Returning to Mackinac 6/19/2014

Through the water-splashed ferry windows, a glimpse of the Grand Hotel, the Iroquois, and the Chippewa.  Cyclists following the never-ending roadway circling the island.  Horse-drawn carriages standing on Main – suspended in time.  My heart beats more rapidly, and my feet do a happy dance against the ferry floorboards.  I am returning to Mackinac. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I woke yesterday morning at 4:30 to an empty bed. I laid there a few minutes, waiting for Ted to return, but when he didn’t, I rose and found him sitting in the dark sunroom with a cup of coffee.

“What are you doing?” I asked sleepily.

“Just woke up and decided to sit out here a while,” he said.

Instead of stumbling back to bed, as I’d usually do in such circumstances, I made myself a cup of coffee and joined him in the peaceful darkness.  Bear and Maddie were like “what’s happening – are we leaving again?”  But they soon settled with us on the porch and went back to what everyone is usually doing at that time of day – sleeping.

With back-to-back Michigan and Florida trips, we’ve added almost 2900 miles to the odometer in the last 2 1/2-3 weeks.  Add to that the trip Ted left on yesterday around 8 a.m. (a “guy” trip to an Atlanta Braves game – and probably the reason he couldn’t go back to sleep), and it all adds up to a hectic, exhausting, but ultimately very fun way to start the summer season!  Our everyday routine is a little out of whack, but once Ted gets home from Atlanta (today), I think we’ll get back to normal quickly . . . until we leave again.

I don’t even know where to start, so for this post I’m just going to hit the high points on the Mackinac trip.  On Sunday, I’ll catch you up on the beach house and what’s happening at the ri’vah!

MACKINAC ISLAND – MICHIGAN

Returning to the island as a visitor instead of a resident is a little disconcerting.  The “perks” of owning on Mackinac are plentiful, and having been privy to that, it’s a little hard to adjust to going back as a vacationer.  The biggest single adjustment was going from having a resident’s pass for the ferry to buying tickets – or books of tickets.   I confess I was very happy just flashing my pass to board a boat (or not flashing it because everyone at Shepler’s knew us.  Of course they still know us, and we now have much longer to chat as we tear those little stubs out of the book).  Buying tickets is fine . . . just different.  The second biggest adjustment was rephrasing our standard “we have a condo on the island” answer to the question, “Where are you staying?” to “We’re renting a condo here”.  Ok, ok, ok – I know I sound like a spoiled brat.  I know it. I accept it.  I will adjust.  Sigh.

What we didn’t have to adjust to was our welcome being any different.  Everywhere we went we saw friends, and we gave and received so many hugs during our stay that our mouths stayed permanently stretched into grins of greeting.  We loved, loved, loved seeing everyone, and as I mentioned a few blogs ago, it was as if we’d never left – or sold.  Friends are friends are friends, and we thank the good Lord everyday for those we hold in our hearts across this beautiful country of ours!

These kids in town for a school trip posed endlessly for me, with not a single gripe. Of course, we continued to feed them free fudge during their photo session, so they were VERY cooperative!  🙂

Another adjustment was “working” on the island.  Although Ted and I volunteered during our summers there, having a “real” job was a little different.  I stayed downtown a lot more than usual this trip – dashing in and out of the two Original Murdick’s Fudge shops on Main Street a few times a day, then combing the streets and boat docks for folks with Murdick’s bags.  I had no qualms at all about approaching total strangers and saying, “I’m doing some photography for Original Murdick’s Fudge.  Would it be ok to snap a few pics of you holding up your bag/fudge?”  I was never turned down.  Jill was amazed, and asked, “How do you get people to do that?”  I think it’s the Southern drawl, which I admit to pushing a little bit more into the syrupy range when begging for something!  I had a blast, and if you go to the Original Murdick’s Fudge Facebook page, you’ll see quite a few of my photos, with more to come.

You know one of the first places we visited was The Island Bookstore, which just keeps getting better and better each year. How do they do that?  (Notice Ted is in jacket, and even though you can’t see it, Jill has on a few layers.)

 

The first day or so were pretty cold and rainy, so rainy we had to run onto a B & B’s porch for shelter on one trip to town!

 

Have I mentioned how much we loved being in the Mission District? We were out on the street more at dusk than we ever were living up the hill. You get some really amazing photos at that time of the evening.

 

Another “first stop”
was Mackinac Mud Pottery, the new shop opened by friend Joan Barch’s son, Jay. His original pottery designs are flying off the shelves. Ted ordered a coffee mug for me, and Jay and I talked about him designing a special set of “beach” plates for our Florida house. He is quite the talented young man!

 

Guys night at the Pink Pony. These friends got together practically every day.  I’ve never heard so many reasons to “go to town.”

 

I discovered Chief “Duck” Andress sitting at the corner of Fort and Main Streets and plopped down beside him to catch up on what was happening in the village.

 

The really awesome thing about Mackinac is that no one really thinks about actually setting dates or appointments to see anyone. You just know if you step outside, you will eventually see everyone you know . . . like Molly and her new team of greys, Dawn and Chico!

 

This was taken just after they’d hung the flower baskets and a few days before the lilacs began blooming.

 

Walking home to the Mission each evening gave me lots of opportunities to photograph St. Anne’s at twilight.  On this evening a Jamaican service was going on, and I wish we’d gone in.  It’s held around 9:00 p.m. one night a week – late like that because the Jamaicans are working all day.

 

Do you remember when the Indian Drum was on the Arnold Dock? It’s now in the Horse Corral, and doing a great business. Love, love, love this place (tons of cute clothes), and Trillium Heights friend Rogene was working the day we went in!

 

Imagine dray after dray of annuals, which have just arrived on the island at the docks, . . .

 

. . . being dropped off at summer cottages all over the island.  Here, Brigadoon and Anne’s Cottage lawns are filled with flowers to be planted in their gardens later in the day.

 

This is where we’ll be staying for six weeks in August/September. Excited!

 

The white sails of a boat from Robinson’s Folly.

 

A glimpse into a hidden backyard garden “somewhere” on the island.

 

Bear’s favorite grass to roll in? Horse poop fertilized Mackinac grass, of course!

