Blueberry Bran Nutella Muffins

Mix in a small bowl:  1 Beaten egg
                                1 c. almond milk
                                3 T unsweetened applesauce
                                1 c. All Bran
                                1/3 c. Nutella

Mix in a larger bowl:  1 c. Whole wheat flour
                                1/3 c. Brown sugar
                                 2 t.  Baking powder
                                1/2 t. salt
                                1/4 t. Baking soda
Mix the contents of the two bowls together gently and fold in at least 1 c. Blueberries
Bake at 400 about 20 min.
Make a pot of coffee or a cup of tea while they're baking!
                                 

Backyard Bunny

...I like big bunnies and I cannot lie...(to paraphrase Sir Mix-A-Lot).

There's been a very large rabbit hanging around my house for a couple of months.  I've been watching him graze in my front yard accompanied by a flock of  about 20 Slate Colored Juncos for the past hour.

The snowy pics are from a month ago and the grassy one is from today.

Blue Diamonds

My son Jim changed his major to Criminal Justice last semester and his goal is to serve in the Michigan State Police as his father did. He posted this video on FB today.

The Yin and the Yang

Maybe bad things happen in fours not threes.  

My computer failed yesterday.

I got my first ever speeding ticket today.

I came home to a small flood in my basement. And number four...

I drove 2 hours to Traverse City yesterday to see an orthopedic surgeon and didn't hear what I wanted to hear. It turns out I had a "significant tibia fracture" last year so immobilization and healing time would have been much more beneficial than the 12 weeks of physical therapy I had. No wonder the leg still bothers me.

The bright spot of the day is I got to see Ellis and savor his smiles, laugh out loud with him and soak up his warm and wonderful love!

Signs of Spring

Spring must be around the corner...I smelled a skunk when I stepped outside last night and I saw a swan in Spring Lake today.I stopped to snap a picture, but only saw one swan. Sadly,the other one may have been lost to the winter so there may be no cygnets this year. 

A single Mute Swan in Spring Lake    Photo by MWH

A Walk on the Frozen Bay

A nearly one ton white Italian marble crucifix lies  24 feet under water in Little Traverse Bay. It was placed years ago as a memorial to divers.

Divers' Memorial - Underwater Crucifix near the Petoskey Harbor

Photo by MWildHansen

 When the conditions are right, usually early March a group of divers make an access opening in the ice, dive down to clean the algae off the cross and prepare for visitors who trek across the ice about 600 yards from Bay Front Park in Petoskey. It's been more than ten years since I've had a chance to go out there and Saturday was a beautiful crisp sunny winter day so Jim and I headed to the waterfront.

Jim heading out on the ice                          Photo by MWildHansen

We had a little fun with the ice formations along the way.

Mary                              Photo by James Hansen

Jim on the bay                                                                  Photo by MWildHansen

The threatening jaws of a Lake Michigan Ice Monster

On the way back to shore a rainbow peeked through the clouds as the sun sank lower in the sky.

For more information see Michigan in Pictures