Today

Thursday already. I thought I'd slip in a post as I won't be posting tomorrow and maybe not Saturday either depending on what day we get back! This turned out to be a good week to go on a mini-adventure as husband has already worked 38 hours this week and they wouldn't want him to work overtime. He'll only have to put in for 2 hours of holiday/vacation pay. I said about taking a short week, but he likes to stay at 40 hours so that's what he'll be doing. 

Today my friend and I went back to the Fish Hatchery. It was a good choice. It was well below freezing this morning when we walked, but the trails were a lot more accessible, so it was easy to walk around them. We saw quite a few birds including the resident blue heron - one of the very few that stick around the area for winter as there aren't many open water areas. I suppose this one has its pick of the fish as there are plenty around lol. There were several trumpeter swans which make a lovely noise and lots of different kinds of ducks. We even saw a Kingfisher, another of the birds we don't often see in winter due to lack of open water. 

I did my everyday cleaning today and then settled down to 'chat' with sister. I asked her at the beginning of the week if we could change our day to today so that I can spend time with her without being rushed due to our time away. She was happy to change the day. Time always goes so fast when we are catching up with our week. I always wonder what we're going to chat about as I don't seem to do a lot, but time passes so quickly and before I know it, it's time to wrap things up. 

Not sure what time we'll be leaving tomorrow. Our plan is, well, it's just to meander up the shoreline, stop at a few places and get to the hotel sometime later in the afternoon. We'll see where the road takes us! The weather is supposed to be lovey, sunny and a lot milder than it has been!

A couple phone photos from today

It was so cold this morning that the water I left in my car froze solid!

I hope everyone has a good rest of the week! 

Midweek - Little of This and That

I'm so glad I did my photography day yesterday. Today wasn't so nice. It was quite a bit colder - below freezing all day - and quite dull. I did a walk at Asylum Lake and really wished I hadn't bothered. The trails were horrible. I'll preface this by saying that the snow is quite deep - on some well-used trails it has been packed down and on others not so much. Because of the warmer temps yesterday and the colder ones today, the snow and ice melted, got trodden on a bit and then refroze. It makes for some (what I call) watch where you are stepping, or you'll break an ankle trails. In several places the melted footprints went down several inches. It's not a lot of fun. My walking friend and I have arranged to meet back at the fish hatchery tomorrow. 

I came home and did the usual everyday house-y stuff and then I tried to declutter. I am really struggling with it right now! I went up in the craft room, looked through things, declared that I'm going to use them and didn't get rid of basically anything. Sigh. I'm really thinking of pulling out a few things to put in a use-it-or-lose-it pile. 

I said yesterday that I was going to try to declutter at least 10 items today and I did manage it. I got rid of 16 items by the end of the day but that was a struggle!

Here's the photo I took of a few - they are mostly books but hey-ho, anything going is good, right? 

I ended up taking this sign off the bedroom wall and putting up another picture that I had purchased and was hanging around. 

On a side note - I have been posting photos of the mugs I've been using on Instagram, so I took a photo of one I'd picked up the other day and thought I'd check on Google, just to see if it was worth anything - sometimes I enjoy them for a while and donate or resell. I checked this one, and YIKES! it has sold consistently for $50+ dollars! I paid either 1.29 or 99cents for it. 

It is a blue glass celestial mug made by Libbey. When I saw it, I thought, cool mug. Now I'm thinking - I'm glad I picked it up. I almost didn't. 

Things That Made Me Smile Today - had a lovely chat with Baby A. She is hilarious! She took the phone and we hid behind the curtains in the living room while she held a bunch of stuffed animals on her lap and read me a book. She was so chatty! She is just so delightful. Was lovely to hear from her as I've been feeling down. It's funny how such a little thing like a video call can make all the difference. 

Nice Walk - Things That Make Me Smile

I went on a nice walk today. By myself. I took it as a photography day. It was so lovely out - our temperature got above freezing - YES! - and the sun was shining. I think it got to 6C/43F which is a heatwave for us after the last few weeks. Our main roads are completely clear and even most of the side roads are looking a lot better now. Our driveway is a mess - melted packed down snow melting and then freezing at night. Ugh. It's the time of year when I have to be careful not to slip and fall. 