 

There was a 7-hour power outage one of the days we were there, and downtown just practically shut down. The shops closed, and so did some of the restaurants, although a few offered cold plates and sandwiches!

 

White bleeding hearts. Don’t think I’ve seen these before – only the red.

 

There were no tulips at the Grand Hotel this spring, but Mission Point more than made up for it. I fell in love with their endless gardens of tulips – all pink!

 

I happened by Original Murdick’s fudge shop one evening just after they’d tucked the electric blankets over the marble table tops. This ensures the marble isn’t too cold the next morning for the first batch of fudge.

 

Crabapple blossoms . . . 

 

Lilacs . . .

 

Lilacs . . . (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

 

Lilacs! (Photo: Katy Rise)

Being back on the island was awesome.  The mixture of scents, noises, sights, and tastes can be conjured up only one place on earth – and that’s Mackinac!  Best of all though was . . .

. . . talking over fences – being neighborly in the good, old-fashioned way . . .

 

. . . walking home from church down lilac-framed paths . . .

. . . sitting on the front porch with the pooches . . .

 

. . . and hanging out with good friends – old and new (Sue, Molly, and Jill).

It was an awesome trip, and we can’t wait to get back up there in August!  In the meantime, there will probably be another couple of trips south, and on Sunday I’ll catch you all up on the beach house progress.  Here’s a peek . . .

Our little neighborhood at dusk.

 

Our house, with the beginning of the second floor balcony and the sky balcony above that.  We were hoping the siding would be on, but we missed that by a few days, and the day we left the windows and doors were going in.

 

 

Bear – hanging out in the kitchen.

 See you back here on Sunday!  God bless.

 

Quiet 10/29/2013

Hi Everyone!

Just a quick note to say we aren’t leaving Wednesday as planned.  We closed on the condo today at noon, so we’re officially “homeless on Mackinac.”  We’ve been too busy today to get all our cleaning done, and now we plan to leave on the 8 a.m. ferry on Thursday morning. 

Ted and I hurried down the hill this morning to see Jill off on the 11:00 ferry. Ted had seven more shipping boxes precariously balanced on his hand cart, but he managed to get down to town with only one spill – and it was a minor one.  Grand Hotel employees were still leaving in large numbers, but Jill made it on board with no trouble.  She texted me a little after 4:00 to let me know she’d made it home to Lansing safely.

Mary Stancik was on the dock seeing someone off also. I think we’ll be leaving on the same boat Thursday morning.

After we closed on the condo, we ate lunch at the Seabiscuit.  Ted stayed downtown to run some errands, and I started back to the condo to begin the second day of cleaning. I think the Seabiscuit (which is closing soon), Cawthone’s Village Inn (which will be closed the month of November), and the Mustang are the only restaurants open now.  Hoban Street was very quiet . . .

. . . and so was Cadotte.  From Market Street all the way to the Grand, I was the only person on the street.

When I reached the top of Grand Hill and turned around to look back toward town, the only other person was a lady pushing a cart filled with white bags. 

This is an entirely different Mackinac Island than most are used to seeing.  There were a few tourists in the Seabiscuit, but many more locals.  Awnings are being removed, shop windows covered, and painting has begun on several businesses.  All the outside maintenance has to be done before the snow begins.

As I walked up the hill, the silence was like slipping alone into a great cathedral.  As much as I love Mackinac in the summer – with bikes whizzing by, people laughing and talking, and taxi and dray and carriage horses clip-clopping up and down the streets – I may love this great quietness, surrounded by so much beauty, even more. 

These last few days have been spent exploring all kinds of options, but nothing has been decided except we don’t think we’re ready to only have Mackinac in our lives for one or two months.  We need to go home to think and pray it all through again.  And wait for God’s answer.

Slowing Down 10/24/2013

Hi friends!

Mackinac Island – the tourist destination – is shutting down.  When the Grand Hotel rings its closing bell on Monday morning and hundreds of Grand employees fill the ferries with their accumulated summer gear, the season will officially be over.

TUESDAY

Tuesday was “cover the gray day” at my St. Ignace hair salon – Leroy’s.  Returning to the island, I took a few minutes to wander the almost empty streets and pop in and out of a few shops.

October is sales month on the Island, and shops like Nephew’s on Mackinac – packed full of beautiful ladies’ and mens’ clothing in the summer months – are down to bare or almost bare shelves.

Market Street was pretty empty also . . .

. . . and The Town Crier box awaited a refill.

Our skies have pretty much looked like this for the last few days . . .

. . . but my camera loves this kind of light.

As I topped the hill at Four Corners, I got lucky. Some of the last horses were leaving the big barns.

These three and their leader appeared to be in a celebratory mood as they made their way to the ferry.

Many of the taxis are already off the streets, and next week we’ll be down to only one.

Is there any other place where horse-drawn taxis, moving down roads lined in colorful trees, can bring such a strong sense of bygone days . . .

. . . or where a solitary buggy, sitting beside an empty corral, can look so lonely?

Even the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory sign at the end of our yard has been removed.

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday, Ted and I went down the hill to ship more boxes.  Somehow Ted strapped three HUGE boxes onto a small rolling cart and managed to get them all the way to the post office without tipping it over.  After that we ran a few errands and ended up at the Seabiscuit for lunch.

Nancy, our favorite “hostess with the mostest,” is the cutest and most energetic little lady I have ever met!  We love her!

We walked home via the boardwalk . . .

. . . and watched the clouds roll in.

Walking past our normal turns and past the end of the boardwalk, we turned into the woods and came out at the pool house of the Grand Hotel.

Needless to say, the Grand Hotel pool looks a little forlorn with no water.

The storm clouds had moved behind the Grand by the time we arrived there.

These look like two trees of the same species to me. But how can they be when one has turned a beautiful buttery yellow and the other remains green as a grasshopper?

Workers were just finishing the planting of tulip bulbs . . .

. . . and by the time we got a couple of hills from our condo, it started hailing.

These little pellets really sting when they hit your face!

THURSDAY

Jill and I left on the 11 a.m. boat,.  Bear had a grooming appointment in Alanson and then we were meeting Sue Conlon in Petoskey for lunch. Poor Bear. He never gets any attention on Shepler’s ferries!

