Author Archives: makielb

That’s how hikes end for me, with a snooze. So, this is what happened to the last of the blueberries that I collected before we left Whitefish Point. Now that we are back home the garden needed picking. This morning I picked tomatoes, green beans and hot peppers. I see some canning in the future.Continue reading “A great, and tiring weekend full of friends and food”

Just north of Lapeer, Michigan, is the Eastern Michigan University Field Station. I spent many fun summers teaching here. The last was at the beginning of August in 2019, just before the pandemic started. Susan and I got there early so that we would have time to walk some of the trails. We started atContinue reading “Visiting the EMU field station in Lapeer”

We went out for dinner last night and this poster caught my eye. Before the rain started, the noise outside was mainly due to a murder (of crows). The heavy rain at Whitefish Point gave way to fog near the Tahquamenon Rivermouth. This would last until south of Mackinaw City. Near Trout Lake the fogContinue reading “Into the fog heading south”

From a car at Whitefish Point. Every day is my “cup of tea!” The Moon in the early morning, rapidly becoming dark on the right, like the country. Our little piece of Paradise at sunrise. There was a lot of dragonfly movement today. It was green darners and meadowhawks. The meadowhawks didn’t stay put longContinue reading “A day with nature”

The other day Susan made sausage-kale soup, while I picked more blueberries, this time I managed three cups. I’m seeing more blueberry pancakes in my future. Outside the lichens were glowing in the early morning light. This is a stump along the driveway that had no lichens ten years ago. Now it has a thickContinue reading “More food and nature at Whitefish Point”

It’s been overcast with intermittent rain since yesterday. But don’t worry there’s always something to do. We managed to find a blue-spotted salamander on the boardwalk to the point. Damp, overcast days are great times to photograph lichens. I spend a lot of time on damp knees with these little beauties. This is Vulpicida pinastri,Continue reading “Back to nature”

Before I get to the comics it’s time to get caught up on what’s happening with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Over the past week Ukrainian forces have steadily regained control over parts of Eastern Ukraine. Hopefully, this will continue and in the future Ukrainian forces will regain control over their whole country. On onContinue reading “Rainy Monday humor”

A piece that I wrote for the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor in December, 2001. A Clay-colored Sparrow wondering where our feeders are, instead eating caterpillars and moths behind the cabin. Walking home from watching some migrating waterfowl this morning I stopped along some paths to collect blueberries. Two cups of wild blueberries should beContinue reading “Blueberries and memories”

There were a few birds around when we arrived at Whitefish Point yesterday, like this young Broad-winged Hawk. But the plants were covered with bees and flies. Crab spiders were ambushing insects on many of the plants. Looking back at the point from the tip we could see what was becoming a beautiful sunset. ButContinue reading “The full moon and a rare bird”

I just thought that this was a cute cartoon. If you’re in southeast Michigan get your bivalent booster and mask up when in public places. But this, with the heat was enough to get us to head north. All the way north on I-75 we passed trailers with tractors. There were a great variety –Continue reading “Back at Whitefish Point”