End of June

I can't believe June is over. It has flown by. Probably because we were busy with camping and Jane's house. I can't say I accomplished much except for at Jane's house. We hope to finish up this weekend. It will seem so strange to be done. Hopefully the new owner will have many years of joy in the house. Jane was very proud of her house (though not once it became so cluttered). She used to spend hours in the garden before her back became really bad. When my children were little, she used to 'hire' them to come over and weed for her. She was really proud of her garden and it is really beautiful. 

This weekend is a holiday weekend in the US. I can't say we'll be doing much of anything. If we don't get finished tomorrow at Jane's we will probably go over for a while on Saturday. On Sunday I am hoping to persuade husband to drive to the National Wildlife Refuge on the other side of the state. It will be a treat as petrol/gas is quite expensive now, but we haven't been out for a drive for a while and I'll be gone for the next three weekends (in England). That's my excuse anyway lol. Monday we'll probably have a quiet day in. 

It's quite a boring photo today, but it did make me smile as my friend and I walked in the woods. It was quite hot today and out in the sun things were hot and sticky. We made sure we stuck mostly to the woods, where the sun shone through the thick leaf cover and it was definitely cooler!

181/365

Is it Wednesday?

I keep forgetting what day it is. For some reason I keep thinking it is Thursday. I'm not sure why. We were back at Jane's today. Packed up a few more things. Dusted and hoovered/vacuumed the three bedrooms. We will finish up Friday and Saturday. Things are still on track for papers to be signed late next week. We really would like to get done so we don't have to go back next week at all, but we shall see!

I went for a walk this morning. It was really quite warm before we even started! There had been a little rain early, early morning and I thought it would clear the air but it was still quite muggy. It makes for a sticky walk! There were some lovely clouds in the sky though and a lovely reflection in the lake. I am still taking photos for my year-long project though I am behind on posting and organising them. 

This is my Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 180/365. 

My son just called me on his break from work to ask me if I knew what the bug was in his car. Apparently while he was driving to work it was flying around the car. He couldn't stop safely and when he got to work he thought he'd let the heat take care of it. Sure enough when he came out on his break it was dead. 

Ick. I'm thinking maybe it's a paper wasp! He was so lucky not to have been stung while he was driving! It's a nasty looking thing. 

These are definitely one of the things I don't like about summer!

Tuesday

 Ack forgot to post yesterday. I really do need to do it earlier when I'm actually thinking about it! I will have to catch up on blogs tomorrow as here it is, almost time to go to bed and I almost forgot to post again. 

Thanks for the comments about the postcards. I think I might frame them along with the photos I took of the lighthouses. I have kept back so many lovely old postcards from Jane's. Some I will try to do something with, the others I need to find someone to take them. It's amazing how many she collected. I think she went to postcard shows too (yes, there is such a thing!) and bought some from there. 

It wasn't a particularly busy day yesterday. I did write a list and manage to get most of things on it done. Today I went for a walk with my friend and got a few things done at home. I started sorting through the kitchen cupboards. Ugh. It's something I need to be more organised on. There are so many outdated things. I got a little discouraged and will finish tomorrow. I used to have a rotation for household chores - daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. I think I need to do something like that again so that tasks like the kitchen cupboards doesn't get left until so many things are expired. Food is just too expensive for me to be so wasteful! 

Tomorrow will be a morning walk and back at Jane's in the afternoon. Things are winding down but there is still work to be done! 

A couple of (trivial) things annoyed me today. Husband stopped by the place where we used to get our tv and home phone from as they hadn't adjusted the bill from when we cancelled. He was told that they no longer pro-rated the month. If you cancelled mid-month or even a day after new billing, you forfeited the whole month. I was not happy. I paid it but even if we decide to get tv stations again it won't be through them. I did write and posted on their Facebook page how disgusted I was and warning others. When husband returned the equipment, they could have said something to him. The second thing that annoyed me was Instagram. I posted this photo 

And ended up with this notice put across my photo when people went to look at it! They didn't email or contact me and, apparently, there isn't an easy way to dispute this as it's not considered a violation.