The three of us spent two hours at The Side Door Saloon, laughing so hard we could barely find time to eat. Oh my gosh, we had fun!  Here we were trying to take a photo of ourselves with my iPhone.  Jill is holding it at arms length, and we can see ourselves in the screen, which for some reason we found hilariously funny.

After picking Bear up from the groomers, we hightailed it back to Mackinaw City to catch the 5:30 boat.

Jill was riding shotgun so she was able to take some photos out the windows. Although the rain and wind we’ve had all week have stripped away a lot of the leaves, it was still a beautiful ride.

I wish we’d had time to turn down this dirt road and explore.

In between rain showers, a huge rainbow appeared . . .

. . . stretching for what seemed like miles across the fields and over the trees.

A FEW EXTRAS

Molly, a tour driver for Gough’s, took this photo through the back window of her carriage this week. The plastic flap made the pic look more like a watercolor than a photograph.  Scary looking sky!

First Shepler ferry of the morning. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

In the week before the Grand closes, an air of anticipation begins to grow among the true Islanders, the men and women and children who live here year-round.  When the last seasonal employee has been ferried across the Straits of Mackinac, the 400 or so folks who have resided here for generations breathe a contended sigh and go back to a way of life few non-islanders will ever known.  The island is all theirs then, a beautiful paradise where they will enjoy whatever the winter brings.  If the weather is bad enough, they can live for days isolated from the mainland.  It is a hard life, but one they would never dream of leaving.

I envy them the peace they find on this island in the winter.  One day, good Lord willing, I’d still love to share that peace with them.

Jason Days 8/18/2013

Hi everyone!  As reported, last week was busy – not so much ON the island as OFF!  I’ll try to write again on Tuesday to catch you up on what all was happening over that week, but tonight gets dedicated to Jason’s visit!

It’s so much fun when one of the “kids” comes – even when the kid is 41 (choke . . . how can that be)!  Each of our adult children love Mackinac Island, and each loves it for a different reason.  For Jason it’s the interaction with new people and the ability to be partying one moment and taking a solitary walk up the hills the next.  He and Ted have always played off each other in the funniest, zaniest way, and putting the two of the them together in one house is asking for instant laughter on a regular basis.  Ted calls him and Blake his “bonus sons”, a name which they both find somewhat silly, but in their heart of hearts, they also love that concept and the relationship they have with him.

Jason arrived on the 11:35 flight into Pellston from Detroit. It’s a tradition to start his visit with lunch at the Pink Pony – before we even go to the condo. This year was no different!

Lunch was followed by a walk up the hill and Jason disappearing into the guest bedroom for a short nap.  I have to admit that Ted and I were both soon also napping away in our recliners.  We slept about 30 minutes – Jason woke up three hours later (this is the son who NEVER slows down).

This is a night photo, but the afternoon of the three-hour nap the windows were up, there was a breeze blowing steadily through into the bedroom, and if you awoke and looked outside, the trees in the backyard made it appear you were sleeping in a treehouse. Jason said he woke up several times, but each time the windows, trees and breeze just put him right back to sleep. He said, quite simply, “It was the best nap of my life.”

Before he arrived Jason had already checked out everything going on on the island during his visit.

“Leo Kottke is playing in the park Thursday night! We have to go to that!” he said via email.

I knew about the concert – all part of the Music in the Park program on the island – but I didn’t have a clue who Leo Kottke was and neither did Ted . . .

. . .  but we must have been the only ones on the island who didn’t know about this musician, because he drew the largest crowd of any entertainer in the park this summer!

It turns out Leo Kottke is a fabulous guitarist and also a great teller of stories. He has a huge following, even though he has only sold a few records/CDs in his lifetime. He was simply awesome.  We brought blankets, wine and paper cups and spread out on the grass of Marquette Park with everyone else.  The weather was perfect!  After the concert and dinner at the Seabiscuit Cafe, we headed home.  An early night!

On Friday Jason, Ted and Andrew Doud met up at Wawashkamo for a golf game. Jason had never played that course and really enjoyed the game and learning all about the history of the land on which the golf course was built.

Friday afternoon Jason and I rode around the Island, stopping occasionally for pics (taking them, not having them taken).  Why don’t any of our children or grandchildren like posing for photographs!?  Could it be because every time they look my way they’re staring into a camera lens?

Didn’t have my camera with me on this trip so I was using my iphone, which doesn’t work well for “far off” photos like this one (or cropped enlargements like the one above). But I couldn’t pass up getting a shot of this couple who had waded out to the little stone/rock/sand bar with two chairs and a cooler of goodies. That’s what I call getting away from it all!

Dinner was pizza at Goodfellow’s and then a little TV at the condo.  Another good day.

Saturday began with breakfast at the Chuckwagon, where we watched Donny work his magic on a grill filled with omelets, bacon, ham, hashbrowns and sausage.

After breakfast we rode out to Silver Birches, where we’d called ahead for a return visit so Jason could check out this great renovation project.

Liz once again showed us around, and we were amazed at the work that had been done since our last stop-in. I volunteered to come out and help do anything I could (clean old furniture, paint, scrub windows), and in return Liz offered an overnight stay before the end of the season. I am psyched about that!

We rode back to the condo up British Landing Road, which means I walked a lot. Even Ted and Jason stopped for a breather at the entrance to Wawashkamo.

After freshening up, we rode back into town and had lunch at Bistro on the Green at Mission Point.  We ended the day with dinner at the Pink Pony.

It’s unbelievable how fast this visit went by. Before I could hardly turn around, it was Sunday morning . . .

. . . and we were back on the ferry and on the way to the airport.

The good thing is Jason might come back for Halloween – like he did last year.  Hmmm . . . maybe he can find the rest of that gorilla suit he lost parts of last year!

Hurry back, sweetie!  Loved you being here!

First Weekend on the Island 5/19/2013

What a difference a week makes!  Last Sunday it was snowing, 30-something degrees, and winds were howling at 35 miles-per-hour.  Today it’s been a balmy 65 – a perfect day for the first service of the season at Little Stone Church!

