EEEEE-OOO-EEEEE

That's exactly how a cicada sounds.

Standard Dog-Day Cicada. I was inside when I heard this one "singing" and holy shit it was loud. Found it right outside a window that I had been sitting next to. EEEEE-OO-EEE

'Tis the Saison

I decided to put on my brewing hat after seeing a couple rainy days coming up during some free time I had.  I couldn't just brew anything though, since relatively high temperatures and my lack of a fermentation chamber meant I needed to use a warm-temperature tolerant yeast.  For me, this means saisons.  Saisons are a Belgian-French ale that are typically dry and lightly hopped, with notes of fruit and spice (either from some spice itself or just the yeast/grain).

I did some experiential "research" around town, came up with some recipes, and got my brew on.  I made two batches using similar base malts and hops (whole leaf this time), and identical yeast strains.  I decided against using any herbs or spices.  However, I supplemented one with a bit of wheat and the other with a hefty portion of rye.  Looking forward to tasting the results.

First runnings from the saison-rye mash.  That there brown stuff is gonna be beer.

North Manitou Island

Did a little backpacking last week with Nick on North Manitou Island.  The island, and its aptly named brother, South Manitou Island, are located in the northeastern end of Lake Michigan.  I've been to both islands several times, with South Manitou being one of the first places I ever backpacked.

The islands are technically a part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which seems to be better known for its mainland attractions.  I prefer the islands.  Anyway, access to North Manitou is via ferry, and once on the island, you're generally free to roam and camp as you please.  Some photos:

A smaller dune area on the southwest side. North Manitou Island is relatively small for a backpacking destination, but does offer about 30 miles of trail hiking and 20 miles of shoreline hiking. We generally stayed close to the lake on this trip and explored the vast majority of the island's perimeter.

Crescent Dock ruins on an overcast morning.  North Manitou Island was settled to an extent over a hundred some years ago, with evidence of such scattered throughout the area. Besides various dock remnants, there are abandoned houses, orchards, a random barn, and even a cemetery.

A surprisingly well-preserved crawfish exoskeleton. The remains of a molt? Or maybe not. Either way, it was the honorary third member of our group at the second campsite.

Northeast side sunrise. I was up and about for a bit that morning due to a nearby crow that sounded like it was cawing directly into my ear.  Took this photo after shooing the thing away.

Keeping an eye on the angry looking clouds. We were a bit concerned, considering we left our rain gear at home, but thankfully all we got was a little drizzle and a lot of wind.

On a foredune near the Old Stormer Dock ruins on the southeast side.  Despite the earlier threatening weather, it cleared up nicely by the end of the day, allowing for some solid beach time.

North Manitou Island + backpacking = good times.

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Shi   ng Receiving