Immersing in nature....

Yesterday I saw a most exotic, beautiful bug. I had stopped at the Ingle's gas station on Long Shoals Rd. after my Kindermusik class. Right on the brick and concrete post there clung a very large black and iridescent green beetle.... exotically trimmed in glittering copper. It cowered when I came close for a lingering look. Sometimes I just want to fill my urban life with a little more nature...especially when it comes to me in odd moments.


Last week Anne (my daughter) and I traveled up to Michigan to visit friends and then my son, Ben, in the Upper Penninsula---way up there! Then we drove on the other side of Lake Michigan to Appleton WI to retrieve my daughter Claire...her first summer home from college.

But we also took time to visit with nature....Anne splashed in 54' cold Lake Michigan, stared at the white fog on Bear Lake, hiked along a waterfall on the Keweenaw peninsula......
saw some beautiful Lake Superior sunsets..at 10:20pm!
A most amazing phenomenon of going north in the spring is watching time go backwards. We started out from Asheville with the daylilies just beginning to bloom....then we saw blooming spirea bushes, azaleas, lilacs, forget-me-nots, dogwoods, daffodils and amazingly daffodils....the trees were still leafing out and had that light green or reddish tint...my favorite part of spring.


We also visited the Isle Royal National Park headquarters which is not on Isle Royal but in Houghton MI. Ben tells me this was the least visited national park in the contiguous United States. Well, it's no wonder. You can only get to the island by boat or small plane. At the little gift shop I bought a book that my friend, Dana has been insisting that I read.

Being in nature just feels theraputic. I'm curious to read this.

So after more than 2640 miles of driving (Whew) I say we've just got to get out in the LOCAL nature now!! I know someone who does beautiful waterfall tours in Transylvania County!
C'mon girls, let's go. Oh, yeah. Claire's already out backpacking with her cousin.