Sometimes getting to the shores of Lake Superior takes you on a hike to get there. Melanie Hakala Rossi spent what she described as a gorgeous day in the Keweenaw both on the shores of the Big Lake and the trek to get there. This cute Pup, was willing to pose on a shoreline boulder, showing off the calm waters they were enjoying. Melanie commented that the Big Lake was like glass all day...it doesn’t get much better than that.

On their way to and from the Lake, Melanie captured a Dandelion that had already fuzzed out and was still in tact, so she got up close for a photo. Pretty amazing that there are roughly 100 feathery bristles known as pappus attached there and either by someone blowing them or the wind dispersing them, will send off all those seeds for more dandelions to grow from. Also along the way, they were lucky enough to spot several bunches of Pink Lady Slippers, which are actually part of the orchid family. They’re really a treat to see, since it’s not a real common flower and is actually a bit rare. Thankfully, Melanie stopped to take in the beauty that nature provides us.

Rob Green, an executive producer with Great Lakes Now, gives us a perspective on a documentary that investigates how plastic pollution enters the lakes and what it does to wildlife, the water and the people. This video is about Lake Erie, but it affects all of the Great Lakes, including our beautiful Lake Superior, so it’s good to be aware of the toll plastics are taking on the beauty all around us and the small steps we can take to help.

That must be a rock hound in the first pic, eh?

Hi
We used to see a few pink ladyslippers in the woods
behind our cabin when we'd go up around Memorial
Day. But seems like it's been harder to get up there
at the right time.

How gorgeous! My Gram could sniff out a
Ladyslipper anywhere. I don't know how..but she'd
find them. Yellow ones too. Don't move them or
take them, they are federally protected. Arbutus
too. It's a crime to take or pick them. And that's
another Gram could find. She was good!

The vid was good too...they say we ingest a credit
card a week. There's microplastic in every single
newborn...Plastic is not good for anyone or
anything. Use Glass!! (Remember, everything used
to come in glass?...of course, doctors used to do
housecalls too.)

Cute dog. I love the dandelion fuzz.
So cool. And lady slippers are so
pretty.

Hi
Donna, we also saw yellow ladyslippers, and trillium
& columbine, at the Headlands park near Mackinaw
City if we caught it right. The Headlands is now a
dark sky park but the woods are still undisturbed.

I hope the dog owner
carries extra large
doggie poop bags.
Did anyone ever get
the dandelion fuzzy
in your mouth trick
played on them?
I did when I was a
kid and I can still
remember how gross
it was trying to get
it out of my mouth.
And forget about
getting rid of plastic,
we’re just too lazy
and too weak.
Oh I’m sure there
are some people who
are trying, but that’s
a tiny minority and
not enough to make
an impact.