find myself gradually and gently sinking into a sense of peace, calm and yes, even ease. The routine is not that much different than at home in some ways. Up early, give Lizzie her meds, check in online with mail and the daily New York Times games, then look at blogs, feed Lizzie, more online and then time to be productive. 

 

That includes watering the plants and herbs. I ended up bringing the rest of the potted plants from home to keep them from certain death if I left them behind again. There are more geraniums in the back yard.

Productivity. That's a loaded word. What is productivity, anyway? These days, I think most would call what I'm doing less than productive! Reading a book? Doing a bit of art? Running to the farm market? All more relaxing and fun than productive. But then, who said having fun or relaxing couldn't be counted as productive time. Self care. Yes, I like that!

Postcards From the Lake: Paris in Watercolor

I'm back at the lake, having arrived on Thursday afternoon. Rick's on his way to South Carolina, via Pennsylvania and Maryland, then to visit friends and his dad in North Carolina. We'll connect in a couple of weeks for my birthday and more lake time. Meanwhile, for now it's just me and Lizzie. I'm glad my cousin David is down the road this week but there's a lot to be said for alone-time, too. Books to read, art to do, outdoor time! 

 

For many years, I participated in the blog event "Paris In July." I really haven't read any books set in Paris or France recently or seen any French movies. But I've wanted to participate. So, on my first night at the lake, I went through some of my past watercolors and chose the ones based on my Paris photos to share.

At Home: A Rude Homecoming and a Delightful Celebration

I had to head home for some appointments, and perhaps the timing couldn't have been better, given the wildfire smoke at the lake. They even cancelled parts of Gaylord's annual Alpenfest. Not that the smoke was better at home, it was just a better place to be at the time. 

Postcards From the Lake: Family Fun and Crisis!

We've been enjoying beautiful weather at the lake -- warm (hot!) days and cooler nights, so perfect for sleeping. Well, this one sleeps all day, heat or not!

 

Postcards from the Lake -- Geese, Ducks, Bees, an Eagle, and maybe a Loon?

When I'm home, I usually have to go to the Ditch to see wildlife, apart from a bunny or two. Up at the cottage, I need only look out the window at the right time and see dozens (yes, literally) of Canada Geese.

 

I can't say these are birds I adore on the beach! They're very dirty and it's a constant rake-up of goose poo.  But they are fascinating to watch and really quite beautiful.

Postcards From the Lake: Hot and Happy

I promised myself that no matter how hot it got this summer, I would not complain. I would observe, such as "It is SO hot today!" but not complain. So far, so good. Things have "cooled" off to normal summer. After a sticky start, the fun of summer has started!

 

The June Books!

There are months when you read and everything was good, satisfying. June was one of those months. There was a nice mix of contemporary and vintage mysteries, a novel and a wonderful memoir. Any one of these would make for a good summer read.

Postcards From the Lake -- Reflections On the Fourth

Recently I was cleaning out paperwork at home and came across an essay I'd written in 1976, shortly after the 200 year anniversary of the United States of America was celebrated -- the Bicentennial. I put it in a safe place so I could bring it out to share this year. And you all know how that goes. Safe places are only safe from burglars, but good luck finding what you hid!

 

But what I remember is that it was a document filled with great joy and hope. I recounted the things of that happened that day. Not just the fireworks; that happens every year (and frankly, I'd rather they didn't. So does Lizzie.)