UofM Botanical Gardens photos

While down state I did my usual visit to the UofM botanical gardens.

Down State Hikes

I went on two hikes while down state.  The first was in Grand Ledge with my sister, Diana.  I only took a few photos....

The second hike was with my friends, Steve and Linda, in Mount Pleasant.

Central Michigan Rock Club show in Mason, MI

The weekend before last I had a booth at the 53rd annual Central Michigan Lapidary & Mineral Society show in Mason, MI.  I appreciate the hospitality and booth help from Marcia and Rich O'Brien, as well as the assistance I had from my sister, Diana Mavis.  Despite the fact that the UofM-Michigan football game took place less than 15 miles away on Saturday, crowds and sales were both great!

The photos included below were taken by my sister, Diana.

Beaver Lake Epic Hike

Last week I went on a 12-mile epic hike with Helen Riley in the Beaver Lake area.  It was chilly at the start with temperatures in the mid-20s.  It was also quite windy.  However, the colors were absolutely beautiful, as was the trail.

The drive into the Beaver Basin was amazing.

We hiked the trail in a counter-clockwise direction.

Yes, there was just a trace of snow.  However, some of the bridges were VERY slippery.

We stopped for lunch at Trappers Lake.  The photo below shows our view.

A section of the trail went along Lake Superior.

Shipwreck log on the beach....

Log jam at the mouth of Beaver Creek.

Beaver dam on Beaver Lake.