Painted Tree Roots

This weekend, my husband and I hiked around Session Lake in Ionia Recreation Area. We visit there once or twice a year. However, this time we noticed a new addition: Neon Orange Painted Tree Roots. They were only on the trail from the campground to the lake... Still... This IS the woods. Why warn people of tree roots amongst trees?

When we turned off from that trail to continue around the lake -- whew -- no more distracting orange paint,when -- you guessed it -- I tripped over a tree root. Both my DH and I pointed to the root, and said the same words at the exact same time: "THAT one should have been painted!"

(With 34 years of marriage celebrated yesterday, one should expect same words at same time. Still... that almost more scary than finding orange tree roots.)

French Creek Sign

Our family has always liked to hike. In the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, there's a trail which follows (and crosses numerous times) French Creek. At the trail head is this warning sign. Thing is, it does not even mention the fact that there are free roaming bison in the area, and that every year someone is gored. And, yes, we did hike a portion of this lengthy trail, backpacking in and spending the night.

What's the Name of that Toad?

There's a toad in the plants under our living room picture window. He's about a fist and a half big. When I showed him to my hubby (from our living room), he asked me what I was going to name him. As I was thinking (and wondering if I even wanted to name him), my husband joked, "Ah-choo. I hab a toad."

"Perfect name," I replied.

So, in honor of my hubby's un-realized suggestion, and of Mel Brooks, Ah-choo hops down the garden path of our backyard. (God bless you.)

A Bird Fell Out of the Tree!

When a teen friend of mine was even younger, she went up north (northern Michigan, that is) to a cottage. She stood by the lake when suddenly she shouted out, "Oh, no! That bird just fell out of the tree!" (and into the lake). A little later, she said, "Oh, no! It fell out of the tree AGAIN."

The bird was a kingfisher, just doing what kingfishers do -- fishing.

Athletic Squirrels

Our present house had stood empty for a several months before we moved in. There was so much to do inside that I only went outside to mow or fill the birdfeeder.

Then came a day when I needed to simply sit in the sunshine and get some fresh air, to relax for a moment. I took a chair to the backyard and sat for the first time in weeks.

My eyelids were starting to droop, when out of my peripheral vision, I saw something dark, wandering slowly towards me, and now about three feet away. It was as obviously unaware of me as I had been of it.

I don't believe we have flying squirrels in this part of Michigan, but when I screamed, that black squirrel jumped about eight feet straight up, moving its little limbs for all its worth -- trying to fly, I think. Impulse made me leap up as well. But only a few seconds after the squirrel landed, it had scampered out of sight.