[alleyyooper]

What I like about Michigan is the 4 seasons.

Starting with spring the end of mud season is near, the wild flowers start blooming, birds singing and bees a buzzing. The ramps peek from under the leaf litter the trout lilies start blooming along with the blood root and trillium. Morels start poking thru the leaf litter providing some of the best eating mushrooms on earth. Then there is the smell of fresh turned earth A sign that the farmers and gardeners will soon have plants providing food. There are other great things about spring too. Like the songs of the peeper frogs all day and all night, the gobble of the tom turkey and the cluck of the hens, the drumming of the grouse. And the smell of Maple syrup being made.

Summer Oh the smell of fresh cut hay , the flickering of the lighting bugs. The honey bees going from flower to flower pollinating as they collect nectar to turn into honey. The fish making that sucking sound as they rise to suck a bug off the surface of the lake, river and/or creek. The sighting of a pair of fawns laying in a patch of hawk weed in an abandoned field. The soaring flights of barn swallows as they zoom about eating those nasty Michigan skeeters. The plums getting ripe and all those garden goodies like sweet corn on the cob and tomatoes to go with the lettuce, radishes and cukes.
The cluck cluck of a hen turkey calling to her young. The late evening howling of the coyotes making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

Fall the crisp air of autumn signals an end to summer heat and humidity. The fawns you have seen all summer have fading spots soon to be gone altogether. The trees and bushes torn and rubbed up by a randy buck cleaning the velvet off the antlers and signing his area. The calling of the snow geese as they fly high in the sky heading south. The squirrels gathering leaves building big leafy nest, gathering acorns and other nuts hiding them in the ground to maybe be a tree some day. The honey bees gathering from the golden rod and the smell of the honey from it and the aster tingling the nose. Then the first hard frost on a bright moon lit night with it sparkling in the sky like a billion diamonds spilled from a diamond peddlers sack.

Winter a time to rest man, beast and plant. The snow falling noisily, yes it is if you listen real well. The deer laying on the south facing hill side nearly buried under the snow snug as a bug in a rug. The squirrels scurrying about looking for those buried nuts. A time to get the cross country skis out and go for a look in the woods and fields at all the tracks of critters looking for food and shelter. You can learn a lot about a critter at this time of year. Is also a time to get out the toboggan make a phone call to all the neighbors , friends and family it is sledding party time. The roasting hot dogs the marsh mellows and hot chocolate well into the night. The squeals of joy of the young children as they go down a slippery hill.
Then there is the snowmobile rides. The group gathers in a farmers hay field snow plowed for parking of tow rigs and trailers on a Saturday morning the route chosen several months ago. Since this is the first ride of the year and nearly 50 sleds show up the group is broken into two groups , each group with a leader a boss if you please. This is a family outing and no drinking is allowed and enforced no if ands or buts.
The trail goes across the farmers field to a power line right away to a old logging road across another right away a pipe line this time to a beaver pond then more logging trails before hitting the state groomed trail. A lunch stop is made at a country restaurant then the return trip on some back country roads not plowed in the winter. more logging roads and back to the farmers hay field. A bon fire has been assembled and lit. A pig is roasting along with other foods. A ride of just over 50 miles all returning safe and sound to return home with memories and a full belly.

And that’s My Michigan. Isn't any place on earth better. Equal maybe but not better

Al

[michsnowlvr]

[Michigansnowflake]

:d

[JGatti]

I should send this to my brother. He moved from Ohio to Arizona. " Ohhhh Arizona is great, what perfect weather, the heat is not that bad. It's great out here, better than Michigan. blah blah blah."
NOW he's moving to Nashville, " Oh you need to come down for a visit and you'll see why Tennessee is soooo perfect. etc etc blah blah blah"
Some people feel the best place to live is always the place they move too. He's one of them LOL. Me? I love Michigan, if I had my choice TC would be the place to be for me and my family, and after recently learning about a company up there that does what I do it may just happen one day.

Thanks for the great positive post. It portrays some of the best things about our great state.

[UKUKUK]

Haha, SOOOO many people move to Tennessee and tout it as God's country.

Miserable, cold, non-snowy winters, culture a bit too country for most non Tennesseans, high sales tax and other taxes, despite the lack of an income tax...

They'll realize it soon enough and all will come crawling back when Michigan rises again!

[Starrman69]

Originally Posted by alleyyooper

What I like about Michigan is the 4 seasons.

Starting with spring the end of mud season is near, the wild flowers start blooming, birds singing and bees a buzzing. The ramps peek from under the leaf litter the trout lilies start blooming along with the blood root and trillium. Morels start poking thru the leaf litter providing some of the best eating mushrooms on earth. Then there is the smell of fresh turned earth A sign that the farmers and gardeners will soon have plants providing food. There are other great things about spring too. Like the songs of the peeper frogs all day and all night, the gobble of the tom turkey and the cluck of the hens, the drumming of the grouse. And the smell of Maple syrup being made.

