We’re Home! 5/28/17

Hello, dear friends!

It’s been three weeks since I sat down at this laptop.  During those three weeks we’ve packed up, taken dogs to the pet sitter, traveled close to 10,000 miles (when you’re traveling at over 500 mph, that doesn’t take long at all), unpacked, picked up dogs, and done severak (SEVERAL) loads of laundry. 

Sharing our Alaska trip will be something I’ll do in daily photographs over the next couple of weeks, as I fill in the spaces with info about Mackinac Island, Sunset Inlet, and our family happenings.  Alaska is a big place (understatement of the year), and telling the story of our exciting visit there will take a while!  I know many of you followed along on Facebook, but for those of you who didn’t (and those who did), I hope I can come close to giving you a feel for the experiences we had while there.

SHARING ALASKA

Where else but in Alaska does a polar bear greet you at the airport?

We had two whole days at the beginning of our trip to explore Fairbanks. We’d take the shuttle into town each day and use the city map to find our way around.

The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center was one of our favorites (did you spot the wolf in this exhibit?).

Wonderful exhibits of everything from rustic Alaskan cabins . . .

. . . . to wildlife like grizzly bears!

Along the riverfront in Fairbanks we came across the Antler Arch, made up of over 100 moose and caribou antlers collected from all over interior Alaska.

We also loved Bouchard’s International Dog Mushing and Sled Museum, which gave a great look into the history of mushing in Alaska and the Iditarod races.

Interesting Note:  We found that everyone we talked to who lived in Alaska (whether for a year or their entire lives) thinks Alaska is the greatest place to live in the world.  They know it isn’t for everyone, but they love talking about their life there and were very friendly and helpful about sharing special places to visit.  It was the curator of the Dog Mushing Museum who told us about the Morris Thompson Center. She also shared with us that Alaskans don’t like most of he “reality” shows about their state that are showing now on different cable networks.  The only ones they view as “authentic” are Alaska State Troopers and Life Below Zero (which I’ve been binge-watching for weeks on Netflix),

In the Fairbanks Ice Museum we entered a room that is kept at 20 degrees year-round (the museum provided warm jackets)! There were photo ops among the ice sculptures . . . .

. . .  and Ted, of course, was the first person to volunteer to ride the sled down the ice hill!  The ice museum was in an old movie theatre, and the ice sled started at the top of the sloping side aisle and ended when you ran into the “stage” at the end of the aisle.  And I do not exaggerate when I say “ran into”.  It was an abrupt stop, and I’m so glad I was too chicken to try it!

I’ll be posting segments of Alaska daily, so tune in tomorrow for what was our official first day of the land portion of our tour – a riverboat cruise and gold mining expedition!

MACKINAC ISLAND

Friends Kem and Ed Green have been on Mackinac the last few days and shared the following photos!

In the “things you don’t see everyday” category, Kem and Ed finally found “the old car” in the woods of Mackinac. They’ve been searching and searching and were finally given some good directions by someone who had found it several years ago. I’ve heard several stories about how it came to be on the island, but I have no idea which one is true. And no, I’ve never found the car nor would I know where to look. It’s kind of a deep, dark island secret, and I think it’s fun to keep it that way!

The tulips are up at the Courthouse . . .

. . . and at Grand Hotel.

By the way, the last week or so has not felt much like springtime on the island. Kem and Ed came over in these conditions, and the fog didn’t break until basically the day they left. But, as Kem and I both say, “so what”? You’re on Mackinac!  Slip on some rain gear and get out there and enjoy! (Photo: Tom Chambers)

Another chilly, foggy day photo. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

Hoping this pic from Tom Chambers from yesterday shows the beginning of real Spring and warmer, clearer weather for Mackinac!

Kem and Ed and Pam and Mike Day – blogging friends who were on the island at the same time this week. Makes me so happy to see all of you getting together and enjoying the island!

I’ll have to file this one in the “never saw THAT before” file! I’d say this jazzy can go pretty much anywhere! Thanks, Jill, for snapping this one!

BEVERLY BEACH

After two weeks away, we were so happy to land in Jacksonville a little after midnight last Thursday morning.  We drove to Beverly Beach, arrived home around 1:30 and were too wired to go to sleep until after 4 a.m.  Neither Ted nor I realized Alaska was four hours behind Florida.  Add that to about two hours of “darkness” and 22 hours of daylight for two weeks, and it’s taken a while to readjust. We sure enjoyed the much cooler temps of Alaska, but I think it’s making Florida seem just that much hotter.

Our four-legged babies survived just fine without us.  They both enjoyed the freedom of a huge fenced yard to play in, although Lilly (our pet sitter) said it’s been so hot they really didn’t get out that much.  For the first time Maddie forego sleeping in the bed with Lilly or her mother and stole the bed of one of Lilly’s dogs and slept in that pulled up next to Bodie’s crate.

Having daily pics from Lilly . . .

. . . helped us know these two were doing just fine.

