THE QUIET TIME

This is the quiet time of the year in Bellaire and all of northern Michigan as well. This is the time when we lean back in our charis and, releived  by the end of summer madness, wrap ourselves in the peace and contentement of the now. Actually, there are two quiet times -the end of October until the ski runs open, and in March when the skiing ends and until golf begins. The leaves are mostly down, and the forest floor is a vast carpet of creamy amber, gold, and cinnamon. The Tamaracks are one of the last to lose their leaves - although their leaves are more accurately needles. I only recently learned that Tamaracks are the only evergreen to turn color, and then drop its needles. The Tams turn a yellow/gold that is almost blinding and are stunning when set against a backdrop of deep green spruce & pine. Aspens and White Birch still have most of their bright yellow leaves and, like the Tamarack, dot the gray/brown fields and forests with blazing white trunks and golden leaves. Walking down the back roads and two-tracks Antrim County, I am being showered with a snow storm of gently falling leaves from the trees that still have them.

It is quiet. The summer people have fled to the south,  and the tourists-the people from away- are home and busy planning for the upcoming holidays…so we have out town back for a little while. We breath a long sigh of relief when the leaves have fallen and the color tours have finished. There is a special feeling about this time. It is almost a lonely, yet content and warm feeling, but also a feeling that something big is looming…something impending. And of course there is. Winter is hovering close and it will flurry soon.

But for now, in this mid November of mild weather and sunny days, I will wrap myself around the the quiet times , get some more reading done, write abit, and just maybe…get over to the AuSable river Holy Waters to wet my line. I have no idea what trout feed on at this time of year or if they feed at all. Doesn’t matter. If they bite it’s gravy.