Hello, my friends and welcome to August. As August is known to be a hot month, I am hoping that it does not try to beat out July.
Fishing seems to be good this year, at least for the people I have talked with. My cousins Dan and Deb Ellis have spent two weeks camped on the west side of Fletchers Floodwaters and caught several large bass and many other species.
My sons Zebulon, Caleb and Nathanael, and Caleb’s wife Rose, went to Fletchers also, but they like to fish by the dam. They were doing very well catching lots of fish and enjoying a rare day together when Nathan slipped on a rock in the river. He landed with his hand under water and on a broken bottle cutting his hand which then needed stitches. So after a trip to the Alpena Emergency they called it a day.
My “thanks” go to the individual that made the end of this day possible. Thanks for bringing glass into a setting where if breakage occurs you cannot clean it up. Maybe a can or plastic bottle would have been a better choice.
Most everyone knows of my love of birds. Feeding them is one of my most enjoyable privileges of life.
Well we have had an influx of Red Squirrels this year. I live trap them to relocate but they don’t seem to want to cooperate, not wanting to enter the trap. In an effort to get them to go into the trap I let all my feeders go empty, so what do you think the little beggars did? They jumped from the table to the window ledge and stared at me wanting more feed.
You just have to love God’s creatures, no matter how damaging they may be to our houses you have to respect an animal that displays not only that much intelligence but such temerity also.
I have had a Scarlet Tanager visit each year in the spring and then be gone. However, this summer it has been visiting our waterfall birdbath quite regular. Getting rid of the pines and letting the poplars grow seems to be paying off.
A sad note is that the Oak wilt has taken six of our trees since last fall. It’s a good thing that we planted several bushes this spring. Even better is that the bushes are doing well, and I was worried because of our poor sandy soil.
I also seem to be winning the war against the Spotted Knapweed we had everywhere. Lots of pulling and mowing has had a good effect.
As we part once more, I would ask that if you have caught a fish, found some mushrooms or any other item you wish to share please give me a call or email me.
Please remember to help keep our woods and waters clean.
- You can reach Warren “Toad” Stutesman at 989-745-2896 or warren@upnorthvoice.com.
