Spring buds on the maple trees
This week’s photo challenge at WordPress is: Escape.
Just wanted to let you know. We’ve finally busted out of winter here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula after almost seven months.
We’ve successfully escaped.
We can only hope someone hid the keys of that winter jailor…
More buds
Big spider on the window
Mother’s Day gift from my daughter
Up close Mother’s Day bloom
Time to split firewood again…never-ending chore…
We’re careful not to put the shovel away JUST yet. After all, it’s still May.
Walleye fishermen on the Huron Bay
- Husband cleaning sucker & carp (bait used to catch lake trout)
Sucker close-up
You gotta love those lips! (tee hee)
What is that blur? Could it be the male hummingbirds have returned?
Cute little red poll or finch, eh?
Little flowers starting to bloom…
Just wanted to let you know that your blogger has escaped as well. She is 550 miles south, in lower Michigan, visiting her family, as you admire these spring photos from “way up north”.
She’s amazed how she watched Spring celebrate as she drove downstate. In the Eastern Upper Peninsula the tree buds were yellow and blossoming. But by the time she hit the northern Lower Peninsula–HOLY WA! (as the Yoopers say)–some of the trees were vibrant electric lime green just glowing in their newfound growth and expansion.
The trip was amazing simply to watch Spring unfold as the car sped east and south.
Hope all of you have escaped winter, as well! It’s about time, isn’t it?
Shining yellow woods of spring!
Lake Superior Spirit 
The bare trees will be my welcome as I make my escape from the flat lands and return to da UP after a hospital stay last week. It must be so satisfying to return to Yale and cozy up to some warm memories and loved ones. Someday I want to make the trip clockwise around Lake Michigan, going East to the shores of Lake Huron before circling back West. Escape from the habit of running up and down the West shore through Wisconsin. Enjoy your visit and hold your loved ones close.
Thank you for the bright and cheery pictures, Kathy! We’re finally getting some green around here too. Been slowly (and painfully) cleaning up the outside of the house and out in the yard. The only thing blooming here are the lilacs but they sure got beat up in the terrible storms yesterday, and more are coming today.
Enjoy your visit with family 🙂 ♥ And have a safe drive back when it’s time to return to the north. Hugs!
Here’s to Kathy’s Great Escape! See you tomorrow! Big hugs.
Spring has Sprung! love, Love, LOVE the photographs. Happy Escape!
I, too, live in an area that is about a month behind in the spring. Driving 1 hour over the mountains into the “flatland” is always a drive into spring in March/April. By now, though, most trees are leafed out, except the locusts (they are always waiting until the end of May for some reason). Escaping from winter is always one of my favorite things to do.
Entering the season of renewal, refreshment and bright colors: priceless! Enjoy your family visit.
enjoy your escape. Everything is coming alive here as well. The rains have us giddy and sad that the blossoms we’ve waited for so long won’t last a little longer.
So glad da UP is finally emerging from the 7-month loooooong winter. It was a doozy this year! As you visit family in the LP, my visitors are on their way to da UP.
I like the fish and Barry the best here 🙂
Thanks for the metaphor. Here in the Dakotas, spring did not come right after the thaw because it was sooooo very dry. The trees just stood there stark and bare. Of the past three days we have had nearly 2 1/2 days of rain and all the buds have opened. It is beautiful. Hope you are enjoying your time with family.
The golden woods The golden woods
Fountainpen
Finally. So glad that Spring has finally arrived in your neck of the woods. Enjoy your family time.
Love those golden trees Kathy. What makes them so golden looking?
Your escape signs are delightful! Bask in them….. 🙂
Okay, I know nothing about fishing. Do you eat those fish? ~ Another blogger friend of mine took photos of her computer’s escape button for the photo challenge. Heh. Thought it was clever. ~ That spider made me gasp and it’s just a photo. Can you imagine the sounds coming out of me if I’d seen it in person? I’m petrified. ~ Here’s to you staying free of winter, even though that means I’m locked up indoors now. 90’s from here on out for me.
