I had to have our pet bearded dragon Rover euthanized today. He quit eating about five months ago. Like eating nothing. He would walk right through his food. He wasted away to literally skin and bones. Without some invasive procedures there as no way to say what was wrong. The vet looked at him and said it could be kidney or liver failure, or even cancer. And he was not going to recover. So, I did what I thought was best. He was a great pet and had more personality than some people I know. I’m going to miss him.
Rover trying to be bipedal
So why haven’t I written a blog for two months? I wish there was an easy answer for that question. No excuses. I just couldn’t bring myself to sit down and write. We have been doing things, I just couldn’t get the motivation to write.
At the beginning of March we did a little trip that took us around Lake Michigan. Started with a Mardi Gras party in Angola. IN. Then onward to our old stomping grounds of Okemos, Michigan. After two nights in Okemos it was across the Mackinac Bridge to St. Ignace, Michigan with a stop in Grayling to buy cross-country ski boots. Our friend Joanna met us in St. Ignace for our annual Eastern Upper Peninsula winter birding trip. We saw lots of good winter birds and for us a record 19 snowy owls. After a night and day of Eastern UP birding it was on to Marquette for some winter fun.
Snowy owl, one of my personal favorite birds.
Marquette is a great place. Brew pubs, winter birding, skiing, and winter scenery. When we talk to people about Marquette, and our interest in living there, the hard winters usually comes up. Life is different above the 45th parallel. The hard winters are part of the draw. They know how to do winters there. There’s a rugged beauty that comes with the north country. Especially around the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is beautiful, even when there’s an ice shelf as far as you can see. Something that Indiana hasn’t seen since the last ice age.
Frozen waterfall in Munising.
Ice fishing on Lake Superior in Munising. Doesn’t that look like fun. Beats an afternoon at home I guess.
The Lake Superior ice shelf at the cabin where we stay. (Sand River)
Looking down a breakwater in a Marquette park. At the end there’s a navigational light you can walk to in the summer.
In Grayling a restaurant used ice fishing tent for their COVID outdoor dining. Gotta go with what ya got.
The snowed in ice freezer. I’m not seeing why you need a freezer when it’s something like 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
When in Marquette we always do a trip up the Peshekee Grade to the McCormick Wilderness looking for boreal chickadees. With very spotty success. This trip we found out the secret. Those who know spread peanut butter on the trees and wait for the boreal chickadees and other winter species to pop in. Brings them in like a magnet.
The elusive boreal chickadee
Black-capped chickadee.
The ever adorable red-breasted nuthatch eating peanut butter.
The ever adorable red-breasted nuthatch eating a seed.
Hairy woodpecker
After about a week in Marquette we headed down to Milwaukee. My brother Rich just moved there and bought a house that needed some work. OK, a lot of work. So, Lise dropped me off and I spent a week helping to remodel. Got back West Lafayette for a couple days, then went back up to do some more work.
Since then, we have pretty much been homebodies. Basically, just attending to matters in West Lafayette. We have been getting out some locally, and things are picking up a little with the coming of Spring. Although, I am writing this as we drive to Delaware for ten days.
Some local birds:
Gray catbird
Cooper’s hawk
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 