Stone horse fence in the snow

We live in horse country--serious horse country. Not rodeo, cowboy kind of horse country. No, no. This is Equestrian country. In fact, our city is known as "Horse Capital of the World." THE WORLD! Anyway . . .

These kinds of "horse fences" are littered throughout the area. Some people have built newer ones to resemble the ones from long ago, and some of them are the real deal--ruins from a different era. This is a newer one that stands outside our home, and it actually acts as a retaining wall. It was really pretty with the new snowfall on it, so I had to stop and snap this image. One of these days, I'm going to take a short, slow drive through some of the nearby country roads to capture the real ones.

On the Empire Bluffs Trail

Empire Bluffs trail

Earlier this Fall, my mother-in-law and I went on a short hike on the Empire Bluffs trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It's a hilly, 1.5 mile (round trip) hike through beech-maple forest, fields, and dune plants. The day was perfect—blue sky, mild temperatures, light breeze, and blue, blue water. We had such a good time being outdoors, and taking in the wonderful fresh air. This was the only sunny day during our week-long visit.

Lake Michigan beach

Unfortunately, I can't remember where this is along the Lake Michigan coastline! It could be Grand Haven, but it could also be Pentwater. Who knows? I've taken so many pictures along Lake Michigan, and I've done a terrible job of cataloging them! Oh well. I love sand fences. Don't ask me why . . . I just do. I think seeing these in Michigan reminded me of the sand fences you see along the Alabama Gulf Coast—where I grew up vacationing. The Gulf Coast is almost like a second home for me, and seeing these in Michigan was nostalgic for me.