The beginning of May I went to a morning hike at a nearby nature center. It was supposed to be a birding by ear walk..but the rainstorm quelched that so it mainly turned into a wildflower hike.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of these...but I liked them.

This I know is the White Trillium!

Some wild pansies.

White Trillium and Jack in the Pulpit to its left.

We found an occupied Blue Bird nest...it had 4 babies in it..but I couldn't linger I only had 3 seconds to peek & I couldn't get my camera in close enough.

Some Apple Blossoms.

To Hell (Michigan) and Back

For the sheer *#%% of it...over

spring break, my cousins Kathy, Mike, Alyssa & myself took a ride to Hell (Michigan) and back. And to answer the question of non-believers out there...yes, there really is a Hell (Michigan)! Look..they even give directions, albeit it tells us to turn left...not go south! Its a VERY tiny town northish of Ann Arbor and in the middle of nowhere!

Cousin Mike had to get some more hours for drivers ed....so the trip served more than one purpose...and no..he did not drive like &#%% on wheels...he did quite well!

As we neared the metropolis of Hell,Michigan  we drove through rolling farmland and windy curvy (but scenic) tree-lined roads. At one point we got a little lost but then stopped and figured out where exactly we were and had to re-trace our steps a bit to reach our destination. Just a few miles from Hell, Michigan  was a buffalo farm...I begged them to stop & let me out for just a few minutes..being VERY careful not to touch the electric fence!

This big guy came right up close to investigate!

Hell may have been more interesting if the weather had been nicer...it wasn't froze over...but was a chilly 35ish and windy! The town consists of a restaurant (the Dam Site Inn...named for the dam in the river I guess), a souvenir shop/ice cream stand/put-put golf place, canoe&kayak rental (closed) and

a snack shop/gift shop/post office building.

At the post office you are offered a lighter to "singe" your postcard before mailing...can you believe the lady actually handed my the lighter and then left! I kept looking at the card (lighter in hand) and then to my cousin and wondering how I would put out the fire after I lit the postcard and how I could control it not totally burning up the hole postcard..not to mention the building! I think Kathy was thinking the same thing. So I wandered over to her and told her I felt uncomfortable and could she please singe it for me. Imagine my surprise when all she did was wave the lighter back and forth about 3 inches AWAY from the card! She was equally shocked when she was finished I thanked her because I told her I thought she meant to light the corner of the post card on fire & let it burn a little! See the 10 second rule DOES come in handy!

Here's the town of Hell, Michigan ..not much...but might be some good hiking or kayaking in better weather! After a cruise through Clelsea and Ann Arbor we headed for home.....so now I can truly say that I have been to Hell, Michigan ...and back!