October 22 Round Up

A simple search in my photo library under October 22 revealed some lovely images: 

Celestial Paddy O'Malley, 10/22/17

Turkey Tail Mushrooms,10/22/16

Celestial Chucky, 10/22/17

Autumn Leaves and Sky, 10/22/16

Napping Celestial Sweetie, 10/22/22

Manny and Chili Bruce, 10/22/22

Park Forest, 10/22/22

Henry, freshly inside on 10/22/24

Celestial Angel, 10/22/17

Mother Nature really turns on her charms in autumn, and we are so lucky to have shared both the inside and outside of Eastside Cats with our beloved felines.

❤️ 🍁 😻

Foresty

March 21: International Day of Forests

"Forests, pillars of global food security and nutrition, are the livelihoods of millions of families. 

They provide essential foods such as fruits, seeds, roots and wild meat, fundamental resources for indigenous and rural communities."

❤️Love to visit forests and woods!❤️

Seven Lakes Nature Center
Dryden, Michigan
March 19, 2025

Tenhave Woods
Royal Oak, Michigan
January 27, 2025

Lake Saint Clair Metropark
Harrison Township, Michigan
December 13, 2024

Cascades at Glen Helen Nature Preserve
Yellow Springs, Ohio
November 24, 2024

Anything that any of us can do to help preserve the flora and fauna of forests around the world is worth it!

Take only pictures, leave only footprints

~AND~

Thank you for the Birthday and Pommy good wishes!

Rooty

In our neck of the woods...pun intended...today is Arbor Day!

Plant a tree, hug a tree, take a walk in the park on a foresty path.

A few tree images for your entertainment:

As I walked in my neighborhood, Michigan
February, 2024

Central Park, New York
November, 2023

Backyard Maple trees, caught in the setting sun, Michigan
November, 2020

Beech Tree, Michigan
August, 2017

Artsy Shot, Savannah, Georgia
May, 2013

🌳🌳🌳

Foresty

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. 

Countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.

The two images above were taken at Hartwick Pines State Park.

Hartwick Pines State Park is a public recreation area covering 9,762 acres in Crawford County near Grayling and Interstate 75 on the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. State of Michigan. 

The state park contains an old-growth forest of white pines and red pines, known as the Hartwick Pines.

From about 1840 to 1900, most of the Michigan forests were cut down for farms and to produce lumber for buildings, ships, and mines. 

Michigan was the nation's leading lumber producer between 1869 and 1900.

Preservation of what exists, and encouraging new forest growth is beneficial in so many ways.

A walk in the woods is always a delight, but a walk in a forest turns that dial up to 11!

We all are thankful for forests.🌲

Also, thanks for the birthday wishes; y'all are fabulous.

Let's Hop!

Click on the image above to visit Brian's Home Blog.

August 9: Book Lover's Day

Image found on the interwebs

Bibliophiles, UNITE!

Today, we celebrate books and reading!

Image found on the interwebs 

A terrific quote, dontcha think?

Image from Society6 by Louis Wain

During this lockdown, I've found it difficult to read; my mind wanders easily, and there are so many distractions from the news.

I discovered that rereading a book series that I'd once enjoyed was just the ticket!

Comfort reading?!?

Since mid-March, I've read and listened to audiobooks for:

Laurie R. King: Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series

Ben Aaronovitch: The Peter Grant series

Jim Butcher: The Dresden Files series

Alan Bradley: Flavia De Luce series

Richard Castle: Nikki Heat series

Kelley Armstrong: Rockton series

Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Joe Grey series

Catherine Coulter: A Brit in the FBI series

Thankfully, when the library building was closed, I was able to check out ebooks and audiobooks via phone apps.

Now the library is open, and I've enjoyed reconnecting with my favorite librarians and staff.

In addition, I volunteered with a group to help convince voters to pass a millage for our local library.

I put up yards signs, attended Zoom meetings, and hung door hangers with a handful of other local library enthusiasts.

Image from "Vote Yes for Mt. Clemens Library" FB page

Image from "Vote Yes for Mt. Clemens Library" FB page

And the millage passed, by a good margin!

Our 1969 library is going to get new HVAC, lighting, and electrical systems.

New meeting rooms, new children's area, new furniture, and computers and genealogical set-ups.

Yes, I am an avid book lover!

And yet...

Mother Nature soothes the soul.

Being outdoors while listening to the birds, watching the squirrels and butterflies, and simply breathing; this too has helped me negotiate these unusual times.

Jigsaw Puzzle

Pic taken at Kensington MetroPark, where The Hubby and I enjoyed an excursion this Friday.
I used my Prima app to play with the colors.

My Man Magoo

Magoo was a stray kitten who wandered into the yard of my sister and her family.  My niece cared for him, took him to the veterinarian, and brought him home.  My Bro-in-law put his foot down: NO CATS!  Then, he'd find the kitten in his daughter's room.  BIL said, 'I don't want any stinky litter boxes around', and my sweet niece purchased a covered one!  Before long, that kitten was snuggling on BIL's lap, and the two are quite devoted to each other.  "Ma-GUUUU, Ma-GUUUU!" he calls, and Magoo comes a-runnin'. Together, they roll and tumble, play fetch with a ping pong ball, and chase wand toys, (Magoo does that, not BIL!)

Except when I showed up, and Magoo slept with me!  Well, for one night at least...

I returned home from the weekend trip, covered in white cat hair, and very happy to have finally met Magoo in the fur.

Here are some additional highlights of my trip:

People dressed up their pooches for Halloween

 

A box turtle discovered on a walk in the woods

Fungus on a dead tree

Moss growing on roots

Lichen

Must NOT forget Sandy, who ran around the woods with us like a puppy.  She is very sweet, and I loved when she sat on my feet.

Love ya, Sandy girl!