Our first week has been about as full as it could possibly get – unpacking, getting the condo listed and photographs to the realtor to place on their website, doing a little spiffing up so the place will look decent when someone comes to look at it.

We’ve walked Maddie and Bear a lot and watched them go crazily happy again (especially Bear) at the freedom of running the woods’ trails and sniffing out all the wonderful scents every tree and bush and blade of grass carries.  They’ve both always loved to go out on the deck in the sun and just watch traffic go by (walkers, bikers, taxis, horse riders, other dogs), and they didn’t waste a moment re-establishing that tradition.  It’s always fun to see them almost immediately fall into their “Mackinac” habits – Bear hitting our grass hill at a full run, then falling over – on purpose – so hard he makes an actual “thump” sound and rolling over and over in the cool grass.  That is followed by a quick check to see if Denise is outside at the Carriage Museum.  If she sees him, and she’s not busy, she will whistle, and he takes off at a dead sprint to collect his treat.  Maddie follows behind as quickly as she can pull Ted over there.  Sometimes Bear doesn’t see Denise and goes anyway.  Denise will find him in the little storage room inside the museum, sitting quietly looking at the shelf where the treats are kept.  Bear loves this game, and Denise spoils them both rotten.

Jill took this photo today of “lookers” at Mackinac Realty. Our condo’s photo and specs just went up in the window yesterday. I can remember Ted and I looking in that windows for years before our dream finally came true.

Saturday was the Zoo-De-Mack event, which has grown over the years into one of the craziest party nights on Mackinac.  The Zoo-De-Mack is one of the most scenic bike rides in the country, and the 51-mile, six to seven hour course is NOT A RACE, but a gathering of approximately 4,000 outdoor enthusiasts who just like to enjoy a little physical exercise together.  The pre-ride party is at Zoo Bar at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs and the ride ends in Mackinaw City (hence Zoo-De-Mack).  Riders then head by ferry to Mackinac Island for the post-ride party!

When Ted and I started out on date night Saturday night, we knew it would be very crowded downtown, and it was!

The Pink Pony bar was packed, the restaurant was packed, the outside bar and eating area was packed . . .

. . . and the hot tub was packed!

We wisely left the Chippewa to the partiers and walked down to the Seabiscuit, where we had a wonderful dinner, met up with a few Island friends, and chatted for an hour or so.  We taxied home.  Very nice date, Mr. Horton!

The first service at Little Stone Church this morning was wonderful.  Dr. Vince Carroll, our minister, is always a joy to listen to, and the service is also when we first see so many of the Island summer residents.  It seems a lot of us arrive during the same week each year, and we’re all so busy after we get here that the first time we get to see each other is at the first church service.  Lots of hugging going on this morning!

I was very excited to discover on the walk to church that there ARE tulips at the Grand this spring. This small bed is the first one you pass as you approach the Grand, and it is about to burst into bloom.  The tulips are sharing the glory with the daffodils!

The old Grand stable is gone, and in its place is a small storage barn. The space looks pretty empty right now, but I’m sure the Grand has a plan in place that will make everyone happy.

I can never understand how I can leave the church walking home, and Ted can leave at the same time on his bike going to town for his newspaper and to Doud’s – only to have him catch up with me on the hill! I think it may have something to do with how many stops I make along the way to chat and take photos – or it could be how SLOW I walk! Frankly, I’m still a little ticked off that he jumped on that bike the second day we were here, rode into town, and rode all the way back up the hill – without stopping!  How does he do that!?

Blog reader Tina and her husband Jamie stopped by this afternoon .  So glad to finally meet Tina – who is a huge fan of Mackinac Island and is hoping to live here one day.

Bear made a new friend this afternoon – Jack, a chocolate lab who lives a little further up our hill.

They had great fun chasing each other at full speed around the yard!

We got new street signs over the winter! Love these!

The condo’s been listed for two days, and we’ve had two couples come look at it.  We can tell already it’s going to be a different summer – having to keep our place “somewhat” clean in case the realtor calls.  We’re about to get our system worked out, which basically calls for each of us to pick up after ourselves on a regular basis – something neither of us is the best at doing.  But we’ll work it out . . .

“Ted!  Your shirt is on the chair!”

“Brenda! Your shoes aren’t in the closet!”

See!  We’ll work it out.

Mackinac Island Spring Update – Vol. 4 – 4/18/2012

25 days and counting.  I can’t believe it.  The winter that never was (in the South at least) slipped by in the bat of an eye, and in a week or so the suitcases will come out of the closets, and Maddie and Bear will begin to wonder, “Where we going?”

As always when this time of year comes around, I find myself looking back over the last six months and hoping they’ve been productive.  The blogs have kept me busy, Bear and I have enjoyed our Pet Partners work, and Ted’s been faithful in driving veterans for hospital and doctor visits.  We’ve had great times with friends, we’ve traveled more than usual, and – as we say every year – we haven’t had nearly enough time with the kids and grandkids.  But we know they’re all planning on trips to the Island this summer, and once they’re there we can pretty much hold them captive for awhile!  How great it is they love Mackinac almost as much as we do!

I don’t have a lot of news from the Island today, but I have some totally awesome photos I’ll get to shortly.  Friends on the Island let me know that just when the weather seemed to be warming to the point that lilacs might be in jeopardy of blooming really early, Mother Nature intervened with  . . . . . . .

. . .Snow! Mary McGuire from the Tourist Bureau took this photo early today (Wednesday), and she's hoping that this reversal back to colder weather will send the lilac buds back into hiding. For the next two weeks it looks like the highs will be holding in the low 50's, so we'll just have to wait and see if the Lilac Festival in June arrives during or after the lilacs bloom.

I loved the message Doud’s Market posted today on Facebook:  “Spring is here!! The staff at Doud’s Market is busy getting the store ready for a bustling summer season!  Doud’s Deli reopened this past week.  You can grab a slice of pizza to go or order a pizza to take home with you.  (Spring hours vary, so call ahead before placing an order, 906.847.3444)  We have delicious homemade soups, freshly-made salads and sandwiches to go and a wonderful meat selection to choose from.  We will be adding some new items to our deli menu this season as well.  Stay in touch as we stock the Market with new items and new delicious deli items!  Our hours are currently 7:30AM-7:00PM, Monday-Saturday; 10AM-5PM, Sunday. Hours will be changing in the next few weeks to extended hours.”  Can’t wait to visit Andrew and all the workers at Doud’s!

