Winter 2020

Winter here in northern Michigan means, among other things, that it’s time for Kim to take photographs. In that way, it resembles all the other seasons. And now, thanks to help from our new friends Lisa and Kristi, she is able to use her new Sony camera along with her Canon. This, after nine separate downloads to get her computer synched with her camera, has made her a happy photographer.

Kim's repaired back makes her reluctant to venture out on snowy and icy trails, so most of the images below were either taken from our porch - often through window glass except when she opens one to brave the cold - or from our car, or from lakeside when I get around to removing snow from the steps. We are all dealing with limitations, right? So, make the best of what we can do.


One thing we can do is to appreciate our winter birds:

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Cardinal - female - messy eater

Northern Cardinal - male - and Bird Girl

Pileated Woodpecker - working on taking down this tree

Brown Creeper - one of our favorites

Blue Jay experiencing a bad feather day in the wind

Sharing

Black-capped Chickadee, with snow

Tufted Titmouse, in snow

Orval, named after Kim's dad, whose hat he wears

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

   And of course, squirrels were always with us.

    Much of winter's beauty was right here on Torch Lake:

Yes, winter means driving on ice, days that are short and cold, and being stuck indoors, perhaps with a cold. (If you are a wimp who moved to a warmer climate, this does not apply to you.) But winter also means celebrating our year in the Bark House, sitting together in the darkening evening on our glassed-in porch, burning the Jotul stove and, Kim in her warm pajamas, sipping our wine or bourbon as we watch the snow fall.

And winter also includes the pleasure of anticipating spring.