Author Archives: makielb

I hope that all of my family and friends are safe from fires and smoke on this Canada Day. It’s almost hard to believe that my mother was born in New Brunswick almost 100 years ago. Yesterday we met Mike and Linda at the Northside for breakfast and we took the opportunity to walk overContinue reading “Happy Canada Day to family and friends”

Another Sonic Lunch, complete with the bubble machine. What an amazing and fun time. We enjoyed the opening act, but went there for the main performers. For today, because of War and Treaty, the main performers the stage was moved and Liberty Street closed. The place was packed! We managed to find some seats quiteContinue reading “More live music”

This caterpillar is a Hibiscus sawfly that was happily munching on a hibiscus. A Hollyhock weevil. Milkweed lead beetles, making more beetles. The spectacular find with a wing-span of over six inches! It’s an Imperial moth (Ecles imperialis). This is only the second one that I have ever seen. The other was close to 30Continue reading “Finding an uncommon and spectacular moth”

We spent yesterday at the Eddy Discovery Center in western Washtenaw County. There’s a small prairie between the parking lot and the trail that leads to the bog. Butterfly weed and spiderwort were the dominant flowering plants there. Then we headed into the bog to find some orchids that should be blooming. Grass-pink and RoseContinue reading “More orchids and plants”

There’s a huge heat wave slowly moving across the south/south-west, but it is also extending to the east/north-east. That combined with Texas’ first case of endemic malaria (it already exists in the south-east). In south-east Michigan on Sunday we finally got the storm that was supposed to be here. The temperature cooled down but thereContinue reading “After the storm”

Some of my online friends I “talk” to more than my in person friends. Birds people watching. That’s what happens when you buy a nest from Ikea. Now on to insects – I never understood why we often get lightening bugs and moth at our lights – now I do. Gossiping insects. Trying to avoidContinue reading “Monday comics”

Time to make pickles – sweet pickles, dill pickles and picked onions. The dryer is full of dill, way more than we can use since there’s much more in the garden. If you’re in Ann Arbor and need dill let me know. The same goes for mint. The zucchini is up and doing well. GarlicContinue reading “The kitchen and garden”

It’s a hot steamy day in Ann Arbor (OK, not compared to what’s going on in Texas right now), so we went to the Farmers Market. We got lots of fresh veggies. Checked out Kerrytown, and stopped by the People’s Food Co-op. We were treated to some live music as a band was playing atContinue reading “What to do when it’s hot?”

The other day we went in search of Yellow-breasted Chats, which are rather uncommon in South-eastern Michigan in the summer. Walking to the chat habitat we saw a lot of butterflies. There were a lot of European skippers. And I managed to find two Baltimores (more on that later). We finally reached the chat habitat,Continue reading “Searching for Yellow-breasted Chats”

Liberty Plaza was full of people for the performance today. We spent the first half hour closer to the performer. Then Susan went to get us sandwiches from one of the food trucks. When she got back the main performers were playing and were way too loud. Here’s the Sonic Lunch schedule for 2023. ThisContinue reading “Our first Sonic Lunch of 2023”