Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: Michigan


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Bird spring

I was looking at my most recent posts and realize that almost all of them revolve around birds. Even Penny has noticed my obsession.

Kensington Metro Park rookery, as viewed from the boardwalk.

But I can’t help it. They’re so beautiful, and interesting, and entertaining. I could watch them all day.

Reflecting on her anticipated brood.

Wait!

Sometimes I do watch them all day! Like Easter Sunday when I went out to Kensington on my own. I figured it wouldn’t be busy because everybody else would be getting ready for church or family dinners or both.

There’s more than just the rookery to look at, lady!

I was wrong. There were plenty of people, mostly photographers, out there. But we all work around each other and it’s fine.

Outta my way, I’ve got places to go!

I started out walking on the boardwalk near the heron rookery, an island with huge trees filled with heron nests. Every year the heron couples choose a nest and then have a set of little herons there.

It’s fascinating to watch.

Ready for takeoff!

Easter Sunday there was much heron coming and going as the couples updated their fixer-uppers in order to make them meet current esthetics. They definitely favor wood floors over carpet.

This couple appears to be going with a new build v.s. a fixer upper.

I spent a long time out there on the boardwalk watching all the work being done, and then I wandered back into the woods to see what else might be around.

This guy was snapping sticks off the tree, tossing them aside and snapping another until he found the one he wanted, then he flew back to the rookery with his prize.

Stay tuned.

Being a homeowner is so much work!


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Mini adventure

Last week a friend and I decided we needed an adventure, but neither of us had time for a long, fully planned and packed adventure.

From across the river on a grey day.

But I have been feeling a keen need to find something amazing to photograph, something outside my own home and local parks. My friend had explored a colorful place, several weeks ago, just an hour north of us.

I asked her to take me there.

From the road along side the silos.

I mean — Saginaw Michigan just screams adventure. Right?

Of course right!

Ripples of color.

Saginaw is near the Shiawasee National Wildlife Refuge where you’ve all hiked with me to see pelicans and eagles and sandhill cranes.

My personal favorite.

Saginaw is not far from the Chippewa Nature Center where I’ve brought you along to find stunning color in the fall.

Can’t go wrong with birds.

Saginaw isn’t even far from Midland Michigan and it’s Dow Gardens complete with a walk in the tree canopy. You’ve been with me there too, at least a couple times.

The colors, all vibrant and saturated just go together.

But this time we went to visit the Saginaw Shine Bright Mural Project.

I liked the industrial grey edges surrounding the art, and the nondescript truck parked below.

And let me tell you, this place satisfied all my photography cravings in one big ole splat of gorgeous color.

A person sat playing music and reading.

Though I don’t know that it’s a location I’d want to explore alone, and certainly not at night, it was fun to spend a bit of time there with someone else who appreciated the art. It’s huge and it’s bright and it will definitely make you smile.

Paint spills artfully.

No matter the angle you view it from, whether you sit in your car and admire it from across the river or get all up close and personal, it’s well worth the visit.

All angles.

And on the way home we stopped for a barn.

I liked the red car trying to camouflage itself in front of the barn.

Of course.


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Orange you glad…

Most years the orioles arrive at my feeder around May 5. Hummingbirds too. But a friend of mine, living about an hour west of me, had an oriole on her feeder Easter Sunday!

So I put my feeder up a few days ago and Friday evening, during an hours long torrential downpour, my first oriole visited! I wasn’t sure I saw him, –it was getting dark and the rain was coming down in sheets.

I didn’t get a photo.

But the next morning, after I went out and emptied the water from his feeder and filled it up with grape jelly, he showed up!

He was still skittish and I got no images, but I stayed very still, holding Penny tight, and watched him eat his fill.

And late in the afternoon, as I stood across the room, I saw him again. My camera was within reach and I got these images, focus soft, but capturing the joy I felt to see him here.

And guess what? Later in the evening I realized there are TWO of them here! They chased each other around the beach tree which acts as the landing area for all birds visiting our feeders.

I can’t wait to set the camera on it’s tripod and use a remote shutter release. We’ll see what we shall see.

And today the hummingbird feeder goes up. If the orioles are here, the hummingbirds are too.


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It’s early, but we’re ready!

We’ve had such crazy weather, things began to pop up in my garden earlier than normal. The red winged blackbirds were here early, too, and had to endure a few snowstorms after their arrival.

Everything seems early.

And now, a college friend, who lives about the same latitude as me and about an hour west of here, has had her first baltimore oriole visit! The males always come north first, scouting I suppose, and there he was, sitting on her feeder Easter Sunday!