We are ALL happy to be home.  One of my readers asked if Ted and I were going to be buying a place in Alaska now.  We both laughed and agreed that wasn’t happening.  Alaska is very, very beautiful, and the vastness of its wilderness just boggles the mind.  But no small voice spoke to me and said, “This is where you need to live.”  Only one place has done that, and it’s a tiny island in Lake Huron called Mackinac. 

See you back here tomorrow for more Alaska tales, and thank you so much for all the safe travel prayers you lifted up for us. 

Love and hugs.  God bless.

We are Heading North—-West! 5/7/17

Usually when I sit down to post about an uncoming trip North I’m talking about our annual sojourn to Mackinac.  But tonight the trip we’re preparing for is even further north – with a sharp turn to the west!  The time has finally arrived – we are heading for the great state of Alaska on Thursday!

A year-and-a-half ago I began planning a surprise 70th birthday trip for Ted (his birthday was Friday, May 5), but an email message to our travel agent – that I’d forgotten to hide in another folder – spilled the beans only a couple a months into the “surprise”.  But that’s ok – it’s all worked out just fine, and we are excited to start this new adventure!

Celebrating the big 7-0 with Julie, Matt, Jordan and Matthew at Flagler Fish Company!

I’m realizing that packing for Alaska is like packing for a spring or late fall trip to the island – gotta have all kinds of clothes and be ready for any kind of weather.  Looks like mostly highs in the upper 50’s and low 60’s and low’s into the 40’s for the two weeks we’ll be there, so we’re taking everything from shorts to fleece jackets!

For anyone interested, here’s our schedule:

Thursday, May 11:  Flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta to Seattle to Fairbanks, arriving just before midnight.

May 11-14:  Fairbanks

May 15-17: Denali National Park

May 17: Transfer to Anchorage (Whittier) and board Island Princess

May 18-19: Scenic cruising – Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay National Park

May 20:  Dock in Skagway

May 21: Dock in Juneau

May 22: Dock in Ketchikan

May 23: At sea

May 24: Transfer ship to airport in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Fly from Vancouver to Houston to Jacksonville.  Arrive in Jacksonville around 10:30 that night.

We have excursions planned at several of these places, and we’re hoping to spot everything from moose to whales before we return.

MACKINAC ISLAND

Believe it or not, I haven’t had my mind on Mackinac much this week, but I have to share this one photo from Jason St. Onge!

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, crossing Main Street and headed for Doud’s Market and an early cup of coffee. Only on Mackinac!

Oh, and here’s one more VERY important pic, shared by Chuck Wagon on Mackinac:

Jill has arrived on Mackinac, and now the season can begin! As you can see, the Chuck Wagon was her first stop this morning for a breakfast sandwich! Love that place and owners Sharon and Donnie!

Ok – here’s the plan.  I’m not taking my laptop to Alaska, so there will be no blog posts for the next two weeks.  But – I’ll be posting on Facebook every day (well, IF I have coverage every day).  If you’re on Facebook and we’re not already Facebook friends (and you want to keep up with our trip), just send me a friend request, and we’ll be all set!  If you don’t do Facebook, I’ll post lots of pics on the blog when we get back!

We drop Maddie and Bodie off at the petsitter on Wednesday afternoon.  It’s definitely going to be hard leaving them for two weeks, but they will be in the best of hands with Lilly.  They’ll have a huge fenced-in yard to run around in, and Miss Maddie will probably once again be sharing Lilly’s mom’s bed.

I’ll end with this cute video I shot of Maddie letting Bodie know just what a Diva she is yesterday!

Please lift safe travel prayers for Ted and I and “happy vacation” prayers for the pooches.

Hoping to see you Thursday on Facebook with updates on our trip.

God bless.

This photo and header compliments of Princess Cruises.

Throw Back Thursday – Catch Up! 5/4/17

Personal Note:  SOOOO many faces in this one you’ll recognize if you’ve followed the blog for very long!

I’ll be back on Sunday with a pre-Alaska blog.  This time next Thursday we will be on the way to Fairbanks!

FIRST PUBLISHED JUNE 30, 2013

I’m getting a really late start writing tonight (because we had the most perfectly beautiful day you can possibly imagine on Mackinac, and Ted and I stayed outside and enjoyed it until hunger drove us in).  So, I’m going to just toss up some photos with captions and let that do for now.

We had some foggy days at the beginning of last week, and fog creates some strange illusions. Loved these “waves” of wispy fog clouds between the break wall and the lighthouses.

Ted and I ate in the Chippewa one evening and watched the fog roll into the harbor.

When we stepped out of the hotel to start home, the streetlights shining through the fog gave downtown’s Main Street a rather haunting look . . .

. . . and the east end really looked eerie in front of Marquette Park.  Good night for the ghost tours!

Mike Forrester and his family rented kayaks from Great Turtle Kayak Tours and really enjoyed paddling around the marina on their next-to-last-day on the Island.   Talk about a serene scene!  (Photo: Mike Forrester)

Ted and I met blog reader Jeff and his family – Camille, Lisa, Mia and Jake – at Sadie’s Saturday for ice cream. Flavor #5 – Blueberry Cobbler (vanilla ice cream with blueberries AND pieces of cobbler crust)! Oh. My. Goodness. Another 10!

