Gregory De Vries

Aries and I are moving to Portland, OR in April. I still got all of this month so we def need to hang soon.

February was a rough month for me honestly. It was busy and dreary and then I got sick near the end of it so I feel like I did nothing. March is here and with it comes Spring. It’s also the last month I’m living in Michigan.

I am nervous and excited and ready to see what’s ahead.

Pic of the day: A one-off Pink Lady’s Slipper discovered in the old growth forest in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness.

6/7/24

Pic of the day: One of the first flowers to come up and the first sign of spring, daffodils.

4/17/24 near Ann Arbor, MI

Pic(s) of the Day: For Valentines Day we’re doing roses from the garden in Washington Park right by Portland, OR.

The city is known for having perfect conditions for rose growth and has countless varieties across multiple parks.

9/6/24

I just want people to understand that calling out conservative hypocrisy is pointless. They know, you’re just wasting your breath and energy.

Pic of the day: Lilacs. I don’t know if they’re my favorite flower but they do have my favorite floral scent.

5/15/23

Pic of the day: Sunflowers before a summer storm.

I got caught in pouring rain right after this.

8/1/21 near MSU

Pic of the day: On the other end of the year is Goldenrod. I love how it looks but it being one of the final flowers to bloom means that summer is nearly over.

9/6/21 near St. John’s, MI

Taken on 5/13/24 near Rifle River Recreation Area, Lower Peninsula, MI

Pic of the Day: New week, new theme. This one is gonna be flowers.

First up is the Trillium. A mid-spring flower unique in that it only has three petals. Depending on where you are it is illegal to pick them because doing so kills the plant.

Last pic of Great Lakes week, a moody Lake Michigan on the first of the year

1/1/24

Pic of the day: Another of Lake Superior, this time from where our campsite was. The brown in the water is from the tannins the Presque Isle River carries.

6/7/24

Pic of the Day: Lake Superior from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, near Marquette, MI

6/4/24

Pic of the Day: Another shot of Lake Michigan, this time just slightly south of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

8/19/24

Pic of the day: The Mackinac Bridge from the Lower Peninsula side.

It is the third longest suspension bridge in the US, and even after living in Michigan since 2000 I’ve only crossed it a handful of times.

6/6/22

Pic of the day: Rainstorm approaching from Lake Erie after an otherwise great day at Cedar Point.

6/14/21

Pic of the Day: Lake Michigan from a beach in Leelanau State Park in the “pinkie” of Michigan.

Theme this week is The Great Lakes

5/25/21

Pic of the day: The Willamette River, running through my future home of Portland, OR.

I thought I knew how to pronounce Willamette, but no it’s not that way. It’s more like Wuh-lam-ut.

Have you tried demanding bananswers for this action?

Pic of the day: A river that I will be seeing a lot of in a couple months. The Columbia River divides Washington and Oregon and is the only significant break in the Cascade Mountain Range.

9/11/24

Pic of the day: The Presque Isle River, flowing through one of the remaining Old Growth forest areas of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

6/7/24

Pic of the day: The Au Sable River, running along the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

2/25/24

Pic of the Day: Next up is one of the most well known rivers in the world, with one of the most iconic bridges in the world

Tower Bridge over the Thames, London, England, UK

9/6/23

Reading, games, posting pictures, trying to be less of a shut in and talking to people.

You know what else can’t have tattoos? Ashes

Pic of the Day: The Tahquamenon River.

This is the first big river I hiked on, and it’s famous for its falls and the brown “root beer” color the water gets from the tannins of the cedar trees surrounding it.

What the picture can’t capture is the wonderful cedar tree smell from that.

6/7/22

Book 3 and first book that’s been attacked and banned for its content. The author goes in detail about his adolescent years and the overlap he has between his Black and queer identities. The target audience is definitely younger qpoc but it resonated with me a ton anyway. 10/10 book, fuck censorship

In addition to the daily pic I’m gonna start doing themes so I’m not aimlessly digging through my albums. This week is rivers.

Today’s is the Grand River running through Grand Rapids. Probably the one I’ve seen the most in my life.

9/30/24

I went out to Detroit to the Conservatory and the Institute of Art and it was a blast.

I realized that while there’s plenty of library talk, it’s really important that we visit places like those as well (and zoos and aquaria) They’re part of our culture and highlight what we need to protect.