CLIMBING MY WAY OUT OF ANOTHER LONG DIFFICULT SUMMER

A NICE RELAXING QUIET FOREST WALK THIS MORNING FOR PHEEBS & I

It's usually a Cardinal I first hear in the early pre-dawn darkness outside somewhere in a nearby cedar tree. Just a short little singing tweet & he's quiet again for a wee bit. Takes the little fellow awhile to get himself awake but soon he's tweeting in a new day as our eastern sky takes on a bit of light through the pines. All the while in the background a gentle chorus of Crickets. Crickets, one of my all time favorite nature sounds.

NOTICE THE FUZZY WUZZY WHITE CATERPILLAR BEHIND THE CARDINAL
Our live radar weather map showed no rain but thunder rolling in off the lake sure suggested we had some kind of disturbance headed our way. It was 72F this morning at 6 while a few days ago we were 47F at this time. We are in the process of changing seasons & it is one of the things I enjoy about our kind of weather here in the northern climates. Always look forward to the big weather swings as we go from Winter into Spring, Spring into Summer, & most of all my favorite time of year, Summer into Autumn.  Autumn being my all time favorite season of the year. September to about mid October is the time of year for me when Mother Nature sprinkles a little magic into the air. Just as Spring is such a relief after a long cold winter I find Autumn is also a welcome relief after another long hot summer. 
 

OUR HEAD RV TECH CHECKS ONE OF WINNIE’S BINS THEN TURNS HER ATTENTION TO CLEANING HER BICYCLE
With dark clouds threatening warm showers I figured I'd make a project out of cleaning up & re-organizing the storage area in our carport. Things have a habit of getting moved & tossed around over the summer & it was clean up time. Kelly was off to the Dentist this morning so Pheebs stuck by my side helping whenever asked. About 10:30 I figured we needed a break so off to the Sub shop in Bayfield we went. A 6" Cold Cut Combo toasted on whole wheat with no sauce & no cheese did it for us again. It was a short distance to a scenic view point over looking placid Lake Huron. The rains never came. Savoured our beautiful morning by the lake while we shared our tasty Sub. A short country drive was in order with a stop for a walk on the BANNOCKBURN CONSERVATION boardwalk. Had the place to ourselves again as we sauntered along just enjoying the day. Pheebs even got her paws wet along a river bank. Heat & humidity were quickly building so we didn't stay too long & headed for home about noon. Nice to slip into a cool house for a relaxing short snooze in my recliner.

A SMALL FLOTILLA OF WATER SPIDERS AT THE BANNOCK BURN CONSERVATION AREA

 

PHEEBS EVEN GETS HER FRONT PAWS IN THE RIVER

A WIDER VIEW OF THE WATER SPIDERS IN A SHALLOW POOL OF WATER

I will take our last two bird feeders down Friday, clean them up & put them away until next Spring.  I will continue putting bird seed out on our feeder station right up to the day we leave for the South West.  Lots of Black Capped Chickadees around & I think they stay for the winter.   Don’t think I have seen a Goldfinch all week.  Very surprised this summer by the absence of Monarch Butterflies.  This time of year there are usually lots of them but this year I have only seen one.  And whatever happened to the hordes of Cicada Bugs that were to descend upon mankind this summer.  I remember reading about a big infestation coming but that didn’t seem to materialize. 

A GNARLED TANGLE OF TREE ROOTS ON THE FOREST FLOOR

 

SHALLOW CREEK BEDS

It has been my ramped up yard work projects, Jeep & Motorcycle washing, shed cleaning, RV tinkering, & a host of other small tasks that have told me I am beginning to finally climb out of my summer depression.  Cooler energizing weather has been a big factor as well.  Re-gaining interest in things is always a good sign just as losing interest in things is always a bad sign.  Classic depressive mood swing.  With Autumn coming on & the prospects of winter travel looming I am once again becoming invigorated & re-vitalized.  Travel plans & packing will ramp up soon.  My mind will once again be busy with things I enjoy.  We’ll be on the road with a purpose & dozens of destinations in mind.  Days will again take on meaning.  New scenery, new roads, new challenges, & a newly refreshed attitude.  Summers have been my downfall these past 3 or 4 years with this past summer being the toughest one of them all.  Is it any wonder my reader numbers drop in the summer & rise in the winter.  Heavens to Murgatroyds……………………10-4:))     

SEE YOU NEXT TIME BANNOCKBURN…………………….

GROANER'S CORNER:(( GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.

2) Families are like fudge....mostly sweet, with a few nuts.

3) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

4) My mind not only wanders; sometimes it leaves completely.

5) If you can remain calm, you just don't have all the facts.

---
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.