Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: Michigan


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Sheltie speak

Hey everybody! Katie here!

I know, I know. Today is Wednesday, and so I’m supposed to be wordless. I don’t know who thought up that stupid rule, but let me tell you, this girl has never been wordless in her whole life. And I’m not going to start now!

Mama? Can we please go on another walk?

Actually I don’t really have much to say, being that I hardly ever get to go anywhere anymore, except the vet or the groomer, and those are not places you want to hear about! Or maybe you do?

They’re not going to weigh me are they? Cause I’ve put on a couple pounds.

Really? Well, OK then.

This past week I went to a new groomer. You know how I used to go to my groomer Nicole, I’ve been going to her since I was a baby. And then this weird covid thing happened and her groomer place wasn’t open. So after months and months of no baths or nail trims mama was getting sort of desparate and she asked on her neighborhood FB thing if anyone was a groomer and would be willing to take care of me under the radar…and I went to see Jessica.

Mama….do I look round to you?

Jessica was really nice and the good thing was that I’d get an actual appointment and not have to be dropped off at the beginning of the day and picked up at the end of the day like at Nicole’s. I only had to be in the scary place an hour. And it was pretty close to where we lived so mama liked it. I went to Jessica for over a year.

But Jessica didn’t really listen to mama. Mama likes my furs long and flowy. She loves to watch me walk with all my fur blowing in the wind. Jessica would nod her head and then when mama picked me up in an hour I looked like a tough street kid with short spiky fur! Everybody thought I was cute in the short cut, but mama was frustrated.

I don’t know…I guess it’s a look.

Then Deuce’s mom (you remember Deuce, my cocker spanial friend?) started taking Ace, his little brother, to a groomer right here in my very own town!

Deuce and I went for a walk while Ace was at the groomer, but it was so cold and windy the moms made us go back home.

She had high praise for this groomer, cause Ace, who has only just turned 2 and is a real handful, has a thick heavy coat, sort of like mine, and he takes a lot of maintaining. Kinda like….well….me.

A couple weeks ago mama took me to meet Tracy and to get my nails and feet done.

She only did my nails this time, but I still got a bandana.

And last week mama got a full grooming appointment for me. Mama dropped me off and went home to do some vacuuming in peace. Tracy, the new groomer, sent mama pictures of me and asked if she should take off more or leave parts of me longer. Mama appreciated that.

I was cute but not really feeling the pink floof.

OK, I came home with silly pink things in my furs, but at least I had some furs left! Mama likes Tracy a lot, and I like that I didn’t have to stay there very long, and that the car ride was really short. Cause lately when I get put in the car I go to scary places, so I’m sorta not liking car rides so much any more.

Ah….I remember the old days when mama and I used to go on long car rides and stop at lots of rest stops with great smells, and sleep out under the stars and run on the ocean beach, and walk among old growth pines and hang out on my lake house deck and explore the world and meet new friends.

Me and my Florida friends in 2018!

Yep. I remember those days. I sure miss doing fun stuff like that, but I appreciate mama and daddy taking me out on short walks around the neighborhood whenever I ask. And I ask frequently, cause let me tell you it’s boring here in the house!

Mama, me and my shadow going for a walk this week.

Mama’s been feeling a bit stircrazy too and she says if I stick around until spring she’ll set the tent up in the backyard and we can sleep under the stars again. I can’t wait, I hope spring hurries up and comes! But mama says I shouldn’t wish the days away, cause there are only just so many.

What you talkin’ about, mama?

Sometimes mama is a little obtuse, you know? I think I’ll go take a nap while she wipes her eyes. Darn woman is just so leakey-eyed these days. She never used to be like this, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.

I guess I’ll sign off for now, mama will have to figure herself out on her own.

Sometimes a girl just has to take a nap

Your perfectly coiffed princess,

Katie.

Don’t forget to wake me up for supper!

PS: Mama says she’s sorry about the quality of the images…most of them are from her phone. She hardly ever takes me on photo shoots with her big camera anymore. She says she can’t give me treats, and so she doesn’t think it’s fair for me to have to pose for free. Plus it’s cold out there.