On a walk the other day we cut through the Trillium Heights neighborhood, which is about three hills further up Cadotte than we are. I really like this area – lovely homes and nice folks living in them!

“Who, me? Uh-uh. Maddie did it.”

Have always loved this view from the East Bluff.

Jill – getting some puppy love!

From a trip to Mac City – out-of-the-water sailboats at the marina . . .

. . . and the little park adjacent to the Shepler dock.

Pansies! Don’t you just love pansies!

One day this week we walked into town and met up with Chris Ann and Burton’s family at Marquette Park. Two of the grandchildren fell in love with the Bearster.

We went over to visit our neighbor, Chief Duck Andress, this week and noticed a chipmunk running up and down the top of his fence. Duck went over and poured out some peanuts and told me to go stand right by the fence and not move. Sure enough, in just a minute or two, Mr. Chipmunk scurried right down to the treats. Chipmunk to himself: “Hmmmm . . . peanuts!”

“I think I’ll try one . . .

. . . or two, or seven, or twelve. Man, I wish I had bigger cheeks!”

Mary, a blog reader, and her entire family were staying at the Yacht Club this week. I biked down to meet her and husband Steve, their two sons and their wives, and the three grandchildren. What a fun family!  And guess what, Lowell – Mary and her parents used to eat at the Carriage Lantern in the 50’s, Mary worked one summer for the Benjamin Photography Store, and (drum roll please) Mary, as an 8-year-old, ALSO walked across Arch Rock!  There seems to have been quite a bit of that going on in the 50’s.

 

I loved these t-shirts they were all wearing. Each date is the year that someone new in the family first visited Mackinac Island.

Me – hurrying to the library last Friday to hear author P.J. Parrish. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

You’ll remember that P.J. Parrish is actually two sisters, Kelly Nichols and Kristy Montee, and their latest book is Heart of Ice, set on Mackinac Island.  These two sisters graciously mentioned Bree’s Blog in the Acknowledgement page as a source of some of their Mackinac Island information. 

The library was packed, and the sisters spoke for about an hour about the new book and what it’s like to write together – one from Michigan and one from Florida. After the lecture there was a book signing.  Hope you’ve read Heart of Ice.   It is SO good!

We rode out today to the Mackinac Community Equestrian Center and found a pony wash in progress.

Friend Joan Barch was there with her grandson Jordan. It seems there were no dirty ponies, so sweet Blaze volunteered to be “dirtied up” with finger paints . . .

. . . and Jordan had great fun leaving his hand prints everywhere!

After they decorated Blaze in very patriotic red, white and blue paint, they then washed it all off!  That Blaze will put up with anything for these young horse lovers.

The article that Stepanie Fortino wrote about Lowell and Faye’s visit to Mackinac was in this week’s Town Crier!

I have a funny story to tell you, and then I’m done for tonight.  The day that Lowell, Faye, Jill, reporter Stephanie, Ted and I had lunch at the Grand Hotel, we were all sitting and chatting, waiting for our food to arrive.  I totally forget what it was, but Ted said something sweet, and I reached out with my right hand – still chatting with someone down the table on my left – to give him a sweet pat and rub on his cheek.  As I patted and rubbed, I noticed everyone had stopped mid-sentence and they were all staring at me wide-eyed.  I heard Ted clear his throat and say, “Uh, Sweetie?”

That’s when I turned toward Ted and discovered that instead of patting and rubbing Ted’s cheek, I was patting and rubbing the arm of our server.

I put my head down on the table and about DIED! But the waiter thought it was funny (and so did everyone else), and he laughingly agreed to recreate the “scene” for this pic.  Oh, Lordy.

And that’s the last time I “pat and rub” without looking first!

We have another busy, busy week ahead, with lots of 4th of July activities, and on Tuesday we’re going sailing!  Really excited about that and will share that adventure later in the week, along with whatever other goodies pop up.  The weather is supposed to be stuck on PERFECT all week, so if there’s any way you can jump in a car or bus or train or plane and get up here, you won’t be disappointed!

Have a great week, and I’ll be back in a few days with more good stuff from Mackinac!  God bless.

Way Back Wednesday – A Day in the Life of a Carriage Tour Carriage Driver 5/3/17

Personal Note:  Another in “A Day in the Life of” series I wrote during our first summer as Mackinac Island summer residents.  A few days before I posted this Ted and I and friends from Georgia, Dawn & Stevie, were bike riding in the interior of the island.  On the road that runs in front of Skull Cave, Ted, Dawn & Stevie passed a 3-horse hitch carriage tour wagon by going around it off the road.  When I attempted it – clumsy person that I am – I hit a rut and fell over into the path of those three horses pulling the carriage.  One second I’m on the bike, and the next second I’m curled into a fetal position on the road, waiting for three very large horses to run over me.  It didn’t happen, thanks to the driving abilities of Justin, who I rode with to write this post.