I stayed until early afternoon, stopped at a couple of places on my way home and didn't end up getting anything done at home except my dailies. Oh well. I didn't want to waste such a lovely day. I did make it back in time for my online camera club meeting. A few people from the club were giving talks on project they have done. I'm glad I participated as it was very interesting. 

As I did more play than work today, tomorrow is going to be the opposite - more work than play. That includes doing a bit of listing items for sale, as well as a bit more decluttering. I am keeping up with the item a day challenge this month - I have 20 in total so far! - but I'd like to declutter at least 10 tomorrow. I have a half full bag that is going to the charity shop, and I'd like to get it filled up before adding it to the pile that needs to go. 

A couple of phone photos from today - all things that made me smile. I'm not sure which one to use as my 'Smile' project photo for the day

Lovely blue skies

Bench buried in the sand and snow

Remnants of an ice volcano. These form along the lakeshore as the ice comes to shore. Water erupts from the middle and spurts ice on the shoreline. This is in what is usually the water - though there is a lot of ice behind it!

What made you smile today? 

Sunday/Monday

We had a lovely Sunday Adventure. It was surprisingly peaceful out. We really didn't see many people at all. The scenery was just beautiful too. We stopped at one place that we stopped at last week and it was interesting to see how things had changed in just a week, the ice moving and open water bits changing. It's just a reminder of how unstable the ice can be and how we should be a little bit more wary of it. We had such a lovely time we decided to have an extra adventure up the lakeshore Friday into Saturday this week and treat ourselves to a night away! We're looking forward to exploring some different places! 

Today it's all back to the everyday again. My friend and I went for a walk somewhere different today. The weather has been good enough that the roads (main ones) are all clear now and I feel confident driving. We went to a local fish hatchery where they raise fish to be released in the wild. There are several ponds to walk around a couple of them have open water all year. It was wonderful to see some ducks! They all seem to flock to the open water as there isn't a lot of it around. There were lots of swans too. The main trails are kept clear as it is a working hatchery and vehicles have to be able to move around it. We kept mostly to those trails. I think it was a good walk!

After my walk, I stopped at a couple of places, came home and did some housey stuff. It's surprising how quickly the days pass as I didn't seem to have much time before the guys were home again.

Things are supposed to warm up a little bit this week. Our temperatures, a couple of days, are going to be above freezing. Hopefully some of this snow will start to melt. I'll be sad to see it go from the lakeshore, but I am pleased that it will be easier to get around. I imagine, though, that the walking trails are going to get a lot worse before getting better!

A photo from the walk today. 

End of Week

I did end up staying in yesterday. There was snow first thing. It wasn't much, but it was enough to just make me say nope, and I stayed inside instead. I got quite a bit of listing stuff done and a few shipping bits. I'm trying to add to the holiday/vacation fund. In the afternoon, I chatted with my sister. I was complaining about the snowy days, and she was complaining about the rainy days! We do make a pair!

We did go out this morning. It was quite peaceful again though as we were getting ready to head back home more people were coming out to take a walk and look at all the ice. I must admit that I did a (LOT) of people watching. On one side of the pier husband and I walked out a bit where the snow had been packed down (we had on ice things as well). A young lady passed us by, and I was surprised to see that she only had on a thin pair of shoes (I would call them plimsoles like what we used to wear for PE class, not sure what they are called over here). They didn't look very thick or warm or non-slip at all! She was happily taking photos and even mentioned when we reached her that she had been thinking about trying to get around the lighthouse bit. YIKES! Even people with thick old ice things on weren't attempting that. 

I did sneak a photo of her. I took a few photos of people taking photos (I try not to get faces).  This was the structure she was thinking about going around - eek! I just happily do my thing. I'm too old to take a lot of chances lol. 

Later in the afternoon I had another meeting for Asylum Lake. It wasn't too bad. Lots to think about. Thankfully, there are people involved with more energy than me for such things!

