Off the couch.................................

I have been complaining that I believe I am growing roots from my arse. I have been stuck to the couch for days. Or at least it seems that way. I can not believe how long this spell of hot and humid weather has been. SO, with that in mind we blew fate to the wind and took off for a drive. The usual places. Well, having decided upon Leland to begin with and a visit to Van's beach in search of Blue Stones, we left in disgust because of the limitations and the crowd of people.

Leland authorities have in their infinite wisdom put up signs blocking off the beaches to the public. Well. I know that the property owners have rights and need to be respected but..............they may want to think about the fact that many of us visit Leland, spend money in Leland just because we go to those beaches to look for Blue Stones. After all they are the ones who have promoted what is actually slag, to be made into jewelry. To be collected and sought after............why else would I go? I would not!!! I am not one to just sit on the beach. It's not that I sell the stones, it's the fun of the hunt. So now when one makes the trek down to the beach everyone is crowded on a small piece of sand, all the kids and families all crowded together. I will wait until the Fall or Winter to go back so I can be alone on the beach and I will walk the water line as is my right. Just because I can........



I show the long stretch of beach we are not allowed on, if you face the other way it is crowded with people.
So we left Leland and headed to Port Oneida. We stopped at my favourite lake on the way. This is basically a wild life preserve, it's not somewhere people would swim. Although boats are allowed I have yet to see one. I am sure the fishing must be good because look who we saw.


He/she was not doing a thing, I was hoping to see him spread his wings as they do. Cormorants are apparently not very welcome around here either. They eat fish. I don't understand people. I honestly do not. We have them in town down on the river and apparently the are not welcome. Well I love them and was thrilled to see him.
Another elusive critter I saw that day. A Loon. I was thrilled. Two rare,( for me) birds in one day.


I started this writing the wrong way around because we started off by going through Suttons Bay on the way via Lake Leelanau to Leland. I had to stop to see the Sunflowers first.



The sky this day was not our usual brilliant blue, it was grey, milky white. It was smoke from the California wildfires travelled this way to give us that haze. It did not shelter us from heat or humidity though. Back to the lake. When I first stepped onto the bridge I saw a very unique pattern on a dead birch tree.

Then I saw the artist

He flew off after awhile, fed up with being watched but when I left he was back working on making more pattern on the tree.
In the water I saw the tiny turtles. Painted turtles. So pretty, tiny ones on leaves of the Waterlily and larger on logs. This day we saw some frogs too.



The white lilies are the most pleasing to me. So pretty.


There are yellow ones too but very different shapes to the White ones. By this time it was getting too hot for me, I felt yukky weak and had to get out of the sun. We walked a bit on the trail, Gerry went to look at the old School house while I walked.




I walked down through the trees to the small boat launch but nothing much to see there

Rows of planted Pines that they use for logging, no more though, now it's park land and preserved

Some wild flowers along the trail


There had been a festival at Port Oneida over the weekend. We drove through the woods. I remember when we could go through those woods and never see a soul, not so anymore. Cars parked in the middle of nowhere so they can traipse through the woods instead of following the trails to Pyramid Point. People walking. The tourist industry in full swing, promoting our area, our food joints and all the beautiful places. I hate it. It is forever spoiled now. We have become one of the most popular summer destinations. Great for summer trade but in the process what they come to see is forever changed. No chance seeing wildlife with all the chaos. We did see a lovely buck earlier but I did not get a picture. He was wanting to cross the road and we could see a car coming. So we stopped and he decided to abandon the idea, phew.....off into the woods to live another day.
The Sandhill Cranes and young ones were there at Port Oneida, right where we saw them last time haha.


A small Hawk watching over them. I could not get a clear shot

We went down to Glen Haven on the way back but it was so crowded we just left. So no rock collecting for us. Roll on cold weather. The best days for the lakes.

We went past the Dunes, people like flies. I stopped to see the Swans on the small lake/pond there. Mum was napping I think.


So tired by the heat and hungry we headed back. We stopped at Shimeks farm and got some new potatoes and corn on the cob. We had that for supper and that was the best corn I ever tasted. I don't need butter or anything on it. Super yum..............so now to prepare for the yard sale this week. No more adventures this week. Today we take the poodles for hair cuts and then to sorting, don't need to worry about sitting on the couch today. Lots to do. Maybe next trip we will head north and find us some new spots to explore.