Scenes from Another Walk-About

After days of cloudy (or not) skies, we took off again in the van to go to a popular park to walk and stretch our legs. We encountered ROAD CLOSED signs on the roadway giving motorists access to the very popular Millennium Park in Kent County, Michigan. Days ago, we stopped to photograph the rising waters of the Grand River which borders this road. The river itself was at very high tide, and had flooded parts of a small unpaved park parking area and boat ramp. Two days later and the road to the boat ramp is closed and the flooding had extended to the other side of the road. It wasn't very deep but one can never tell. There are countless tales of motorists driving without caution into flooded roadways, only to be calling for assistance later as their vehicle has stopped in the flood waters. A vehicle should never be driven into floodwaters of ANY height simply because you can never tell how deep that water is.....

A beautifully reflective flood pond!

While photographing the scene, we watched as many vehicles simply drove past the caution signs and into the calm flood waters! One truck even went in fast and threw up huge and high waves of water. 

Nobody got stuck in the water but it could have been the case! A few bicyclists drove through the water, including one biker wearing an ESPAÑA jersey!! Really!! 

After a few more snaps, we walked finally on a paved trail to get to the other side of the flooded area. 

A mile and an hour later, we were on the other side, watching from where we were snapping earlier. Again, a few vehicles passed us to head to the flood waters which had receded a little. 

It was fun however, watching two guys at the other end where an hour ago WE were standing. They were filming themselves playing in the water and doing hand stands!

A Hike before the Storm

Yesterday it was surprisingly hot and very humid as it was today also, and by time we got indoors again, you'd think we were out in a rainstorm! But it was a good walk, plus we weren't bitten by too many bugs. We are trying to avoid all the water spots, but as western Michigan has been getting some type of shower or storms almost everyday since we arrived, it's hard to keep away from the standing water everywhere. 

Here's a few more unedited nor uncropped smartphone pictures snapped during a few of our most recent walks.

It takes just a second to admire Nature's Beauty

Sunset over the trees BUT can you see the crescent moon?

We don't really have a schedule, nor do we know where we'll go or even be sometimes, but often it's too late to be anywhere! We do know that eventually we'll be outside no matter how humid it is, or how many bugs will be out with us, dining on whatever's available (most of the time it'll be them dining on us!). 

What a pleasant spot for a rest during a humid walk!

I've been abandoning my cameras more often these past few months, and using my dumbphone (right now my samsung s5 is just about so useless it can't do anything correct without an annoying reset every few minutes), and though I know I'll regret it later, I still am able to get some very nice pictures!

O M G It's Going to be Another Green Night for Some

It really looks like it may be great conditions for viewing the aurora for some lucky ones in North America when night arrives in a few hours. The aurora should be very bright and visible for many in the northern latitudes here, and in northern regions of Europe right now!!! We are hoping to be equally blessed and see and photograph some of this either tonight or tomorrow night! 

Good luck to all, and post some pictures of the aurora!

Very Interesting Read!

Can a Burger Help Solve Climate Change?
This article in the online version of the New Yorker will open in a new window

So, what do YOU think? We've actually been thinking along the same lines for some time now, which is why I stopped eating red and very fatty meats over a decade ago.

It's a fairly long read, but it has its merits. Red meat just isn't good for you, but still, millions, if not more around this dying globe we call home, eat red-meat. I group the need for red-meat the same as smoking: people continue to smoke though they fully realize they will most likely die a very slow, agonizing painful and awful death, but who's worrying about that now?

What have you done to improve your health and future? Are you a family member who decides what to cook for everyone? Are you helping to keep your family healthy, strong for a sustainable future where the planet as well as its inhabitants all being responsible and accountable, and treating themselves and other species with respect and care?

The main issue here though, is that WE, as a common group concerned for not only our welfare and well-being but of our sons and daughter who will eventually take our place on this dying choking world, should take a serious stand NOW to change our daily routine and routines, and change our diets now. Will the results of one family or even one community stop the earth from dying sometime after the year 2050?

Anyone who has a real concern for their personal health should be thinking of real actions to take, after reading this article. It seems that the year 2050 will be a turning point in the survival of the race we call Humans. Humans have created this problem, first with the development of the plastic product, then the destruction and healing of the ozone, and now the methods necessary to control and eventually STOP climate change throughout the planet.