Tomorrow, we are off on another adventure. I'm hoping it's not going to snow overnight - bit of a maybe there - we shall see!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. 

Days Flying By

The week is almost over. It's another of those that I'm not really quite sure what I've done or where the time has gone. I have got out for a walk every day so far. Not much fun, there's not a lot to see, but I've marched around the preserve a few times with my friend. Sometimes it was quite hard going with the snow depth. There are little paths forged in the snow, but they aren't wide and the snow on either side is quite deep. I've decided I'm not going tomorrow. It's 'supposed' to snow. Not too much, but I feel as though I've done quite a bit of walking this week and I just can't be bothered to go tomorrow! Husband is taking me out Saturday morning and for our usual Sunday Adventure. 

We did have a lovely day out last Sunday. It was cold, but lovely and sunny. 

It was really quite beautiful. The snow was pristine and white. Even husband got out and had a good walk. I think the sunshine made things feel a bit warmer and it helped that the wind wasn't blowing either. It was really quite amazing. Where I took the last two photos, it was really quite quiet and there weren't many people around. 

I haven't been too productive at the house. I'm hoping to do better tomorrow. There are some books downstairs that I know I want to get rid of, so those will be boxed up, and I hope to get up in the craft room. I'm struggling there, but I don't want to just shut the door and forget about it. I want to at least sort through a tub or two. I might even pull a few things out to use or lose. 

January Decluttering Totals

I've started back on the decluttering wagon. It was a pretty slow month in January, but I did get rid of a few things. Every little thing that leaves the house is one less thing in the house!

Books - 11

Magazines - 6

Clothing - 43 items

Misc. - 17

Crafting 3

A Total of 80 items!

Looking at the total, it isn't really as bad as I thought it was. 

This month, February, I am joining in with That British Woman for her 28 day decluttering challenge. I am hoping to get more than one a day (haven't managed that so far lol) but I am determined to get rid of at least 1 item each day. 

I remember when I started doing the decluttering last year, I struggled at first, but the more I got rid of things, the easier I found it. I'm hoping the same will be true this year!

A few of the things I let go of. 

Last Day of January

January seems to have passed quite quickly and quite slowly. Winter is dragging on. February is usually a bit better. Our temperatures don't look to increase too much, and Monday is forecast to be a snowy day. Speaking of snow, it snowed overnight. Only a couple of inches, but enough that cars had to be brushed off and the roads were a little slick. We did go out. The closer we got to the lakeshore, the worse the roads were. Husband is a good and confident driver though, so we were okay. It wasn't snowing and there was no blowing so that was good!

The driveway to the carpark hadn't been plowed but a couple of cars had driven up it, so husband decided to chance it. It was pretty cold, but it was sunny. We weren't there for too long, but by the time we left it was quite busy. There were lots of people walking out on the icy lighthouse bit. I didn't. I took my photos from a safe distance. There isn't a big path around the lighthouse, and it looked as though people were walking on the ice overhang. The water to the side wasn't frozen! There are things I won't do for a photo lol. 

We made our way up a very snowy road to the next lighthouse. We couldn't get really close as the roads were blocked for the Ice Breaker Festival. We went on the other side, and I managed to get some photos. Once again people were up on the ice. I couldn't believe how close to the water people were going. I don't think they realise that sometimes the edges of the ice overhangs and one crash and yikes!

A couple of phone photos as I haven't sorted through the camera ones yet. Usually this is water. 

When I got home, I had a nice bath to warm up and a lovely hot drink. The rest of the afternoon I caught up on a few bits and watched some television. 

This month I have struggled a bit with ups and downs. I think it's mainly due to the weather, though I am missing MIL terribly. I still can't believe she's gone.  I keep thinking of things I should call to tell her and then realise I can't and the ache starts all over again. I suppose it will just take time. It just seems I have lost all the elder women in my life, though that's part of growing older, I think. 

