Vacation, the final installment

The Fourth of July, our one final full day in the haven of the north. Jon and Calvin spent the morning on the public beach in Harbor Springs (our fifth beach of the trip, making us connoisseurs), while Lonnie and shopped the art fair and mingled with the over-heated crowd. The heat was creeping in, and so were the crowds, so we skipped the parade in favor of naps away from the sun, and nature watching from the comfort of a couch by a fan's breeze. You don't see frogs and kingfishers that way, but song birds, squirrels, and apparently turkeys, are abundant. Another delightful dinner on the breezy deck, then we headed into town to set ourselves up on the bluff over the football field for a breathtaking view the fireworks, and from that vantage point we could see not only Harbor's fireworks, but Petoskey's as well, and caught glimpses of the shows in Boyne City and Charlevoix as well.

We are home now. We drove home on the fifth, dodging violent storms that had entered the area, and arrived to enjoy the last few days of the heat emergency that had settled on our home lands. It had been hot up north, but not like it was at home. We are not used to heat in or near to the triple digits, especially for several days in a row, and for the first real time since we moved in four years ago (aside from the occasional test) we actually gave our air conditioner a workout. The good side to the heat, if there is one, is that it did not feel like a punishment to be trapped inside all day Friday unpacking, running loads of laundry, and completing the myriad of chores that always awaits those returning from vacation. We spent today inside, too, reading and playing games in the comfort of conditioned air, but the weather finally broke this evening, temperatures dipping well below the ninety degree mark while thunder rumbled outside, and our house is once again open to the beautiful night air and its soothing sounds.

Swimming and playing on the public beach in Harbor Springs

The colors of nature: two goldfinches and a cardinal

Even the squirrels were hot

Turkey in the front yard

On the bluff over the stadium in Harbor Springs, the bay in the background

The boys playing on the football field before the fireworks

Fireworks in Petoskey and Harbor Springs

Fireworks in Harbor Springs

Vacation, part 2

We're now relaxing in Harbor Springs. Enjoying the company of well-loved family, playing putt putt in Petoskey, driving the Tunnel of Trees, swimming the surf of Sturgeon Bay, hiking the nature preserve behind the brewery-to-be (and why couldn't it have been in time for our trip???), and boogie boarding the waves of Little Traverse Bay from Petoskey State Park. It stormed over night last night, which is why we had such monstrous waves today, but we've had nothing but enjoyable weather during our waking hours. This is what summer should be.

Pirate's Cove, in Petoskey

Back up in Wilderness State Park for a swim in our favorite spot—Sturgeon Bay

Hiking Spring Lake Park and Round Lake Nature Preserve, in Petoskey

Eastern Garter Snake

Brown Snake

Eastern Kingbird (and nest)

Mute Swan (invasive species)

Ring-billed Gull, watching us swim in Petoskey State Park

Camping Michigan, 2012

Although we are still on vacation, enjoying beautiful Northern Michigan away from the heat at home, we have come to the end of our first real camping trip, and enthused enough to label the trip with a year, because we are already planning an even longer trip for next summer.

This year's trip was three night's long, spent with friends in Wilderness State Park in a camp site that was nestled between the lake and the pine forest. It was beautiful and peaceful, and even had pretty clean bathrooms and showers, and the weekend was practically charmed. We slept in tents, we cooked over a propane stove and over a fire, we listened to the waves at night, or the wind in the trees, and we swam in the lake at almost every free moment.

We also took the boat to Mackinac Island for a day. We brought our bikes with us and biked the eight miles around the Island, stopping many times to explore and play, and half way around to eat lunch with the sea gulls. We visited the Grand Hotel (from the outside, of course), the Governor's residence (also from the outside), and Historic Fort Makcinac (also, outside), and we hiked the Island's hills to see the traditional geographic sites, like Arch Rock and Skull Cave. We took a horse-drawn taxi, we enjoyed a seafood dinner, and we brought home a box of Island fudge. We came home on almost the last boat, and watched the sun setting behind the Mackinac Bridge.

And who can go camping without a little hiking? Wilderness State Park has some beautiful hiking trails, and, armed with camera, binoculars, bug spray, and nature books, we spent an afternoon exploring one of them. One of the great things about our weekend was that the afternoons were warm, and the evenings were cool, but it never really got too hot or too cold. Of course, woods hiking requires long pants, socks, and shoes, and it left us sweaty and tired, but we were rewarded with some exhilerating wildlife sightings: Green Frogs, butterflies aplenty, moss and wildflowers, towering trees, chipmunks, squirrels, deer tracks, a Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker, and a family of Belted Kingfishers playing together over the pond. Awesome.