I usually put up my oriole and hummingbird feeders the first week in May. But today, on the 22nd of April I went down to the basement, grabbed my oriole feeder, and filled it with grape jelly. I stood in the door to my deck, surveying my birdfeeder domain, and wondered how to rearrange things so that the oriole feeder would be prominent.

Last year’s oriole, announcing that the grape jelly was running low.

Eventually I decided to move the suet to another hook on the other side of the house and put the oriole feeder front and center, out in the sunshine where it would attract attention. I worried somewhat that the suet, being moved, wouldn’t be found by the birds who have grown dependent on it. But I figured it was almost past suet time and they should be out looking for bugs or something.

Then I sat down to write this post intending to document when I put the oriole feeder out. As I sat I glanced out a window and saw a female downy woodpecker contentedly chowing down on the suet in it’s new location.

Last year’s downy woodpecker and female hummingbird sharing a lunch date.

I guess I don’t need to worry about my birds. If there’s food, they will find it. But when they’ve finished this batch of suet I’m taking that feeder down for the summer and putting the hummingbird feeder up. If the orioles are on their way the hummingbirds won’t be far behind.

A 2022 image. I’m waiting for him to show up this spring too. I put his favorite food in the flat feeder this morning. Just in case.

Spring has, indeed, sprung.


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Golden proof of spring

Here in Michigan spring can be a long time coming. Oh, I definitely have specific things that herald winter’s exit, like the sound of red winged blackbirds and singing frogs hanging at the pond across the street.

Announcing his arrival in the neighborhood.

And there are the marsh marigolds brightening up banks of our local streams.

These are from last year, but I bet if I go look they’re up this year too!

Still, we know that the snow could return any day, and likely will. We dream of warmth and trilliums, still a few weeks away.

One of my favorite signs of spring, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Goldfinches turning yellow are a definite sign we’re finally on our way out of the gray, cold weather.

In the winter both the male and female goldfinches are an olive green. But once the weather warms up the males start to sport bright yellow feathers. I began to notice the color change last week, even as the icy rain continues.

Miserable, he’s waiting for me to fill his feeder.

Today I glanced up and my finch feeder was full of birds, all cold and hungry. You can see the patchy yellow on the male birds.

Shot from the other side of the living room, through the window.

I could feel sad about all the grey skies and cold rain. But it’s impossible to feel down when my finches are turning gold!

Stop typing and come fill the feeders, lady!

Spring is here, I’m positive. And I dare mother nature to even think about snowing on us now!

What you talkin about, lady? Of COURSE it’s gonna snow again!


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Extended holiday spirit

“Oh Christmas Family,” I thought as I drove to band rehearsal last night. “I’m glad we’re not the only people who haven’t unplugged our holiday lights yet.”

The people in this house put up their holiday lights early and leave them late into winter every year. On winter Tuesday nights as I drive to rehearsals I always smile when I see them. And I’m always sad when their lights eventually turn off.

I smile because we do something similar. Each year we put lights on one tree that sits on the corner of our lot, visible from two streets.

During the dark cold winter nights the lights on that lone tree warm me, and it turns out, our neighbors too, who always comment their appreciation of our beautiful tree.

Every winter I leave the tree lit until the end of February. And this year it seems even more important to light my little corner of the world.

These images were taken last night, after our rehearsal, using my handheld phone. Hence the focus. But I wanted to share with you what a beautiful night it was, with stars peaking out of the clouds and an almost tropical breeze. 44 degrees in Michigan in February is tropical.

Trust me.


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Neglected!

Penny here. You have probably noticed a definite lack of posts from my mom. She’s neglecting this blog, yes she is, but that’s not all she’s neglecting!

Did you know that February 11th was my Gotcha Day? No you did not. Did my Gotcha Day get celebrated? No it did not.

Mom tried to make it better by telling me that they celebrate me every day, but I’m not buying it. Strike one for mom.

Then I hear very late in the day that yesterday was National Love Your Pet Day or something like that! And did I get presents and cake and streamers and stuff? No I did not.

Strike two, mom!

And NOW I see on Facebook that TODAY is National Dog Biscuit Day!

Well! Enough is enough and I am going to file a complaint about being neglected unless I get a whole bunch of treats, and they better be the good kind too, not just part of my daily allotment of kibble.

Otherwise it’s gonna be Strike three, mom!

I ask you, how much should a Sheltie girl take before she pulls rank on the mom and dad? Now’s the time to organize! Now’s the time to protest! Now’s the time to take control!

Who’s with me?

PS: All these pictures were taken this week when mom took me to some parks to play in the snow and up to my breeder’s house to play with my dog mom and my niece Sarah. (so maybe mom doesn’t totally neglect me….maybe.)