P.S.  Yes, I forgot to do a “Throw Back Tuesday” – hence, you get a Way Back Wednesday!___________________________________________________________________

FIRST PUBLISHED AUGUST 27, 2009

Riding with a Carriage Tour driver was something I have wanted to do all summer, and today was the day.  I had asked if I could ride with Justin Diemert, the young man who was driving the 3-horse hitch carriage the day I took a nose dive off my bike in front of him.  I got my wish!  Who better to showcase than Justin, who, as far as I’m concerned, saved me from serious injury, and possibly saved my life.

A little about how the Carriage Tours work.  Downtown on Main Street there is a booth where tourists can purchase tickets for Carriage Tours.  That is where you are loaded onto a 20-passenger carriage.  Group tours also start their sightseeing trip from there.  Once you are underway, the driver gives a narrated tour through the downtown area of Mackinac Island – covering the main attractions on Main and Market Streets.  From Market, they turn up Cadotte, go past Grand Hotel and the horse barns, and at the bottom of the hill that our condo sits atop, they take a slight right and go up to the Surrey Hill Carriage Museum.  There passengers unload and spend 15-20 minutes in the museum – looking at the carriages, going through the shops, or having ice cream, or fudge, or a sandwich (if you get there around 9:30 in the morning, you may be lucky enough to get piping hot donuts that are to die for).

After you finish your visit to the museum, you move to the back of the building and exit onto the backporch. There you wait to be loaded onto a 3-horse hitch carriage, which holds 35 passengers.  Now if I went into the logistics of how all this works from downtown to the top of our hill, I would be here into next week trying to explain it.  Surfice it to say their method works smoothly, and the passengers get where they need to be 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the entire season.

Denise is usually loading and unloading folks at the front of the building, and Kim is usually on the backporch doing the same.  But today Kim was off, and Denise and Judy were working the back.

Denise and Judy

Justin pulled up about 15 minutes after I arrived, and Denise explained I would be job shadowing him today.  I reminded him about what he had done to save me from his horses, and he smiled and said, “Oh yeah, you’re that crazy woman who tried to scare my horses to death.”  HE DIDN’T SAY THAT!  What he actually said was, “Oh, I thought you looked familiar!”

Let me tell you a little about Justin.  This is his third summer on the island, his second summer driving for Carriage Tours.  He visited a friend on the island one summer, and the friend was driving carriage horses.  He came back the next year, after applying for a job as a driver, and learned his skills on the “school bus”, as they call the “learning carriage”.  Justin was born in Detroit, lived most of his life in the small town of Roscommon, MI, and is now a senior at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.  He has a double major – Film and English – with plans to be a screenwriter and director.  He has already written several screenplays, his most recent “Mortuary Angels”.  Justin hopes to be able to take a film project from beginning to end, preferring to direct his own screenplays, rather than have someone else do it.  That way he will have complete control of the finished product. He has no plans to move to New York or LA – at least not now.  He says Michigan has a booming film industry, and he feels he will be able to stay here to follow his dream.

I rode with Justin through three tours – about 45 minutes each – and when the passengers were loaded, Denise told them why I was on board, and that I would be taking pictures for this blog.  No one objected at all.  In fact, I think they thought it was pretty cool – although I did have a couple of gentlemen ask me, “What’s a blog?”

We loaded the first group, and we were on our way, with me riding shotgun beside Justin.

When Justin is driving and talking to the passengers, he is constantly turning around and making eye contact with them.  I really think that is why his passengers connect with him so easily and feel comfortable asking him questions.  He uses a headset mike, so even the people in the very last row can easily hear him.

On the second leg of the Carriage Tour (the first being downtown), you see the three cemeteries, Rifle Range, Skull Cave, Arch Rock, the Avenue of the Trees, and Fort Mackinac.  I’m not going to give Justin’s narrative word for word, or share with you all the jokes he told.  But just in case you are ever on his tour, I am going to help you out with answers to three questions he might ask.  If you remember these, you will make Justin think you are really, really smart!

We passed the three island cemeteries just a few minutes into the tour – St. Anne’s Catholic Cemetery, the Protestant Cemetery, and the Post Cemetery.  First question I am going to help you out on:  What are the three criteria you must fulfill to be buried in one of the Mackinac Island cemeteries?  One is that you have to have lived on the island for at least 15 years; the second is that you must own property and pay taxes here.  What is the third?  (tick tock, tick tock)  – you must be dead!

From the cemeteries, you pass Skull Cave, where Justin told the scary story of the cave’s history.  Something I learned was that the cave originally was much bigger, but the limestone from the cave was quarried to build the walls of the fort – I had never heard that!

We passed Rifle Range, where the soldiers from the fort used to practice firing their muskets for accuracy and distance.  I learned that the phrase “Get the lead out!” was first used right here on Mackinac Island on the Rifle Range.  Seriously, this is a true story – but to hear the whole thing, you will have to take the tour!

We went on to Arch Rock, the Avenue of the Trees, and then stopped at the fort to let out anyone who wanted to go in and explore or eat lunch.  Those remaining on board had the option of getting off at the Governor’s Summer Residence and walking down Fort Hill to town, or returning back to the Carriage Museum.  From there they could get back on a 2-horse hitch carriage and go to Grand Hotel or back to town.

