All broken things aside (my laptop is officially toast, as is my bike tire and pump), we’re making the most of our non-fixing-things time here. We’re in a small town that’s directly north of a very cool lift bridge that crosses the canal dividing the eastern portion of the U.P. Few large boats need to […]
Author: Shelly
Former nomad, currently adjusting.
Deer Skull Boiling: We’re Not There Yet
We made it to Hancock, Michigan, which is right on the canal that sets apart the tip of the Upper Peninsula. According to signs, there’s a lot of these activities around here: Snowmobiling Drinking in roadside bars Hunting Selling handicrafts (these seem to be mostly wooden spoons) Living in giant, rundown frat houses (Michigan Tech). […]
Goodbye Perch Lake + Planning
We’re leaving this gorgeous lake today and headed for our final northern camping spot in Hancock, MI, before big plans. Here are a few final photos. Banjo’s Morning Repose One cold morning she dug this hole to hunker down and wait for the sun to reflect off the lake. Finally, sunshine. I think she’s part […]
The Mosquito Hike
You know things are quiet around here when I follow a post about seeing a bird’s nest with one about taking a three-mile speed walk around a wetland. But it gives me an excuse to provide your weekly mushroom slideshow! We booked it around this loop, skimming the interpretive signs and keeping Banjo on track […]
Eagle’s Nest Island
I’m one of those pitiable people who grew up when bald eagles were endangered and never saw them. I was in my 40s when I’d occasionally see one over the Potomac River in West Virginia or over Lake Anna in central Virginia, and I’d have a spaz attack. Now that I’m where they’re plentiful (Perch […]
The Sky on the Lake
I just can’t get enough of it. I would have spent more time on the water this evening had I realized when I got in the boat wearing my rainboots that eventually they wouldn’t really fit in there. Rainboots plus workout pants. My evening sky-appreciation attire.
Watching the Ducks Go By
That’s about as exciting as this campground gets. Of course Banjo’s all over that. These ducks are used to being fed by campers so they creep up to our lawn chairs as we’re having coffee and tea, and then, explosion! when they flutter away from Banjo. Her favorite morning activity, no matter where we are, […]
Why I Do This
This is where we live this week. It’s just a site by a lake, in the woods, on the upper peninsula of Michigan. Nothing exotic: it’s not the Keys or the Utah Arches, just a lake. But reflecting on this spot this morning once again confirmed why I’m living this challenging lifestyle. Travel days are […]
A Couple-hour Vacation
Here’s how I enjoyed this campground the most: by packing as if for the beach and driving through the campground—a full five minutes—to a pull-off by the lake, then setting up for just a few hours. Like a mini vacation inside a vacation. I floated in slow circles on the blue water and watched a […]
Banjo Special Edition II
(This edition is brought to you by our new weekend neighbors who come out to the middle of the north woods, where people seek the delicate sounds of nature, and run their generator for six hours at a time. Hence me sitting inside on a lovely evening.) It’s time for another focus on our rootin’ […]
