Findley Lake 12/3/11

This is the latest we've ever kayaked on Findley Lake. Part of the lake was covered with a breakable layer of ice - which of course we had to navigate through. Really crunchy on the sides of the boats.

Great Lakes Tour - Beloit

August 21-22, 2011
Left Michigan Sunday. Picked up Martin at O’Hare as we drove through Chicago. Visited the Porter Grandparents in Beloit Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Stayed at the Beloit Inn - view from our room across the Rock River of the Beloit Iron Works buildings. Dropped Martin back at the airport Monday on our way back to Oberlin. Total driving for this trip - 2,700 miles - slightly more than if we had driven from Oberlin to the Pacific coast of California.

Great Lakes Tour - Michigan

August 18-20, 2011
Our Michigan experience. After leaving Canada we stayed Thursday night at Sid and Nancy’s house on Lake Huron near Port Hope. Friday morning we toured the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse where Sid and Nancy volunteer. Stayed that night at Bob and Barb’s cottage on Houghton Lake. Saturday we visited Judy and Steve near Traverse City - inspected their evolving cottage on Long Lake. Stayed that night at the Boulevard Inn in St. Joseph on Lake Michigan.

Great Lakes Tour - Gananoque

August 17-18, 2011
Stayed Wednesday night at the Granaoque Inn near where the St. Lawrence River connects with Lake Ontario. Thursday we drove along the lake shore, taking the ferry to Picton on Prince Edward, and then got hung up in horrendous traffic in Toronto.

Great Lakes Tour - St. Lawrence River

August 17, 2011
Wednesday evening we took the twilight tour from Alexandria on the Uncle Sam boat tour wandering near several of the St. Lawrence 1,000 Islands including a circumnavigation of Boldt Island. Saw several ospreys hunting and a couple hanging out on a buoy. After the tour we drove into Canada for a night in Gananoque.

Nicki Retires!

Nicki's last day of work at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music! There was a bit of a celebration.

The Fungus Returns

June 17, 2011

June 20, 2011

Our Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) has made its annual appearance - only a few weeks after the departure of our eastern screech owl family. Maybe the fungus pushed the owlets out? We discovered that it had arrived June 17th. Note the rapid growth between that day and today (June 20th). This is much earlier than the past two years - probably attributed to our very wet spring. (Click on the photos above to see larger versions)

The Oberlin Reception

Laura and Seth's reception for Oberlin friends and family.

Owl & Owlet

The Eastern Screech Owl in our backyard tree has an owlet.

Oberlin's Big Parade 2011

Oberlin's Big Parade is usually held the first Saturday in May. This was the tenth year for the parade and the weather was perfect for the event. There is no theme or purpose other than a show of creativity, a gathering of community, and the fun of a parade.

Kayaking Again

And so the kayaking season begins anew. And Findley Lake has awoken from the winter. Geese with goslings, great blue heron, a green heron, turtles, and trees in bloom.

A Hard Rain Did Fall

We had some heavy rain April 25th. Swamped our back yard, coated most of the windows, and streets in Oberlin were flooded. Nothing came in the house (knock on wood). I did prep the kayaks.

The Wedding

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

Last weekend Nicki and I visited the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Erie near Toledo. They were having an event where you were allowed to drive into the refuge on trails normally not allowed for vehicles. Saw a lot of the usual ducks and geese. But also photoed at least one eagle perched in a tree (total spotted during the day 6-8). Most unusual sighting was when Nicki got out of the car to take photos of a colorful duck and she almost stepped into a clutch of 3 birds that exploded away. While we were quickly taking pictures we thought they were large hawks - until we got home and took a closer look at the photos and found we had disturbed three short-eared owls. At least one of them circled us while turning its head to watch us. A little later we found a box turtle in the middle of the road so we helped it to a safer location near the water. Of course, when we returned home we took some shots of the full moon (even though there was a bit of haze in the air).

PS - Our eastern screech owl has returned to the tree in our backyard. Must have kicked the squirrels out.

Snowstorm - February 25, 2011

We had a bit of snow early this morning. Schools were closed but not the college of course.

Detroit Trip

Nicki and I did a quick trip to Detroit last weekend. Met Bob and Barb Friday afternoon. Main event was the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum. Toured the "Fakes, Fogeries, and Mysteries" exhibit as well as much of the rest of the museum, had a supper in the cafeteria, and then crepes on the very short but severely cold windy walk back to The Inn on Ferry Street where we stayed that night in the Raymond C. Smith Carriage House suite. Breakfast Saturday morning in the Inn's main house, a quick stop at the GM Renaissance Center, and then back toward Oberlin with lunch at Ohio's Maumee State Park Lodge. A nice get-away from home (and we beat the bad weather that hit Monday).

Florida Trip - January 2011

A long weekend trip to Florida. Staying with Bob & Barb in their vacation home in Hudson. Mild mostly sunny weather - quite a difference from wintry Ohio. First day was spent mostly at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park - manatees, alligators, and various Floridian wild birds. On the trip back to Hudson there was a stop on the Gulf shore at the Pine Island Beach/Rock Island Bay where we watched flocks of mostly sea gulls. Sunset at the Robert K. Rees Memorial Park near New Port Richey. The next day was a long rural drive on Rt. 19 to Tallahassee to visit family friend Patty. The final day was a short sunny walk along the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks before the flight back to the frozen North. Thanks to the Akron/Canton, Detriot, Tampa, and Atlanta airports.

Owl Updates

Our Eastern Screech Owl has continued habitation of our backyard tree. He'll (she'll?) usually pop out of inside of the hole to perch and watch as Oliver runs around the tree. Yesterday he napped on the hole's edge and gradually gained a coating of snow. Visitors have stopped by - small birds, squirrels (of course), and a red-shouldered hawk. Nicki and I have been adding and updating photos to our collection which can be found in a previous blog entry below.

Winter around our house - January 12, 2011.