We pulled up for our second group, and while they loaded, Judy sprayed the horses with bug spray to keep the biting flies at bay.  On the front row of the second group was the cutest little baby (remember that statement a few blogs ago about 6-month old babies always making you smile?).  This one had to be about that age, and she was a doll!

At Arch Rock, the carriage stops for “7 minutes” – according to Justin.  Everyone gets off the carriage and walks over to take pictures from the lookout point, which overlooks the beautiful blue waters of Lake Huron.  While pictures are being taken, the horses get buckets of water to drink.  From left to right, that’s Grub, Megan, and P.K..  All three are Belgian draft horses.

When the tour stops at Fort Mackinac, there is an interpreter waiting to tell the group a brief history of the fort and what is available inside to see.  The interpreters are always dressed in period costume and address you as if it is still the 1800’s.

OK – here’s another question/answer that will make you seem very smart on this tour – and this one is serious.  At the post cemetery, you will notice that the flag is flying at halfstaff.  It is always like that at the Mackinac Island Post Cemetery, where there are many graves of unknown soldiers.  Here’s the question.  Where else on U.S. soil is the flag always flown at halfstaff?  Have you thought about it?  They are:  Arlington, Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, and Normandy.  Yes, Normandy.  France gave the United States land to bury our soldiers, and that cemetery is considered to be on U.S. soil.

We headed back to pick up another load of passengers (the third trip of the day) at around 12:30.    I asked Justin when he “does lunch”.  He doesn’t.  Not in the traditional sense anyway.  Like the taxi drivers, carriage drivers eat on the fly.  When we returned to the Carriage Museum, we were three back in the lineup.  So Denise came and sat in Justin’s seat and held the lines while he ran inside to grab something to eat (he was back in 3 minutes with ice cream).  Also like the taxi drivers, the carriage tour drivers cannot leave their horses unattended.

Our third group loaded.  At several points along the tour, Justin stops his narration and gives his passengers time to ask questions.  This group liked to ask questions, and listened attentively to everything Justin said.  I think he could have given a quiz after the tour, and they would have all made an “A”!

 At the Avenue of the Trees, which is a bike riding and walking path that does not allow horses (hence, no horse poop on this one), there is at least one of every tree that grows on Mackinac Island.  They were not planted, but grew there naturally.

At some point in each of the three tours, Justin allowed me to stand up and tell the story of my bike wreck.  I emphasized how crazy we all were to be passing a carriage on such a narrow road, how crazy we were to not be wearing bike helmets, and how fortunate I was that the horses I fell in front of were being driven by Justin.  Every group gave “my hero” a big round of applause.

Ok, here is your last tip for the tour if you take it one day.  Question:  Which U.S. President lived in the Boy Scout barracks on the island and worked there for a week in the summer when he was a Boy Scout?  If you know your Presidents’ home states, you know this one.  It was Gerald Ford.

The third trip of the day was over around 2 p.m.  Justin would be on the job until around 7:30, then he would go back to the barn and wash and stable his horses before heading home around 9 p.m.  His day began at the barn at 7:30 a.m.  I asked if he had a day off.  He said all the drivers have one day off a week, but he usually doesn’t elect to take his.  He prefers to work.  And if he does take a day, he will usually sleep late, then end up either at the barn or up at the Carriage Museum.  This young man truly loves his job.

I had a great time riding with Justin, and my admiration for the job that all these drivers do grew even stronger today.  They have to be aware of everything going on at all times – their passengers, people around them, bikers, horseback riders, dogs, and other carriages.  They are sitting behind 3,000 lbs. of powerful, intelligent creatures who trust that young man or woman on that high seat to guide them safely through town and through the woods.  And, once in a great while, a driver is alert enough to pull those great animals back  by the lines and prevent them from stepping on some clutzy blogger who fell off her bike in front of them.  Thank you, Justin!

 

Counting Down to Alaska and Marking an Anniversary 4/30/17

When I pull up our upcoming land/sea tour of Alaska on the Princess Cruises website it tells me we are 11 days away from our adventure!  I’ve been doing some “special items” shopping this week – things like those wonderful three ounce containers of shampoo, toothpaste, and hairspray – and a trip to the shoe store for a comfortable pair of walking shoes,.  The first few days of our trip will be spent in Fairbanks and then on to Denali National Park.  The Weather Channel says we can look for highs in the upper 60’s there.  But, when we reach our sea cruise port (Whittier), and I look at weather around the cities where we’ll be stopping, the Weather Channel is saying highs in the 40’s and 50’s!  It looks like we’ll be taking a few more layering items than we thought at first, but hey – I’m going to be a happy camper to have a couple of weeks of cooler weather.  It’s been HOT and muggy here for the last few days – you know, that sauna type of heat!

Along with prep for the trip we’ve stayed busy with some fun activities in the neighborhood.

Our next door neighbor’s precious granddaughter Mila celebrated her one year birthday with a Mermaid party!

A grand time was had by all, but especially little Mila, who knew exactly what to do with her smash cake!

Another celebration in Sunset Inlet was for neighbors’ daughter Ashley, who graduated from the University of Florida yesterday. Her parents hosted a wonderful party as a send-off for her tour of Europe with two college friends. The elevator in their home was decorated as a photo booth – sooo cute!

