A true Michigander will never tire of the beauty of the state we call home.

My home is in a wooded subdivision in Haslett, a suburb really, of East Lansing.  A daily trek down my tree lined street will take me into the woods on a trail that twists and turns through five miles of beauty.  I pass through deciduous trees and pine forest.  I travel literally through the wetlands and up and over flowing streams.  In the Spring I watch as the skunk cabbage makes its appearance and later I delight in the snake dozing in the sun along my path.  In the fall the wind through the leaves of maple and oak remind me of the true beauty of this state of Hiawatha.

Deer roam these woods and occasionally we hear the cry of the coyote.  Red fox dart through the brush of the wetland and every year the mallards return to rejoice in the beauty of Lake Lansing.  One morning stroll resulted in the appearance of a Great Horned Owl.  There is cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing all within a block of our home.  We can ride our bikes and hike around Lake Lansing.  We have parks and beaches for family picnics.  Shopping is only two miles away.

When people who do not know Michigan ask me why I live here, I am ready with my answer.  For me this is home.  My heart and soul reside here.  I am at peace in the beauty that surrounds me.