Saturday, August 25, 2018

Postcards from the Lake: Art Camp -- a Little Bit of Nature

A quick look back at some of the nature we saw during Art Camp. The time brought both walks and time to enjoy the lake. Like this guy!


(I'm not big on the geese the second they step on the beach but in the water, rather lovely!)


We also saw some Mergansers. The mom is the one wearing the cute "feathered hat."


All the babies looked like ducklings.


Although I don't have a photo of the bald eagle, I'm pretty sure he had his eye on some of them. Hope not...I loved how the seemed to skip along on the water, then dive in and swim under.


(We also saw our "regular ducks" and a heron, too!

Taking to the woods, we enjoyed some walks. Kate got up super early and walked more but the time together was fun.


I was on bunny count. So far, I've seen 24 this year.


And we saw some woodpeckers, too. This one was pretty far off but so bright, I had to shoot, despite the fuzziness.


This one was closer -- pecking on a tree in the yard.


Most of the wildflowers have faded, but I loved the Queen Anne's Lace.


The fungi are earlier than ever before. Is fall coming?


Doesn't feel like it yet -- but it always does.


Home again.

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36 comments:

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

What a wonderful vacation and art camp you had!

Love how you captured the curiosity of the goose with the ball in the water. Your woodpecker shots are great too but then I've never seen a woodpecker photo I didn't like. They're my favorite of all the Michigan birds who come to my feeders.

It feels like fall here. Unfortunately. I'm not ready!

eileeninmd said...

Hello, The geese do look pretty in the water. I like the merganser and their young. The Red-headed Woodpecker is a favorite, I love the Downy or is it a Hairy woodie. The Queen Anne's Lace is beautiful. It is sad to see summer end, I am not ready for cold weather. Thanks so much for linking up your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend! PS, thanks for your visit and comments on my blog.

My name is Erika. said...

Gorgeous photos Jeanie. The wildlife looks similar to my mother-in-laws lake. I was up there a few weeks ago and saw the merganser, but no babies. Lucky you to have them. And to be able to enjoy that most of the summer. Enjoy the rest of your time there. Hugs-Erika

Valerie-Jael said...

Those geese are always good to watch in the water, but they do make a mess on land. Great shots of the woodpecker, too. Glad you are enjoying your time at the lake. Hugs, Valerie

BB said...

The babies are so cute. I'm with you about the geese. They are beautiful, but they do poop a lot.
They also call Queen Anne's Lace chigger bush down here, but I've always thought it was pretty. I used to pick it when I was a kid and put it in a jar with some ink in the bottom and wait for it to change color.

Regina said...

The little feathered friends look so cute! We saw geese hanging around one of the lakes earlier this week on our way home but I couldn't get my phone out to take a picture.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am very happy to see that you took the time to record some of the wildlife. Perhaps the fuzzy woodpecker picture was taken after your wine tasting session!

William Kendall said...

You wonder what the geese think of that big floating ball.

Susie said...

Jeanie, I am not big fan f those geese either...but all water fowl looks good on the water. Glad you and your friend had such wonderful fun together. I like alone time , but like to share fun with others. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Joyful said...

Beautiful scenes of nature. We have so many geese here too as we have a lot of parks. They congregate too in large green spaces even without water around. I guess they must have two "homes" in that case. Have a great rest of your weekend.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You got some great critter shots this week! I love those baby ducks and woodpeckers! Lots of beauty there on the lake! Hugs!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm with you on the geese. People feed them here and they make great messes, but stay because they only have to "look cute" to get fed. And the mess is overwhelming, too.

I love the woodpeckers, the flowers, and the serenity surrounding the time you spent at art camp. AWESOME photos and fun reading your ruminations.

Net - "It's a Wonderful Movie" said...

Thank you for sharing your adventure with us and all these beautiful animals! Such wonderful pictures you captured! :)

Have a blessed, happy, joyous weekend!!! Blessings, Net

DUTA said...

You and Kate are my heroines; sweet, adventurous, talented.
The photos are awsome and I particularly liked the bunny and the Queen Anne's Lace flower.

Sami said...

Such beautiful memories from your lake summer holiday.
Loved all the animals specially the bunnies and the woodpeckers.

Pamela said...

I love seeing "real live nature"!

roughterrain crane said...

Whenever I see woodpeckers, I am afraid whether they have a headache.

Joanne Huffman said...

Lovely.