Husband said it had been removed, but I could never see it from my own account. On my page there was no notice at all. Sigh. 

On to things that made me smile

178/365

Yesterday's walk. A fluffy kind of cloud day. The field is looking quite green and is very overgrown!

179/365

I stopped at the farm shop on my way home from my walk today and got some lovely fresh strawberries. They were delicious!

Sunday

Surprisingly, I slept in again this morning! When I did wake up I got moving and went for a walk. It was supposed to be cooler but quite muggy so I felt all sticky walking. Luckily, there were not too many mosquitos out. There were some pesky (bitey) flies, but I managed to outwalk them lol. It was a nice walk. I did end up walking part of the way with one of the bird guys who go out to see the birds. He's a lovely man, always willing to share what he's seen and where he's seen it. That's not always the way. Some of the birder people can be quite funny about sharing their birding finds! 

A phone photo from this morning's walk. The reflection in one of the ponds was beautiful before the wind picked up.

I stopped on the way home to pick up a couple of things. I should have everything I need for meals throughout the week except for some vegetables that I plan on stopping at the farm shop for on Tuesday. I don't want to use everything in the freezer, but I also want to make sure that I don't end up wasting food. It's too expensive!

This afternoon I'm sorting through a few items to put up on Ebay and sorting through a few postcards. There are some I want to keep and the rest I would like to sell. Jane really had some beautiful ones. While looking through some I was really pleased to see these two of Plymouth Hoe Lighthouse and St Anthony's Lighthouse in Falmouth. They are two that Mum and I saw a couple of years ago! How very interesting to see them in Jane's collection.

These certainly made me smile today! 

177/365

I think these are two that I shall keep. I will find up the photos I took of them and maybe compare. 

Saturday

 Slept in a little this morning, but to be fair I stayed up late too. 

I wasn't planning on a walk as we had plans to go to Jane's. We loaded up a few of my donation pieces (that have been sitting around far too long!) and then we headed over to Jane's. We managed to load up two vans full of donations. There is a charity shop not far from Jane's house so it's pretty convenient. Felt good to get rid of all that stuff! There will be a small load that will need to go as we finish packing up what is left. We managed to get all the furniture MIL wanted loaded up too. My FIL had arranged for someone to come get two heavy chairs so those are gone too! It's really coming along. We are planning to take Monday off and go back Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday the plan is to get anything else packed up. Friday will be some cleaning. Then maybe - maybe - we will be done! It will be sad to say goodbye to the house, but I will be glad that it is all finished. It really is looking very empty now.

The rest of the day is pretty empty. I should be doing things, but I'm procrastinating. I might sort out a couple of things later. I have lots of stuff to put up on Ebay but I'm not sure I'll do much of it until I get back. I think when we take the rest of Jane's things to be donated I'll try to add some of my stuff in the mix. There is a closet I need to clean and some books to go. It seems like a good time to get rid of them.

Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile

I don't have a lot of flowers in my garden. The deer tend to eat most of them before they even grow. However, this is one that comes up in my little wildflower patch each year. I have no idea what it is. Though as I write this I stuck this photo in my app and it says this is some sort of lily. It did make me smile as, like I said, it's one of the few flowers in my garden. 

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable Saturday!

End of the Week

The end of another week. 

Went to Jane's today. It was a frustrating time there. Let's just leave it at that. 

I didn't get a lot done yesterday. I did have my hair appointment. I ended up going early. My hairdresser contacted me while I was out walking and said she had a cancellation and could I come in early. I said yes as this was a rescheduled appointment and I thought it would be nice. Turns out she managed to get the person after me to come in early and was able to get her children instead of having them dropped off at her workplace. She's a single Mum and the children here are already out of school. 

Today I went for my walk. After Jane's I came home, did a load of wash and not a lot more. I have a lot of stuff I need to sort out. I didn't. I ended up chatting with daughter for an hour or so. She's had a busy week at work so we haven't chatted much (there have been texts). I messaged with my sister this afternoon too. It's our Friday routine. She said that things are coming along with Mum's flat regarding the sale. There was a bit of a faff due to the lease (the flat was Mum's, but the land it is on is leased) and the buyer's mortgage, but sister said the mortgage has gone through so she thinks it's just a matter of signing things. She and her daughter were over at Mum's packing things up and has arranged for the remaining furniture to be picked up on Wednesday. 

