In My Own Backyard

I have been tremendously fortunate to stay with Janet Gustafson this summer. While the exact family connection is somewhat complicated (she is my grandfather's cousin's wife, which I think makes her my second cousin, once removed, but I am still a bit fuzzy on exactly how it works), she has certainly been a wonderful host.

Janet lives in Gladstone, Michigan, "on the bluff" as the locals differentiate those living in town vs. those living atop a bluff overlooking Little Bay de Noc and the town itself. Her view is incredible. Her yard, is outstanding and carefully maintained by her own hard work. It certainly is an awesome place to spend the summer.

With her view and her approximately 11 acres, comes an abundance of wildlife. I have been fortunate to see many different types of animals I don't normally get to see at home during my adventures, such as a Beaver carrying a branch to his dam in Fayette State Park, a moose off to the side of the road on a drive from the UP back to school, and a bald eagle flying overhead while out on a bike ride. However, I don't have to venture far to see some incredible sights or take some unique photos.

We have several deer visitors on a daily basis and have begun to be able to identify the different members. One group is quite large of 6 to 8 deer. A single male yearling also wanders around quite often. A new member, a pregnant single female also appears on occasion. Finally, we recently started to see a mom and baby on a regular basis.

On one occasion, the two were grazing in the backyard and mom was spooked by a car door shutting. She took off and baby dropped to the ground and hid. The only reason I was able to find him was because I had been watching him before. He stayed down for about 10 minutes before getting up and wobbling away after mom. A little while later, both mom and baby came back up the bluff and walked through the yard. 

Did I mention I never even had to leave the couch to take most of these pictures.