When & How Long

Are you ready to book a vacation?  I know I am.  Before calling for lodging rates and availability, it’s always a good idea to know in advance the dates you would like to arrive and depart.  The individual booking the reservation cannot, no matter how hard they try, tell a person if there is availability if they do not know when the guest would like to visit.

Spontaneous Travels

Living in an area considered to be a ‘must go to’ destination point is a blessing.  There’s an endless list of things to do, see, and experience within a 45 mile radius of where ever you’re standing in Michigan.  An incredible vacation can be as simple as getting in the car and driving to the next county.

Impulsive get-aways can prove to be more enjoyable than the one you’ve dreamed about and spent months planning.  Often times the anticipation rarely meets up to the expectation and I find myself wandering off the prepared itinerary.

If I’m planning to be impulsive (which in a twisted way is not really spontaneous) I’ll take a moment to check out the calendar of events posted on chamber of commerce websites.  If an event catches my attention - plans change.

Ahhhhh… The richness of Michigan.  Life is an amazing journey ~ travel it your way.

Hunting Mindset

For the longest time I could not understand the need to go hunting.  Sitting out in the woods waiting… and waiting… and waiting for an eight-point buck to come into range.  And how boring is fishing.  Hello!  I have things to get done – laundry, dishes, feed the dog, weed the gardens, write a novel…  Yeah, well that was me a handful of years ago. 

Yesterday, as I crouched down and scanned the forest floor in search of morel mushrooms, a quiet voice whispered internally, “Mind silence.”  I was so caught up looking for fungi that the thoughts of work, kids, bills, this, that had fallen away.  It was one of those thump to the forehead should have had a V-8 dah-moments.

Out of curiosity have ya ever noticed the new crop of No Trespassing signs dotting the edge of the woods in November?  They’re intended to keep hunters from invading private property.  I started to giggle as the thought came to me, “to protect sacred mushroom patches, do people dust off their No Trespassing signs to keep the paper bag hunters at bay?”  Then I wondered how many relationships have been put to the test based on the willingness to share the location of mushroom harvesting.  Most people would rather tell you of their extramarital affairs (in full detail) then devolve the area in which they hunt morels. 

I have a better understanding why my grandfather would spend countless hours out on the lake fishing.  Now I cannot wait for the next oppurtunity to be surrounded by nature and experience mind silence.

Kayak as Living Room Furniture

I was only joking.  I swear I was.

Picture my excitement:  It’s the end of March.  An eight foot orange and yellow swirl kayak was wedged between the front seats and the tailgate of my SUV.  I drove home from Manistee caressing the face of the boat as if it was a new lover just before the first long passionate kiss.

Unable to contain the joy, I called both of my sons and started each conversation with, “Hey, guess what?  I bought a new piece of living room furniture till Spring!”  Of course, both of them responded with a confused, mom-you’re-crazy, “Huh?”

For three years I’ve been hoping, praying, begging whatever God would listen for the extra cash to purchase a kayak.  The desire to be on the water is overwhelming on most summer days and I can only convince Ray to take me canoeing only so often.  Silly work schedules seem to always get in the way.

So, seriously, it’s April 20th and there is four inches of snow in my yard.  Last week, when the temperature was in the 50′s and 60′s, Sandie and I made plans to go kayaking on Tuesday (yesterday).  However, hypothermia is not a condition either of us wish to explore, experience or even have the opportunity to see who turns blue first.  Yeah, we’re not the competitive type.

Please, dear God, understand that I was only joking when I told my sons that I had a new piece of living room furniture.  Dreams and hopes of floating down the rivers and gliding across the many small inland lakes fill my mind as I stand, nose pressed against the window, sobbing and looking at the Spring Winter-wonderland.

In Pairs

On my drive to meet my best friend, a doe looks up at me from her ditch-view grazing spot and watches me pass.  As our eye met, I acknowledged her with, “I know, I know… be gentle on Self.”

The temperature hovered around 34 degrees the morning Ray and I decided to walk the trail next to the river; the one on the former railroad tracks.  Winter jackets were zipped up to our chins, yet both of us managed to forget our gloves at home.  It felt good to wear our hiking shoes instead of the clumsy winter snow boots. 