I sincerely believe there are many who say all this talk and screaming about climate change and the greenhouse effect is all nonsense, but as we live in a world where constant change is the norm, and every season is an extreme of more and more floods, fires, and famine, every day should be built around a personal plan in what can WE each can do to call more attention to this, what will our personal actions be, and finally, can anyone actually convince each individual who calls this planet home, to make the change or die, or at least the children of our sons and daughters will be faced with a future world of extreme unknowns.

What will YOU do?

Clouds seen while on the Road

Well, during the past few weeks we've put more putting miles on that odometer, and this week is NO exception. We are again in the higher latitudes, not high enough to see the aurora forecast for the next few days, but high enough to be able to drive a few hours if the skies were clear (NOT!), to see some green meanies!

We didn't stop as many times on the drive up as we would have liked, but it was still nice with some very nice clouds, and here's a few snaps of the clouds.

We knew in advance the area was getting rain, and sure enough, as we got into the last miles of our looong drive, the rain began. By time we arrived at our final destination Sunday evening, it was pouring down quite nice. 

It's nice of Mother Nature to be so kind to clean our poor dirty minivan!

On the other hand, we regularly pass through Michigan, and this drive was again no exception. Michigan has an interstate speed limit of 70 miles per hour (mph), but still the cars zip by us as if we were standing still. I guessimate their speeds far exceed Michigan's speed limit of 70mph, and we often see cars racing on the interstate roadways. I have often complained of vehicles in the states of New York, Pennsylvania and especially Michigan, how they pass even over double yellow NO-passing lanes, on curves, and seem to enjoy driving at the speed of illegal and suddenly stop approximately two feet behind your back bumper. 

In my opinion, there is NO way to prevent a deadly accident on any roadway while driving 70mph or faster. By allowing vehicles to drive 70mph and above, the state is basically saying you can get to your destination faster, and to the cemetery even faster! It's bad enough that most vehicles that cause an accident kill others while seemingly the vehicles causing those accidents disappear into the distance to again speed recklessly another day. In one recent incident in Michigan, a pickup truck zoomed up to pass but instead encountered two trucks side-by-side, one passing the other. The truck simply veered suddenly to the right of both trucks, passing both on the interstate shoulder, and disappeared within seconds!

The overall sad thing about higher speed limits, is that drivers drive fast everywhere. It seems in these states and others, drivers speed faster than the posted speed limit everywhere, since they are already used to speeding faster than the speed limit. Yesterday, we saw two black sedans racing each other at what I estimated to be 85mph, weaving in and out of traffic, with no regard to the safety of others nor for themselves. Then we passed by a state trooper on the side of the road, after having stopped some other vehicle, but those two speeding racing vehicles had passed by them just minutes ago!!

This story doesn't end there. We are saddened to see so many signs with the following sad words CRASH INVESTIGATION SITE, and the frequency of these signs appearing on roadways is increasing!! We saw one such sign in New York state roadways even, the first ever! On this trip, after crossing into Michigan from the southeast, there must have been 10 and more of these signs. I don't think anyone can see these signs since they are driving faster than the speed of signs!

Wherever you are, stay at a safe speed, and that speed should be the speed you can safely control your vehicle should a situation present you with a split-second decision to decide what action to take: stop, slow down, or steer away. At the top speed of 70mph or faster, any one of the three actions I mentioned, will most likely result in a roll-over, a collision with another vehicle, or all. Other vehicles will then be affected also, building into a high-speed crash scenario that is encouraged by many states by increasing the speed limit. 

How many have, and will die because of these high speeds? How many innocent drivers who are driving below the displayed speed of 70mph, will be affected and/or be seriously injured or killed?

You can write, email or call your state transportation representative or others, to voice your opinion that speed limits need to be lowered. No matter what happens, all of us are affected in one way or another.....  

What will YOU do?

Have you had a close-call with a speeding driver? Please share your experience, detailing the location, the direction you were headed, and what was the posted speed limit....

It's been said before lots but I seriously don't think many are hearing it: BE SAFE OUT THERE!