Unusual Zebroid and Hardwood Forest Hike

Yesterday I went with my son and his wife, to Jessica's dad's house. On our drive over there, Jonathan told me that we would be passing a farm that had an usual hybrid. Although it rarely occurs in the wild, there are cases where zebras in captivity mate with various types of equines including horses and donkeys.   However, Charles Darwin in his journeys did observe zebroids in the wild. For the most part, though, zebroids did not exist until human's breeding intervention in the 1800s.

Here are a few shots of the zebroid we saw.

Common wisdom states that hybrids only occur when the zebra is the sire, but there are a few known cases where the opposite is true. Two known zebra hinnies have been foaled, but did not survive to adulthood. Genetics determines whether a hybrid is possible. Donkeys and wild equids have different numbers of chromosomes. A donkey has 62 chromosomes; the zebra has between 32 and 46 (depending on species). In spite of this difference, viable hybrids are possible, provided the gene combination in the hybrid allows for embryonic development to birth.  A hybrid has a number of chromosomes somewhere in between the two adult equines. The chromosome difference makes female hybrids poorly fertile and male hybrids generally sterile.


Zebroids physically resemble their nonzebra parent, but are striped like a zebra. The stripes generally do not cover the whole body, and might be confined to the legs or spread onto parts of the body or neck. As you can see in the photos above, the zebroid we saw had stripes on its legs.

Zebroids are preferred over zebra for practical uses, such as riding, because the zebra has a different body shape from a horse or donkey, and consequently it is difficult to ride.  Another issue is that a zebroid is usually more inclined to be temperamental than a purebred horse and can be hard to handle. Zebras, being wild animals, and not domesticated like horses and donkeys, pass on their wild animal traits to their offspring, including zebroids.

In the same field as the zebroid, there were quite a few cows.  When we stopped to take a picture, the cows came running.

It was such a nice day yesterday in southern Michigan.  As you can see below, it was right around 40 degrees.

Here is a shot of Jonathan, Jessica, Sandy, and Jerry on our hike.

Jonathan helped to clear some of the downed trees from the path.

As the sun was going down, we headed back in to have dinner.

Happy Holidays

Due to the holidays, I did not get a chance to go out hiking or snowshoeing. But here are a few holiday photos.

I hope that everyone is having a great holiday.

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. On Friday in Grand Marais we woke up to five or six inches of snow. Here is a shot of M77 showing the snow and icy roads.

My friend, Marsha, made these incredible holiday treats.  These mice were made by dipping cherries in melted chocolate, attaching Hershey's kisses as well as a couple of almond slivers for ears.

Marsha's ten foot tall Christmas tree.

One of her bubble lights.....

A couple of her stuff animal scenes......

One of my lamps Marsha ordered and that I made several years ago.  Her cat, Amber, likes to sleep under the lamp.

And a couple shots of the Christmas train that circles the tree.

Sable Area Hike

Merry Christmas eve to all.  I hope that everyone has a joyous holiday.

Today's update will include the remainder of the previously unposted pictures taken during two hikes in the Sable Lake area from the past few days. 

The first few were taken during my drive back to town from the Log Slide.  Ice is starting to form on the three-mile long lake.

Then the next day I hiked from Sable Lake across the Grand Sable Dunes to the Lake Superior shoreline, and back.  Given the paths I took, the total hike was around three miles.  As I started, I noticed the color coming from the clear area south of town shining on the ice of Sable Lake.  In the Grand Marais area we often have lake effect clouds this time of year.

Then I hiked into the dunes.  Notice the hikers in front of me.

Most of the snow in the dunes has melted.  Don't let the sand color fool you, though, all of the sand is frozen, requiring crampons or snowshoes to get a grip.

I love the ridges that form in the sand from freezing, thawing, and wind.

On the sides of some of the dunes there was still a bit of snow.

With the wind from the south, the waves on the "Big Lake" were not very high.

Au Sable Lighthouse Hike -- Post 2

Here are the rest of the photos from my hike/snowshoe the other day.  First, a couple of shots of the beach as I was nearing the lighthouse.

As I approached the lighthouse, I looked back to the southeast to get this shot of the Grand Sable Dunes.

Then, as I walked up the lighthouse the clouds cleared and the sun came out!

Another shot showing the Grand Sable Banks in the background.

A close up of the Fresno lens.....

I just love all the boulders on the beach!

Au Sable Lighthouse Trail Hike -- Post 1

A couple of days ago I was able to drive to the logslide parking lot, located around seven miles west of Grand Marais in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Normally, there would be too much snow this time of year to make that drive. I decided to take advantage of it to gain access to the lighthouse hiking trail.

A little way down the trail I was able to get the following shot of Au Sable lighthouse, which was my destination.

Then I pointed the camera to the east to get the following shot of the Grand Sable banks.

Around half way down the trail, after descending down "the hill that never ends," I spotted this carin piled on one of the bridges.  The rocks on the bottom are Jacobesville sandstone, with a granite on top.

As I was getting closer to the lighthouse, I noticed this freighter going by.  It probably won't be too much longer before they will close the locks at Sault Saint Marie.

The last stretch of the trail takes you along the beach.