We start the walk with the usual conversation starters:  how are the kids, work, life and etc.  The first pond to the left caught my attention.  Logs where turtles warm by the afternoon sunlight in the summer months protrude from the thick ice amongst the birch and cattails that stood tall to winter’s furry.  The heavy frost still clinging onto the dormant plants left me half expecting to see faeries and other curious mystical beings to poke their heads out from their hiding spots.  Truly a sight similar to fantasy movies involving wizardry.  And me without my camera.

Nature provides us with signs, acknowledgements and brings awareness when we pay attention.  As Ray and I continue down the trail, we can hear two Canadian geese as they swim near the marshy riverbank, watched two bald eagles take flight, see two swans gracefully glide around a wide part of the river near two more geese and find two piliated woodpeckers feasting on a rotting tree.  We reach the part of the trail where we usually turn around to head back to our trucks, he stops me and points out a young deer walking across the pavement.

For several days I thought about that experience and pondered the hidden (or not so hidden) messages.  Within the two deer sightings, are birds in pairs.  Deer, often times to me, serve as a reminder to be gentle on Self.  Birds tend to represent emotions; what are emotions are you exploring in this moment?  The number two can mean duality – ying/yang, balance, partnership, harmony, cooperation.  One book I refer to often states that a newly formed idea is beginning to evolve into reality, don’t give up yet.

I’m curious.  If it was you walking down the hiking trail and having nature’s communication open the dialog when you saw the first doe, then large birds in two’s, and conclude with a second young deer – what do you think the messages would mean to you?

Avoiding Cabin Fever

"Every mile is two in winter." ~George Herbert

Short winter days combined with blowing and drifting snow can bring on the symptoms of Cabin Fever.  It’s not a highly contagious fever, however can cause one to feel as though the walls are closing in on one’s self.

In December, the average person is consumed with holiday obligations, and Cabin Fever doesn’t have a chance to settle into the psyche.  The first week or two of January are spent recovering from the all the holiday bliss.  It’s about the second or third week that Cabin Fever creeps up on its unexpected victims.

Here’s a few tips from one who’s devised ways to avoid it while waiting for the next community winter festival:

Get outside.

• Go for a walk
• Strap on a pair of x-country skies or snowshoes
• Go sledding down a big hill
• Ride a snowmobile down a groomed trails
• Ski or snowboard at one of the ski resorts
• Throw a snowball
• Build a snowman

Stay inside.

• Put together a puzzle
• Roast marshmallows in the fireplace
• Watch a football game
• Challenge your friends to a game of Euchre
• Remodel the bathroom
• Clean the closets (only in desperate cases)
• Bake chocolate chip cookies
• Find a listing of the next winter festival and activities

On A New Path

I could blame it on the red cardinal.  Maybe blame is a too harsh of a word.  Inspired.  No, this idea has been marinating in the back of my mind for quite some time.  Encouraged.  Nah.  Provoked.  Okay, I might agree to that verb.

After walking for an hour on one of my favorite hiking trails, stopping only to take photographs, I exited the woods and as I approach my truck I saw movement from within.  My first thought was, ‘What or who is inside my truck?’   Then I saw him.  A beautiful bright red cardinal.  He was standing on the passenger side exterior mirror; his shadow casting through the frosted windows.  He flew into the nearby bushes as I opened the driver’s door.  Before the key reached the ignition, he returned and perched himself on the passenger window sill with his wings wide open like a small Phoenix.  Our eyes met.  The moment stood still.

Nature provides us with messages, cues, answers, solutions and awareness.  After he flew into the tall cedar trees, I called a friend of mine and asked what she thought the bird’s take-notice-of-me-now-damn-it-woman action symbolized.  I knew in my heart the meaning, but I needed the confirmation.  Red is passion; the fire within.  Cardinal symbolizes finding your Soul song and renewed vitality through recognizing Self-importance.

I am a writer and live in one of the most beautiful regions in the state.  My family settled in this area generations ago.  With Lake Michigan within a short drive, we are never in short supply of breathtaking sunsets over what we locals call “the big pond”.  It is my honor to share with you some of my experiences, insight and love for this region.  Of course, with starting any new written project, I’m unsure of the direction in which the words will travel.  I am trusting the finger-tap-dancing to see where this path leads me.  Please join me on this adventure…