Since 1967 the Michigan Recreation & Parks Association (MRPA) has offered travelers ages 50 and over a unique opportunity to stay at the Grand Hotel at a significantly reduced rate during the off-season.  The program offers an all inclusive package including ferry, taxi, hotel stay, breakfast and five course dinner, all tax and gratuities, carriage tour, Fort Mackinac visit, golf chipping and putting competitions, bocce competition, crafts, dancing, carriage tours and more! Each fall over 1400 seniors participate in the various dates offered (Sept. 25-28; Oct. 8-11; Oct. 14-16; and Oct. 21-24). If you’d like more information about this opportunity, you may call Karen Aune at 517-485-9888.

MRPA has graciously allowed me to publish winners in the photo contest offered participants in 2011’s Grand Experience.  I found these photographs to be fresh, exciting, and so very original.  As I’ve said so many times, we all see Mackinac through different eyes, and our cameras capture moments in time we will turn back to remember over and over again when we think of our journeys there.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

A totally different vision of the Grand Hotel's Tea Garden. Third Place - Scenery/Architecture Category. "Glorious" by Van Weimer

The entrance to one of Mackinac's most beautiful homes. Second Place - Scenery/Architecture Category. "Gate" by Carl Sturgeon

A butterfly greets visitors to the Island. First Place - Scenery/Architecture Category. "Welcome to the Island" by Dolores Surletta

Touring the Island in the fall. Third Place - People/Activities Category. "Fall Carriage Ride" by Linda Stephas

A perfect cup of tea. Second Place - People/Activities Category. "Tea Time" by Peter (Pat) Koloff

Awesome black & white photo! First Place - People/Activities Category. "Taxi" by Phyllis Neumann

Only one porch like this one in the whole world! Third Place - View of the Grand Category. "My Dream of a Porch" by Marcie Steidmann

Simple touches mean so much. Second Place - View of the Grand Category. "Awareness" by Caroline Medwith

Ahhh . . . the Herb Garden. First Place - View of the Grand Category. "Quiet Moments in a Quaint Garden" by Linda Meyer.

One more news item about the Grand Hotel.  This summer the Grand will celebrate its 125th anniversary, and nobody celebrates quite like the Grand.  On July 10th a 125′ cake will be wheeled onto the Grand porch for hotel guests to enjoy, and during the weekend of July 13-15 there will be receptions, fireworks, presentations, concerts, and tournaments.  Bill Semion of Examiner.com wrote a wonderful article about this birthday party, and you can read it here:  http://www.examiner.com/road-trip-travel-in-detroit/mackinac-island-s-grand-hotel-ready-to-party-for-its-125th-anniversary.

Here’s a few more photos Island friends have shared this week:

Getting ready for the season and the big celebration, the Grand is getting a fresh coat of paint. (Photo by: the Grand Hotel)

A beautiful early morning view of a freighter slipping through the pass. (Photo: Jeri-Lynn Bailey)

Here come the tulips! (Photo: Mission Point Resort)

The Seabiscuit opened for the season this week. (Photo: Sonnet Quinn)

Jeri-Lynn Bailey snapped this photo during Spring Break in Florida, but wouldn't that just be the perfect Mackinac Island lawn mower!

Friend Maryanke Alexander and her beautiful Jetske, who she thinks (our fingers are crossed) is in foal. Jetske will be on the Island this summer with Maryanke.

Easter morning at Windermere Point. (Photo: Doud's Market)

While I was going through some of Ted’s photos from last fall, I found this one of the condo.  There it sits, on Surrey Ridge, empty for six-and-a-half months.  If buildings could talk, I like to think this one might be saying . . . “They’ll be here soon.  My doors will be unlocked, my windows will be flung open, and the breeze will rush through my rooms.  Rugs and mats will once again cover my bare floors; sheets and blankets and pillows will be placed on my beds.  Groceries will come up the hill, and happy dogs will settle on my deck and watch the season unfold from their favorite perch.  They’ll be here soon.  They’ll be here soon!”

See you next Wednesday!  God bless.

The Greatest Happinesses 10/3/2011

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.  Joyce Brothers

When family comes to visit it never matters what the weather is, or what we do.  The memories we make are what matter.  Being double-nesters and having children and grandchildren as spread out as we do across this country doesn’t make it easy to spend a lot of time together.  So when we do end up in the same GPS location, we tend to make the most of it.  And that’s just what we did with Jason and Blair for the last four days! 

Forgive me for turning these next two blog posts into a family photo album, but within this album you’ll also see a lot of Mackinac Island, some of it from the perspective of Jason and Blair’s camera “eyes”.  Family and Mackinac Island.  Those two concepts go together really well!

After their arrival on Thursday afternoon and some snacks at the Pink Pony, we went to the condo so Jason and Blair could unpack.

Friday was supposed to be really cold and really rainy and really windy, so we decided we’d better eat out while we could.

We chose the Seabiscuit Cafe for dinner, and not only was the food very good, but we got some really fun entertainment thrown in for free. Not one, but two bats flew into the restaurant while we were eating. This is a common occurrence on the Island, and the wait staff is always prepared with their bat nets. What made this so much more fun was the Seabiscuit was already decorated for Halloween, complete with fake cobwebs that snared the real bats. Jason snapped this shot of a waitress up on a table pulling the bat from the cobwebs into the net. Even the WAITRESS looked "ghostly" in this light. (The bats are taken outside and released.)

Friday arrived, and the weather forecast turned out to be right on.  It was raining,  It was cold (34 degrees).  The wind was blowing, but not howling as it would be by Friday night.  Jason has never been known to sit in one spot for long (even as a little boy), and after lunch he set out to walk the island and take photos – regardless of the weather.  These next images are his.

A bike sits all alone beneath a solitary tree.

He called this one the "upside down question mark" golf path - with the water hazard being the "dot".

The "danger" sign at the top of Turkey Hill.

