Update

Update to the old Montaguepiedaterre blog. I have not been faithful in keeping with updates to this blog since I have been concentrating on two other ones. One of the blogs is of our trip to Paris last year ... http://parisat40.blogspot.com/ ... and the other is a blog that I started that follows a trip in October that we took to Virginia ... http://autumninvirginia.blogspot.com/ ... our week in Louisiana ... http://lakecharlesla.blogspot.com ... and http://fredshere.blogspot.com ... try them out and see what you think. I have been learning lots of new features that can be added to blog sites as well as new and exciting ways to edit, etc.

Common Chicory

Common chicory (cichorium intybus) is a bushy perennial herb with blue or lavender flowers. It's also known as blue sailors, succory or coffeeweed. It can be used in salads and during the "coffee crisis" was used to supplement more expensive coffee beans. This flower is most prevalent along the entrance to North Grey Dunes, before reaching the gate.

Tree Toad or Tree Frog?

Herein lies the mystery. Last week there appeared a small green frog perched atop the lowest railing post leading to the lower sun deck. I had never seen one like this. Then suddenly, one appeared at our home on the woods side of our house. The little creature has small "sticky" pads on its feet. I don't think it flies but how does it manage to get to higher elevations? Anybody have any idea?

UPDATE: I emailed Chris VanLonkhuizen and it's his expert opinion that this is a tree toad. It's got sticky feet that help it to maneuver around in the trees and that it makes the noise that we all love to hear when August gets ripe and the summer begins to come to an end.

Drycopus pileatus

The pileated woodpecker can do major damage to a tree or even a house. This bird, also called an Indian Hen, is very elusive. It's approximately the size of a crow. This tree can be seen along Pepper's Trail. The easiest way to spot this particular tree is to look at the base of the tree where you can see a goodly amount of freshly chipped wood in a pile on the ground. It appears to be a Red Pine and lives on the east side of Pepper's Trail.

Colored Glass and Bedspreads

In the spare bedroom there is a shelf where glass and other fun items get displayed. The shelf is a natural outcome of the "window" that is between the bedroom and the entry hall. The glass is such that one cannot look into the bedroom from the hall but the window glass allows light from the front of the cottage to keep the hallway from being too dark.


The bedspread in our bedroom is quite old but it works quite well for a cottage. It has lots of memories even though it's a bit short for the "extra tall" box spring and mattress. This bedroom is wonderful when the morning light shines through the stained glass windows facing east.

Adirondack Chairs and Queen Anne's Lace

Early morning is a good time to sit "down below" in the Adirondack chairs. The gentle breeze and the sound of insects are good backdrops to a warm cup of coffee. The sunrise over the dune behind the cottage warms the day.


Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) is in full bloom during the month of August. It's also referred to as Wild Carrot or Bishop's Lace. The British refer to it as Bird's Nest.

SunDecks and BeachSigns

On the front porch, the view to the north is the lower sundeck. It's a nice spot to curl up with a book or enjoy the morning sun while listening to the crickets and blue birds over a cup of coffee.

Showers Out of Doors (even when there is no thunder or even rain)

The outdoor shower is hidden between the cottage and the sundeck. It can be used to wash the sand off your feet when you come back from the beach or taking your first shower of the day outside can be quite invigorating. The rule for taking outside showers is to announce that you are taking one so everyone can hear. The rule is to give that person privacy whilst they are outside and to refrain from peeking.

Mule Rides and Dune Ramps

The ramp over the seventy five foot high sand dune looks formidable but the mule is always up to the task. Parked at the bottom of the ramp on the cottageside of the dune, it faithfully awaits the next trip for groceries or to pick up some visitors. The ramp also serves to keep one away from the poison ivy that populates the hillside.

The mule stands sentinal, anxiously awaiting it's next task.

Fruitvale Road west

Once you have left the highway, the views along Fruitvale Road are lovely. At this time of the year, the farmers are managing to get their second and third cuttings of hay. Fruitvale Road is a straight shot, about five miles of wonderful farmland with pastures of sunflowers and fields of wheat, soybeans and alfalfa. The road gently decends on its path to the west through rolling hills past barns and horses, past sweeping fields of corn.



Fruitvale Road ends at a cul de sac. Pepper's Trail officially begins at the sign for North Grey Dunes. This is the place. This is where you begin your journey into a beautiful wooded dunescape, winding your way through the woods looking for the first glimpse of Lake Michigan.






About a hundred yards past the association sign you will encounter the gate. The gate is designed to keep people out who oftentimes get themselves into trouble once they realize that they have become lost in the woods and are unable to extricate themselves. The gate code changes every fall just before hunting season. This will keep hunters out who have discovered the code during the year but find themselves unable to pass through once hunting season begins.

If you have the gate code you will be permitted to enter. Once you are in you will see the marquee of cottages. Continue on your way along Pepper's Trail and you will soon find yourself on your way to Lot 7, Lost Lake Estates.

