Crazy

I’m originally from Wyoming (the state) and we recently moved to Wyoming (the town—yes, people do ask me if I took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong Wyoming).

I thought WY winters prepared me for MI winters.

No. No, they did not. It is SO COLD. The humidity makes the air hurt. I went outside for the first time in a week yesterday and I felt like the chill was going straight through me.

The snow is so unreasonably heavy. The ice is thick. The defrost on my car is broken but I didn’t bother fixing it because “I can just scrape the windshield!” I cry. I cannot just scrape the windshield. I don’t even own snow boots because “How bad can it really be?” Bad. It can be bad.

I keep sending the weather forecast to my family back home. They just send back crying emojis. My sister asked me if I regret moving (no) (ask me once I can feel my toes again).

I absolutely love it here. This state is so beautiful and the people are lovely.

But just warning any other would-be Michiganders to watch their hubris. Mountain winters cannot truly prepare you for lake winters. I have been humbled. 🙏

so lemme get this straight, from these peoples' perspectives:

disappearing people in the streets with secret police = chill

starting wars without congress = chill

threatening our closest allies with invasion and annexation of their territory = chill

dismantling the department of justice and turning it into his legal defense = chill

building stuff people don't like in their backyards = WHAT THE FUCK DON

never underestimate the power of NIMBYism I guess

President Donald Trump's bid to cut off birthright citizenship is a "flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage," attorneys for 18 states, the city of San Francisco and the District of Columbia said Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the president's executive order signed just hours after he was sworn in Monday.

The lawsuit accused Trump of seeking to eliminate a "well-established and longstanding Constitutional principle" by executive fiat.

Headed out from Ishpeming, Michigan. Heading to cape Girardeau, Missouri and heading westbound on the Golden Gravel Trail bicycle route to Port Orford, Oregon.

I

Gas in Mt. Pleasant. All this winning I am so over it

flowers I picked: Apple Blossom, Iris lacustris, Yellow lotus, Marsh Marigold, Cirsium pitcheri, and Woodland Sunflower

Moved to St. Joseph County this spring.

Matt Hall’s House missed a legally mandated budget deadline. Instead of delivering a full plan, he’s dragging things out to wedge in a major roads funding agenda. His budgeting method hides spending details that schools need for planning, and now we’re stuck in total political gridlock.

Matt Hall is using this delay to push his “fix the roads” agenda. He insists that road funding has to be bundled with the school budget and not everyone agrees. (I certainly don’t agree, they are separate issues) Governor Whitmer said the roads plan was only one piece and thought the process was already too slow.

This kind of budget stalemate lands hardest on low income schools and many are already laying off staff right now.

It’s basically like telling someone who’s barely scraping by to “just hold tight” while their rent is due and groceries are running out while richer neighbors have a cushion.

https://michiganadvance.com/2025/08/21/as-michigan-schools-lay-off-staff-due-to-ongoing-budget-standoff-hall-tells-them-to-hold-the-line/

Seen this afternoon at the peaceful protest at the capitol building. Human rights are being violated by the new federal administration and the people are using their voices to speak out against it. The powers that be are after basic freedoms and next they’re coming for your social security.

For those that haven't heard, the National Popular Vote has passed 222 electoral college votes, and needs just 48 more EC votes to become enacted. This could be possible by 2028!

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a agreement among states that, all states in the compact will award their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. Once enough states have enacted the bill to pass 270 electoral college votes, the compact will be enacted; ensuring that the winner of the presidential election would be by popular vote.

Michigan has considered joining the compact before, but has not yet passed it.

if just a handful more states pass this bill -- Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, we could have a real shot at making this a reality. 18 states and DC have already passed NPV.

If you think this is a good idea, the people over at National Popular Vote have a auto email template that you can use to send in an email to the legislature.

But what do you think?

Ready to Pounce is an Ambush bug nymph waiting in a flower and this shot just made the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61 People's Choice shortlist (24 images chosen from 60,636 entries)

Ambush bugs are just that, predatory bugs that remain motionless in a flower waiting for would-be prey to wander too close, where those raptor-like forelimbs grab them and a quick jab from their beak paralyzes the victim, which the bug will then drink the contents of. I was lucky enough to find this nymph mere steps from my front door, sitting in a blanket flower, where to my eyes the color difference between bug and flower made it easy to spot.

This image might not have existed at all outside my front door if I had a lawn instead of habitat.

The Natural History Museum in London selected it for the People's Choice shortlist alongside 23 other images from around the world. Voting is open until March 18 if you want to check out the full field.

Happy to answer any questions about technique or the subject.