Mackinac Island's replica of the Statue of Liberty at the marina in Haldimand Bay. Over 200 of the statues were donated to 39 states by the Boy Scouts of America between 1949-1952 in celebration of their 1950 40th anniversary. The theme of the celebration was "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty". Many of the statues have been lost or destroyed, but it is believed over 100 remain. All are even more cherished since 9/11.

The road in front of Mission Point Resort - one of the few times I've ever seen it "almost" empty.

This mirror is on Huron Road next to some State Park maintenance buildings.

We all eventually went out for a little while Friday afternoon, but the weather easily drove us back to the house. We walked back home through some dense woods, trying to stay protected from the rain - which worked pretty well, by the way.

At the corral down from our condo. Jason will probably shoot me for posting this pic Blair took of him. When I look at it, all I see is the 6-year-old Jason saying, "I want to see the horses, Mom."

Saturday dawned.  The rain had ended.  The winds were endurable.  The temp was 34.  Jason and Blair slept late, we ate breakfast late, and the plan was for Jason and Ted to go the Pony around 11:30 to see if they could get the University of Georgia game.  They called about 30 minutes after going down the hill to say “no luck” on getting the game, but for Blair and I to join them for lunch at the Pony.  After lunch we all donned our coats, earmuffs and scarfs (we were already “layered up”), and headed out to see the Island.  By then the temp had risen into the low 50’s.

I should go ahead and tell you Jason is one of the funniest people I know. He believes firmly in the adage, "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...Wow! What a ride!" That said . . .

. . . he pretty much keeps me grinning whenever he's around.

Blair, the beautiful woman I am proud to call my "bonus daughter".

Jason and Blair

Fun behind the Mackinac Island public library.

Some beautiful photos by Blair

A butterfly flew into this photo just as Blair snapped it.

A Monarch caught feeding on the flowers at the Boardwalk.

A bike parked outside Little Stone Church.

Come back tomorrow for some awesome pics of the rest of our Saturday and Sunday morning’s bike ride!  See you then!

The 2011 Mackinac Island Lilac Festival Parade 6/23/2011

Mark Twain said, “So far as I can see, a parade has value in two ways–as a show and as a symbol – its minor function being to delight the eye, its major one to compel thought, exalt the spirit, stir the heart, and inflame the imagination.”

The 62nd annual Lilac Parade filled every one of those conditions on Sunday afternoon, and Ted and I thought it was maybe the best one we’d witnessed yet.  The weather was certainly perfect, and as we rushed down Fort Hill, we could hear the emcee – WKLT’s Terri Kay -warming up the crowd.  We arrived about two minutes before the parade began, and I chose to stand on the wall in front of the bike racks at the Visitors Center.  That way I could lean on the railings for balance.  Everyone in front of me cooperated and remained seated on the curb, so I had a perfect view!

There’s really not a lot of narration I can add to the following photos, besides tell you what or who they are – and sometimes I’m afraid I didn’t get a name as it was announced.  But I’ll do my best.  I also know that I missed an entry or two for one reason or another – someone stopping to say hello or my batteries dying and having to be changed.  I apologize to those I missed.

Trumpet sound . . . . . . . .  here they come!

The crowd stands at attention as Jeri-Lynn Bailey beautifully sings the Star Spangled Banner.

 

 

Perfect, perfect, perfect day! Even the seagulls agreed!

 

 

Leading the parade - as always - is our favorite Native American, Donald "Duck" Andress, direct descendent of Chief Mackinac and our across-the-street neighbor. Duck won the "Best Equestrian" Award.

 

 

The United States Coast Guard

 

 

Representatives of American Legion Chapman-St. Onge-Dankowski Post 299, chartered in 2003 and named for three island residents who lost their lives serving their country - Joe Chapman (WWII), John St. Onge (Korea), and James Dankowski (Vietnam).

 

 

The Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps from Sault Ste. Marie - Ontario, Canada

 

 

The male members of our wonderful Fort Mackinac interpreters - they reenact battles, court martials, close order drills . . . and play instruments!

 

 

The lady members of the Fort Mackinac interpreters. These young women, always in period costume and in character at the fort, can knit, tell beautiful stories, play instruments, bake and cook over a wood stove, use a spinning wheel, wash clothes on a scrubbing board . . . . and, as here, play a mean game of Graces.

 

 

The beautiful Lilac Queen and her court, traveling in the "Best Carriage" Award winner.

 

 

The theme for the parade was Board Games. This first float was the Pine Cottage and Chateau Lorraine entry, constructed in memory of the life and legacy of firefighter Bobby Roach, an island resident lost to the ice in February of this year. His favorite childhood game was Chutes and Ladders. This float won the "Humanitarian" Award.

 

 

Troop 327 - Governor's Honor Guard - Girl Scouts of Metro Detriot. These young ladies added a little extra "spirit" to their march!

 

 

A view of the crowd, the lilacs, Marquette Park, and the fort.

 

 

Grand Traverse Pipe & Drums from Traverse City, MI. and winners of the "Best Marching Band" Award. I love bagpipe music!

 

 

Photography by Blair parade entry. Steve is a wonderful wedding and freelance photographer and has a studio on the island.

 

 

The Royal Canadian Legion - Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. I so wish you could hear the music - it was wonderful throughout the entire parade. I've loved band music since high school!

 

 

The Rescue Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan.

 

 

A wonderful band - I missed the name - so sorry.

 

 

A group of young gymnists entertained the crowd. This little girl was the smallest in the group, and she was really a star!

 

 

The Glen Erin Pipe Band - Lansing, MI. won "Best Musical Group" Award.

 

 

Back to the parade theme - Mission Point Resort portrayed it with a game of Scrabble.

 

 

The Pink Pony Float - a game of Candyland! The ponies pulling this float won the "Best Horse Hitch" Award. The ponies are from Brugger's Other Farm.

 

 

Horn's Bar and the Yankee Rebel Tavern played Jeopardy and won the "Best Float" Award.

 

 

Beautiful ladies on beautiful horses - I missed the name of the group.

 

 

This float featured children wearing the newly designed Mackinac Island helmets, just introduced on the island as part of the "Brains are Swell, Wear your Shell" campaign. Everyone who rides a bike on the island is urged to wear a bike helmet.