Not sure it will all be finished by the time I go over, but I'm not sure if I would want to go see the flat or not. So many memories there. I leave for England July 8th - just for a couple of weeks. I haven't said anything about it on her as although I am looking forward to going home and enjoying food and stuff, it will be really strange without Mum. I want to just go sit on her bench and have a chat. 

Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 174/365 (Thursday)

Milkweed. I love seeing this plant and there was a lot of it on my walk yesterday. I love seeing it all year long. It has such a life! I think I might have to photograph a whole cycle of it. There are lovely seed pods, fluffy bits and beautiful flowers. Monarch caterpillars feed on the leaves and Monarch butterflies love the flowers. Always makes me smile when there is an abundance of it!

175/365

Okay, I am admitting that this is a last minute thing. I only took one other phone photo for the day and that was a signature on a painting at Jane's house. This (and I think I've taken a photo of it before) is a diary I bought at the beginning of the year. For a while I was writing down what I had seen on my morning walks, then I stopped and now I have started again! I've managed to keep it up for a little while so that makes me smile!

Tomorrow we are back at Jane's house. Husband and I are going over to take some donations to the charity shop and then we are loading up MIL's furniture that she wants. 

Midweek

We had a hot night last night. I had trouble sleeping. It was warm when I got up too so walking wasn't much fun. I did get out though and walk. I'm glad I did as it was quite a day for wildlife. We saw a Mallard Duck with just three babies, a raccoon with three babies and, on my way back to my car, I saw three pileated woodpeckers! Three lots of three. 

The pileated woodpeckers made me laugh. Two of them were dancing around a tree. I think it was some sort of courtship thing. I took a (terrible) video that I thought I'd share. I've never seen them do this before! I took lots of photos of them too. 

My Phone Photo for today is a photo of Mum racoon with two of the babies 173/365

When we first saw the Mum she was on the ground and kept looking up. We finally look up and three babies are coming down the tree! We gave her space to move on. 

After my walk I went over to Jane's house. We managed to get out all the bits for the rubbish pick-up. I packed up a few more other bits. It is getting emptier. There is still a lot to take for donation. We plan on loading up a van full on Friday. It will help to see what is left to do when the donation stuff is gone. 

I've had a headache tonight and haven't really done a lot. I fell asleep after cooking our evening meal and doing the washing up. I am trying to stay up a while longer before going to bed. Hopefully I'll be able to get a restful night sleep. It seems to go in cycles where all I want to do is sleep and other times I can't sleep. The heat doesn't help. 

Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment scheduled. This was rescheduled from the other week when I wasn't feeling well. I am hoping that I can get to my appointment ok. There are roadworks all over and several detours which isn't fun especially when the detour leads to roadworks! My appointment is at 11.30 so I should miss work traffic. 

Hot - Happy Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year. It just seemed like yesterday it was the shortest day of the year. 

It was a really hot day here in Michigan. It's currently almost nine o'clock at night and it is still 91C/33C.  Too hot for me. I managed to go for a walk this morning but it got warm pretty quickly and it wasn't that pleasant. I ran my errands, came home and did some sorting and then nothing. The heat seems to zap all my energy! It reached 98F/37C and the heat index was over 100F. 

I picked up a few grocery items - and cringed at the price. I did stop at the bookshop - not for books but to pick up a couple of magazines (English ones only this shop carries).  I managed to avoid buying books (thank goodness) but this bookmark called to me and I didn't resist. I'm not caught up with my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile, but this was definitely today's 

172/365

Tomorrow is back to Jane's. Her neighbourhood has their quarterly rubbish pick-up on Thursday. This is when you can put large items out including furniture and such. We are planning on putting out a few older pieces that are broken or damaged. There are people who drive around and reclaim anything they find usable. If it's still there in the morning it is picked up by the rubbish people. I expect that a lot of what we put out will be taken. It just isn't the kind of things I would feel comfortable donating as bits are broken. 

