Michigan | Erin Bartels

Wildflower Wednesday: Wild Lupine

Posted on July 10, 2013June 28, 2013 by Erin Bartels

Common Name: Wild Lupine

Scientific Name: Lupinus perennis

Habitat & Range: sunny fields & open woodland in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula

Bloom Time: late spring & early summer

About: Wild Lupine is the only host plant for the threatened Karner Blue butterfly caterpillar. In order to maintain the health of the plant and the existence of the Karner Blue, please NEVER cut, pick, or transplant Wild Lupine. This is a good general rule to follow with all native wildflower species. Enjoy them where they are, take a picture, and leave them be. If you love the look of Lupines and want them in your garden, there are many domestic varieties to choose from that form pleasant clumps of flowers. Or, if you’d like to be part of the solution to the Karner Blue butterfly’s plight, get native plants that have been grown from seed at your friendly neighborhood university plant sale. Calvin College and Michigan State University both have yearly plant sales in May that include important native plants.

Reference: Wildflowers of Michigan by Stan Tekiela; Adventure Publications, 2000

Wildflower Wednesday: Spiderwort

Posted on July 3, 2013June 28, 2013 by Erin Bartels

Summer is such a fun time to walk meadows and woods, listening to birds, watching butterflies and dragonflies, and spying out wildflowers. I have scads of photos of Michigan wildflowers, many of which I’ve identified, some of which are still a bit of a mystery. I thought perhaps that some of you nature lovers out there might enjoy a regular feature on wildflowers during the warm months. Thus I bring you the inaugural post in the Wildflower Wednesday series. Some of them will be common, others may be rare, all will include a bit of interesting information, like basic facts, uses, and lore.

So without further ado, I bring you the Spiderwort.

Common Name: Spiderwort

Scientific Name: Tradescantia

Habitat & Range: meadows & fields in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula

Bloom Time: spring & summer, one to three blooms opening at a time in each cluster of up to 10 flowers

About: There are about 70 species of Tradescantia, many of which have interesting common names (Scurvy Weed, Moses in the Cradle, Wandering Jew, etc.). The name Spiderwort may come from the sort of spidery look that a clump of these plants have, with their long skinny leaves resembling a spider’s legs, or perhaps the stringy sap that looks a bit like a spiderweb if the leaf is torn apart.

Many plants have the suffix “wort” attached to them. This is a Middle English word that was often used in naming plants. Generally the first part of the name would indicate the area of the body that could be healed using the plant (as in Bloodwort, Bruisewort, and Woundwort–which is also a fine name for evil rabbit overlords) or it would indicate something about the shape of the plant. Often the only reason it seems people used a plant to treat a particular ailment is because it looked like a certain part of the body (Lungwort, for example). If it also happened to be medically efficacious, that was a bonus. For a nice long list of “wort” plants, click here.

Spiderwort comes in a nice array of purple shades, from lavender to nearly blue. Occasionally you see a pink or white form. They clump nicely, which makes them a useful garden plant in partial shade. These perennials are very easy to care for (really, you don’t have to do anything to encourage them–one of many lovely things about using native plants in your gardening).

Reference: Wildflowers of Michigan by Stan Tekiela; Adventure Publications, 2000

Driving North on 131 to Interlochen and Points Beyond

Posted on June 27, 2013June 27, 2013 by Erin Bartels

On Tuesday my husband, Zachary, and I dropped the boy off at his grandparents’ house and headed north for Interlochen. At the outset, it did not look to be a terribly great day for driving or for the concert.

Soon we were quite pounded with rain and white-knuckling it at only about 45 mph.

But it started letting up pretty quickly and the rest of the trip went off without a hitch.

In fact, the further north we got, the nicer the weather got.

Which is generally to be expected in the summer months.

Also expected on trips Up North are places like this.

Things sometimes get a little strange is all I’m saying. A lot of oddballs live up north (no offense to my sister).

At any rate, the concert was incredible. Quite possibly one of the best I’ve been to. The weather cooled off and the sun setting over the lake behind the stage set a great atmosphere for Brandi Carlile’s fresh sound and amazing voice.

The next day we lazed around the Traverse City and Old Mission Point area with brunch at The Omelette Shoppe on Cass St. and a short walk around the stony beach.

We found a couple interesting rock arrangements.

See the heart? And this…

And enjoyed the lovely cherry orchards and vineyards along M-37.

Too soon we headed back south. But it will only be a few weeks until we get to drive north once more, this time for nearly two weeks.

Soon it will be July (can you believe it?). So I must say goodbye for a couple days so I can finish up June’s short story for you all. Here’s the updated cover, which I’m liking very much:

Summer in Michigan Means One Thing to Me: Up North

Posted on June 6, 2013June 6, 2013 by Erin Bartels

Over the past week my husband, Zach, and I have been engaged in the blessed process of planning summer travel around the state: picking dates, securing care for our pets, coordinating travel with family, reserving a room here…

We’re thrilled to be heading back up to Mackinac Island after a few years’ absence and excited to introduce our son to its magical qualities for the first time. Zach and I will spend two nights there alone, writing while overlooking the Straits of Mackinaw and riding bikes around the island. Then my in-laws will come up with our son and we all get to pal around, ride bikes, bring the boy to Fort Mackinac, ride in horse-drawn carriages, and eat ice cream. I can already feel the wind off the water.

