sunrise | Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Tag: sunrise

Snow Days in the 26th State

Posted at 9:18 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 4, 2016

This year has been mild, well, up until the beginning of 2016.

This quote comes from another post I wrote about winter.

I don’t trust March. It’s like an unruly kid who does whatever he/she wants, whenever.
Yours truly – Mary

Of course, I’m writing this in March and the quote is still true this year. Yesterday, it snowed again, which is the second snow in less than a week. Saturday will bring more snow. The picture above is the first snow of 2015, but it was early in the day. It had turned out to be about nine inches by nightfall.

This time of year there are a lot of complaints about the snow and cold. Let’s rephrase that last sentence. I complain a lot and only speak for myself. The bad part about snow this time of year is ice. Temps warm and then they drop. Then the melting snow freezes. Snow gets heavy to shovel. Traffic accidents happen. People fall. Wipers get frozen to the windshield. Fisherman (and kids, ladies & animals) can fall through the ice on lakes.

A young guy bagging my groceries the other day warned me a snowstorm was on the way. I told him I didn’t want to think about another one. The cashier chewed us both out for complaining, saying if we didn’t like it we could move because it’s like this every year. It’s nothing new. In a kind voice, I told him, “Not everyone can just pick up and move.”

On the positive side, snow is pretty to look at when it’s falling. It can come down in large, slow-falling flakes, or so hard and fast that it becomes a whiteout, and you can’t see for a few yards in front of you. If it’s windy, it’ll blow sideways and sting your face.

When fresh snow isn’t walked or driven on, it’s beautiful. I call it virgin snow. Depending on where you are, walking in falling snow can be quiet and ethereal. It’s also nice to see trees with snow on the branches or pine boughs.

I’m not a skier nor do I ride snowmobiles. I’d ride a snowmobile if I had one. You probably can’t live here and not drive on a lake at least once in your life, although no matter how thick the ice is, it terrifies me to be on the ice in a vehicle!

Photo by Victor Novoseltsev on Pexels.com

When I was young, I used to ice skate but didn’t mind the cold and snow then. It’s been about fifteen years since I wore skates, and a lot of the time I was on my butt. Maybe it’s the old bones now that can’t take the cold. 🙂 When I was a kid, I’d go ice fishing with my dad “up north” at my grandma’s house on a lake. I swear it snows daily up there.

I heard cardinals singing recently when the snow melted for a couple days, but I haven’t seen a robin yet. Spring is around the corner, so to speak. I can’t wait, but before long I’ll be telling you how hot it is. 🙂

Stay warm or stay cool depending on where you live. Have a relaxing upcoming weekend.

Posted in #AmWriting | 9 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, 26th state, Author Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, Cowboy Books, Great Lake Basin, Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, Romance, Series Books, Snow Days, Snow Days in the 26th State, Snowstorm, sunrise, western romance, winter

Don’t be L.A.T.E. for the Sunrise

Posted at 3:55 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 25, 2013

This is the background on my profile picture, but at a later stage of sunrise. Some want to know where the sunset photo was taken. I agree it looks like a beautiful sunset. But, my friends, it happens to be sunrise. Yes, and I’m about to explain.Of course, right? You know me too well.

Some years ago I did what is called the L.A.T.E. Ride—Long After Twilight Ends. It takes place in Chicago, Illinois. That year it took place on June 29th. Oh, that was my birthday. One day I will do this bicycle ride again. The ride is twenty-five miles through downtown Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods in the middle of the night. Freaking awesome!

When I did it, there were 10,000 participants. Don’t plan on riding when you start. You can’t ride a bicycle amidst 10,000 people. Sit on the seat with your feet on the ground and every now and then you might get a pedal cycle in. Usually not for miles though until it starts to thin out. The first year I left in the fourth wave. Next year, I started between the second and third wave. (Broke the rules a little and took off early.)

This is also the best way to run a traffic light in downtown Chicago! Hey, the police encourage it. For participants only and while the police still have roads blocked off. Otherwise, be prepared to stop. Oh, and hope the people behind you stop, too. Ouch, pileup. Tip: Yell out that you’re stopping or slowing down. Please do that! Another tip: Biking gloves, helmet, and a padded seat. No thongs. ← I mean, really? 0|0 Really.

The sunrise happened on the last stretch. When we arrived, the sky had just begun to lighten and then there was a pink glow on the horizon, gradually lightening and taking on more colors. Awe-inspiring. To the right of where I’m standing you can see the downtown skyline, well, not in my photo, but if you were there with me, you’d see it.

Visit L.A.T.E. Ride if you’d like to learn more. Their Facebook page has a photo of the sunrise. You’ll see how many people have to stop due to the beauty coming over Lake Michigan. In my state of Michigan I’ve seen many outrageous sunsets going down over Lake Michigan, so to be able to view the sun coming up over the same lake, I thought was totally cool.

I’ve done the ride twice, and both times stopped to watch the sun rise. It’s a nice place for a break with still about five miles to go. Don’t quote me on that! It felt like another twenty by time we rode over the finish line.

If you’re anywhere in the vicinity, I recommend the fun.The website has so much more to say about it. Go ahead. Try it next year.

Speaking of bike rides, my son and his girlfriend did sixty miles in northern lower Michigan a few years ago along the Lake Michigan shoreline–Michigan side. That’s a little much for me. So, congratulations to them.

UPDATE: I don’t know if this ride still takes place. I see no updates for 2019.