I'm going for a walk in the morning though the heat makes me really double think that lol. My day doesn't start the same without the walk. As we are going to Jane's tomorrow I'll walk at my usual place but on Thursday I think I'll walk somewhere else. Because of the tall grasses and bugs at the place I usually walk I always wear long trousers and a long cotton shirt. There are a lot of ticks in the grass (I always check myself when I get home). The other place I walk (a little further afield) is a lot more open so I can wear normal clothes. 

Tomorrow will be eleven months since Mum passed. I still can't believe it. I miss her all the time. Sometimes it seems forever has passed, but other times it still seems like yesterday. I think I'll have a little glass of something and try to think of a fun time we had together. It has to stop hurting at some time, right? 

166/365 (15th June)

Sunrise. So peaceful and beautiful. 

167/365 (16th June)

Had a beautiful day out. This was the day we visited Mackinac Island. I saw lots that made me smile but seeing this Phone Box really made my day. It was such an unexpected delight!

168/365 (17th June)

Another sunrise. Our last camping day. Sad that it's over.

169/365 (18th June)

Back walking at my usual haunt. 

170/365 (19th June)

Lazy day at home - spent time looking at some of my photos from the camping holiday. 

171/365 (20th June)

Just a pretty reflection

All caught up now! Back again tomorrow!

Monday, Monday

Thanks for the comments on the last post. 

Cherie, I didn't take photos of the inside. It really wasn't that glamourous. It's considered backcountry camping so the mere basics. You even have to keep your food in a metal thing outside in case of bears! It sounds more dramatic than it is as it isn't that far from the modern campground. 

I wasn't a big fan of the storm. I think if it got worse I would have hopped in the car!

I must admit that I had trouble getting out of bed this morning. I was tempted to sleep in again, but I needed to get back into the groove so got up my usual time. I didn't arrange to go for a walk with my friend today. I really just wanted to ease back into things and go by myself. It was nice until it started to heat up!

I finished the wash today. There were just two loads left. I had done a bunch on Saturday when we got back but hadn't finished them so I did it today. I got my usual jobs done, but not a lot more. I did sort out some postcards. I'm trying to get them organised so I can think about selling some or doing something with them. I am keeping some of the ones of places in Michigan separate as I am thinking about trying to photograph the place as it is now and see how much things have changed. 

Tomorrow I am walking with my friend, I have a couple of errands to run and then I have to do some work around the house. I think I need to make a list of organising tasks to be done so that I can tick them off. I think that might keep me on track better. 

I have Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile to catch up on again!

162/365 (11th June)

First day of camping holiday. It was a pretty campground, quite secluded and right by the river!

163/365 (12th June)

A lovely sunset. Nothing better to make me smile 

164/365 (13th June)

Next camping spot near The Lake of the Clouds. Such a beautiful area. We have visited here several times and we never tire of it. There always seems something new to do and see. 

165/365 (14th June)

Lovely walk today.  Such a beautiful area

More tomorrow!

Back from Camping!

We're back!

Had a lovely time. Being British I have to talk about the weather. We had a bit of everything - fog, rain, sunshine, wind, storms oh my! Luckily the rain stayed away while we were setting up and taking down. The storms were horrible. I'm not a fan of storms at the best of times but being outside in a tent, well, not exactly fun. It was at night so I covered my head with my sleeping bag so I couldn't see the lightning strikes. We were under a tornado watch but luckily nothing came of that! Earlier one of the park people had come around and warned us about the wind as we had up a shelter/canopy thing. We took off the cover as the frame was well pegged down. Our tent has been through a lot of rain before so I wasn't too worried about it taking on rain or leaking and (thankfully) we stayed dry. It was quite cold the first couple of nights (down to about 39F/3C) and I was glad when it warmed up a bit! 

