I think all of that complaining that I did about the lack of snow we have, has caught up to me! We sure do have it now in the UP! I keep shoveling off the back porch, but the dogs refuse to go off it into the deep snow in the backyard. They have now taken to peeing off/on the porch :/ Not too happy about that! Nic and I went back country skiing last night with the dogs and they could barely walk through the snow. I’m so sore from shoveling!
The view from a coworker’s window.
Posted by paddleror03 on February 20, 2013
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/winter-is-here/
It seems that the only things keeping me motivated lately are my little mini-vacations. It is nice having something to look forward to. Although I love where I live, and can be happy just hanging out at my house, it is nice to get out of town and experience something new every once in a while.
Posted by paddleror03 on January 9, 2013
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/nye-in-chicago/
I haven’t been keeping up with my blog, and my mother has been bugging me to post more pictures and updates. I blame Facebook, because I have been just putting all of my pictures on there. Also, the last month has been crazy! Nic and I have been travelling all over the place and trying to keep up with the holidays. Enough excuses…here are some updates. (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on January 4, 2013
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/ho-ho-ho/
I would like to bring attention to a big issue that I am finding more and more common lately: the government’s attack on small farms (and even gardens). We are hearing a lot about people in urban and suburban areas with gardens in their front lawns, being forced to “landscape” their property instead of growing food. It starts with neighbors complaining that the gardens don’t fit in with the subdivision complex, or that the raised beds are an eye sore. Then the government gets involved and it becomes the homeowners fight for their rights to grow vegetables instead of maintaining a well-manicured green lawn. I am having a hard time understanding this whole issue. What ever happened to “victory gardens”? I like having my own garden and I recently expanded it into my front yard because I have better sun and I am so sick of mowing! I am just waiting to see how long it takes for one of my neighbors to chirp in…
Here are some examples of people in urban areas that are fighting to keep their gardens. I got these pictures off of a Facebook page called Grow Food Not Lawns. Why is this illegal?:
Posted by paddleror03 on November 14, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/right-to-farm/
My pumpkin (left), Nic’s (right) and the “pimpkin” in the middle!
I hope everyone is having a Happy Halloween! The City of Marquette did their business trick-or-treating last weekend, so it seems like most events are during that time. They also do residential trick-or-treating today, but it is only from 4-7 and not many kids go out. I think it is because most of the town is all college kids and they never hand out candy. I remember trick-or-treating in the DARK. What ever happened to that? Safety concerns? It’s not as fun anymore 
I opted to hand out play dough tonight instead of candy this year. I think sugar is the last thing most kids need. (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on October 31, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/happy-halloween/
Nic and I made a short overnight trip to Ottawa National Forest this past weekend. It has been raining for weeks in the U.P. and we wanted to take advantage of a few dry days and our days off. We met a friend at Sturgeon River Campground, which is about an hour drive from Marquette. We arrived after dark and we saw hundreds of deer along the way. I was driving while Nic was scanning the side of the road for deer. This campground was really cool. We set our tent up 20 feet from the river. It is free to camp there and is pretty rustic. It did have a pit bathroom and the boys said it was very clean. We were the only ones there, so the dogs ran around free and loved it. It was a chilly night and I didn’t get much sleep. I woke up from being cold, or the dogs woke me up because they were cold and needed to be covered up. I am not sure if they were cold because they don’t have much fur, or if they were just spoiled and wanted to be under the blankets… (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on October 22, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/a-day-in-ottawa-national-forest/
Well, we have snow! A little… I actually had to use my scraper this morning on my windshield and I am not happy about it. The house is all decorated for Halloween but we will wait a week or so to carve pumpkins. My freezer is packed full of soups, blanched veggies and fruit. The house smells like pumpkin pie and apples. Hooray for Fall! (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on October 11, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/autumn-updates/
Nic and I took a little weekend getaway to Canada. My parents kindly met us in Mackinaw City to take the dogs off our hands. We enjoy taking the dogs with us on trips, but we were bringing paddleboards and I didn’t want to leave them in the car. The weather on the drive was amazing. We drove through black storm clouds and ended up with some great rainbows. We arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, ON around 7 pm and did our grocery shopping. Is it just me, or does food and beer in Canada seem much more expensive?
Posted by paddleror03 on September 21, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/weekend-in-the-woods/
It has been almost 2 weeks since we ended our little body cleanse. I thought that I would tell you guys that I haven’t indulged in pop yet, which is a big feat for me. I am just not craving it like I used to before the cleanse. I have also noticed that certain foods make me feel awful. After I eat pizza or a big sandwich, I cramp up. My stomach feels like crap for a couple of hours afterwards. I think that cheese is something that my body rejects also. I feel very lazy and don’t want to move after I eat it. We haven’t bought milk since the cleanse ended either. Since we mainly use milk for only cooking, we have been keeping coconut and rice milk around. It is working great and I find that it doesn’t go bad as fast as normal milk. (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on September 7, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/post-cleanse/
My boyfriend, Nic, and I rarely have time off together during the summer months. We both work opposite schedules and it is hard to plan trips. We have been planning a trip to the Garden Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula for a while, and this Sunday we finally found time to do it. It is less than 2 hours away from Marquette, but neither of us have explored that part of the UP. (more…)
Posted by paddleror03 on July 16, 2012
http://paddleror03.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/michigans-garden-peninsula/