But before we get to Mackinac Island, we’ll be spending another week at a very special place to our family, Camp Lake Louise…

And in late summer will be the Second Annual Sisters’ Hiking Trip. Last year we hiked Pictured Rocks…

You can read about our amazing trip here, here, here, and here. Not totally sure just where we’re going this year. But I’m scheming.

This is the time of year my heart aches for woods and water and sky, when thinking about driving north–far north–elicits a physical reaction of butterflies in my stomach and even tears welling in my eyes. The silence of the night sky filled with stars. The sound of wind through trees. The cold splash of clear water. The clip-clip-clip of horses’ hooves. The heat of the sun upon bare skin. The scratchy sound of sand upon worn pine floors. Just the thought of these stirs deep longing in my soul.

I’m hopelessly in love with Michigan.

What’s the Weather Like in Your Story?

Posted on April 26, 2013April 26, 2013 by Erin Bartels

I feel a bit nervous saying this, as though by daring to utter it I might somehow invite another winter thrashing, but it truly does seem that spring may at last have won the epic battle it has been waging with winter for the past two months. It was finally dry enough and warm enough to spend the day outside, to feel the sun’s heat on my skin and hair, to remember what summer is like. I don’t know how dependable the change of the seasons is in the Middle East, but as a Michigander I feel greatly comforted when I read that God is more faithful than the changing of the seasons.

I think something in us as humans wants to have to contend with something. We want to contend with something and win, or at least endure. And that’s why when outsiders or transplants to Michigan bemoan the weather or are surprised by 50-degree temperature swings in a day or can’t believe it’s still snowing in late April we smugly shrug our shoulders and say “That’s Michigan!”

You don’t like weather? Start packing your bags.

And yet, even I will admit that enough is enough. I knew winter had gone on far too long when I was driving home from Grand Rapids earlier this week and I noticed a farmer’s field covered in bright green and my very first thought was, “What the heck is that?” Two days later I drove back to Grand Rapids in a snow storm.

My own modest gardens have come alive as well. And I saw the first bug smash against my windshield this week, so it is spring for real. Isn’t it?

Maybe because I’ve grown up with schizophrenic weather I love reading stories where weather plays a part or sets a mood. I like to know if it’s sunny or cloudy, humid or parched, burning or icy. Should I be sweating as I read this scene or shivering? If it’s raining, what kind of rain is it? A steady cold spring rain? Drizzle? The fat, merciless raindrops of a storm? Is it falling straight down or sideways? Does it soak me or sting me? Am I managing to stay dry or is my face wet?

Do you make the best use of weather in your writing? Or is that a literary tool you’ve left in your toolbox?

Fenner Nature Center

Posted on February 17, 2013February 16, 2013 by Erin Bartels

I know that all of you in Michigan must be suffering from some level of either Seasonal Affective Disorder or Cabin Fever (or quite possibly both). One of the best remedies for both of these ailments is to get out of the house and get some exercise. And what better place to do that than out in nature?

Fenner Nature Center is one of two prominent nature centers in the Lansing area (the other, Woldumar, will be highlighted at another time). I spend most of my nature-walk time at Fenner because it is quite close to my house and the shorter walks are good for my 4-year-old’s short legs.

Fenner Nature Center is located at the southeast corner of Aurelius and Mt. Hope, opposite Mt. Hope Cemetery. Besides showcasing a variety of natural habitats (including open meadows, ponds, wetlands, deciduous forests, and coniferous forests) Fenner has classes for children and adults, a great interactive learning center, a library, a gift shop, guided walks of all kinds, and special seasonal festivals, like the Maple Syrup Festival in March and the Apple Butter Festival in October.

When we go to Fenner we usually make it a point to climb on boulders.

We also spend a good deal of time looking for frogs…

turtles…

turkeys…

and deer.

Dragonflies, bees, and butterflies abound, as do many types of songbirds.

It is beautiful and walkable in all seasons…

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

But I think autumn is probably my personal favorite.

Hawk Island County Park

Posted on January 25, 2013January 25, 2013 by Erin Bartels

As part of my continuing Destination Lansing series, I bring you Hawk Island County Park. Once a gravel pit (many of the older members of our church remember swimming there back in the days before there was “public safety”) Hawk Island has been transformed into one of the best parks I’ve ever been to.

Indian Summer at Hawk Island

The pit was cleaned out, filled with water, and stocked with fish. There are pedal boats and picnic shelters to rent, a great playground, a beach and a splash pad, volleyball courts, horseshoes, picnic tables galore, a dog park nearby, and plenty of gently rolling, well-maintained lawns for relaxing on a blanket with a good book or getting a tan.

