Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Cha-cha-changes!
Cha-cha-changes!
Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Seeing can mean believing.
Seeing can mean believing.

flowers

#ForestFriday - Oregon Caves NM

Back in 2016 I visited Oregon Caves National Monument while on a trip to Northern California to see the Redwoods. The drive up from the Redwoods is fantastic and follows the wild and scenic Smith River as you drive up US-199.

The actual road to the caves is lined with trees and the whole places is forested. Enjoy a few photos of the outside on a sunny day!

And here’s some from inside the cave! Not quite a forest, but such a cool place that I can’t wait to go back to now that I live close by.

#WayBackWednesday - Spring in Big Bend NP

This one time I got in my car at 11 pm and drove to Big Bend to see the spring blooms and and to get a couple of hikes in for March. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I had heard the bluebells and other desert flowers were in bloom. The weather looked good, so I took off.

I hiked up the Lost Mine Trail Head and had some great views as the sun peaked over the hills and started shining brightly. Piñon pines, views for days, layered mesas… heaven!

From there, I drove through the park and did some of the Chimneys Trail. On this trail, I saw so many cacti blooms. The ocotillo are some of my favorite. Damn, I miss the desert.

My trip didn’t get me home until almost 24 hours after leaving. Reviewing the photos and reliving the moments has me missing the desert badly. There are some things I miss about Texas, and this is definitely one of of them.

Lincoln National Forest

I figured National Forest Week was still going on so why not share a little from one of my most frequented forests - Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. I work so close to the this one, at a field office, so I’ve been visiting it more often when I have some down time. Even before I worked near it on occasion, my aunt and I had made a trip to escape the heat of September in Texas. The fresh scent of pine makes us happy.

Lincoln NF has a variety of landscapes, from caves to tree lined trails. I camped, in the summer, comfortably at a place with small trees and walked a snow covered trail in the spring at 9000 ft just a couple of hours away. Such a fun, dynamic national forest. Enjoy some photos from the varying places within the Lincoln National Forest.

My Hiatus from Texas

On June 14 I started my drive to Michigan after work and a nap. I had the opportunity to work remotely, from my family’s house, way up north. The whole experience was set up so I could visit my grandmother and other family as much as possible for two weeks during a pleasant time of year in Michigan.

As the two week window came to a close, I learned that working remotely is quite possibly the best thing ever. I managed to stay busy and spend so much time with my family all in the same day, what a dream. I was able to exercise before and after work daily, kayak often, have lunch with best friends, and take long walks on the weekends. It is safe to say that I am not enjoying my home atmosphere nearly as much as the Michigan one. I am back to the grind - commuting, avoiding the outdoors due to heat and concrete, and wishing I was somewhere cooler.

Currently, it is a “real feel” temperature near 100 and too hot to ethically walk my dog on the expansive concrete around us. I’m looking through the photos from my time up north and thought I’d share some highlights to keep the spirit alive. I’ll be back for a visit, Michigan, sometime this year again.


Some sunrises…

And, some sunsets…

But, also, these…

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