Up Norfus, Aug. 2004

I've been up at my folks place in the woods since Friday morning, and keeping myself away from the keyboard.

It is absolutely beautiful up here. Warm (but not hot) during the day and actually chilly at night. It certainly is NOT typical Michigan weather for August.

I really enjoy coming up for visits. I should come up more often. Walks in the woods with the dogs, sitting on the porch in the morning with a cup of coffee, working out in the yard with my Dad, helping Mom out in the kitchen, tinkering in the shop.

The dogs love it up here. They can be outside without leashes and without fences. They seldom wander too far, which is good because Judy can't come anymore when she's called.

My brother and nephew are coming up today to join us, and there will be lots of fun stuff for the next few days: golf, road trips, card games, barbecues... the usual stuff for my family.

Mom keeps about 10 or 12 bird feeders outside, all near windows where you can watch the community of birds and squirrels gather. My favorite is the hummingbird feeder attached to the window right outside the desk where I am typing. A veritable squadron of these little supersonic creatures have been stopping by for fuel, and if the door is open, you can hear the buzzing of their wings.

Dad and I chopped down a dead spruce tree (killed by Yellow bellied sapsuckers) yesterday and carted off it's carcass, leaving the stump about 4 feet high so that Mom has a mount for another feeder. We then relieved a neighbor of about 500 pounds of rocks. Mom likes to use them in her landscaping. I think we are going to blaze a trail from the back of their land to the trail network in the state land behind us this week as well. Always something going on. It is good to be able to help out.

If I can find a USB/Compact Flash cable up at the local Radio Shack (I forgot mine), I'll post some pics.