Noggles Road

Monday was completely unscripted.  I had to make a trip to Saline, and on the way back home I stopped at the shooting range just up the road from the house.  Do they do archery, or is it only firearms?  Turns out, not only do they have a dinky little archery spot, but they are in the process of building a full-fledged archery range a distance from the firing range.  Huzzah!  

So, I have my loaner bow and loaner arrows...all I needed was a bow stringer and ear protection (archery may be silent, but the firing range is RIGHT THERE and it is best to be safe than sorry).  Where to go?  Cabelas, down in Dundee.  

I turned the car around and headed to Manchester.  Lots of road work going on there - Route 52 has been under construction for about a year now.  I didn't want to deal with all that, so I decided to hit the back roads.

Now, I didn't really end up lost...I just wasn't completely sure where I was.

 

I discovered some really, truly lovely land, though.  Noggles Road - you've gotta love the name!  It is a dirt road, and seems to go on forever.  Both sides were lined with lovely autumnal woodland.  There were even some little pocket wetlands along the way.

 The camera was lurking in the back of the car.  I should've taken it out sooner, for I came around the bend at one point to find a half-dozen full-grown turkeys, beards and all, in the road.

Mostly the drive was wooded, but a few fields zipped by (well, "zipped" is what it looks like in the blurry photo, but in truth I was rarely above 20 mph - bumpy dirt roads do not lend themselves well to speed).

The highlight, after the turkeys, was this hawk coming in for a landing.

I sort of pulled over to take some shots, but of course suddenly it was Grand Central Station!  I moved the car further off to the side to avoid getting grazed along the side.  The final vehicle to pass was a large, noisy truck, and the bird flew off.  Still, I got enough shots to say I think this is a juvenile red-tailed hawk.  The dark belly band is the biggest clue.  The tail was banded, not a solid russet like we expect on an adult red-tail, which made me think it might be a Cooper's or sharpie, the bird was just too big for either of those.  Looking through the field guide later, I confirmed what I suspected:  juveniles have banded tails.  

I eventually found my way out of the woods and onto a highway.  But I had such a good time driving Noggles Road that I was sorely tempted to do it again on the way home from Cabela's.  In the end, I stuck to 52 and got caught up in all the constructions...should've followed my whim and headed back into the woods.

I'll be returning to Noggles Road another day - it warrants visits in all seasons.

I'm Here

Moving Day has come and gone. We loaded the U-haul on Friday, and headed out.


Saturday's weather was fine, but that night The Storm that nailed the upper midwest arrived. When we left Toledo Sunday morning, it was raining. By the time we reached Michigan, it was snowing. The roads were not great by the time we got to Jackson.

We arrived at The House (which I think is technically a summer cottage - more on that later) before noon and began unloading. A new neighbor showed up about mid-afternoon and lent a very welcome hand. Monday morning more bodies were here to help shift the remaining boxes and furniture.

Most of the stuff will remain in the boxes, but I started unpacking the essentials last night, like the kitchen.

I have since noticed that it is indeed rather chilly in here. I'm used to having my heat at 58*F "back home," but some how 58*F seems an awful lot colder here. Hm. AH! Must be the windows. Yes, they are single pane windows, and there is ice on the inside. Hm. Single paned windows, no basement, suspect insulation...it must be this was built to be a three-season abode.

Oh, well, one can live almost anywhere for a year...and a lot of people around the world have it a lot worse.

Anywho, this morning the sun is out again. Toby and I cruised the neighborhood, and here are some shots for you to enjoy.

Just outside the back door.

The canoe made is safely.

The "famous" view of the lake (Vandercook lake) - a big selling point
for the realtors who handle this property.

View of the neighborhood.

A new neighbor.

Just up the street. A far cry from Newcomb, NY, eh?

Heading back into the lake community.

Note the raised hackles. Toby was being barked at by
a very enthusiastic border collie.

Ah, the lake once more. Apparently the Grand River has it's start here.

And back at The Cottage.

The wind is now blowing and the chill emanating from the windows is telling me I really MUST go in search of some insulated shades. Maybe I'll get some plastic to cover the windows, too.

A Visit to the New Work Place

Yesterday I made a stop at my future place of employment to stretch my legs and while away some time before an appointment to look at an apartment. I took a quick walk with the camera in tow, just in case.

Here's view of the entryway with its wonderful gardens.

I only had about 45 minutes, so I walked quickly. I found myself drawn to the same plants I photographed last month when I was here. Could that be because they were still green? Last month I mused over this one, and now, based on something I read in the Conservancy's newsletter, I'm thinking this is the buckthorn - invasive! This was one of the plants I was on the lookout for this summer while doing my invasive inventories, but I've seen it so seldomly (like maybe twice) that I don't have it locked in my memory yet.

The stream was trickling along. Last week some severe storms passed through the midwest and the Conservancy had some tree damage on their property. I could see where they were doing some cleanup, but it also looked like they were tackling some of the invasives, for I walked past at least one pile of Russian olives that were cut and stacked.

I was happy to see a familiar native plant: nannyberry, one of the viburnums. Birds love it.

Some tall green shrubs caught my eye next. They had little red berries. What could they be?

The understory was dominated by them. (This should've been a clue, and I know my friend Jackie knows what it is already.)

A closer look at the leaves, and the stems, and I suddenly knew what it was!

They may call it the Winged Wahoo here, but we know it as Euonymus, or the horrible burning bush. I've seen it as individual shrubs down in the Saratoga region, some quite tall, but here was a perfect example of what happens when non-natives get out of control on the natural landscape. I really need to rip out the two burning bushes at my house...and the Japanese barberry (which I saw last week has begun its invasion: I found two stalks of it in my field).


Today I had some time to kill between apartment hunting appointments, so I stopped by the Conservancy again. This time I got to meet some of my future co-workers. What a terrific bunch of people! I am really looking forward to working with them.

After a lengthy chat and introductions all around, I got a tour of the buildings, a jar of Dahlem Maple Syrup (Mmmmm!), and reassurances that they would all keep their eyes peeled for suitable housing for me. I am ever so grateful.

Then I got directions to the farm portion of the property, which I had yet to see. It's essentially just around the block from the Conservancy headquarters. I drove over and saw the wonderful old white barn, with the terrific new high tunnel nearby.


Driving around the loop, I came to the Community Garden, which is quite extensive! I believe it is about an acre in size, surrounded by a deer fence. The plots are something like 20'x20' - a nice size. Here's the view to the left of the gateway (you can see the beds have mostly been cleaned up for winter)...

...and the view to the right.

The top of the barn peeked up over the tall grasses. There isn't a whole lot of elevation here - I had to climb on the car to get high enough to see enough of the barn to photograph!

So, things are looking up a bit today. I still haven't found a place to live, but I remain hopeful that my new friends will ferret something out.

Meanwhile, I'm on my way back to New York. I have a dog and a cat awaiting my return, a class to teach on Monday, and I have to be in the office on Thursday. Then, well, I may be headed back out here to look for housing once again.