Archive for General
Heading To Iceland
Posted by: | CommentsOk, so I am not really going to Iceland, in fact, most people aren’t. Recent events have made travel in Europe near to impossible. The eruption of the Icelandic Volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, has me personally riveted. I can’t stop looking at the amazing pictures and information that is streaming across the internet.
While reading up on the most current information about the eruption, I stumbled across some of the most amazing pictures I have ever seen. I am attaching a link. If you enjoy stunning photography or are following the volcano action, you have to check this out!
Strolling In The Woods One Day
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Wetland
Ok, so it wasn’t really a stroll, more of a drive, but beautiful none the less. Michigan astounds me every year with its diversity, both ecological as well as in the weather department. Two weeks ago it was 80 in April, now it’s been snowing, blustery and in the 30’s. Temperatures are beginning to stabilize with today’s being in the the low 50’s.
Taking advantage of the warm weather, a friend and I, grabbed the dog and hopped in the jeep in search of…..nothing in particular, but I did bring the camera. There is not really anything in my life that I enjoy more than the smells, sounds and feel of the woods on a warm sunny day. Waxing nostalgic, I set about snapping pictures.
Wintergreen
The glorious white pine, the beautiful yellow birch, stunning white birch, all glistening in the sun. I can just feel my youth coming back, it happens every time.
This time of year, especially those exceptionally warm days, are a spectacular time to get out and explore natures bounty. Red and Sugar Maples flowering, animals scurrying about in search of newly exposed food sources, and a number of spring flowers and plants beginning to emerge.
Watch for the trilliums, morel mushrooms, arbutus, and many other species will be poking their heads up soon. Morels in fact are already being picked throughout Northern Michigan! Enjoy all that spring has to offer and explore Michigan’s beauty.
Art in a Small Town
Posted by: | CommentsThe AuSable Artisan Village is coming to town. An exciting new project, created by an idea from Kirtland Community College President, Tom Quinn, this looks to be the solution to many needs for both visitors and residents from surrounding community.
A three part project, the AuSable Artisan Village offers one goal, bringing art to Northern Michigan. The three parts that make up this ingenuitive plan include the following:
- Education - Classrooms and classes offered in art fields offered by Kirtland Community College to help educate the community and surrounding communities
- Gallery - To display the many wonderful artisans located throughout the Grayling area and other surrounding areas
- City Beautification - To help restore our storefronts and create a theme that will make the City of Grayling stand out and be a more beautiful place to be vacation and live.
Grayling already offers a number of opportunities for visitors and residents to enjoy. The natural beauty alone draws thousands of tourists to Grayling every year. The AuSable River, Hartwick Pines State Park, and events put on throughout the area celebrating the outdoors offer ways to experience the beauty of nature all year long.
The AuSable Artisan Village will bring the community together, offering a new source of revenue, increased number of visitors and a way for the talented artisans of the area to show what they have to offer. There are a huge number of incredibly talented people who call Northern Michigan home. The AuSable Artisan Village seeks to showcase that talent.
There is one way in which this new and exciting project will succeed, community involvement. There are many ways that people can get involved. First you can learn more about it. There are many meetings which serve as a way for those interested to be informed. The new website will also be available soon for those interested in updates. If you have talents, skills or a desire to help in any way, there will always be a place to help out. Though donations are welcome, you don’t have to have a donation to be a part of this great new project.
Get involved in the AuSable Artisan Village, it’s a great way to enjoy all that Grayling has to offer.
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: | CommentsThe snow is fallling, the glint of the sun is beautiful and all is wonderful. Wishing all a happy new year and a great 2010.
In The Beginning
Posted by: | CommentsI started talking at the age of one and have been told that I have never shut up since. I know that I am not the only one in the world with the “gift of gab”, but it seems to me there is only one problem with this gift. Not everyone thinks about what they should be gabbing about. I have had 33 years to find out what is really interesting to me, and I hope to others as well. This is why I am setting up this blog, to find an outlet for my incessant need to speak.
Although I am interested in many things, my passion is really nature. To narrow it down further, Northern Michigan. I was for 7 years, a natural history interpreter at Hartwick Pines State Park. It started out as a seasonal job while I was in college, but it became my passion.
I now work in my degree field, which is art, but my love of nature has always been a part of my life, and has been my major inspiration for my own art. If it crawls, slithers, waddles or sways in the wind, I am probably interested in it. Trees, plants animals, insects, or the environment that these exist in, are my inspiration.
My ultimate goal is to blog about my interests, I invite anyone who has like minded interests, to contribute to the conversation. Thanks for reading and I hope that I can enlighten others to share my passion with the Northern Wood Experience.
