Two Weeks 5/2/2011

Two weeks.

The last overnight visitors of our winter “season” in Georgia came and went this weekend, and the business of packing and closing the lake house has begun.  This week will include doctors’ visits for Ted and I (just the annual checkups our internists insist upon before we travel north to begin six months of Mackinac Island’s mandatory aerobic exercise that changes us each summer back from couch potatoes to fit  and semi-lean senior citizens).  We’ll be updating the addresses on our favorite catalogs and magazines (because the postal service doesn’t forward those) and filling out the forwarding form at the post office for our regular mail.  I’ll be making lists – and more lists – because without them I will forget something important – like making reservations at Whitmore Lake, MI for our one night on the road (which I just this second thought about and have to write that down right now before I forget it again).

Like the Hortons, Mackinac Island has burst into a frenzy of activity.  The weather is warming – slowly, but steadily, and this week summer workers and early tourists have been arriving at every ferry dock.  I have a few newsy items and some photos for you, but again this week will be short and sweet.  With the season’s preparations underway, my “eyes on the island” have a lot less time to listen to me beg for photos.  They have REAL work to do! 

Here’s what I have for you . . .

• My good buddy, Joyce (we met online through this blog and in person last summer on the island – she and her family are from Indiana), was on the island this past weekend for the Spring Geocaching event.  For the very first time, she and her family stayed at the Grand (which was offering special rates for the geocachers). “Amazing” was the word she used over and over in describing the Grand Hotel.  Their room was at the front of the hotel, looking out over the porch and Tea Garden.  Pretty spiffy, Joyce!

 

Joyce - standing on top of the embankment that surrounds the Fort Holmes site. She said, "It's a cold and windy day, but I'm loving it anyway!"

• Good friend Frankie and her chocolate lab, Hershey, are back on the island for the season.  Frankie is house mom for some of the Ryba employees, and she’s been very busy getting the house ready for summer workers.  A few came in this week, and others will arrive within the next few days. 
• My Jill will be back on the island this week and back at the Island Bookstore in a few days.  She spent the winter in Lansing.  Island Bookstore – here we come!
• Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island opened this week.  Nicole says she still doesn’t have everything looking exactly right yet, but “come on in anyway”!

 

I could just sit right here at my laptop, look at this photo, and pick out enough goodies to have Ted banning me from this store for the entire summer.

• Joann’s made their first fudge this week! 

 

Ok. Lean forward and get your nose really, really close to your computer screen. Can you smell it? I can!

 

On Friday I was  just going about my normal routines – checking out different web sites for photos to use, gathering information, thinking about my upcoming post.  I clicked over to Shepler’s Ferry because I can always count on them for a few pics each week.  Up pops their logo – only there is something very different about it.  Oh. My. Gosh!  I’m IN their logo!

Shepler’s has a new event they call “Fan of the Week!”, and this week they chose me!  Here’s what they said:  “It’s Fan Friday! In honor of the Royal Wedding, we have decided to choose our own royalty as our Fan of the Week. Everyone congratulate, Brenda Horton, the Queen of Mackinac Island Blogging! Keep up the good work Brenda, and we’ll see you in a few short weeks!”  A big “thank you” to the Shepler family for choosing me, and – by the way – you really need to visit their new website at http://sheplersferry.com/ , and you can also visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/sheplersferry.

And speaking of Shepler’s . . . . here’s a few photos I borrowed!

Shepler's put up their big white luggage tent this week, and the next day it was filled with luggage carts. Shops on the island are restocking for the season, and merchandise by the ton is traveling across the Straits to fill store shelves.

 

 

And then there's THIS fellow. He's on his way back to The Haunted Mansion on Main Street.

 

 

The Mackinac Bridge, beautiful blue sky, water still and smooth as a mirror, and the Capt. Shepler.

That’s it for another week!  14 days from today (May 2), and good Lord willing, we’ll be back on my favorite rock.  Everyone count with me now . . . 14 . . 13 . . 12 . . .

See you next Monday!