Fantastic Weather

This year's weather has been strange and unpredictable: an extremely mild winter, two weeks of 70-degree weather in March, freezing nights in April, multiple 100-degree days in July. But, that's Michigan for you. As they say, if you don't like today's weather, just wait, tomorrow is sure to be different. 

This week has been filled with "Chamber of Commerce" weather, however. Temperatures in the upper 70s, cool good-for-sleeping nights, and brilliant clear blue skies. Absolutely lovely, as shown in this photo taken from my office 4th floor window this morning.

Perfect, don't you agree?

My Retreat

They say "A man's home is his castle". Well, that's true of course, but I consider our home My Refuge, or My Retreat—very specifically in the spring, summer and fall of each year. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac, which gives us a special advantage over living on a straight street with houses right next to ours. We have just shy of an acre lot, which gives us space for the house, a nice lawn, a garden, and a wooded space providing natural screening and privacy from all those around us.

Merriam-Webster says, in part:      Definition of RETREAT

1

a (1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable

2

: a place of privacy or safety : refuge

• The President of the U.S. has Camp David
• A number of my Michigan friends enjoy Florida's warmth in the winter
• Some people have lake cottages in rural locations
• Beaches in the south of France are "it" for some

For us, our home is our special place to feel safe and enjoy the outdoors and all it has to offer. I like our neighbors, but I'm so glad I don't have to view their home, their back yard and whatever they're doing there each day. When the trees, shrubs and ground covers are fully leafed out, we see our back yard and nothing much else. Sitting on our back deck we see...

Looking north from the sliding doors leading from the dining room to our deck.

Now, moving northwest to take in the fire pit, the garden and the raspberry planter.
The garden is coming along, slowly but surely.

A bit more to the west now; are you discovering what's missing?

Now due west, still hidden in the woods.

Finally, the view to the southwest, with tree after tree after tree hiding what we don't care to see. 

Standing on our back deck, you would never know we're just 35 yards or so from our nearest neighbor. Again, not that I don't like my neighbors, but I don't have to look into their back yards, nor they into ours. Its privacy folks, right in a well-developed subdivision in a little suburban town bordering Michigan's second- or third-largest city. Nice, eh?