The Dutchess said...

hello Jeanie..thank you for your Birthday wishes in Nowhere..and thank you for your lovely blog..wonderful pictures !!!
Blessing T.D

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

We've been on bunny count all summer, and it's come to the point where we LOST count, but I have created a "unit of measurement" of my own: An OODLE. An oodle is a large number of undocumented rabbits. LOL.

Oh the glories of summer near the lakes, huh, Jeanie? Let's observantly revel in the beauty of autumn to then rest during winter, and refresh again in the spring.

shoreacres said...

Just so you know, the baby mergansers look like ducklings because -- mergansers are ducks! Granted, they eat fish, but the people who sort through waterfowl and put them in categories put the mergansers in "duck." I'm not entirely clear on why, but at least I learned that.

I must say, when I read all you people talking about fall, I'm still amazed. Still, I did notice last night that it was nearly dark by 8 p.m. -- we're getting those shorter days. I can't wait!

Lynne said...

Thanks for the walk/tour . . .
How nice you have the cottage and
a chance to get out of the city for a summer breather . . .
Fun to have the Art Camp too . . .
Not a fan of geese on shore??

Bonnie said...

You are so blessed to have abundant wildlife to enjoy.
I always enjoy your postcards from the lake.
The woodpecker is my favorite or maybe the Queen Anne's lace.

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

Catching up on your lake posts! I haven't been getting your posts for some reason...thanks for helping me try to figure it out. I love the pictures of the ducks and woodpeckers. I love Queen Anne's lace but can't touch it and I have lots of fungi growing in my garden this year. I won't be touching those either!

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

I love seeing all this nature. How wonderful! :)

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I had a lovely quiet weekend with some friends and I feel rejuvenated!

Pam Richardson said...

Jeanie, what lovely photos. The geese have taken over our beautiful river front and they make a terrible mess! it was rare for us to see a goose years ago, now we have to stop for them to cross a major downtown highway! Queen Anne’s lace is a favorite of mine. When do you take your trip to London and Paris?

Jennifer Richardson said...

Such a good idea to count:) I love your bunnycount.
Yes, Fall seems to be sliding in sideways as it sometimes does
and the light is giving it away up here. I'm so grateful for the cooler evenings and the mushrooms and spiders and all the drying grasses that say that fires will be welcome in the firepit soon.
We had our first Saturday night and the mosquitoes almost carried us away.
The sight of that upside down boat makes me feel the melancholy
of the Summer's closing act coming on soon.
Grateful for the beauty that it's been.
Big joy to you in the hellos and goodbyes,
Jennifer

Marilyn Miller said...

What a nice nod to the end of summer at the cabin. I love Queen Anne's Lace, birds, swans, and bunnies! Then to have a friend to walk with; so very special.

Red Rose Alley said...

24 bunnies this year, oh my! I'm lucky if I see one for every season at the trail. That Woodpecker is delightful. They fascinate me. Ours looks a bit different with just an area of red on his head. Wow, your Woodpeckers have a whole head of red hair, so pretty. Isn't that Queen Anne's Lace unusual? I always enjoy your nature photos, Jeanie. They are full of wonder. : )

~Sheri

Angie said...

That Queen Anne's Lace - gorgeous capture! So delicate. I sighed when I saw your fungi … we don't have nearly enough rain for any of that!

Mary K. said...

I always enjoy photos of birds or animals that are quick. I myself do not have the patience to get a good shot of birds, or maybe I am just not a good shot. Always enjoy your posts Jeanie.

Iris Flavia said...

Awww, such beautiful shots!
The one with the wings spreading, great!
To be honest... I never saw a woodpecker, what a beautiful fella!
We don´t let summer go. Not yet!

Olka said...

These are ducks I think. I'm not sure, but I think I might be right.
These small ones look so adorable!
All your photos are amazing! You had really nice time there.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

All the photos are wonderful! The bright woodpecker is my favorite. My parents get so many different birds at their lake home. It’s fun to watch them snack at the bird feeder. They especially get a lot of hummingbirds.

My parents don’t like geese on their beach either. They leave such a mess!!!

French Ethereal said...

What a fun time! So nice to get away and just enjoy the outdoors... <3 We are going away to San Antonio this weekend and using some of Charles' hotel points ~ sooo excited to be going! He has needed a break away from work and it was his idea. :)

Thank you for sharing all these beautiful birds,
Hugs,
Barb :)

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