The Lansing River Trail runs right through it, making it easily accessible by bike, foot, or rollerblades. CATA bus route 18 will get you there, as will your car. There is a fee to park, so I suggest getting the yearlong parking pass as it will save you lots of money and encourage you to get out there and use the parks our taxes maintain!

On days when it’s above 40 degrees, we usually hop on the River Trail (I’ll post on this awesome Lansing feature in the future) near where it splits off to go to Michigan State University and ride roughly south through Potter Park and Scott Woods. Gorgeous ride at any time of year.

And as much as we love Hawk Island in the warm months, it is now equally awesome in the winter. When the picnic tables are all stacked and leaned against trees and the splash pad is covered with snow, Hawk Island’s new tubing and snowboarding hill takes center stage. Tow ropes take you up the hill of groomed snow (which they make, so no worries that the snow cover has been light this year) and then you head down, either sitting in one of their tubes on one side of the tow ropes or on your own snowboard or skis on the other. There are jumps and rails for the snowboarders, and it is loads of fun to watch them as you sit in your tube and get pulled up the hill.

Open in the evening on weekdays from 4pm until 9pm and from 10am to 9pm on weekends, Hawk Island Snow Park is, in my mind, the best new thing to come to Lansing. We enjoyed a gorgeous evening there a couple weeks ago with friends, the beautiful sun setting behind light clouds making everything glow. And a nice bonus was that all the people who were working on the hill that night were very nice (and in an age when good, cheerful service seems hard to come by, the employees of the Ingham County Parks System should be commended as they are invariably, in my experience, both competent and considerate).

I’m a big proponent of not letting weather keep you inside. If you have the right attitude and dress correctly for winter, you can thoroughly enjoy being outside in the fresh, invigorating air. Layer up your clothes, get some adult snowpants, wear good boots, get off your duff, and go have some fun!

The Capitol Building

Posted on January 7, 2013January 5, 2013 by Erin Bartels

As I mentioned a little while ago, I’ve decided to start a new feature here that highlights places in and around Lansing, Michigan, in case you live here or ever find yourself wondering if visiting the state capital is worth it. Also, I like to brag about my state, and while many people know of the wonders of the lakeshores, sometimes the interior of the state gets left by the wayside. So here we go, and what better place the start than the Capitol Building?

I just happen to be good friends with someone who knows more about the Capitol Building than most people know about their parents, spouses, children, or inner selves. That means I’ve heard a good deal about this lovely building over the years. But as I can never remember it all, I always welcome more little tidbits of information from her.

Designed by architect Elijah E. Myers and built between 1872 and 1879, the current capitol building was preceded by a wooden one in Lansing, and before that the capitol was located in Detroit (it was moved to Lansing, a mostly unknown non-town in the swampy wilds of central Michigan, in 1847). The current building is beautiful inside and out and well worth a visit if you find yourself in mid-Michigan, especially during these cold months when you might want to retreat indoors. There is a really well-done self-guided tour, but there are also full time tour guides and many docents who would love to extol the building’s qualities and regale you with its history.

I have been lucky enough to have been taken for a walk above the etched glass ceiling tiles above the house chamber and even up over top of the domes (there are actually two of them, one inside the other) and into the lantern (see photo below) just below the spire. It pays to know the right people.

The interior is especially interesting as nothing is really what it seems. Marble columns are actually expertly painted wood. Copper chandeliers are actually a combination of nine metals (none of which are copper). The seemingly tiled floor of the rotunda is actually glass (who makes a floor out of glass?). The dome looks like plaster to me, but it is actually cast iron. The limestone flooring is peppered with fossilized sea creatures and corals, hinting at Michigan’s ancient history when it was the floor of a great sea.

As in many public buildings, it seems that every detail signifies something else. To really get the most out of your visit, I suggest setting up a tour with a guide or docent. (See if you can get Valerie Marvin; she knows everything, as evidenced in this episode of Michigan Under the Radar.)

Imagine working every day in this gorgeous building. May it inspire our public servants to fulfill their calling with honor, dignity, and grace.

We Play at Politics, and Yet, Life Goes On…

Posted on December 11, 2012January 2, 2013 by Erin Bartels

So, Michigan seems to be getting a bit of press lately, with the voting on Right-to-Work legislation and angry and sometimes violent protests at the Capitol, just down the road a ways from my house. Having friends on both sides of the issue and also because this space is not about politics, I’m certainly not going to take any stances here or push my own opinion, though I have one. Instead, I’m going to give you some peaceful pictures of places in Michigan where no one is protesting, except perhaps a squirrel chittering at a stray dog nosing around its tree.

Now then, let’s all take a deep breath and know that the world will go on, season to season, no matter who is elected at any level of our government and no matter what does or does not get signed into law. The natural world cares not about Right-to-Work, because the trees and the animals must all do their work anyway, with no pay or benefits, with no unions, with no thought of fairness or coercion or sustainability. With no bitterness or rancor, a tree grows, a flower blooms, a bird builds its nest, a squirrel gathers its hoard of nuts and seeds for winter.

And life moves on.