Road Signs and Right Turns

The first road sign that will be visible is the Bix Trail and Pepper's Trail road sign. Simply stay on Pepper's Trail and soon the Pepper's Trail and Lonts Lane road sign will appear. Stay the course and don't be deceived by the allure of cottages and lake views afforded by a side spur. Stay focused and head for Pied a Terre. You can always visit Lonts Lane on a subsequent hike in the woods and explore Lonts Lane at a later time. There are in fact beautiful cottages to be seen but these can be viewed at a later time once you have settled into the cottage.

Once you have passed Lonts Lane and you are continuing to wind your way through the woods, you will travel approximately a mile until the major intersection of four trails appears. This is where Pepper's Trail splits and you will now want to head in the direction of Lost Lake.

At this point, the right turn rule comes into effect. Turn right at the major intersection and head towards Lost Lake. You will now be travelling westerly towards Lake Michigan through beautiful ducidious tree stands for a quarter mile until the sky opens and the sand dunes begin to appear.

The next road sign you will spot will be the Feather Ridge and Lost Lake road sign. Again, bear right. At this point if you look in the direction of Feather Ridge you can get a glimpse of Lake Michigan within walking distance. There's a set of stairs that lead down to the beach and you can take these on subsequent hikes in the area.

A short jaunt down the hill will lead to an open parking area. At the north end you will spot the lot "7" marker. You have arrived at Lot Seven, Lost Lakes Estates. Park your car here and look for the ramp that will lead you up and over the seventy five foot high sand dune.

A Good Week

It was good to spend some time this summer at pied a terre. The weather was wonderful, the walks were amazing and the meals were marvelous. Got a bit of work accomplished as well. The quietness can be a wonderful change from life in the city.

Back from Texas

We are back from Texas and the blog should begin to recreate again soon.

Cousins and Poppy Fields

During our weeks stay at Pied A Terre we went up the coast to visit with cousin Fran. In her entryway hangs a lovely painting that she purchased from our daughter Ellen. It's a field of poppies from the south of France. You can even visit Ellen's website at http://www.ellen-devries.com/ to see other works of hers. It's always good to visit with Fran in Pentwater.

Mighty Rock

Here's an original woodcut done by a dear friend who no longer is with us. She walks the beaches on a different shore. The woodcut hangs in our bedroom at Pied A Terre and is testimony to her faith and to the faith that we have in our Mighty Rock. If you "click" on the image you can read the portion of Psalm 62 that makes for a most beautiful woodcut.

Fishing Lures

Here is a collection of fishing lures that Marlene has collected and saved from destruction on the beach. The collection includes deep sea lures used for big fish like salmon, smaller lures used for snagging smaller fish in White Lake or off the pier as well as various and sundry accoutrement like planer boards, underwater temperature sensors, etc. Many visitors to Montague Pied A Terre find this collection to be very alluring.

Sea Glass

This, of course, is just a sampling of sea glass that has been saved from the lake. There is a lot more sea glass in other containers at Pied A Terre and at home as well. Marlene is the number one collector of sea glass in the whole State of Michigan and is actually trying to establish a presence worldwide. The science of sea glass collecting is interesting. Sea glass originates from bottles and jars that enter the water as litter and become broken up by the waves and rocks. Green, clear, brown and amber beach glass is the most common. Red sea glass is found only once for every 5000 pieces, while the rarest of all, orange, can only be found for every 10000 pieces. Sea glass is one of only a few objects made valuable by the actions of the environment on man made litter.

Midsummer Night's Eve

Tonight is Midsummer Night's Eve, also called St John's Eve. St John is the patron saint of beekeepers. It's a time when the hives are full of honey. The full moon that occurs this month is called the Mead Moon, because honey was fermented to make mead. That's where the word "honeymoon" comes from. It was traditional to furnish a newlywed couple a month supply of mead to insure happiness and fertility. Midsummer dew was said to have special healing powers. Women washed their faces in it to make them beautiful and young. It's also known as Herb Evening. Legend says that this is the best night for gathering magical herbs.

Does'nt Get Better Than This

When everyone is out to the cottage, when the meal of Morroccan Chicken is on the table, when the corn has been prepared with loving hands, when the salad has been vinegared and oiled, when The Prairie Home Companion is on the air and when the family is gathered all around and the food has been blessed ... then you can truly say that Gods blessings abound.

We praise you Lord for this good, good life
And praise for the day we were born
And the gifts you have given including this Heavenly fresh sweet corn.

There's a surprise in this picture ... if you "click" and enlarge it, you can see the little "hummer" visiting the feeder just outside the porch screen.

Too Much Sand and Not Enough Pie

If you spend too much time on the beach in the sand, like Joe did, this is what happens to you. It took hours to dig him out, and when we finally extricated him, he was exhausted and starved and kept asking for a SANDwich. He already had eaten all of the Pecan Sandies.

When blackberry season is upon us, and you are fortunate enough to have either Katie or Ellen around, they will make a most delicious blackberry pie. There never seems to be enough, however. When it's warm and just out of the oven, a little Hudsonville vanilla ice cream will make it disappear.