I Need to Learn to Embrace Winter Slowness

Years ago, several years after I moved to Michigan, I finally learned to embrace winter and go out and enjoy some of the cold and snow. It really helps that I love taking photos of the ice. I find the quietness - definitely less people around in winter - very calm and peaceful. However, after being stuck in the house most of this week I know that I also need to learn to embrace the slower days of winter. I'm just not quite sure how to do that. I think I've said it before, but I feel 'off' if I don't walk outside. It's hard to do in winter, especially when it's way below freezing and the snow is deep. I can't even walk around my neighbourhood as there aren't pavements everywhere (and not all of the ones we have are kept shovelled!) and the road is icy. 

I'm just not sure how to achieve that. 

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel as though I should be productive during the day hours. I don't feel as though I can read or craft or do 'me' things. I feel as though I should be 'doing' something house-y or money-making. I have been doing my Ebay and Etsy thing, but not consistently - though I do want to treat it more like a business rather than just something extra I do (at least until I decide if I want to stop doing it!). I also feel as though I should be out there taking photos all the time. Perhaps that's just me spending too much time on social media!

How do you embrace winter slowness? 

It's something I still have time to work on. Our temperatures don't look as though they will be above freezing anytime soon. 

Things I did accomplish this week: -

• On Monday was the Kalamazoo City Commission meeting regarding the rezoning of the land adjacent to Asylum Lake. I attended the meeting for as long as I could, came home and watched the rest on YouTube and posted updates to our social media (that's my job on the board). The rezoning request was DENIED!!!
• I attended the Zoom meeting our group ALPA (Asylum Lake Preservation Association) had to decide what the next steps should be. 
• I attended a Zoom Small Group Meeting with my online photography club. Yikes! I am not good around new people. I spluttered and felt really nervous, but I did manage to introduce myself. I am hoping that the more I participate the easier it will become. 
• I did clean up my craft room a bit. It's looking a LITTLE more presentable! 

I also chatted with middle son today, had a video chat with daughter and Baby A and messaged with my sister. At the start of the day I was feeling a little isolated, by the end I had enough of being social. 

I did manage a walk yesterday. It was snowy and cold and walking through knee-deep (in some places) snow is really slow going, but it did feel good to get out. Today I stayed in. It had snowed overnight - just a couple of inches - but it was another really cold morning!

Honestly, it's not going to be a lot warmer over the weekend, but it's supposed to be sunny, and husband says he will drive me somewhere both days so I'm going to make the most of it. I'll bundle up, be cold and take the rest of the day to warm up. Then hopefully, on Monday, I'll be ready to try to embrace the slowness of winter !

 

We had a lovely time away. The driving was...well, dodgy at times. There were several lots of white-out conditions. We played a game of 'Are we on the road' and 'Is there a car up ahead'. It was pretty hairy at times. By the time we got into Mackinaw City on Friday though the sun was shining!!! It shone the rest of the afternoon there, all day Saturday and up until the time we left on Sunday. Weren't we lucky? It was terribly, bitterly cold. On the Friday the wind was horrendous which made things even feel worse. We had thought about going up into the Upper Peninsula, but the drifting up there was pretty bad and the road we wanted to travel on closed and didn't reopen until Sunday. 

Not my photo 

This road goes along the lakeshore, and the wind had blown snow across the road causing drifts. They ended up shutting the road as people kept getting stuck!

We ended up driving along where we were and visited some beautiful spots. The ice was amazing. Saturday, even though it was well below freezing, without the wind it was bearable for small periods of time. We were both well-prepared and dressed in layers. 

We really had a good time away. The drive home was okay until we got closer to home and then the roads got bad again. Sigh. I actually wish we had just stayed up there. It's been horrible since we've been home. The roads are icy and it hasn't stopped snowing. As the temperature is so cold, the salt doesn't melt anything, so they haven't even put anything down. There have been a lot of car accidents around. I haven't been out at all, not even for a walk.

Me and Hubby

Icy Sunrise. 

In summer, these would be views of the water. There wasn't a drop in sight where we were at Mackinaw City. 

I'm hunkering down for the rest of the week - it will be cold at the weekend, but there is sunshine in sight so we will be going out!