Tuesday, 7:25 AM

I was up at my customary 5:20 AM to feed Lola and coffee up before getting ready for my lumber. Sadly, Ma Nature would throw me a snowy curveball.

With my lumbers slightly shorter now, as part of the Winter Contingency Act and the sun not rising until 8 AM, I have been starting a little later. Figuring, if I’m only hiking 4 to 5 miles, I at least want to do most of it in the daylight so I can try to get some photos.

Sadly, at my normal departure time, the mid-Michigan area was going to be getting a band of lake effect snow moving through the area that reportedly would last about an hour. And since I already hate driving in the dark whilst being blinded by the nuclear bright headlights of white guys in $70,000 pickup trucks, the idea of driving in the dark with snow coming down was even less appealing. So, I mixed things up. Which, to a creature of habit kook such as myself, is like locking me in a glass case of emotion (thank’s Ron Burgundy).

So, as I type this first part, still in the dark with snow falling, I am on my second round of laundry, made Wifey eggs and toast before she left for the office, made and ate my breakfast, and cleaned the kitchen. All in the hopes that by the time I digest my cheese omelette, turkey sausage, and refried beans, the snow will be done and I can get my ass in the woods, safely knowing that my day is not behind schedule. I am SO not happy about it!! AND I hope that my daily helping of fibrous (vegetarian) refried beans doesn’t have me stooping in pooping in the snowy woods.

I am also not happy that an additional curveball from Ms. Nature is going to come overnight when we are expected to get 3 to 7 inches of fresh snow. Which is quite a broad range and could have many folks saying, “No, we don’t need toilet paper and milk.” OR, “Oh my god, we need to get toilet paper and milk!!” Oh, well, at least I know we have toilet paper and milk. I will now stop saying “toilet paper and milk.” EDIT: Apparently, the forecast of 5-7 inches of snow has been downgraded to 2-4 inches already. By tomorrow, it will either be flurries or several feet, depending on what the clickbait Snow Mongers decide.

OK, time to find my gear and get ready to head out. But first, I have to put the towels in the dryer and deal with the consequences of those refried beans.

Several hours later…

The morning snow showers ended right on time, and the drive to the trails was uneventful.

With some fresh snow down, I once again had the micro-spikes vs. snowshoes debate and went with the spikes. In hindsight, the snowshoes would have been better. Oh well, like the saying goes, “learn, forget about it almost immediately, and then do it again in the near future.”

The lumber wasn’t bad, shorter than I’m used to, coming in at just 4.69 miles, but it got me outside to burn some calories and get a couple pics here and there. Also, compared to yesterday’s -2˚ temps, today’s 23˚ temps seemed like a heatwave.

Sadly, I really only was able to get a couple shots of some deer, but along the way I saw a bald eagle flying overhead after I spooked it, and then a half a mile later I saw the same one again, after I spooked it again. UG!!

I also saw a Downy Woodpecker high in a tree pecking away, and just as I was finishing, a small group of Geese flew over. But other than that, and one dude that arrived just after me to ice fish, the morning was still and rather silent.

Hoping the forecast for tomorrow is wrong and I’m back to my usual morning routine.

Later.