Mama is a wimp.

Mama and me.


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Jump right in.

I’ve been painting the little cards that I send off in batches of 5 to a nonprofit who distributes them to seniors in Michigan assisted living and nursing home residents, I get attached to almost every painting and it’s hard to put them into envelopes and mail them off. It’s kind of like they are my kids or something.

I need to start working on spring stuff again.

Before I mail them I like to just look at them, and I always take a picture before they go. I’m often surprised that I painted them, but other times it’s painfully clear that I did them, though most of the time I send them on anyway. I know how much it means to get a note in the mail, and most people won’t be offended if the artwork isn’t up to par.

Did these in January for Valentines. I think I did 10 of them.

Because, really, who decides what’s par anyway?

The nonprofit I make these for is called Bring Smiles to Seniors, and it sends cards all across the United States. I work with the Michigan chapter, because that’s where I live. But I know there’s a big chapter in Florida too, as well as smaller groups in the other states.

These just went to the seniors. Sometimes I do images a second time, so some of you might recognize something in here.

They take handmade cards that are donated by individuals and groups, and get them into the hands of people who could really use a smile. Check them out if you make cards and are looking for an outlet for your art. Your art doesn’t have to be watercolor. It can be anything at all, stamping, collage,pencil, anything that will make someone smile.

Still love to do birds.

But I really meant to blog about a tiny bit of branching out that I did. Something a little bigger than the greeting cards I’ve been painting since the pandemic began. This is a 5×7 piece, done from a reference photo I stole from a friend’s Facebook page a couple years ago.

I loved the color of her coat and boots and especially the hat.

I didn’t have enough confidence to try it back then, but I loved it when I saw the image on her page and thought it would make a really lovely painting. It’s her granddaughter, walking among the pines on one of their many adventures up north.

At the beginning of 2022 I began to think about trying to reproduce some version of the image. I always knew I’d mail it to my friend, regardless of how it turned out. It’s the thought that counts. Right?

Might even start to do some summer stuff. Even if there IS 5 inches of snow on the ground today.

But oh the pressure! To do something bigger, something specific to someone. And to do a person, even if it’s just the back of a person! All of those things made it very difficult to start.

These, done last fall, were much easier!

Why is it that we so often don’t want to start, in fear of failing. Of wasting a piece of paper and a little bit of paint? I did a practice painting in my sketch book and it wasn’t bad. So I took a deep breath and just began.

And I’m mostly pretty happy with it. Of course, like any piece, there are things I’d do differently, things I hope no one notices. But that’s true of any piece of art.

And in the end, it fulfilled a number of goals. One was to make my friend smile. Another was for me to try something different. And a third goal was to realize it’s just paper…dont worry, jump in!

From this past Christmas.

Today I encourage you all to take some time for yourself and jump into something you love to do. Or something you’ve always wondered if you’d love.

The experience will make you smile. Guaranteed.


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Owl….no barn…no owl…hunt

Sunday morning, in preparation for the Super Bowl, I left home with my camera.

Multiple barns make for an efficient shot.

OK. So maybe it didn’t have anything to do with the Super Bowl, maybe it was just me wanting to get out of the house for a little bit. With a camera and nowhere specific to go.

Artsy-fartsy sun on pole. No owl.

A friend had told me about a snowy owl that she’s seen a few times over near Katie’s vet. Lots of open fields and telephone poles out that way so I figured maybe I would finally see a snowy owl if I headed in that direction.

So I did.

Barn with multiple additions.

And I might have seen one. Something kind of large flew directly over the car, while I was still on the freeway. I only caught a glimpse of the underside, the same color as the light grey sky, it blended into the nothingness above me and then disappeared. It might have been a hawk. But it felt more round than a hawk in flight would be.

Starting to snow again.

Anyway, when I got to the town nearest the vet I entered a pretty heavy snow squall. It was hard to see anything, and I was trying to figure out if I should just turn around and go home. How in the world would I see a white owl in a blizzard?

Hard to see a white barn in a blizzard too.