 

 

The beautiful OrrKids Bike Rental entry - a Victorian couple on a tandem bike - very romantic.

 

 

OK - absolutely the funniest entry in the parade (not just my opinion - they won "Most Humorous" Entry) - the Northern Michigan Beach Queens. These ladies have a blast "strutting their stuff".

 

 

You go girl!

 

 

Leader Dogs for the Blind

 

 

'Nuf said.

 

 

Mary Michelle riding the Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island entry (it won "Best Bicycle" Entry).

 

 

Hmmmmm?

 

 

Smile!

 

 

Representatives of Therapy Dogs International out of Rochester, MI.

 

 

Shepler employees played Battleship on their float, which won the "Best Parade Theme" Award.

 

 

A wagon full of Chess pieces and children made up the Seabiscuit Cafe float.

 

 

Leanne Brodeur and Maryanke Alexander, representing the Mackinac Horsesmen's Association.

 

 

"Best Walking" Entry - Ste. Anne's Church

 

 

The Wings of Mackinac "Barrel of Monkey Butterflies" entry - winner of "Most Creative" Award.

 

 

Cindy's Riding Stable - winners of the "Best Equestrian Group" Award.

 

 

The Miss Bellaire Realty entry - carriage driven by island friend Molly Green.

 

 

The 7th Heaven Beauty Salon & Spa ladies and gent played Clue and won the "Stella King" Award. Stella King was one of the founders of the Lilac Festival parade.

 

 

The Arnold Ferry float, representing the vintage board game - "Don't Miss the Boat".

 

 

Here come the Clydesdales!

 

 

Representing Lake View Hotel, these beauties are from Resting Spirit Stables in Ontario.

 

 

Trick riders from Mackinac Wheels won the "Stunt Junkies" Award.

 

 

Always the last entry - the fantastic Scottville Clown Band. They were the "Grand Award" winners!

 

 

These guys sure know how to have fun!

 

Like I said, I sure wish I could have had some band music playing in the background on this one – it would have added a lot, as would the sound of the crowd chatting, children squealing and laughing, dogs barking, the jingle of the horses’ harnesses, and the squawk of the gulls.  Maybe you can go back and scroll through the photos one more time and imagine all that added in!

 

Hope you enjoyed the parade . . I certainly enjoyed being there and being able to share it with you!  See you tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature – A Writer’s Best Friend 6/10/2011

WE HAVE A WINNER for the “Mystery Spot” contest at the end of this post. The winner is Barb Metting, who is from Michigan.  Her correct response was “Cindy’s Riding Stable”.   Scroll to the bottom for the full photo of the Mystery Spot.

At home in Georgia, on days when I had no appointments (when you reach my age you have a LOT of appointments) or therapy sessions with Bear planned, I could spend the whole day doing absolutely nothing more strenuous than turning the pages of a book or watching a Netflix movie or two.  I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it either.  Here, if I sit down with a book and happen to glance out the front sliding glass doors, I think, “Maybe I’ll take a walk” or “I think I’ll go for a bike ride”.  On the island the urge to get outside and DO something is almost as strong as the urge to eat (and lucky for me, the more I do of one, the more I can do the other – without yucky side effects like having to move the button over on the waistband of my capris).  I think I finally figured it out though.  Kahlil Gibran said, “Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”  I think ole Kahlil was onto something there.  In Georgia, where summer temps top 100 degrees more days than we want to think about, doing anything more aerobic than walking to the refrigerator is considered “exercise”.  On Mackinac Island, hiking trails for two hours, or biking around the 8.2 mile circumference of the island is called “having fun”.  And you’re so tired at the end of the day after having all that fun that you fall into bed at night and sleep like you’ve been training for a marathon – which you basically have been (well, maybe a mini-marathon).

It’s all about how we get around here on Mackinac.  Take Monday for instance . . .

I walked downtown and met a new friend (Kathy Petersen) who had invited me to lunch at the Seabiscuit Cafe. Kathy and Marcia Dunnigan have a website and blog about Mackinac Island, and it is a wonderful one - http://www.mackinac-island-insider-tips.com - I mean, seriously, these ladies know their island! On the blog part of the site, they post articles about festivals, entertainment, island how-to's, restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. And sometime they interview someone who loves the island as much as they do - on this particular day it was me. Since I'm usually the one doing the interviewing, it was a whole different experience, but with Kathy it was like talking with my new best friend. We had a blast (and ate some really good food), then I started home.

 

 

The plan was to capture the blooming lilacs on the trip back to the condo, and you've already seen some of those pics this week. Starting for home from Main Street, and planning to walk up Fort Hill, my eyes went immediately to Fort Mackinac . . . just in time to see dozens of visitors making their way up the front ramp into the front gate.

 

 

This little house sits at the intersection of Fort and Turkey Hills. Whether it's lilac season, or later in the summer, it is always surrounded by some of the prettiest flowers on the island. It's just one of those little "fairy-tale" cottages that you find here.

 

 

Making it up Fort Hill is always a slow walk for me, but never more slowly than lilac season. Each step reveals more beauty for me to try and capture. Looking out over the Jewel Golf Course, I could just make out the steeple of Little Stone Church - then the Straits of Mackinac.

 

 

Just before the top of the hill, I looked out past three unbelievably big lilac trees to the Straits and both lighthouses. The colorful kites sparkling in the sun only make the scene more perfect.

 

 

Instead of turning left at the top of the hill, I chose to walk home the "back way" - down Custer Road, which is entirely wooded. The shade-loving forget-me-nots were flourishing beside the road, then spreading out into the woods like the softest of homespun blankets.

 

 

 

In the distance the road divides. Just at the fork, I turned sharply left onto a trail through more woods.

 

 

 

Parts of the trail are green on both sides, with trees fully leaved. The trilliums are almost all gone, but the forget-me-nots are abundant, and lilies of the valley have been spotted this week. The lady slippers won't be far behind.

 

 

On other parts of the trail, greenery is less plush. Old trees rise skyward and look dead - until you look up and see their tops. Where they touch the sun, they are green.