The second place we went to we were in a Yurt

It had rained quite a lot before we arrived. Some of the trails were flooded and bridges underwater. The path leading to the Yurt was really wet but we had no rain when we arrived. I think because of the excess of water and then heat (as it got quite hot quickly) there was an infestation of biting flies. By infestation I mean you walk along and you are covered! I was glad we were in the yurt as we could sit inside for a few hours (late afternoon until evening) when they started to clear. I got bit and am a little allergic to them as I my ear swelled up (still swollen now) and I ended up looking like I had a black eye as one bit near my eye. Yuck. 

We got out and did some walking (along a couple of trails that weren't too bad). I took a lot of photos (as always). I was glad to be able to see some lovely scenery and relax and enjoy. I took along several books and read them all! I took some gentle walks by myself (when husband and son were relaxing) and saw some new-to-me birds and flowers. We took a trip to Mackinac Island where no cars are allowed. All-in-all a lovely trip. 

I didn't do as much night photography as I was hoping. I did get to set up the tripod a couple of times. I really need to do it more! I really liked this one I took of Mackinac Bridge at night. 

I'll have to catch up posting my Photo-a-Day (again lol). 

Haven't done a lot today. It's been a relaxing day before getting back into the swing of things tomorrow!

Friday - tomorrow is...

 ...camping day! We're off until next Friday camping. I'm not sure the weather is going to co-operate but hey I'm English and we just deal with the weather lol. I've packed warm clothes, rain clothes and a couple of lighter clothes in hopes the weather will be warmer. Who knows? I have also packed a couple of books, magazines and a notebook to maybe write if I feel like it. I have also packed camera, lenses and tripod (in hopes the weather will co-operate). I am looking forward to doing a little walking and a lot of relaxing. 

We were at Jane's today and managed to get the remainder of the paperwork sorted. When we were getting ready for the sale, we found several built-in file cabinets that were full of stuff. We sorted through it today. There were years - a lot of years - of tax returns, cheque books and files with various titles - birds, family, weight loss etc. There were a few treasures to be found in the way of family photos. One step closer. 

I'm feeling a bit better but still have a bit of a cough. I think it's being exasperated by allergies as I feel worse when I am outside (that doesn't bode well for the camping lol). 

I hope everyone has a good week. I will try to check in but phone coverage can be spotty at times. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 160/365 

Rain, Rain go away. It is kind of nice to see the reflections in the puddles. Smiling because, although it was wet in the grass and mud, it didn't actually rain while we were walking!

161/365

Just such a difference from yesterday. Sun shining, lovely reflections. Look at all that green!

Wednesday

I went for a walk this morning. Having a few coughing and nose-blowing fits but on the whole feeling a bit better. It was sunny, but chilly this morning. Had a nice walk. I got to see a fawn. It was beautiful and had the most lovely blue eyes. I've never seen a deer with blue eyes before. I texted husband and he says it does happen but not often. 

I was careful not to get too close. Mum was watching me carefully but did not seem afraid. I have a long lens on my camera so it's easier to get close-ups and keep a respectful distance from the wildlife. I am hoping people are keeping their dogs on leads/leashes as they are supposed to. The Mum did leave the baby in the full reeds and wandered off on her own. 

After the walk, I picked up MIL and we went over to Jane's house. Cousin P came over and picked up the remainder of the books upstairs to take for a book sale. She also took a box full from downstairs and some of the Christmas Santas and a couple of other things. She said she felt a little funny taking more things but we told her that the things were just going to the charity shop and she was welcome to take them if she would like them. 

Tomorrow my walking friend will be back. We are going for a walk and then I have to pick up a couple things for our camping trip. It might be a little chilly next week so I am thinking about what I should take so I can keep warm!

Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 159/365

Not the best photo in the world but these three owls made me smile. It's a joy to see just one but to see three! I think one is the adult and the other two are the babies from this year. I took some better photos with my camera. I really enjoyed seeing them!

Just Another Tuesday

Woke up still not feeling great. It was grey and raining early and then drizzling around the time I usually go for a walk. I decided to give it a miss. I honestly just couldn't be bothered especially when the weather was horrible. I ran my errands, did my cleaning, had a nice bath and then fell asleep for a little while. I went to bed early last night too so I really shouldn't be tired, but I suppose it's my body's way of telling me that it needs some more rest. 

