August In Both Nests

My Ohio Nest now belongs to another, and it's time for me to take root here in Michigan. Although we lived in Ohio for 21 years, it should be fairly easy to put down roots here, because Michigan is our home. The best part is that our family is now nearby, which was really the point of the move. There is much that I will miss about my home in Ohio, but I'll find new places to love here. Exploring the area will be a priority for me while I learn what my new turf has to offer. 

Most of this post will be dedicated to my old Nest, of course. We're in a new house, with new landscaping, so there isn't much to see yet. I've brought along some planters from the old house, so I won't be completely bereft of flowers. I will be adding flowers here and there, but of course we need to settle indoors first. Meanwhile, here were my final glimpses of my former Robin's Nest in Ohio, where I worked so diligently over the years. I don't think I'll ever have that much space again, but it's all right. It was starting to become a burden, more work than fun. 

But here's the thing. There are things about the Ohio Nest that I *won't* miss. Some of them are just household quirks, like the patio stairs that wobble, the AC vent that won't stop clanging, and the way the thermostat fails to take into account that the upstairs is hotter than the ground floor. Mostly, there are parts of the garden that I'm tired of fighting. I planted a few things that turned out to be thugs, I misjudged how tall those bushes would get, I can't figure out why the end of the summer turns my plants into a fungus farm, and why can't I ever seem to conquer that one particular poison ivy vine? I've done my best, and now it's time to let someone else try to claim mastery over the place. I'll focus on the successes, of which there are MANY.

I will miss the butterflies and small critters that visited me in Ohio. I'll try my best to attract them to my Michigan Nest, but my resources will be limited. I was gifted a bird feeder camera, so that should be fun. I'm also going to add a hummingbird feeder camera. My future deck planters will surely be focused on butterfly favorites, until I can get the garden planned and planted in the back yard.

In the midst of the moving chaos, we took a few days off to visit my beachy hometown on the shores of Lake Michigan. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the beaches were crammed full. I might have to blame myself for the crowds a little, because I often brag about what a charming place it is, especially in the summer. On that Saturday afternoon, there wasn't a beach parking spot to be found, so we entertained ourselves downtown looking at the Chalk the Block art. Just amazing talent to be seen! The first photo below turned out to be the winner, which I guessed correctly the moment I saw it. 

We also visited wineries and other scenic spots, did a bit of shopping, then parked at the scenic overlooks and just sat quietly with our books. Wildfire smoke muted the sunsets, but any evening spent near the water is a good one. 

I've also said my goodbyes to my favorite parks in Ohio. I don't think many people get as attached to nature locations as I do. It has seriously been difficult to leave them behind! Chestnut Ridge in particular has become something of a sacred space to me, and I was choked up as I made my final visits. I quite literally pour out my heart to the trees when I'm troubled. I know, Michigan will have parks too. But I'll miss these parks, especially this fall. I did a lot of personal goodbyes too, but I'll hold the friend photos for my own memories. 

And here I am in the new Robin’s Nest. My daughter has been babysitting my planters for a few weeks, but tonight I brought them home. The next door neighbor noticed them immediately. While they were in her custody, a swallowtail butterfly obviously visited the parsley in my herb garden, as we found three caterpillars. As far as the standard landscaping that came with the house, most of it was Little Lime hydrangeas, a favorite of mine, so that’s fine by me. They also gave me some commonplace Stella De’Oro daylilies, which bore me silly. Technically, I am not supposed to change the plants, but no one will see if I swap out these old stalwarts for a more spicy variety of daylily, like Little Grapette. They won't notice. Shhhh. 

I'll close as usual with sunsets. We made sure that our new house was situated in such a way that I can still see sunsets off the porch or deck, depending on the season. The first ten sunsets below are from Ohio, and the rest are from the new house, as the rest will be going forward! 

   

See you back here at the end of September, as I get to know my new community. I have a feeling that I'll be putting miles on my car, as I scout out new scenic spots. It's important to me to have scenery nearby, so I need to find it, and soon, before the fall colors start. I'm sure that my blog will look a bit different for awhile, but I hope you'll have patience with me. Thanks for stopping