Merry Christmas From Mackinac

The Huron at sunrise, the first trip of the day, all decked out for the season:

The taxi waiting for arrivals:

Santa?

St. Anne's, decorated for Christmas Eve service:

Oh Christmas tree:

Lights at the mayor's house:

Chamber's corner:

We had a brief moment of "snow globe" snow this morning, big, fat flakes slowly falling - so technically a white Christmas too!

Walk in the Woods

A combination of many personal commitments and windy/wet weather have kept me out of the woods, but I made it yesterday afternoon - and I was so happy to be there!

Peak color is , of course, past, but bright color can still be seen here and there. The real interest is on the forest floor:

This guy thought they were pretty interesting too:

I saw dozens of squirrel, all scurrying about, fattening up for winter. The birds are equally busy, with chickadees and juncos the most active in late afternoon. I was fortunate enough to spot a pileated woodpecker; they're one of my favorites, looking somewhat prehistoric as they glide from tree to tree:

Late fall beauty is subtle, depending more on texture and form then color:

And if Spring is all about the wildflowers, Fall is all about the fungus - equally beautiful, but frequently overlooked:

To appreciate this time of year, you need to slow down, look a little closer, study the details - like this tiny puddle, held in the cup of a fallen leaf:

Or this lovely little autumnal vignette, arranged by nature itself:

Or this little "forest" of moss and lichen:

Fall is my favorite time of year and yesterday's walk was splendid, the colors, the forms, the light, the scent of the fallen leaves and the sounds those leaves make as you move along the paths - make time to slow down and enjoy the season!

Puddle Jumping

Temperature: 45 degrees F

Precipitation: Pouring rain (all day)

Wind Gusts: 45 MPH

Fleece Jacket: Check

Rain Pants: Check

Rain Boots: Check

Rain Jacket: Check

Rain Hat: Check

Gloves: Check

Jump on the bike and off to work - gotta love living on Mackinac!

Indian Summer on Mackinac

I would have loved to have spent most every afternoon for the last week or so just lounging in the sun - we've been having some spectacular weather lately!

There's just been so much to see and enjoy - seeds are flying:

and a few butterflies are still flitting about:


The geese flocks definitely like to stop and take a break here as the head south:

We've had some fog, but that's good too:

It just makes the bright colors even more outstanding:

A few road apples are just to be expected:

(Sorry!!!!! Bad Mackinac humor)

The woods are at near peak color:

And the views seem to go one forever:

The seasonal employees are heading off, to winter pastures:

It's fall on Mackinac!

Mackinac Spring

"Mackinac Spring" is my entry in the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge. March's challenge piece is by Paul Gaugin, entitled Nave Nave Moe (Sacred Spring, Sweet Dreams). Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin, 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903, was a leading French Post- Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer. His bold experimentation with colouring led directly to the Synthetist style of modern art while his expression of the inherent meaning of the subjects in his paintings, under the influence of the cloisonnist style, paved the way to Primitivism and the return to the pastoral. He was also an influential proponent of wood engraving and woodcuts as art forms.

I choose three colors from the painting, red, yellow ochre and pewter grey to use in my piece. I decided to reinterpret the idea of "spring" and island" to fit Mackinac In northern Michigan, spring is slow and subtle and on Mackinac, one of the first signs of spring is the gradual exposure of the limestone rock which forms the island.

Our first plants to appear often do so from the protective cover of the previous seasons growth. This is the inspiration for the color palette of this necklace: a base of a neutral pewter grey, with touches of subtle, yet rich wine red and ochre yellow. This base is highlighted with two lampworked floral beads, peeking from a freeform backing."Mackinac Spring" is a beadwoven necklace starting with a herringbone chain in three colors and sizes seed beads. It is enhanced with freeform peyote stitch "leaves" and two lampworked floral beads from Lisa Kan's "Botanical" series.

Available for purchase here.