No great exciting photo today. I did sit on the back porch for a little while this afternoon. Blue Jays always make me smile, so today this is my Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 158/365

Tomorrow is back to Jane's. We will (hopefully) be getting rid of the rest of the books. That's the plan for tomorrow. I have several things I need to bring to my house from there soon. I also need to remember to bring some paper plates that I saved as we need them for camping. We forgot them last weekend and only had two plates that we had to hold onto lol. We are going camping again starting this weekend for a week. It's our big trip. Last one for a while. 

Monday - Start of a New Week

I walked for a little bit this morning though my heart wasn't really in it. I didn't feel the greatest, but I didn't want to sit home either. I think it's a bit of a routine at this point, going for a walk first thing. After my walk I went over to Jane's house with MIL. We boxed up a lot of the remaining items. We still have quite a bit to do but it is certainly manageable, and I think we won't be too stressed about getting in done in time. We do have to have the guys in the family start loading things up and taking them to the charity shop. There are a couple of pieces of furniture that MIL wants that needs to go to her house. On Wednesday a cousin of MIL's is coming over to take the remaining books as a group she is involved with has a book sale to raise money. 

I came home and ended up falling asleep in my chair for a little while. It was nice. I think I snored quite a bit (I have been waking myself up the last few days snoring lol). I don't usually snore a lot but I can't breathe very well and I end up grunting very loudly and waking myself up lol. I was supposed to have a hair appointment tomorrow but I cancelled it. I thought it was wise. Even though it isn't Covid that I have I really don't want to pass the bug onto anyone else especially since the haircut can wait. 

Not the greatest video but I thought I'd share a video I took on my phone Saturday morning while I was on the beach watching the sunrise. It was lovely to see the animals/birds together. Quite magical! I hope it shows up. 

Phone Photo - Thins That Make Me Smile 

157/365

Today's photo is a snapping turtle! They are out of the lake and laying their eggs. 

I am (finally!) all caught up with my 365 Photo Challenge (at least for now!). I don't have them all organised on my phone anymore, but at least they have all been documented on my blog!

Back from Camping

Had a lovely weekend away. My horrible cold made it a little less enjoyable, but there are far worse things than a cold and I didn't let it get me down. I slept well at night at least! We weren't around a lot of people and outside in nature a lot. 

Even though we were at a State Campground we were in a mini-cabin. It's really small, just bunk beds, a fridge, microwave and electricity. No water, but the toilets and showers are close. For us it's as close to Glamping as we get lol. Usually we're in a tent with no electricity and bare minimum. Once in a while it's good to splurge (it's not near as expensive as a hotel lol). 

We don't spend a lot of time inside, just to sleep mainly. The beach and a nature lagoon and pond are just across a road. It's a lovely place to spend time. I got to take lots of bird photos that I'll have to sort through. I watched two sunrises. Really beautiful. 

The top photo will actually be day 156/365 for my Phone Photos Things That Make Me Smile and the bottom photo will be 155/365. I don't get nice sunsets from my house so I love getting up early while camping and watching the sunrise. It is usually so peaceful and quiet. It reminds me that even when I am feeling sad there is always something beautiful to see. 

While we were away I got some good news. There were two offers on Jane's house! My MIL accepted one and papers have been signed. Closing date will be July 7th! We have some work to do to finish up with the house but once that date arrives WE ARE DONE! It has been a long journey. We will have a lot to do in the next month. It's funny, but the day after the closing is when I leave for England for two weeks to visit my sister and see Mum's bench. It will be nice to be able to leave and come back knowing it's finished. 

I'm tacking these photos on the end so I can finish playing catch-up

151/365 (31st May)

My son got me this hanging basket back in May and I am pleased to say that it is still alive! I'm terrible when it comes to plants, but this one has lasted until now and makes me smile everytime I see it!

152/365 (1st June)

Taking a walk in the woods. 

153/365 (2nd June)

Look how lovely green and lush the field is! Things are really starting to grow. Soon it will be filled with flowers. 

154/365 (3rd June)

On our way to camping we stopped for our visit (it opened June 1st) of the season at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. 