We marked our final night with popcorn over the campfire, and our final morning with eggs on the campstove. After packing everything back up we took one last dip in Big Stone Bay and headed south to our favorite stop in Harbor Springs, and that is where you will find us still, hiding away from the heat wave smothering our own city back home. And so the vacation story is to be continued.

Tenting with a view of Big Stone Bay.

Pouring over nature books and taking notes.

Hiding from the few sprinkles that fell just after we set up camp.

But it doesn't say 'no seagulls'.

Splashing around in the bay.

Art we found on the beach.

Roasting our first dinner over an open fire.

Roasting our first dessert over an open fire.

Watching the sun set over Big Stone Bay.

On our way to Mackinac Island.

On the boat to Mackinac Island.

Island fudge!

Setting out on our bike trip around the island.

Mile one, we stopped to explore the stoney beach.

Nearing mile 2, we stopped to enjoy Arch Rock from the bike route.

Around mile 3.

Nearing mile 4.

Mile 4, half way around, we stopped at British Landing for lunch.

Actually an 'unposed' picture.

Back in town, outside the Grand Hotel.

Playing in the sprinkler at the Governor's Island residence.

Outside Fort Mackinac.

At Skull Cave.

Above Arch Rock.

Above Arch Rock.

Marquette with a seagull on his head.

The main street on the island.

Taking a horse drawn taxi.

Watching the sun set behind the Mackinac Bridge on the boat ride home.

Hiking Wilderness State Park: Green Frog,

Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed,

Moss,

Belted Kingfisher,

Identifying wildflowers,

strange, strange, birch tree,

Kingfishers playing,

and a chipmunk.

Cooling off in Big Stone Bay.

A game borrowed from the camp office 'book nook'.

Watching one last sunset over Big Stone Bay.

Morning on the bay.

Eggs for breakfast.

Heading out, looking a little scruffier than when we arrived.

Polo match in Bliss.

Life

Having lost more of our butterflies (see the note I added to the bottom of my last post for details, as it's not something I feel like dwelling on further), it has been a refreshing reminder of the continuity of life to see babies upon babies around our house as of late.

The second brood of robins has left the nest under our deck, spotted little things hopping around our yard while their mamma chirps worriedly. The swan pair lead a line of six cygnets through our yard, travelling from ponds at the back to ponds at the front of our neighborhood as they do every year. Butterflies of many distinctions are flitting about our flowers, and someone other than us is eating our vegetables.

The plants are thriving as well. The butterfly garden is more lush and full every year. We have mushrooms in the lawn, and even the yuccas are blooming this year!

All of this life, even the parasites and garden thieves, has been fortuitous. Not only does its continuance lift our spirits, but Calvin and I have been talking about energy, life cycles, and the difference between the plant and animal kingdoms, and being able to witness these things as we speak is a wonderful treat. Yesterday, after a balmy morning, it stormed in the early afternoon. While it was storming we sat inside. Calvin read about weather and created a book about the animal and plant kingdoms while I wrote a book review. When the sun was back out and drying the world, we emerged to look at the change the cooling rain had made, from greening grass to newly emerging mushrooms. Refreshing. It's when things come together like that homeschooling feels like a breeze.

Calvin's book. For some reason the colors just didn't come through in the scan, but you get the idea.

Let the gardening commence

Calvin and I were sick all week with a terrible cold that knocked us flat. Lots of reading, lots of couch time, and we skipped out on all our outside activities, but summer had come again (still early this time, though not as early as when it was here two months ago) and the sunshine called us outside on Friday. The periodic unseasonal warmth has brought blooms much earlier, and weeds as well. Mostly gigantic weeds, in fact, but the chilly, gray weather, more characteristic of these months, and then this abhorrent cold, have kept me from keeping them under control. The gardens in the back were a sight to behold by this weekend, so that's where we spent the last three days, with sprinklers, shovels, gloves, and every ounce of energy we could muster. Calvin included. And the garden spent the weekend thanking us in the form of emerging blooms and returning creatures.

Iris in the front yard (after the sprinkler)

Toad in the front garden.

Poppy bud in the front garden.

Lazy hummingbird is sitting on the feeder to eat.

Blue flag iris in the back garden.

Bumble in the false indigo.

Fleabane? In the butterfly garden.

The first monarch ever in our butterfly garden!

Summer yarrow (which shouldn't be blooming yet) in the butterfly garden.

Oriole on the feeder out front (he's shy, so that's the best picture I've gotten yet)

And because I like before and after shots, here is a shot of the butterfly garden on Friday before the weeekend weeding, and then on Sunday when we were all done. It is still a work in progress, and there is a lot of space to fill in with beautiful Michigan wild-type flowers, but taking it one year at a time, we've come a long way.