Snow in April is abominable,” said Anne. “Like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss.
The start of April seemed to go unbelievably slowly – inching by at a snails pace. And there were so many days with snow! Gah, crazy I tell you!
I am dividing the month’s look back to Home and Away. One was obviously better than the other, but boy… both were good…different, but good.
First up… Home:
April absolutely fooled us with a snowy start. But Spring fought back and I attended and out-of-doors Easter Service and loved it! We got our Second Jabs done AND had our first outside Happy Hour of the year! Woo! And, speaking of outside eating! The patio opened at Spoonwood Brewery and we went! I also finished a very woolly sweater that I got a good bit of use out of in April…sigh. But, I was so happy that I had it! (Hint… I did not do a very good job on packing for Erie…I forgot a winter coat because my brain was apparently switched off)
Presque Isle…take me AWAY:
Traveling with an aging pet is a challenge – Sherman hates stairs, but he really hates unfamiliar stairs. We have found a place we like… and while it costs a little more than most places in Erie, it is all one level and it has a fenced in yard! And it is less than 2 miles from Presque Isle (and it is right around the corner from the BEST Mexican restaurant! Haha!) So a little more money to rent, but it really works for us. However!! It has ONE rug in the entire house… not good for my aging pup! So we brought Sherman’s Super Highway of Rugs so he could get off that one rug, lol. Oh, and we brought his “cozy blanket” because when you are professional napper you need a good cozy blanket! Hahaha (and yes… you do see a little sweeper in that last photo… Pug owners the world over know that if you go someplace, you need to be able to clean up after your beloved little Super Shedder!
I think the photos speak for themselves… we were outside all.the.time. In all.the.weathers! (only with a Lopapeysa for warmth…silly me!) One thing that Spring does well are skies and boy were they glorious! We got moody and broody skies, white wispy clouds in light blue skies, and not a cloud in sight deep blue skies! And I even channeled Vera a bit with those turtles on the log!
We stopped at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center on our first day there and a Presque Isle Conservation Officer told us about some “less traveled” walks that we would have never found on our own… they are less traveled for a reason! We made good use of these new found trails!
Yes, there was snow. But it was just so incredibly beautiful I could not even be upset about it. It did not last, but wow was it gorgeous! I think that even the plethora of diving ducks on Presque Isle Bay liked it!
I even saw a freighter and quickly texted my daughter to find out where Christian was! (He was not on that boat, but that is exactly like the boat he works on!)
All photos were taken with my iPhone but I was really wishing I had my “big camera” to get some photos of all the birds we saw! There were so many… and so many (more than two dozen!!) NEW to me birds. I have seen them in bird books, but never in the wild! We also watched members of the Erie Bird Observatory banding migratory birds! Watched… as in stood at the table and watched them weigh, measure, record, and band birds. It was so fun!
I worried we would not have a day that we could hike out to Gull Point but the weather and the wind cooperated so we could! The trails are underwater, so you have to traverse along the beach – so if there are strong westerly winds you need hip waders to get out to the point. It was an excellent trek! We saw Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and Common and Caspian Terns!
I will leave you with a wee bit of video so that you can see how Lake Erie can go from wild to calm… and it is beautiful in every stage!
I will be back here on Wednesday for some Unraveling!
Love ALL your pictures and the video Kat. Looks like a fabulous trip. Even the snow was pretty!!
oh my the vacation photos are great! I am like you when I miss the big camera but I do not like to lug around the big camera. On vacation I will use it maybe once. The iphone does a great job most of the time. I’m glad you had a getaway and are restored for regular life.
Lots of great shots and dramatic skies! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your photos of April. I think home looks good but away looks fantastic!
I always love seeing your monthly looking back, and April’s is especially wonderful! I haven’t been to Lake Erie since I was a child, and it really is beautiful. I don’t think I would ever tire of living nearby and seeing its changing moods and colors. I hope Sherman realizes how lucky he is to live with people who take such good care of him! Thanks for sharing your home and away photos; they are all quite lovely!
Thank you for taking us along with you virtually on this trip! It looks like it was a fabulous time in spite of the weather. And that last photo of Sherman — he’s so sweet!
Looks like a phenomenal trip.
Wow, Kat – what a month – and what a fantastic, beautiful time away. I’ve never been to that part of the country. This might be the most I’ve seen of it. Glad you’re back outside for Happy Hour now, too.
What a beautiful spread of photos. That trip to Lake Erie looks amazing. What a great time to visit – all kinds of weather, birds, and fewer tourists. I am putting Presque Isle on my list of places to visit. Sherman is lucky to have such thoughtful caregivers. And whoo -hoo for second shots and just a little more breathing space.
Your pictures are gorgeous! Our son went to Penn State Behrend so we spent a lot of time up there. We love Presque Isle and were there 2 years ago. Your pictures make me want to go back.