 

 

Throughout the forests of Mackinac, trees fall each year - some from old age, some from the weight of too much snow during the winter, some from high winds. This small tree was uprooted during the winter and was leaning over the path, . . .

 

 

 

 

. . . . resting against another tree. Soon a park service employee will cut it down and move it, so there's no danger to hikers along the trail.

 

 

Toward the end of the trail, the pathway slopes upward and becomes more obstructed with large rocks and thick tree roots. It is here that Ted and I get off and walk if we've ridden our bikes up this trail.

 

 

 

The trail ends on Carriage Road, where I turned right, then made a sharp left . . . .

 

 

 

. . . after waiting for a carriage full of visitors to pull out of the road I was about to go down.

 

 

 

Which is why there is a "Do Not Enter" sign on that road. The trick is to LISTEN INTENTLY before starting down the road. If you live here, you learn to gauge the sounds of the carriage traffic coming from the other end of the road and can quickly walk the hundred yards while another carriage is loading.

 

 

 

After that hundred yards, I break into the sunshine at the back of the Carriage Museum . . .

 

 

. . . yell "hello" to the workers unloading more visitors and maybe stop long enough to give the horses a treat . . .

 

 

 

. . . and I'm home!

 

 

The point of the whole little journey I just took you on is this. I left the condo at 11 a.m. to walk downtown for lunch with Kathy. I arrived back home around 2 in the afternoon. Except for the hour at lunch and the stops to take photos, I was in constant motion the rest of the time - walking, climbing hills, avoiding rocks and fallen trees and carriages. But I never once thought about it as "exercising" - I was having fun and enjoying nature at its best.

 

On Tuesday I walked downtown to the Stuart House Museum to start my volunteer work for the season.  Almost before I sat down, a blog reader came in, and I’m embarrassed to say I lost the paper where I wrote down her name – I think it was Karen, and she was on the island visiting for several days.  My apologies if I remembered incorrectly – it was truly lovely meeting you. 

 

 

Later in the morning, Jill and Frankie stopped in to wish me a Happy Birthday. I stopped celebrating those last year when I hit 62, but they insisted it WAS my birthday, and there was nothing I could do about it. Jill brought the lilacs for my desk, and Frankie brought chocolate-covered strawberries. All right, all right - it was my birthday.

 

 

Even Hershey got into the act!

 

 

Just when I was about to leave, a group of "trainees" for Carriage Tours came in to see the museum. Part of their orientation is to visit the historical buildings downtown that they'll be talking about on their tours. The young ladies in this group were all from Michigan, one young man was from California and the other from Colorado. So cute! So . . . young!

 

I spent Wednesday in Cheboygan while Bear was groomed.  The weather was bad that day, with high winds and white caps on the Straits.  Both ferry rides were not Bear’s idea of fun.  Going over he was practically in my lap the whole way, and coming back he hid behind me in the seat.  Once he climbed on the taxi going home and spread out across the seat like he owned it, he was fine. 

 

And that has been the week so far.  Here are a few more random photos . . .

 

 

 

This was taken in Chief "Duck" Andress' yard. Bear was rolling around in the grass, and Duck's dog "Gizmo" couldn't figure out why this "mammoth" had invaded his territory. Right after this, Gizmo chased Bear around Duck's house about five times. He never caught the Bearster, but he sure wore him out!

 

 

The edge of our backyard, with lilacs blooming. A horse had thrown a shoe, and someone picked it up out of the street and hung it on the fence.

 

 

Mike, of S & S Cottage and Lawn Care, getting the condo flowers into the ground for the season. He and Gary always make our yard look great for the summer.

 

 

Our little "corner" of the world.

 

 

Maddie, getting ready to "make her nest" . . .

 

 

. . . all ready for her nap now.

 

One more order of business . . . the “Mystery Spot” Contest, and – as promised – it’s an easy one this week!  The object is to be the first to identify where the object is located. When you think you have the answer, email me at brendasumnerhorton@hotmail.com. I’ll check my email several times a day, and as soon as we have a winner, I’ll post the winner’s name at the top of this blog so you can stop guessing, AND I’ll post the full photo of the mystery spot at the bottom of the blog with the answer. Is there a prize for the winner – yes there is; but the prize is secret, and the only ones who will know what it is are the winners. To be fair, I’m asking residents of Mackinac Island to please NOT guess. This is just for readers who don’t live here . . . but would like to!  And the Mystery Spot is . . . .

 

Where is this horse silhouette located?

 

Again, please email your answers to me at brendasumnerhorton@hotmail.com. PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER IN THE “COMMENTS” SECTION OF THE BLOG.

 

See you on Monday with all the weekend happenings.  It’s the beginning weekend of the Lilac Festival, and it’s going to be a doozy!  Have a great weekend, and God bless.

 

Note:  Blog title taken from quote by Agave’ Powers, “Nature is a Writer’s Best Friend”.

 

MYSTERY SPOT ANSWER

 

 

This week's Mystery Spot was the horse silhouette on the door at Cindy's Riding Stable on Market Street.

 

 

All Around the Town 6/2/2011

One of the nicest things about stopping in at the Island Bookstore is hanging around long enough to see who else will show up. This day Bonnie walked in first, then Joan with grandson Jordan. Jill took the pic!

 

 

 

Ted and I spotted Nancy (with her bike) giving Jane some advice on where to plant flowers at Hart's. So, of course, we stopped and gave some advice too!

 

 

 

Lunch at the Seabiscuit Cafe is always fun. Tried their new Lobster BLT - Oh yeah! Will be having that again!

 

 

 

Not many things can make Ted abandon the street when he's biking, but a trio of 2,000 lb. horses will do it every time.

 

See you tomorrow with all the news from this week – and good grief, there is a LOT of it! 

 

And . . . . along with the news on Friday morning, I’m introducing a new weekly feature to Bree’s Blog.  After nearly three summers of photographs from every conceivable spot on the island, it’s time to find out if my readers have been paying attention!

 

Make sure you bring a BIG mug of steaming hot coffee with you to your computer Friday morning cause I’ve got a ton of stuff to talk about.  Oh, go ahead.  Throw a couple of donuts on a napkin, and bring those too!