We spent some of today clearing out our dining room and moving the chairs, table and huge china cabinet down to the garage (with the help of neighbor Mark). AmVets will pick it up on Monday, and on Tuesday our new dining room furniture arrives. That set was 36 years old, and we just thought it was time since it looked like it was from another era in history – and it was!

Another awesome drone photo from neighbor Bob of Sunset Inlet at night!

MACKINAC NEWS

More and more horses are arriving, and when the horse numbers increase, so do the bales of hay to feed them. The hay comes over on the ferry, is loaded onto a dray and driven up to the horse barns. There it is moved to a conveyer belt which lifts it into the upper level of the barn. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

Horses aren’t the only means of transportation arriving on Mackinac! The Grand Hotel golf carts that are used on the Jewel Golf Course came over on the freight boat this week and got a police escort through town and up Cadotte to the Golf Pro Shop across from the Grand. (Photo: Kellie Lawrence)

Wildflowers are peeking up above ground in the woods! (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

An awesome photo by Tom Chambers of a dray coming up Mission Hill.  The sign says it all!

Grand Hotel held its soft opening this weekend. The second half of the 660-foot porch was renovated during the winter. . . .

and the already splendid venue for rocking and viewing the Straits of Mackinac is even more beautiful as she stands now.

MARKING A PASSING

On Monday, May 1, we mark the first anniversary of the passing of our beautiful Bear.  I remember that day in still vivid flashbacks – a day of retching heartbreak and tears I felt would never end.  All I still have to do is think about my sweet boy, and I will instantly tear up and usually have myself a good cry.

So, six months ago . . . I set out to find another Bear.

It’s taken me quite a while to admit that.  Oh, I said I just loved the breed and wanted another golden retriever.  But what I really wanted was another Bear – quiet, sweet, eager to please, obedient, and calm.  That’s what I wanted.

But what I got was Bodie – a dog determined NOT to be Bear.  He was (and to some extent still is) an excited-to-be-alive, chewing, gobbling-up-anything-in-sight, bouncing, zooming-through-the-house-at-full-run, can’t-wait-to-jump-in-the-car-and-go-somewhere dynamo.  He tries my patience nearly every day, loves to sneak in the closet and see what I’ve left on the floor for him to steal, and his favorite game is to take a tennis ball and roll it UNDER any piece of furniture where it will fit.  Why? Because he knows I will have to get up and rescue it for him – which might mean I can be coerced into a game of fetch.  If that doesn’t work, and I go sit back down, he will just paw the ball back under another low table or couch.  Eventually I get the message.

I know for the first few months Bodie thought his name WAS Bear.  That is what Ted and I both called him.  That’s just what came out of our mouths.  It was always “Bear! I mean Bodie!”, followed by “No, Stop, Don’t, Quit, Get Down, Get OFF!”  You get my drift.

Slowly though, this dog-determined-not-to-be-Bear barreled his way into our hearts.  It was almost as though he knew if he acted like Bear we would always think of him as Bear – and he was determined to be loved on his own terms.  In the last couple of months he has turned a corner, and we are beginning to see the adult dog he will become.  He loves exuberantly, plays flat out, and thinks sticking his entire snout into his water bowl and blowing bubbles all over the floor is a real hoot.  But he also comes when he’s called, sits, stays, lies down, backs up, waits before digging into his food, and heels by my side off-leash from our front door all the way out to the end of the intracoastal dock and back home.  He jumps into the car whenever the door is opened and loves to ride anywhere.  He’s still a little nuts when he meets people or other dogs, but hey nobody’s perfect.

I say all that to say this.  I will forever in my heart love Bear – he was beautiful, noble, kind, and an old soul even at an early age.  He was the dog I needed at the time I had him.

But if Bodie had been another Bear, I would be sitting on the couch reading or binge watching Netflix, and eating bon-bons every day.  Bodie  gets me outside for long walks, he keeps me hopping physically and mentally (trying to stay one step ahead of him), and his goof-ball antics make me laugh out loud at least 10 times a day.  His sunny outlook on life helps me have one too.

Bodie is the dog I needed now.  I love him differently than I loved Bear, but I absolutely love him no less.  He hasn’t taken Bear’s place in my heart, but he owns a piece of my heart I didn’t even know was there.  It is Bodie’s place, and he will hang out there for as long as God allows us to be together.

I hope that’s a long, long time.

My sweet Bear

My Bodie boy

 

Throw Back Thursday – Walking on Sunshine 4/27/17

Personal Note:  Loved going back and reading this blog and seeing all the photos.  So many friends are in this one, including sweet Chris Ann, who we lost a few years later.  I wrote it a couple of days after we arrived on the island for the season in May, 2011.

_________________________________________________________________

First Published May 20,2011

“The sun always shines on Mackinac Island” is a local saying those of us who love this place use a lot.  Even when it’s cold or raining, and even when the wind is howling around the corners of the buildings downtown, some of us Pollyannas are still looking up –  fully expecting the sun to peek through at any minute.  To us, it doesn’t really matter what Mother Nature sends – just being on Mackinac makes the sun come out – even if it only shows itself in the smiles on our faces.