I crept along, passed Katie’s vet and turned south on the next big road, looking for the small rural road she said the owl had been seen on. It seemed sort of far, and figuring I had missed it, I stopped looking at the street signs just about the time I passed the road.

Darn it all.

But sometimes it was sunny.

So I drove on to the next road and a place to turn around. But what was that over there? A very nice barn? Well, might be I should just go over there first and then go back and find that owl road.

White barn, white fence, white snow.

And up there at the next, quite far away, corner, well that looks like a good barn too. And wait, over there, I need to see what’s over there for sure. Good thing the snow let up.

White on white.

And that’s how it went. On my way back to the road that might or might not have an owl I kept finding more barns. And the snow came and went.

Still pretty.

Sometimes on the left would be sunshine and blue sky while on the right a blizzard raged.

Another version of red, white and blue.

I eventually did wander down the road I had originally intended to explore. Never did see an owl of any color. Saw a couple turkeys cross the road, but they didn’t want their pictures taken.

Such a pretty farm.

And then I turned a corner and saw the sweetest little barn with a dormer. Something niggled at me and then I remembered. I’d been by this exact barn about a month ago. I had no idea where I was by then, but I knew if I was repeating barns it was time to head for home.

Why do you look so familiar?

I have to say this adventure was mostly a barn hunt on which I might have seen a snowy owl float overhead for a moment. In fact I think I’ll just say that’s what it was.

Yep. I saw a snowy owl on Sunday, and I got home in time to watch the game too.

Last year’s corn, this year’s snow.

Win/win


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Bird stories

Who knew that one partial day of bird photography could turn into three blog posts? Well. To be honest, I know I take way too many pictures, and then I have no place to share them but here. So you are once again subjected to my interpretation of bird life.

I’m sure the birds don’t mind me sharing their inner most private thoughts.

“No I will not stand still so you can get your focus right.”

As I was leaving the nature center, fingers and toes frozen but happy that I saw the eagle and all the other birds, I noticed a flury of activity centered on a stairway railing.

“Hurry up, we’re calling this meeting to order in a minute!”

Someone had left a pile of seed on a post and the blue jays decided to share the spoiles. Most unusual as they aren’t usually known for sharing anything.

“As Chairman of the Board I reserve the right to the peanut.”

No one else was invited to the feast. They seemed to be an exclusive club, and were definitely showing their true colors.

“This is ours!”

There was much flapping and jeering and jostling for position among them. But when another bird tried to join in, they became a united front. Only jays allowed.

“We can vote on it, but historically resolutions to allow chickadees into our group has never been approved.”

Beautiful bullies, those jays.

And then I was driving home, wishing the eagle had stayed a bit longer, but happy with what I had. And out of the corner of my eye, as I crossed the last bridge before the park exit, I saw this:

Looks like Swan Lake to me.

So I turned around and parked at a lot above the river and walked back down. Because who can resist swans and blue water on a beautiful winter day?

I spent a lot of time watching them come and go, and then I walked over to the other side of the bridge and saw this lovig couple.

“This salad bar is boring, I’ll just freshen up over here.”

Well, actually, he was busy eating and she was thinking that a bit of grooming was in order. Typical. But then he puffed all up.

“Looking bigger and more beautiful, I’ll keep my girl all to myself.”

Was he just showing off for his lovely partner? Or was there a something more suspicious?

“I wouldn’t go down there if I were you, looks like this part of the river is already occupied.”

A flock of swans flies overhead. Could that mean danger? Would he have to defend his sweetheart?

“This looks like a fine place to take a break, plus there’s a cute girl over there!”

Oh no! A brave interloper lands! He must be dealt with swiftly!

“Let me introduce myself. I am the supreme ruler of this part of the river, and you are trespassing!”

With no time to spare the original swan was on the case.

“Not on my watch, buddy!”

The offending swan, uttering his apologies, immediately moved on.

“Sorry, man, I’m outta here!”

Life got back to normal on this little part of the river, and the two love birds lived happily ever after.

“Well, OK then. The nerve of some swans.”

The end.

When I got back to the car a lone bluejay greated me hopefully.

“Thanks for visiting our park, lady! You got anything to eat?”