Beautiful pictures! I can only imagine your relief.
As I am writing this we have jumped into summer-it will be hot & humid outside for the next couple of days, then we jump back to spring.
I hate the humidity but at least I don’t have to clean it off my car windows.
Nancy
On May 19 I finally rotated my winter wardrobe for summer. That’s insane! But I believe the spring is here. Enjoy the warmer weather and unfurling of the leaves!
I haven’t put the long-sleeve T-shirts away – yet – maybe after Memorial Day . . . , I’ll be confident enough of the weather, to take them to the attic closet. Certainly, I let the memories of our journey last winter linger, by continuing to wear them for I bought them here and there and they remain “new” to me; but I’m beginning to wear short sleeve Ts too now. Summer will doubtless arrive with its heat and humidity, it’s inevitable; and perhaps, that thought delays me as well.
Yes, winter has been reluctant to leave this year. We have full leafing now in Southeast Missouri; and the jungle has taken over, for the rains just keep on coming but I’ll cope, it’s better than the drought that came with the early warming last year. Love those early buds and leaves.
So happy to see early spring again through your photos! It’s summer here, temperature wise anyway. Almost 90 today–enjoy your spring while it lasts! Ours was too short.
Glad you’ve come south to enjoy spring! You’ll get to enjoy it all over again when you get back home! Hope all is well with your family!
Happy Spring and happy travels Kathy. The first hummingbird always made my heart sing. We’ve been up in the 90’s too, summer is definitely here. Lovely photos!
Lovely photos, Kathy! Maybe, after this long weekend of rain, we will begin to see the same kind of tree buds and blooms, too! 🙂
I dreamt of dressing up yon shovel in shades and board shorts for swimming, and a lei. I had to come tell you about it!
lovely photos Kathy, our weather is being a bit of a tease at the moment, one day lovely and warm with that strange thing called the SUN, the next back to cold, wet and even frost. *TUT*
I did that two weeks ago…drove into spring. Lovely!
HI Kathy, good to see the photo’s and good to know you’ve escaped into Spring and enjoying your break…The sun was shining brightly here this morning, then it decided to hide.. Tsk!! .. Hope you’re having better luck.at sun spotting… bye for now… xPenx..
We’ve finally escaped winter in MN too. It’s nice to see the color green again! Beautiful pictures, Kathy, as usual!
It still feels colder here than it should for this time of year. Looking forward to those fresh green leaves that only seem to be opening on the elderberry trees so far. I wonder if the King of the Faeries had something to do with that…
Seven months of winter – that’s incredible! And to think, you no sooner put one winter behind you when have to start splitting firewood for the next one… But at least you can enjoy some blossoms and birds now. 🙂 Sounds like the perfect time of year to make the trip to lower Michigan…
Beautiful! How the world has transformed!! May you have a good time down-south 🙂 see ya soon Kathy!
Great photos–love the hummingbird! Isn’t spring a welcome sight (soon you will even get local leaves)!
Winter was busted here in SF bay area in February, when we get the first daffodils. I am a winter-buster, even when I live in New England, by filling my house with house-planted crocus and hyacinth. My daughter, a New Englander, grows a miniature magnolia tree in her home – Winter is busted, even in a Boston January! 🙂
But nothing like the real thing. Enjoyed your photos immensely.
I love all the flowers and green on plants this time of year. That is a lot of wood to split.
Yes, we have most definitely escaped – at times this week it feels I have escaped to the Amazon rainforest with all the rain and humidity we are suddenly experiencing. But this is New England – if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, as the expression goes. Very happy you are no longer buried in snow! 🙂
It’s about time. I know you’ve had such a long winter.
OH, I so hope for you that you did not take part in the three feet of snow dropped upon NY.
We had ruby-throated hummingbirds at the cabin last weekend, just love it when they go buzzing by! However, I do feel like there may be one appendage stuck in the sliding door of spring . . . maybe another warm day will help finish popping out those leaves?