Sometimes, two steps back gets you back on the right foot

Although my next paycheck may be a little slimmer than I normally expect, getting the day off and using it to go to the Big Lake was well worth it.

I was having a hard time finding any lake glass, something I usually brag about with my keen eyes and hound skills. I blamed it on the sun at my back, I blamed it on the calm waves, having walked a great stretched with nothing to show for it, I decided to try my search again as I headed back. Stopping before really, truly starting (again), I thought, "maybe walk a couple feet more and then begin," and what did I find? -lake glass; and what would I continue to find?- lake glass. After all was said and done, I ended up with a wet sock and shoe, and sand in between the cuff of my sock and ankle skin...a free exfoliant courtesy of a rogue wave.

Let's use up some driftwood and make room for more!

My newest pieces on Etsy (click link to right if intrigued).

Really?

When I got up this morning (at 5:30 a.m. on my day off) and saw all the heavy wet snow weighing down the pine branches and sticking to the leafless trees, I thought it may make for a photo worthy morning. But, as I sat in the old lazy boy sipping my tea and watching "Sweet 16" on MTV, I realized the sun was in no mood to help sparkle the snow, so we both lazied our Saturday morning. While doing what I do and googling to help wake up my mind, the fog decided to lend a hand and change up my photography expectations. I geared up in double fleece, opted for jeans rather than pajama pants and, with fingerless gloves on and camera in hand, ventured an early moring walk (definitely not usually a choice I make).

Just me, the trees, the breeze and the birds, I experienced a full sensory morning. Thunump, thunump as the snow slid off the branches and joined the layer on the ground. Cherurp, caw, cherurp, caw, caw as the birds all awakened to a hazy morning with all there green taken back. Spleoop, spleoop---spleoop, spleoop as my boots hit warm pavement under melting slushy snow. Hu-ho, hu-ho, hu-ho as I huffed on my trek back to the house, and realized I am quite out of shape thanks to an extra long winter.

Finger tips frozen and a caterpillar shocked by a fall from a snowy tree branch, I share with you my end-of April U.P. morning. If I was a fist shaker, I'd be shaking it at the weather man who forecasted 60 degrees and sunny tomorrow.

I'm not Sure the Beach Should Smell like a Port 'o Potty

I won't go into detail about the smell and I definitely won't share Mike's possible logical explanation (the theory would gross you out a bit), but it did smell strangely like sewage and chemicals at this off the road drive-up beach access.

How I long for every day to be a Bayfield Friday, but those silly gas prices and this whole "having to work to financially survive thing" really breaks into those excursions. If you were in and around our great state of Michigan this weekend and didn't take full advantage of the warm temps and mostly sunny days, then maybe you really do have a strong affection for snow and cold. As for me and my crew, we headed to Bayfield on Friday. Temps. around 60 and sun, sun, sun, sun made a great, true spring day. We stopped at Mike's favorite coffee shop, Big Water, and I had a peach blossom white tea and split a Chocolate Lavender scone with Cindy. Awesome and Fabulous at the same time. A few new books from the bookstore, a new Lole hat, a pocket full of jelly bellys, and a 1/2 hour at the playground is a great day, especially after you leave the mystery smell beach.