Yellow Lambs and Yellow Butterflies

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucas) was willing to pose a few seconds so I could capture its beauty while warming up on the sand. Typically, they are very wary and stay at a very long arms length. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail often rests with its wings fully spread, particularly if the sun is out. On the medial margin of the hind wing next to the abdomen, notice the small red and blue spots.



The Yellow Lambs Ear (Stachys citrina) is just beginning to bloom. Its color is more brilliant than the sun. We see it growing on the forested side of our daily constitutional. Again, its color is most brilliant in the spring when the rains keep it fed and the cool nights help to maintain is fresh appearance.

Beach Strolls and Salmon Steaks

Every beach walk is different. Each day there are new things that wash up and appear in the sand ... a piece of sea glass or a fishing lure. Occasionally there are spots where a stream from the land enters the lake and provides for a beautiful stoney discontinuity in the sand.

The long walks work up the appetite. The smoked salmon from Bortells is well worth the wait and fresh potato salad and vegetables provide a most delicious reward for hours of beach walking.

Hummingbirds and Hollyhocks

Actually this photo is of a hummingbird moth. The small moth was shy and made it difficult to get a closeup picture. From what I can determine, its a Nessus Sphinx (Amphion Floridensis), a species that does in fact feed during daylight hours. The bands around the abdomen and the tuft at the end help to identify this particular creature. If you "click" the picture, you'll get a much better look at its markings.

These hollyhocks (Alcea) are on our walk and provide for a wonderful backdrop to our exercise regimen. Spring is a magnificent time for many varieties of beautiful flowers. The spring rain and cool evening temperatures provide for their brilliance and lasting quality.

Flora Abounds

The Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) shown in the photo is about seven years old. Its life is spent flowerless until the seventh year when it blossoms and then dies in hopes of continuing to enhance the dune blow with its stark beauty for another seven years.



The Hairy Pucoon (Lithospermum caroliniense) blossoms again as well and appears to be a potted plant that someone simply set on the ground so as to be seen by those who stay in the cottage.




The Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) appears along the roads and trails to brighten up the day and to provide us with a beautiful profusion of colour.

Big Weekend

FRIDAY - Big weekend planned. It's time for spring cleaning, and one of the most grueling jobs is to wash all 800 windows in the cottage. The task has been put off long enough and now is the time. MONDAY - I lied ... I wrenched my knee and the window cleaning took a back seat to reading a book. There really are'nt 800 windows but when you're washing them it sure seems like it.

Bookstores and Autographs

The small bookstore in Montague, The Book Nook, had a special visitor come to town. We were fortunate enough to have a small visit with him ... we talked about National Treasures ... we mentioned the fact that we actually plan our Saturdays around the program, whereupon he replied, "Well, so do I". At the end of the session, Marlene began to sing ... after singing only two notes of "Let The Rest of The World Go By", all three of us were singing together. He loves to harmonize and did a wonderful job.

On this day in 1768, Dolley Madison was born.

Hummingbirds and Ore Boats

A sure sign of spring is when the humming birds return on or around the Ides of May, much like the swallows return to Capistrano and ...

... and you begin to see the ore boats plying the waters of Lake Michigan from Minnesota all the way to Chicago. A couple a day are what we may see. This fellow seems to be rather close in to the shore. Usually they are considerably further out away from the land.

Fourth of Julys

Fourth of July parades in Whitehall and Montague are perhaps some of the best ones around. They simply fill ones heart with joy and celebration. Here's a picture of the parade two years ago and we look forward to the one this year. If you can be there too, we would be most happy to sit next to you.

Signs of Spring

It's good to see signs of spring after record breaking snowfall for the winter. The annual association meeting is May 24 where additional dues are anticipated in order to account for the snow removal bill incurred in years like this one. The calendar is filling up for the summer as well. It's going to be a good summer with lots of activity and fun family times.

Boredom

Boredom abounds since nobody has visited montague pied a terre due to busy schedules and or illness. The turnaround waits to be built, anxious to swing the Mule one hundred eighty degrees.

COS Senior High Retreat

A group of senior high students from the Church of the Servant had a weekend retreat at montague pied a terre the first weekend in March 2008. A hands on project was finished after many hands and many minds were put to use. The leaders for the retreat were Jack and Carol Roeda along with Minister of Youth, Judy Ko. If you "double click" the lower image, you will see the detail that went into these beautiful works and you will be surprised by what you find in the detail. These pieces are reminicient of work done by John August Swanson.

Weekend Retreat

It's amazing what you can construct when you have so many hands and an eagerness to create. The finished product should be the artwork for the front of a liturgy.

A large workspace lends itself to a meeting of the minds.
















Evening is a time for discussion and reflection. It's also time for homework and a time to chill.
It appears that Carol drew the short straw and ended up with kitchen clean up duty this morning.
A cup of coffee brings contentment and a smile to Pastor Jack's face.