Thursday

It was raining when I got up this morning, so a slow beginning to the morning. That was fine with me as I woke up with a sore throat. I had a little bit of one yesterday morning, but I thought it was just because I had slept with my mouth open and our bedroom was warm and dry, but no, it was there again this morning along with a runny nose and a few aches. I thought I should probably take a covid test as husband and I were planning on going away for the weekend (Friday night and Saturday night). The test was negative so I just have the garden variety summer cold (is it still considered Spring?) or a touch of something else. Hopefully it will resolve itself soon. 

Once the rain cleared I did go for a walk. Not a long one though. My runny nose was not helped by the high pollen count and some allergies and I just wasn't feeling like being out too long. Husband said he would stop by the shops for me and pick up a few bits so I could go home, take a nice warm bath, take some pills and a little nap. 

It's not going to be a strenuous weekend. We are 'camping' in a mini cabin. It has electricity but no water (there are toilets and such nearby). We won't be around a lot of people and plan on just walking in the state park (where the campground is). There is a lovely nature area and beach nearby. I am looking forward to it. I really didn't want to cancel, but would have had to if I had Covid. 

Catching up with some more of my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile

146/365 (26th May)

Not really a smile, as I broke my phone, but smiling because it was easily replaced and the salesman was so helpful. I know it was his job but he seemed like he was really honest, which I appreciated. 

147/365 (27th May)

Everything is looking so very green. It's lovely after months full of brown and dull. This is one of my favourite views and always makes me smile. 

148/365 (28th May)

First camping trip of the season! Always a reason to make me smile! We only have a few booked this year. We like to go before it gets too hot and there are too many bugs. 

149/365 (29th May)

Had a lovely day and so many reasons to smile. I thought of Mum and how I would tell her of our adventures. She would have thought me crazy when I told her about the cold nights! 

This is me as I set up to try to take photos of the Mackinac Bridge at night. I'm not great at night photography but I gave it a go and had fun trying!

150/365 (30th May)

Camping weekend over. On our way back we stopped at McGulpin Point Lighthouse. The last time we were here was in February and the lake was iced over with shards of ice. The lake level has dropped enough this year that the rocks are visible again!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll check in on Sunday when we get back!

June Already! (Catch up - Again)

 I can't believe it's June already! Where has this year gone? 

Had a lovely time camping, though it was a little cold at night. It was a relaxing weekend. I got to see some birds - there are a few trails in the park where we camped - and we took a walk on Sunday. We are going away again this weekend. This time it is just husband and I and we are in a mini cabin so if it is a little cold we will have some heat and electricity. 

We were back at Jane's today. We have listed the house for sale! I feel as though there is an end in sight! We have a lot of boxing up to do and stuff to get rid of but the man we have listing the house didn't seem to think the things we had in there was a problem. He was very personable and easy to get along with. He seemed to appreciate Jane's house even though there is some decorating that needs to be done. It helps that it's a seller's market. Fingers crossed it won't be on the market long. We will have to get working on getting it cleared out. If it does need to be done in a hurry (ie it sells quickly and the buyer wants to close asap) we will pull an all-hands-on-deck and get it all packed up and out of there. 

As I said in the last post I broke my phone. I am continuing on with my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile project but there are a few I will have to replace with camera photos (I think I took about the same thing on my camera). 

An edit here - as I was loading these I see that my photos appear to all be there (hopefully). Not sure how. Maybe an automatic upload? At least they appear to be lol. 

141/365 (Saturday 21st May)

Last day at daughter's and a photo of the Eagles' Nest. I really enjoyed seeing them and this view made me smile - especially when one was sitting out there like he was then!

142/365 (22nd May)

Back home and finally sorting through some photos! I thought I was going to get more done at daughter's, but it was lovely to just relax and have a good time. 

143/365 (23rd May)

Back to my usual walk and watching the beavers at the lake. What a view!

144/365 (24th May)

Chipmunks always make me smile!

145/365 (25th May)

Took a walk somewhere different. This tree reminded me of the books I read when I was a child. There were trees that were magical. I always look at these holes and imagine entry to another world.