Author Archives: makielb

This is ll too familiar a problem. I went through a lot the same issues several years ago, Fortunately, I am still here to annoy people with my writing and photos. Right now the garden consists of enough kale plants to get us through the next couple of months. But it’s time to plant nextContinue reading “Walking in the neighborhood and thinking about the garden”

My day started out with a blood-draw (all routine, not due to a problem) then I walked over to Toyota to meet Susan who was waiting for the cars routine maintenance. It is now ready for our first trip to the cabin in April. Since my blood-draw required fasting we stopped at Village Kitchen soContinue reading “The March to spring in Ann Arbor”

On this beautiful winter day I have been looking at some drawings that I did last spring. I was drawing the spring ephemerals as I has seen them. Here are a few violets. I’m thinking of redoing these drawings, but in color. Long-spurred violet is perhaps my favorite violet to find in the spring. WeContinue reading “A beautiful winter day in Ann Arbor”

Our day started at the North Star Inn in Corinth, Kentucky. I would recommend this place if you are taking I-75 either north or south through Kentucky. First time since we were at Sault Ste. Marie in early January that we woke to frost on the car. It was 27F, and running the car asContinue reading “Back in Michigan”

After spending time with so many friends in the south this really makes sense. Heck yes! I’ll take a good tequila or mescal over beer any day. I had a negra modelo with lunch yesterday and a bit of Espolon in the evening while playing a game with Mark. The Espolon labels are as entertainingContinue reading “North Carolina to Kentucky”

Our day started in Weverville. I worked with Mark at the Insect Division of the University of Michigan Museums of Zoology some 25 years ago. We would often go out insect collecting together and had some amazing road trips together. Today we went out photographing plants. Our destination today was Rocky Fork State Park inContinue reading “A fun day with Mark and Adrienne”

We finally got into North Carolina yesterday. Susan and I spent the morning on a trail at Pisgah National Forest. Now we can say we have been at Pisgah, North Carolina and Pisgah, Oregon. The stream here was clear and rocky. There were fly-fisherman at nearly every pull-off along the stream. We headed up aContinue reading “North Carolina!”

Since today is Tuesday, 22 February 2022 and we switched drivers at 2:22 pm, it seemed appropriate to start off with a photo of the screen in our car. Sunrise this morning at Fernandina Beach. Venus is high to the upper right. We stopped to pick up treats for friends and I couldn’t resist BertContinue reading “South Carolina on “2s-day””

Out day with Sue and David started with a beautiful sunrise. Looking in the other direction towards the place that Sue rents in the winter. A green anole alone the greenway that runs through town. More anoles. An adult and juvenile White Ibis. In the afternoon, before dinner we went shopping.at Story & Song, aContinue reading “Our day at Fernandina Beach”

We were out looking for birds the other day and came to this sugarberry and palm that were side-by-side. That in itself was not very interesting. But the birds that were there were. There were two Loggerhead Shrikes in the sugarbush. The male was singing and the female arrived with nesting material. A better photoContinue reading “Looking for birds and a night filled with moths”