A Wild Weather Week

This past Sunday it rained all day. Sunday night we awoke to freezing rain tapping at the window. Monday morning the freezing rain changed to heavy wet snow. Midday we lost power. Tuesday morning we woke up to this!

Steve got on his tractor and tried to clean things up. He was even able to move trees on the road so he could get to our elderly neighbor a mile down the road and plow him out.

We live at the end of the road, however the snowmobile trail goes to the west from us. This is the way to our cabin. Steve and two other guys worked on the trail yesterday. Steve got to the cabin and all is good.

These last two pictures were taken when Steve and I went for a ride on our four-wheeler which has tracks on it. Back roads were impassable and still are and will be for a looong time.

Our electricity finally came back on Thursday night. There are still many places that are without. Our small towns were without power also and even the big city of Sault Ste. Marie. Have you ever been in a Walmart when the lights went out? Power was eventually restored then went out again. This happened all week. The holidays were interesting!

Our electric company, Cloverland, had to hire extra manpower to get everyone up and running. Those guys and gals, along with other utility guys and gals, worked hard for us all. We sure appreciate them!

We were fine without power for those four days as we heat with wood and we had our generator running when we were awake. This morning we had some light freezing rain which has now changed over to light snow. Hopefully the worst is over!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Autumn in the Upper Peninsula

The leaves are slowly changing. This post is mostly pictures. I just wanted to show everyone at what point our changing colors are at.

The ferns are changing from green to a golden yellow to a beautiful brown.

 

  

We came across this beaver house. As I shot the picture, Steve saw a beaver swimming to the left. He disappeared under the water before I could take his picture.

Dusk is coming on.

A tranquil sunset view as we cross the railroad tracks.

Oh, and I also came across what I think is a mushroom. Anyone know what it's called?

Chokecherries

Chokecherry season is in full swing these days in the Upper Peninsula. The bushes and trees are just loaded. Chokecherries grow on bushes as small as three feet or on trees that can grow up to twenty feet.

The cherries start out a bright red then gradually turn to a deep purplish dark red color. Don't mistake these for red cherries. Chokecherries have a high acid content and are very sour. The more ripe they get, the less sour, but still sour! 

Though I mentioned they make you pucker, I did read that people make jam, jelly, syrup and even wine with them. But do your research thoroughly! Chokecherries have a small pit inside that contains cyanide. However, so do apple seeds, and the pits in peaches, pears, plums and apricots. Chokecherry leaves and bark are also poisonous if ingested.

Apparently, if you cook the cherries down, it makes the cherry less sour and eliminates the cyanide. I, for one, am not yet ready to try these berries or include them in my recipes. But I will tell you just who loves them and eats them right from the tree.

Steve and I were headed into town the other evening and at the edge of town by the railroad tracks Steve spotted this bear foraging for chokecherries. Bear can do damage on a chokecherry tree as they bend and break the branches to get to their delicious treat. We've found bear scat on the gravel roads full of chokecherry seeds. (So I guess the bear doesn't always "do his/her business" in the woods.) ~Chuckle~ 

Chokecherries don't affect animals and birds the way they do humans. The sourness doesn't bother them. Almost any animal or bird or even a butterfly will try a chokecherry. One time I was sitting in my deer blind during hunting season and jumped at the sight and the noise of a grouse landing in a chokecherry tree located right next to my blind. I enjoyed the show of watching him eat the chokecherries!

Farms and ranches prefer their pastures to be chokecherry free. Horses love the chokecherry leaves especially in the Fall when they begin to wilt. Too many leaves can be lethal to the horse.

In the Spring, you can identify a chokecherry tree by its cluster of creamy white flowers. Also in the Spring, the trees and bushes attract tent caterpillars. I'm not a fan of them.

But for now, if you're out and about on a Fall walk, look for the clusters of red and purplish blue cherries and you just might find yourself a chokecherry tree!

Spring Floods...

Spring is here and with it comes the water. We've had a nice slow thaw until the other night when we received about two inches of rain. The Pine River rose higher than we've ever seen it. However, as of now the water did not get inside the cabin.

We were on our way to check the cabin and came across this washout on the road. Our only means of getting there now is walking the 1 1/2 miles one way.

We can't get there from the other direction because there is this washout. Looks like camp will be lonely for awhile. Bummer.

Snowy Owls

On our township hall's sign, it reads "Rudyard - Snowy Owl Capital of Michigan". We have enjoyed watching these awesome birds this winter. We see them on top of telephone poles on our way home from church, on a barn on our way to town today, and in a certain tree when Steve grooms the snowmobile trail.

They are beautiful creatures!

A Foggy Sunday...

We are hunkered down today due to freezing fog. It's pretty when you are looking out from the warm inside of the cabin. The fog left a shiny icy glaze on everything. This morning I had to walk real slow  (in my robe and slippers) to get to the empty dog bowls because the deck was shellacked with a thin layer of ice. Today I took pictures from windows that were screen-less. I wasn't going to take a walk-about around the yard. And when the dogs slid out on the deck I knew I was staying indoors.

The mountains are barely visible but you can somewhat make them out.

This tree in the yard sparkled even without the help of sunshine. (Hmm...me thinks there could be a a metaphoric story written about this tree and life. Me also thinks I've been cooped up a bit too long...)

But even with the situation outside, Steve grilled us up some steaks for lunch. He put the grill by the front door overlooking the valley where he didn't have to worry about slip-sliding away. All went well and lunch was warm and yummy!

Old McDonald had a Farm...

Around here it's more like Old McDonald had a ranch of some size with cows, sheep, horses and bulls.

There are bulls and cows everywhere and before you know it the calves will come. Can't wait. But all the critters aren't just at the ranches.

Free ranging Whitetail.

Gobbling Turkeys

Turkeys calling it a night.

Whitetail in the yard

And, of course, the elk! Love these creatures, yet, of late, they have moved on. Looking forward to their return. UPDATE: Currently there are twelve laying on the hill in the sunshine. They're back!

I love this picture because it shows the storm clouds rolling in from the plains. It makes me feel like we're up in heaven :-).

And the two moose - mamma and child - we encountered in the canyon. They wanted to check us out as badly as we wanted to check them out. 

Then off into the woods they sprinted.

All is good!