Category: Photos
I Don’t Get It…
I don’t get it, most the apple trees that should be blossoming don’t have any blossoms, maybe a couple is all. The leaves all look very healthy, but no blossoms are even starting, nothing. Now the cherry and pear trees are doing very well and blossoming. A couple of the old scraggly apple trees have blossoms, but that’s it.
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms
Pear Blossoms
Apple Blossoms
Apple Blossoms
Big Land Clearing Done
Mowing for the day, and hopefully for a few days. I did some pretty extensive clearing of weeds around the orchard today, can get to just about all the apple trees without getting into tall weedy tick land. The only areas I didn’t get cleaned/cleared up is where there are tree limbs and the land is just too rough. What paths that a left are all twice as wide as they were, so that makes it nicer walking. Well that’s done, now to see if I bother to keep it up.
The apple trees themselves are just about to burst into bloom, any day now. The cherry and pear are starting to blossom now.
I took some photos with my phone as I was mowing and after I was done.
Side Yard with Apple Orchard
Part of Apple Orchard
Incoming Storm
Path
Pano of Back Yard
Pano of Side Yard with Apple Orchard
Cherry Blossoms Just Starting
Part of Apple Orchard
Not Much, Just Mowing
Not much happening today, just did some mowing. Hmm, mowing, it seems like I mow just about every day during summer. I guess that’s what I get for clearing away so much tall grasses and such. The only other thing besides work, was after dinner I sat out back with the dogs for a while. That was nice, nice and sunny and temp in the low 70s.
Here’s a photo from the other day while lost, so I guess it wasn’t a waste being lost, this was a really nice spot.
East Branch Huron River
Big Falls – East Branch Huron River
Went out today to Big Falls along the East Branch Huron River. I’ve been here many times, but each time is a little different. One time there was even a tree lying the middle of the left fall. Somewhere between 20 – 25 years ago I found this waterfall completely by accident out two-tracking, then quite a few years later I went hunting for it without success. A few more years passed and bingo, found it again. Now that I live UP here, I frequent these falls at least once a year, if not more. After taking photos down in the usual spot, I decided to hike up river a ways. Wow, it’s beautiful just above the falls, but very difficult to get down to the rivers edge, which I didn’t, or couldn’t, do today. The bank down is steeper and maybe longer than the normal photo area. I did make it to the bank a little further up river, but it’s not as nice, not as rugged. Ah well, maybe next time.
After spending some time at the falls, I headed back to Black Creek Rd. and turned south knowing that eventually I would come out on Ravine River Rd. Well, that didn’t work out so well…I got lost. I made a turn that made a loop around and back to Black Creek Rd. Well in taking that loop, it bypassed the turn on Black Creek Rd. that needed to be taken, and that’s where I got lost, either finding a dead end or trails that looked mighty muddy and I wasn’t into getting covered in mud again, not this time. So, I ended up back-tracking and that’s when I saw the turn I missed by taking the detour loop.
Made it back to town, got a Jeep wash and went to Shopko for some curtains and a couple hanging plants, then home.
Big Falls – Right Side/Fall
Big Falls – Left Side/Fall
Big Falls
Right side of Big Falls with sun streaks from about half-way up the cliff that must be climbed down, then back up.
East Branch Huron River Just Below Big Falls
Trout Lily
Spring Beauties
The Orioles Have Arrived
Just as I was thinking the Baltimore Orioles should be here any day, boom, there was one at one of the seed feeders. At that point, I wasn’t sure, as I didn’t have my glasses on and it was there only for a moment. Then in a few minutes, the Oriole landed on the Oriole feeder to have some orange and grape jelly. This one looks like it might be a juvenile male. I haven’t seen a female yet, nor an adult male, just this one. They never stay here long, only a few days, but they are always a treat to see.
Other news…
I was just looking out the kitchen window, which looks out toward the back of the property, and saw Mr. Wolfie wandering along the tree line. I then went over to the picture window to see if he would pass over by the pines where I have a trail cam, and sure enough, there he went. Funny thing, as I was watching him, one of the snowshoe rabbits that live here came running away from where the wolf was.
Mr. Wolfie I believe is a Coywolf. Coywolf is an informal term for a canid hybrid descended from coyotes and gray wolves. Hybridization between the two species is facilitated by the fact that they diverged relatively recently.
Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Coywolf – Measuring the size is quite easy here, as I know the spot very well. He’s a good 27-32 inches tall and easily 4.5-5 feet long. He’s a big boy, at least I think he’s male, don’t know for sure.
Upper Letherby Falls Outing
Update – 05.09.18 – Added a video of Upper Letherby Falls.
Headed out today to check out Letherby Falls with the spring runoff going on. I didn’t want to go too far and burn up too much gas, so I thought this a good idea, and it was. Once on Ravine River Rd., the road became a little rough but not big deal and the main reason for the roughness was all the logging going on in the area. Anyway, as I was about to pass over Ravine River I stopped to check out Ravine River Falls. These falls are generally small with just a trickle falling, but this time I made my first stop here. Was really quite nice. Next time I might venture further up the river as it looked quite pretty. So after taking a few photos there, I headed toward Letherby Falls. Well, the road changed big time right after crossing Ravine River. It got rutted and muddy. When I say muddy, I mean it. After a couple good mud holes I reached the parking spot for Letherby Falls. Parked the Jeep, changed into my Muck Boots and headed down to the falls. Slowly I crossed the river (good thing I brought my hiking poles for stability) to a little tiny island and sit up to take photos. Took a number of photos, enjoyed the view for awhile, and went back to the Jeep.
This is where the real muddy fun began. I’ve been on this road a number of times, but never this early in the season, and never with so much muddy, sloppy, gooey, make you get stuck mud. I traveled for a few miles, but there were a couple spots I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it through, the mud was that deep and thick. So, knowing that it would be quite a ways before I would get to the other side of Mt. Avron, and the road wasn’t getting any better, I decided to turn around. When by myself, I don’t like getting into to much extreme with the Jeep, and not having a wench. This time through those same muddy spots, I put the Jeep into 4low and locked in the real differential. Wow, did that ever make a difference. The Jeep (Hank) went through that sticky gooey stuff like it was a drive through the park.
Well, I got back to L’Anse and went for a car wash. Ha, that didn’t do a damn thing to get the mud off, well, maybe some. Then went home.
P.S. I’ll be adding more photos to this post in the coming days.
Ravine River Falls
Ravine River Falls
Ravine River Falls. This one I tried in Bulb Mode on the camera. It turned out to be a 5 minute exposure.
Letherby Falls
Letherby Falls
Wide angle of Upper Letherby Falls
Bloodroot, one of the first wildflowers to blossom in the spring.
Muddy Hank
Muddy Hank
Crocuses
Just a couple different types of Crocus.
