Life between the Lakes, part 51

 

 

Some of the most fascinating things found in the forest are often overlooked because they are not noticeable.

Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, yet obvious and predictable. But the best discoveries can be random. Yesterday, Carla reminded me that she had a jar for me to fill with lilacs for my writing desk, so I ventured back to the huge lilac bush along the property line that I didn’t know existed until last week.  While admiring the butterflies and bumblebees, I noticed another creature I had never seen before.

I had a handful of lilacs when he perched himself upon them. At first I thought it was another form of a dragonfly I had not seen before, but when I saw the colors and wings, I knew it was something different and I got excited because it looked like a baby humming bird.

After snapping these photos I looked at them and did some research and noticed the antennas coming protruding from its head and a large, albeit thin, tongue jutting out, almost like a lizard. As it turns out, this beautifully colored creature is an insect and not a bird but rather a Hummingbird Moth. I remain thrilled because they are said to be pretty rare.

They fly and move just like hummingbirds. Like them, they can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongues and insert them in to sip their nectar.  Butterflies and bumble bees joined in and soon it looked like a National Geographic love fest.

Hummingbirds can live up to 5-8 years, while the Hummingbird Moth is not long for the world; only living up to 7 months, with some species as short as 3-5 weeks. But unlike a humming “bird” which is hatched from an egg, the Hummingbird Moth is hatched via a metamorphosis.

Their wingspan is only about 1.5 inches and when these guys were close, they did not look bigger than a quarter. I lovingly tried to coax them down from the heights of the bush so I could photograph them and occasionally they listened.

These photos don’t do justice to what I witnessed. Their brilliant colors are stunning from the ultra-fine green back feathers to the red, orange, black and maroon body, all the way back to the tail feathers with a delicate hint of red in the wings.

Dedication to awareness and watching the woods come to life is just another fascinating element of living in Deer Park. There’s magic in every moment and miracles found each day in my surroundings.

Life between the Lakes, part 50

     

 

 

This week’s best headline from a Facebook page in Grand Marais, Michigan:

“If any one sees a swarm of bees in GM. Brenda G is looking for hers after a bear got into her hives.”

Only in the Upper Peninsula.

The days leading up to Memorial Day weekend have been sunny, cool and blissful. The traffic picked up on Thursday and by Friday there was a steady stream of cars along CR 407. Muskallonge Lake State Park is at full capacity and the lake is alive once again with boaters, fishermen and kayaks. 

We have gone a long time without rain yet everything is still in bloom. I didn’t realize there was a large lilac bush on the property until last week and within two days it became fragrant. I could live off the smell of lilac and pine. Even the fish essence of the lake is a welcomed aroma.

The dragon flies hatched this week. They used to terrify me as a kid because of their size until I learned they were harmless. The last two days they have been hitching a ride on my shoulders during our afternoon walk.

Earlier in the week the blood moon kept me company most of the night when I couldn’t sleep. It was straight outside my window casting white river across the top of the lake and remained visible until almost dawn. It looked like an ultra-bright balloon, tethered by an invisible rope to the earth with a polished shine like a cue ball. The moon was settled comfortably in the sky and deserved to be admired. But the moon is just the moon.

The new neighbors that I met this past winter have been here since Thursday. The have been busy clearing out trees and shrubs to improve their view of the lake and it has improved ours as well. They are really nice people so I didn’t mind letting them in on some of my favorite fishing spots before they launched their pontoon yesterday.  I could sense the excitement of the kids, getting their first fishing experience on Muskallonge Lake as they ran to the dock. There are no secrets here in God’s country. Between the winter visit and this week, several beers have been hoisted with this family. Good dudes.

On Saturday I had the best steak I’ve had since I left Royal Oak when Cousin Charlie came to town with beef from Fairway Markets. Yesterday was Brat-fest at another friend’s place down the road on Lake Superior. Watching the sunset over the big lake is an experience.

I have visited Lake Superior hundreds of times in many different places and each visit creates another memory. When I leave it, some of me stays there. When I return, it is reclaimed. Staring into the big lake offers reassurances that cannot be found anywhere else.

Today is the anniversary of Dad’s passing six years ago. I know he would have loved that I finally moved here.

I am an orphan. Sometime I feel like a 55 year old runaway, who is getting to old to run away.

Life between the Lakes, part 49

 

 

 

I hadn’t been out of Deer Park for almost a week, but once I left, I was in for a pleasant surprise. It was at that moment I saw every possible shade of green along CR 407 between Deer Park and Newberry, like I never will again.

I throttled some more. It was seventy degrees and all the windows were open. The sky was a brilliant blue and, as usual, Needa had her head out the window and a big smile on her face. To make that perfect moment better, Merle Haggard’s “Lukenbach Texas” was on the radio and I verbally thanked the Lord for the brief moment of personal bliss.

I’ve had the windows open this week because it feels like the mild part of summer.  We’ve been in the 70’s and as high as 81. I took my first submerged dip into the lake on Tuesday. It was glorious. I washed my hair and was reminded of how soft the water is in Muskallonge Lake. No tangles. I haven’t had a haircut since November.

On our evening walk last weekend I smelled the first bonfire of the season compliments of a fisherman just down the road. There was something reassuring about it the smell. The crackle, the hiss and the slight sound in evening blended perfectly with the calm lake and the sight of the first falling star.

The arrival of summer (in 28 days) trumps the promise of spring for me and I believe everyone could use a bit of summer in their lives these days.  But the most important date on my calendar is 41 days from now, when I will be with my family at the cabin; where we can all laugh and love again.