And I smiled at him, shook my head and waved goodbye for now. I’ll be back. I know they’ll be waiting for me.

“Well. If you don’t have anything to share I’m outta here too.”


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Eagle search part 2

Before we were so beautifully interrupted by the cardinal seige, I was conteplating the continuation of an eagle search. I’d already been to the Great Lakes National Cemetary where I’d seen, from far away, the resident eagle and his nest. But it was still early and a beautiful day, maybe another eagle was waiting to be discovered at my favorite park.

What is this, you ask?

Should I go look for it? Well of course I should.

So after some more mental arguing about other things I could be doing, mostly involving housework, I jumped back in the car and headed south to Kensington where eagles had been sighted at the heron rookery.

“Don’t bug me lady, some nice people left me some lunch and I’m hungry!”

Not that I thought I’d be so lucky to find one there in the early afternoon. But it’s my favorite park and how could I go wrong, I knew I’d find something!

“I don’t know why you people get so excited over an eagle. I’ve got much better colors.”

I took my time driving through the park, pulled up leisurely in a parking spot at the nature center. Even sat there awhile and looked at the eagle pictures I already had in my camera.

Then I looked up and spotted a big bump in the top of a tree. And me quite a ways away, with the wrong lens on the camera. Talk about unprepared.

“Geeze lady, an experienced photographer pays better attention to the details!”

I hustled over there, stopped at the first bench on the boardwalk and switched my lens, hoping he’d stick around long enough for me to get a shot, even if it wasn’t optimum.

“Ahem. Were you looking for ME?”

He did. And he watched me the whole time too.

“You do realize your camera is focused on the branches, not me…right?”

And apparently, when I took too long, he decided he’d had enough and he flew away…

“I’m outta here.”

…way over to a dead tree on the other side of the lake. With his back to those of us still photographing from the boardwalk.

“There’s more privacy over here and the light is better anyway.”

I stayed and talked with another photographer while we waited to see where he’d go next. We hoped he’d come back to the rookery, but he decided to take a trip over to the back side of the lake where he was a tiny spot in the sky, lazily circling, checking out lunch prospects.

Hey lady! Pay attention! I’m being especially adorable down here!”

So I walked a bit on the trails, but they were covered in slippery ice and I was wearing old sneakers, so I didn’t stay long. I did manage to get some shots of some other, very cute, birds while I was there, and I’m sharing most of them here.

“People overlook us doves all the time, their loss, I always say.”

But..wait…did I show you the blue jays? Or the swans? No? Well, you have to see those. I guess another birdy type post is in order.

You can’t see too many birds…right?

Right.

“I did my head feathers special for this photo shoot too…darn people always want to take pictures of the big birds…”


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Descent of the cardinals (and their friends).

I interrupt my eagle search to bring you this morning’s craziness right here at home. We’re getting a light snow. It’s cold. Katie and I were napping as the early morning light began to invade our dreams.

“Come on over, there’s plenty for everybody!”

I glanced outside and was both amazed and guilty as I saw birds all over the empty feeders, searching frantically for something, anything, to eat.

“Hey! Can we get a little water over here?”

Stuffing my naked feet into an old pair of sneakers, and throwing on a sweatshirt, not slowing for a coat, gloves or boots, I ran outside. Katie waited in the comfort of her palace, watching me intently.

“I think this lady serves the best oilers in town.”

My freezing fingers fumbled with the seed bin lid. The birds stayed close, not flying to their usual safe places, sitting on the deck, in the honeysuckle bush, the beech tree, hovering around my head.

They were too hungry to be afraid.

“Don’t judge me, I’m having a bad hair day.”

I filled the thistle feeder, the oiler feeders, the suet cage and then spread seed along the railing so that all of them could eat without having to wait their turns.

“I think I’ll head over to the quieter thistle feeder. These cardinals are crazy”

And they did. And in return they let me take their pictures.

“Yep, she puts on a great spread. She was a little late today, but it was worth the wait.”

I’d say it was a even exchange.

“I heard there was a ‘one shot, one treat’ rule around here. I already gave you my one shot.”