By the time I publish this, we will have been on the island approximately 70 hours.  We arrived in sunshine, with temps in the 50’s, but the rest of the week has been pretty wet and pretty chilly.  Here’s a look at what the week’s been like since our arrival . . .

Monday (noon-ish):  After 4 1/2 hours on the road (which included lunch at Ted’s favorite chain restaurant, Big Boy’s (this is a childhood memory thing for him, left over from visits when he lived in Ft. Thomas, KY), we turned into the Shepler’s Ferry docks.  We had some business to take care of before we could board the next boat (parking and season passes), so we unloaded Maddie and Bear and headed for the main office.

Chris Ann and Burton Nelson were on the dock to greet us in Mackinaw City. They stayed with us overnight in Georgia a few weeks ago on their way north from their winter home in Florida.

Taking care of business. Beside me is Captain Bill Shepler, the head of this awesome clan, then Captain Chris, and that’s Misty (head of the Marketing Department) across from me.

 

About to board.

 

 

Bear, Maddie and I getting off the ferry at the island . . .

 

 

. . . followed by Ted with lots of luggage.

 

Following Mackinac Island tradition, friends were on the dock to greet us.  Oh my gosh!  It had been almost seven months since we’d seen these folks.  We were excited!

 

Jill is taking the photo, but that’s Loretta (who owns Martha’s Sweet Shop) petting Bear and Mary from the Grand behind her. What’s in the white box Loretta is carrying? Only the best cinnamon buns, blueberry muffins and raspberry muffins you have ever put in your mouth! We haven’t had to buy breakfast food yet!  Did you notice the heavy coats everyone has on?

 

All the ladies who came to greet us had to scurry back to work, so we wasted no time loading up on the taxi which was waiting for us (Ted had called for it from the ferry).

 

 

And up the Grand hill we go. I know I take practically this same photo each year, but I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to see the Grand come into view for the first time each spring. With some of the big trees gone (cut down in the winter because of disease and replaced by strong, healthy young trees), the beautiful hotel could be seen a lot further down Cadotte this year.

 

 

 

As usual, Maddie had to be subdued into remembering that she weighs 12 lbs. and the horses weigh 2 tons . . .

 

 

. . . while Bear propped his head up on the back of the seat and dozed off.

 

The tulips are just before bursting into bloom at the Grand!

 

Ted did most of the luggage-carrying up the steps of the condo, and as we started to unpack I realized, as I always do, that I had brought way to much “stuff”.  Do you remember that last fall I took photos of all the clothes I was leaving so I wouldn’t duplicate anything again?  Guess what – if you CAN’T FIND THE PHOTOS, they don’t do you any good!

 

By four we couldn’t stand it any longer and had to get outside.  Bear and Maddie needed walking, and Ted and I both were in need of some leg-stretching ourselves.  With Bear off the leash once we got into the woods, we were interested in seeing what he remembered about the island.  We started down an oft-traveled road, with Bear running several feet ahead of us.  Suddenly he stopped, peered left into the woods, looked back at us, and immediately darted down the wooded path we’d traveled so many times last summer.  He knew immediately where he was and led us onto all our favorite paths as we walked.

 

After returning home to feed Maddie and Bear, we started down the hill for the first time – headed for the Chippewa and dinner.

 

 

The corral in front of our condo is not nearly full of horses yet, but this big guy was enjoying his supper. The horses all put on weight over the winter (all they do is eat, and with no exercise to keep those calories in check, they bulk up).  Hmmmmm . . . same thing happens to me!

 

First time this spring down Turkey Hill, next to the Grand’s Jewel Golf Course. With no leaves on the trees yet, it’s easy to see Lake Huron through the branches.

 

 

First stop – outside the Island Bookstore where we met up with Frankie, some of Bonnie’s family, Jill and Bonnie.

 

Then it was on to the Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel where we were greeted by two of our favorite bartenders, Jacob . . .

 

. . . and Susanna.

 

Daffodils are coming up all over the island, and I noticed these after we left the Chip to start home. They’re at the Marquette Park corner of Fort Hill and Main Street.

 

On Tuesday Ted left to go across to get the rest of our luggage while I unpacked the rest of what we’d brought over the day before.  By the time he got back, the three boxes we’d mailed had also arrived, so the rest of the day was spent unpacking clothes we really shouldn’t have brought and carting suitcases upstairs to storage.

 

Now for what has REALLY kept me hopping the last two days!  A few days before we arrived, Shepler’s asked Chris Ann and I if we would help them as “welcomers” for the Win-Some Women conference held at the Grand Tuesday-Thursday.  Each day Shepler’s was expecting 800 ladies to arrive on the dock at Mackinaw City to cross to the island, and extra “hands on deck” would be appreciated.  We jumped at the chance!  Although I didn’t get to help on Tuesday (just couldn’t get over there the day after we arrived), Chris Ann worked all three days, and I worked Wednesday and Thursday.

 

I wanted to catch the 8 a.m. boat across to Mackinaw City, and Jill met me halfway up Cadotte and walked to the dock with me, where she snapped this photo.

