June Things That Make Me Smile

June's Phone Photos Things That Make Me Smile

Lots of out-in-nature things that made me smile. Baby A always makes me smile. I wish I was seeing her in person, but when we video chat or daughter/son-in-law send and share videos they are really fun to watch. He shared one today that showed her laughing so much. Son-in-law was throwing a toy to one of the dogs and dog was catching it. Baby A found it hilarious and kept laughing! Made me smile

I will see her in July so that's something to look forward to!

I'm thinking about things I want to accomplish in July. Hopefully I'll have a list to share! 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend

Bits and Pieces and Plodding Along

I'm trying to get things done around the house as well as getting out and walking and enjoying taking photos. I think I really have to work on time management. Maybe that will be a project for next year! It makes things easier when I'm walking by myself as I get out early, get done walking, doing some photography and make it back home to get quite a bit done even if I have to go out and about to shops. I enjoy walking with my friend, but she gets there quite late and by the time we're done walking it's quite late. I have been sticking to my Tuesdays and Thursdays by myself and that helps. Also, on Friday, I told her I'd walk a bit but I had to be done by x time so I left and she continued on. I'd been there a lot earlier than she had so had already spent all the time I wanted to. I think that might have to be the way things go. 

It's been too hot to work in the craft room much. I have been moving things around. If I get to the point where it's really organised and I can craft more I shall think about saving for a small window air conditioner to help in the summer. That's only if and when I can get it to a point I'll be up there more. For now, I am trying to get up there for a bit organising while I can. 

I have been doing well on my meal planning. I'm quite pleased with myself in that regard. It's nice to know that meals are planned for the week and I don't have to keep wondering what we're eating each night! I usually do planning on Sunday and shopping on Monday/pulling meat out of the freezer. 

This weekend, not up to much. I did manage a walk today despite the early rain. After that I went to a couple of garage sales and a couple of thrift stores/charity shops. I found a lovely small framed cross stitch that I only paid $2.40 for and I put it up on Ebay this afternoon and it has already sold for $19.99 plus shipping! Quite pleased with that. Tomorrow we are not going out for a Sunday Adventure. I decided it was best if we stayed home this weekend as we are off 'camping' on Wednesday for another five days over the 4th July holiday. This one is just husband and I. We won't go far off the campground, one day at a nearby Wildlife Refuge and the rest of the time just hanging out at the campground. It is time away though, so we really need a weekend home. Husband has to trim some trees tomorrow that are in desperate need of some attention. I might go out for a bit, but not long. It's going to be cooler tomorrow so I might try to go upstairs for a bit. 

I have been keeping up with my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile, but as I haven't been posting regularly I haven't been posting them. I have got them sorted on my phone (finally) and after tomorrow's photo I'll post a collage of the ones I've done. 

Today I'll post a funny (I think) photo of a deer. I love this time of year as they are regrowing their antlers and they look really fuzzy. This one was pulling a funny face that I managed to get. What would you caption him? 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! My sister, in Ipswich, says the weather has been quite warm this last week. So maybe summer is finally here!

Bits of Holiday

Thought I'd do a little post today about our time away. We stayed in Michigan but travelled for almost 600 miles, almost 10 hours away from our house. Yes, Michigan is that big! There are two parts to Michigan, the lower peninsula where we live and the Upper Peninsula where we went. The Upper Peninsula is connected to the lower by the Mackinac Bridge. 

 

The bridge was built in 1957. It is almost five miles long and is a suspension bridge. On the left hand side of the bridge is Lake Michigan and on the right-hand side Lake Huron. 

Under the bridge

This time we stayed at one campground we've been to before - Tahquamenon Rivermouth Campground and two we visited for the first time - Mclain State Park and Fort Wilkins State Park. I would definitely return to Mclain State Park. Our Tiny House (below) was situated on the edge of a cliff overlooking Lake Superior

The view was quite lovely. I really enjoyed sitting out by a fire and enjoying the sunset over the lake. 

The third park, Fort Wilkins was a bit of a hit and miss. The mini-cabin we stayed in was comfortable and clean, but there wasn't a great view and it wasn't that secluded. The park toilets and showers were not nice though I did find out they were closing the campground early and had received a grant to redo the toilets and showers. The area was really lovely. I just missed having a good view. There was another cabin in the park, a little further from the toilet block but right by the lakeside, so I think if we decided to stay there again I would rent that cabin. 

Fort Wilkins was a fun place to explore. The fort is in the state park and it is a great place to visit. The fort was an outpost in 1844 and was established as the government was worried about violence erupting as, in 1840, there was a copper rush in the area and an in flood of treasure seekers. 

The area is really quite beautiful, and it is definitely on our list of places to do an Autumn colour viewing. I absolutely loved the mountain view. 

My husband and son's favourite thing to do was driving the off-road vehicle we rented for the day. There are loads of back country trails, narrow ones with just dirt that they had a lot of fun driving. 