Summer Oh the smell of fresh cut hay , the flickering of the lighting bugs. The honey bees going from flower to flower pollinating as they collect nectar to turn into honey. The fish making that sucking sound as they rise to suck a bug off the surface of the lake, river and/or creek. The sighting of a pair of fawns laying in a patch of hawk weed in an abandoned field. The soaring flights of barn swallows as they zoom about eating those nasty Michigan skeeters. The plums getting ripe and all those garden goodies like sweet corn on the cob and tomatoes to go with the lettuce, radishes and cukes.
The cluck cluck of a hen turkey calling to her young. The late evening howling of the coyotes making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

Fall the crisp air of autumn signals an end to summer heat and humidity. The fawns you have seen all summer have fading spots soon to be gone altogether. The trees and bushes torn and rubbed up by a randy buck cleaning the velvet off the antlers and signing his area. The calling of the snow geese as they fly high in the sky heading south. The squirrels gathering leaves building big leafy nest, gathering acorns and other nuts hiding them in the ground to maybe be a tree some day. The honey bees gathering from the golden rod and the smell of the honey from it and the aster tingling the nose. Then the first hard frost on a bright moon lit night with it sparkling in the sky like a billion diamonds spilled from a diamond peddlers sack.

Winter a time to rest man, beast and plant. The snow falling noisily, yes it is if you listen real well. The deer laying on the south facing hill side nearly buried under the snow snug as a bug in a rug. The squirrels scurrying about looking for those buried nuts. A time to get the cross country skis out and go for a look in the woods and fields at all the tracks of critters looking for food and shelter. You can learn a lot about a critter at this time of year. Is also a time to get out the toboggan make a phone call to all the neighbors , friends and family it is sledding party time. The roasting hot dogs the marsh mellows and hot chocolate well into the night. The squeals of joy of the young children as they go down a slippery hill.
Then there is the snowmobile rides. The group gathers in a farmers hay field snow plowed for parking of tow rigs and trailers on a Saturday morning the route chosen several months ago. Since this is the first ride of the year and nearly 50 sleds show up the group is broken into two groups , each group with a leader a boss if you please. This is a family outing and no drinking is allowed and enforced no if ands or buts.
The trail goes across the farmers field to a power line right away to a old logging road across another right away a pipe line this time to a beaver pond then more logging trails before hitting the state groomed trail. A lunch stop is made at a country restaurant then the return trip on some back country roads not plowed in the winter. more logging roads and back to the farmers hay field. A bon fire has been assembled and lit. A pig is roasting along with other foods. A ride of just over 50 miles all returning safe and sound to return home with memories and a full belly.

And that’s My Michigan. Isn't any place on earth better. Equal maybe but not better

Al

Nicely written, takes me back to the many memories on our family farm.

[alleyyooper]

Funny I had a friend retire and move to Az. He ended up hateing it. Adverage day time te3mps from mid june to the end of Oct was 107 the first year. Sent me a Christmas E mail his first there, said they were going to spend the day by the pool as it had finally cooled enough you could stay by the pool with out cooking. In two years he had his home broken into 3 times and two more times the second year. Said the brown hord is bad. Finally had all he could take starting his third year and now lives in Fort Hood OG.

I've been to Kentucky, Tennesse Missiour and N Carolina . I will take Michigan Thank you very much.

[YAZ]

I love MI, AZ, TN, GA, et al.

Whatever.....

Morels......yum!

Wondering how many tulips and daffodils will pop up this spring....

Springtime for me in Michigan meant at least two camping experiences with bucketsful of bluegill and the opening day of pike season, then later on ...bass season.

Mowing the lawn for the first time.....

That spring air coming into the house through the open windows, that first thunderstorm......(tornado season.....yikes!..........)

Yep.

I'm a redneck.

I like drying clothes in the air. Especially this time of year.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by JGatti

I should send this to my brother. He moved from Ohio to Arizona. " Ohhhh Arizona is great, what perfect weather, the heat is not that bad. It's great out here, better than Michigan. blah blah blah."
NOW he's moving to Nashville, " Oh you need to come down for a visit and you'll see why Tennessee is soooo perfect. etc etc blah blah blah"
Some people feel the best place to live is always the place they move too. He's one of them LOL. Me? I love Michigan, if I had my choice TC would be the place to be for me and my family, and after recently learning about a company up there that does what I do it may just happen one day.

Thanks for the great positive post. It portrays some of the best things about our great state.

The heat is THAT bad in AZ.

But, you get used to it.....yeah, right......

Ask your brother about TN summers though.....no relief at night even.

I'd bet their AC bill would rival ours out here.

[michmoldman]

I love Michigan because Mother Nature is mighty kind to us here. I guess the worst she could do is a tornado or two, but rather rare, so the only thing we can complain about is a few snowstorms a year. Ill take that anyday.