 

 

The weather was really cold and wet on Wednesday, but the ladies arrived in good spirits and were loaded quickly onto the ferries. I took this shot after returning to the dock from where I was “stationed” – at an intersection to direct arriving cars into the proper parking lot. I had on my cuddle duds, a turtleneck, a windbreaker, long pants, and was carrying an umbrella. I needed all that – and more!

 

 

 

 

Back on the island at the bookstore on Wednesday afternoon. You know how straight my hair is in the photos above? It was that straight when I left the condo that morning also. All those waves come springing out in the rain! Loving my Shepler’s windbreaker and the Shepler’s backpack that were volunteering perks.

Thursday was a much better day weather-wise! Chris Ann and I were stationed together at the main gate to the dock, and we had a blast welcoming the last group of 800 women. That’s Noel, another Shepler volunteer, who was directing traffic.

 

Eight hundred women = tons of luggage! The efficiency with which the cast got the luggage tagged and loaded was amazing.

 

As 800 women were headed TO the island, several hundred school children were coming OFF!

 

 

How’s this for great customer service – that’s Captain Bill Shepler, the owner of Shepler’s Ferry Line, out welcoming guests. Today I also saw him take luggage out of cars, load it onto luggage carts, handle problems over the hand-held radios, check out every single detail of what was happening on the dock, and still take the time to deliver two steaming hot cups of coffee to Chris Ann and I at our post.

 

 

Noon – and our volunteer time is over. We ate pizza for lunch with the rest of the cast members – then Chris Ann headed home about a mile away on the mainland, and I jumped back on the ferry to the island.

 

On Friday I plan to sleep late, finish the last of the unpacking, wash some clothes, and get rid of the winter dust on the furniture.  Sounds like kind of a boring, blah day, doesn’t it.  But, you know what?  All I have to do is look out the sliding glass doors or one of the windows of the condo . . . . and I’m walking on sunshine!

Throw Back Tuesday – The Island Without Jill 4/25/17

Personal Note:  I’m posting this as my “throw back” today because I know Jill will be returning to the island in the next week or so, and Mackinac just wouldn’t be Mackinac without Jill being there.  I’ve loved her since our very first summer on Mackinac, and I count her as among my very best friends.  She is everything I wrote in this blog back in 2009 – and much, much more.  Her heart is huge, her spirit is sweet, and her friendship is forever.  Love you, Jillski, and don’t fuss at me about posting this!______________________________________________________________________

FIRST PUBLISHED 10/29/09

I keep telling myself that one day this week I will sit down to write the “final post” for the season.  I’m not ready to do that yet, even though today was the closest I’ve come to saying, “Ok – I’m ready to go.”  And that is because today my good friend Jill left the island. 

JIB in The Island Bookstore.

As I have said before, Jill is the communicator for Mackinac Island.  If Jill doesn’t know about something that’s going on, then it must not be going on.   She always seems to be everywhere at once, and when we were first getting to know each other, I gave her the nickname JIB (for Jill in the Box) – because she just popped up everywhere.  At first I thought she knew everything because she worked at the The Island Bookstore.  I figured there must be some secret information system that fed every little tidbit of news from every corner of the island into that tiny little store inside the Lilac Tree Hotel mall.  But then I realized, no – it’s just that Jill knows everyone on Mackinac, and everyone knows her. 

How in the world I would have ever kept this blog going without her constant stream of places to go and people to meet is beyond me.  It probably would have been dead in the water by June.  Jill was a Godsend. 

But the best part of meeting Jill was not how much she knew.  The best part was becoming her friend.  Being Jill’s friend is like taking little rays of sunshine and spreading them across your day – regardless of the weather, regardless of your mood, regardless of how you feel – Jill’s voice and her smiling face can lift you right up.  Her spirit is sweet and generous and kind, and she shares herself with everyone. 

This summer I have seen her come to the aid of an endless number of people in countless ways – housesitter, meeting someone at the ferry, seeing someone off at the ferry, helping people unpack – then helping them pack, dogsitter, delivering messages, delivering packages, catsitter, buying groceries for others, and picking up mail for a friend.  And she is usually taking care of all that before she goes to a a full-time job at the bookstore.  She does it all, and she never complains.  She never says she’s too busy or too tired to help someone, even though I know that sometimes she is both. 

On her breaks from the bookstore, she will walk down the sidewalk and have 20 people speak to her by name before she hits the first corner.  She is hailed from the street, from taxis, from bikes, and from stores.  She has this amazing ability to make you feel special.  That’s what she did for me, and that’s what she does for everyone lucky enough to know her. 

Jill left today on the 12:30 ferry.  Her plan is to spend a few months with her family in downstate Michigan, then spend some time with friends in Arizona, before returning to the island in the spring. Ted and I were there at the dock to see her off.  She wrote me a lovely note and gave it to me as she was boarding, making me promise not to open it until she was well out of sight.  I kept my promise. 

Watching the ferry pull away, I thought, “Now there is only one more important goodbye I have to say before we leave – and that will be to the island itself.”  

Then it will be time to go home.

Have a great winter, JIB!  Love you, my friend.