It was a pretty good week!

Getting Back into the Groove

I'm trying to, anyway. Not sure I am quite managing to get back into the swing of things. The days seem to be flying by and I seem to be (not) running to try to keep up. 

Today started with storms and lots and lots of rain. I thought I'd try to beat the storm and get out early to try for a little walk. I managed a small one before the all-grey sky turned into rolling clouds. 

When I saw these clouds rolling in and the black/blue to follow I knew it was time to head back to the car. Wow, that storm rolled in quickly. I hadn't walked far before the wind started picking up and the sky turned really dark it was like walking through the woods at night! I did make it back to the car before the rain started. I was back in the house before the skies open and it poured and poured and poured.

I spent the rest of morning and most of the afternoon inside. I caught up with a bit of housework, did a bit of Ebay stuff (time to get back into the groove) and wiped down a few things I've been meaning to. The rain did stop later in the day, and I sat outside for just a little while, enjoying the sunshine before it got too warm again. When I was growing up, I associated thunderstorms with a break in the temperature. When it got too hot, a storm would come through and things would cool down. That's not the way it happens here. Sometimes it just seems to get hotter and more humid. Ugh. The humidity here is sometimes stifling. When I used to go back to England and come back again I would find it so hard to breathe here when outside. 

Tomorrow, I'm going to share a little bit of our adventure away. 

Have a good night!

Back Again and Finally Feeling Better

We had a nice week away. It was filled with lots of lovely views, fun things to do and see and lots of relaxing too. I managed to get bitten (a lot of times!) by the horrible bitey flies and the bites all swelled up and scabbed over (yuck). I also managed to get three ticks on me (caught them before they bit!). All-in-all a good time away. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I spent the day today catching up on all our washing. It's all done and put away so now it's back to the normal day-to-day - at least until we go away again!

Just a couple of phone photos for now

 
It might take me a couple of days to catch up with other blogs. Hope everyone is well!

Busy Day

I'm feeling a bit stronger every day. Thank goodness. Today was quite a busy day as I was getting things ready for us to leave tomorrow for our week-long trip. Most everything is packed and in the morning, we just have to get up and load up the car and we'll be on our way. It's about a four-and-a-half-hour trip until our stop for lunch and then another hour or so until we reach our first stop. I feel as though I'm taking too much stuff. I have a lot of camera bits to take, and I never seem to know what clothes to take. The weather can be changeable and, as we'll be outside a lot, I always feel the need to take lots of layers, so I won't be cold. Husband says that, as long as we have room in the car, I'll be alright taking what I've packed. I would hate to sit and be cold. You would think I'd know what to take!

We don't really have a lot planned for the time away. I think we have decided to stop at one waterfall on our way to our second stop and we have rented an all-terrain vehicle thingy for a day to go on some of the back country trails. It's something husband and son wanted to do. 

Two of the state parks we haven't stayed at before so it's a new adventure. We are going up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There is some beautiful countryside up there and lovely landscapes. It's what I really want to photograph. I think husband and son plan on doing a lot of relaxing. I am hoping to see some sunrises and sunsets. Fingers crossed the weather will be good. It doesn't look too bad. Thank goodness it will be cooler up there. Next week, in my part of Michigan, the temperature is supposed to reach 36C/97F. Yikes. I'm glad I won't be here for that!

Things That Make Me Smile 165/366

Some beautiful skies and feeling well enough to take a little walk. 

The Lost Week...and a bit

I am finally starting to feel a bit better. Not over it all, but over the worst. Phew, that was nasty. Thank you so much for the well wishes. 

I'm not sure what it was. I had a fever for several days and then a head/nose/throat combo and now it's settled into a sinus thingy, but a lot better than it was! I lost my taste and smell. Still can't smell a lot, but taste is getting a bit better. I did test for Covid, but it came back negative. It sure did feel like it felt when I had covid. I'm still not 100% but better than I was. I am out of breath a lot, but I know it will come back. 

So, what have I been up to? Well, in a reality, not a lot. Not a lot of housework got done, absolutely no sorting, and no grand adventures. We are off on an adventure next week though, a week away. There won't be a lot of walking. I'm planning on just relaxing, reading and a bit of photography. 

For now, I'm playing catch-up.  Hopefully, I'll be back into the normal routine. Thanks for the patience!

A couple of phone photos from my non-walk today. Well, the most I've been doing is walking down to the beaver lodge, sitting and watching them and then walking back to the car. Hopefully, I'll be back to normal walks soon!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Quick Check-In - Sick

Just checking in. I was all set to get back to normal and such and apparently have picked up an illness somewhere. I feel awful. I've had a fever on and off for a few days, achy, sore throat, headache, etc. Moan. Moan. I did test for Covid, and it was negative, but it does feel like I did when I last had Covid. If I could get the fever to stay away, I'd feel a bit better.

Anyway, moaning done. I'll be back as soon as I start feeling better.