ENDURING BONDS

When I lived in Kalamazoo, Jen and Steve Earley were my next-door neighbors.  They had two young children, Megan, 7, and Scott, around 5.  Steve was in the Navy, so they moved before I retired and came north in 2006.  We’ve kept in touch over the years with occasional emails and yearly holiday letters.  Last week, Jen emailed that their daughter Megan, now 29 and an illustrator, was in Traverse City painting a fence mural for Wiggle Butts & Waggin’ Tails Dog Daycare and Boarding.  We met for dinner Wednesday evening and had a wonderful time catching up on our lives, twenty-two years later.  The next afternoon, I went to the daycare to watch Megan paint.  As Megan brought Quinn, the owner’s Great Pyrenees, to life with her artistry, I marveled at what this young woman had become.  On my drive home, my heart was full of friendship’s enduring bonds.

 

 

FIELDS OF COLOR

I love farm fields this time of year. Different crops planted side by side and golden corn tassels give these landscapes color and definition.  Peachy sunset skies capped off a perfect evening of picture-taking.

 

 

HORSE COUNTRY

Traverse City has gained a reputation for international equine competition with its summer horse shows. I also see a lot of horses and their unique barns south of my home.  My favorite horses are these two Haflingers with their chestnut coats and flaxen manes.  They are so gentle and friendly, often coming to the fence when I drive by. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHORTIES

 Last year, I watched cherry trees being ripped out and burned from these fields along US 31 North. This summer, dwarf sunflowers bloomed in the same space. These shorter varieties resist tipping over during heavy rainstorms and take up less space.  Tall or short, their beauty invites gawking and picture-taking from the roadside. 

 

 

SUMMER VISITORS

 Neither of these birds is rare, but they are only here during the summer, so sightings are less common.  I was deep in the woods somewhere in northwestern Wexford County when I spotted this broad-winged hawk.  I’d never seen one before, which made seeing it exciting.  On another evening, I was exploring the Lake Dubonnet Trail when I spotted movement in a distant tree.  Luckily, when this Red-headed woodpecker flew to a nearby post, I got a better look.  It was only the second time I’d seen this striking bird.  I lucked out both times.