Closing..

Our local Ford dealer has closed their doors. It's a sad day even if you are not a Ford customer. Thomas Ford has been a part of the community for 35 year. Ford didn't close them down but business was slow and they just couldn't make it. Ford wanted them to take more cars but it's hard to take cars if you aren't selling them. I knew I should have bought that Flex on their lot!

Hope

It's been cold, often only in the 40's. If the temps reach th 60's we go swimming in the lake.. just kidding. The weatherman has been telling us the temperatures are running about 10 degrees below normal. I don't think he needed to remind us. Our normal should be in the low 70's.

There is hope though. This apple tree is beautiful.

Big Mac

Mackinaw Bridge that is. It's been a while since I've shown a bridge picture. There were only two lanes open on the day this was taken. They always seem to painting or repairing. No wonder the price has gone to $3.00 for a car.

Lake Superior Shoreline

Lake Superior has many moods and breathtaking views. Sand beaches are plentiful. Rocky shorelines abound.

Lakenenland

This is a free family park between Harvey and Munising. The signs say, "Welcome, Welcome, Welcome." It's very interesting. I'm sure my grandchildren would love it! Another place I plan to visit... soon.

Munising and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

I've never taken a glass bottom boat cruise in Munising or even just a cruise. Maybe this summer I will. See you there?

This from Wikipedia:
Pictured Rocks Cruises[1] offers daily trips from Memorial Day weekend through October 10. Sea Kayaking is a popular method of exploring the park. While this may be the best way to see the natural formations, it is a serious trip in dangerous and cold water, which should not be undertaken lightly or without proper equipment (dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature). Guides are available. The most efficient port of entry to Pictured Rocks, for a sea kayak, is from the harbor at Munising.[2]

Camping must be done only in designated areas, and is strictly regulated by the National Park rangers.

Winter sports activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing.

Don't pick the flowers.

These trillium grow wild along the roads in the UP.. at least along some roads. Like the cowslips the blooms won't last long.

Picking Trillium for their flower can seriously injure the plant. The three leaves (more correctly leafy bracts) below the flower are the plant's only ability to produce food stores and a picked trillium can take many years to recover. For this reason in many areas, e.g. British Columbia, Michigan[1], New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota,[2] and Washington, it is illegal to pick and/or transplant trilliums from public lands without a permit from the State.

Along the roads of the UP

cow·slip (kouslp)
n.
1. A Eurasian primrose (Primula veris), usually having fragrant yellow flowers, widely cultivated as an ornamental, and long used in herbal medicine.
2. See marsh marigold.
3. The Virginia cowslip.

These flowers, or weeds to some people, can be seen in many areas across the Upper Peninsula. If you want to see cowslips, visit now. The plants won't be in bloom for long.

Outside My Window Today

Outside my window today is Plymouth Michigan... I'm not in the UP, I'm in the LP. What's different? The LP has full leaves on their trees. The LP has a lot more traffic, shopping, restaruants, people, and airplanes but I can't see the lake and the hills.

Where would I rather be? For the weekend.. it's here in the LP.. but I miss the view of the lake and hills.

For those of you who aren't Michiganians...

LP=Lower Peninsula or below the Mackinaw Bridge
UP=Upper Peninsula or above the Mackinaw Bridge

PS.. We stopped for fudge in Mackinac City to bring to the girls. They loved it but unfortunately, so did I.

Moose!!

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Moose sightings are rare! We saw this guy near Tioga Park in Baraga County. He was much bigger than he looks in these pictures.

Fire!

It's 94 degrees outside.. The winds are roaring at 40-50 miles and hour and we can see a fire. It is east of L'Anse. Not good! Watch the local news for more.

A trio

I had my camera!

Road Work

The rumble strip maker is back at it. These strips that warn you you may be over the line may one day save your life.

Bring it back!

Gone! Stolen! A light from my new outdoor garden light set. I'm assuming it was kids who took my new light. I'm upset. Do people have so little respect for others property? It's not a little thing to me, the lights were a gift from a friend.

My new light set was next to our deck, far enough off the road that it should not have tempted anyone. My theory is that an adult would have taken all four of the lights but kids are just being mischievous but that is no excuse. Our neighbor also had some things disturbed in her yard and she has called the police. We'd like a curfew enforced.

It was midnight when we noticed the missing light so I got in the car to look for kids or the light itself. (Its a solar light and would be glowing if they had thrown it in the ditch). I didn't have any luck but there are dozen of young teens out at that hour of the night. Most were young enough they should have been home hours ago. PARENTS, do you know where your kids are?

UP Artist Market

Have you stopped at the UP Made Artist Market? I picked up a brouchure in Covington but I haven't stopped at the Market yet. It sounds like a great place.

It's in Covington in the Historic Covington School, just off M-28, near Spring Street and School Rd. It's open from May 1st to September 30th.

This feature works from over 50 artists, crafters, and authors. You'll find such things as stained glass, jewelry, paintings, soaps, candles, jams, maple syrup, antiques, basketry, sculpture, and woodwork.

It sounds like it would be worth stopping.

http://www.upmadeartistmarket.com

Lake Levels

Were you worried about the Great Lakes water levels? It was only two years ago it was a huge problem. Dock were sitting in the air with water far away. People were gaining lake front property.

According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the water supply to the Lake Superior Basin was near the long-term average for the month of April and Lakes Michigan and Huron were above average.

Lake Superior is about six inches below its long-term average for May and it is two inches above the level recorded a year ago. This past month, the level of Lake Superior rose by about three inches, which is the same as its average rise.

Lakes Michigan and Huron rose by about five inches in April, while the lakes usually rise by about four inches each April. The level of lakes Michigan and Huron are about seven inches below their long-term average beginning of May levels and they are about 10 inches higher than a year ago.

Now wasn't that interesting? What does it mean? No more out of the water docks.

Windy

A flower to liven up this post.

Our area is not a windy area. We have winter storms with high winds but not usually much wind at other times. We like gentle breezes, they keep the bugs away in summer.

When there are white caps on the bay, it's windy. This evening the wind is howling and white caps are plentiful. My poor flag is making enough noise to keep me awake tonight. Anything loose is now in the neighbors yard or beyond. It's supposed to rain but so far, it has not.

The weather report says these wind gusts are 22 mph but I'd add another 10 mph to that. Maybe being out in the open with no protections makes it seem worse.

I know, boring post. I'll try to do better.

Morning light

It's nice to leave for work at 6:30 AM and have light. Sunrise is 6:22 The new solar garden lights are just going off. The longer days give us all more energy.

We've been sitting outside in the evenings too. Sunset is about 9:18. I will admit we are turning on the outdoor heater but it's still wonderful to be able to enjoy a few minutes watching the boats on the lake.

Happy Mother's Day!!

To some very special mothers.

Isn't this the best day of the year!! Breakfast in bed! Presents! Flowers! Dinner out! No dishes to wash or clothes to fold. Kids and husbands doing all the work.

Relax and enjoy, you've earned it.

May all you mothers feel the love on your special day. May your husband and kids use this moment to make you feel special.

What da heck!

It's cold and snowing. Not a typo, it's snowing. The snow isn't staying on the ground but just to see snow in the air is depressing. I was going to work in my gardens but I think it will keep for a day or two.

The Lake Superior Voice

The Lake Superior Voice was a FREE weekly newspaper serving Michigan's western Upper Peninsula from Ontonagon. They distributed over 4,000 papers through Ontonagon County, Gogebic County, Houghton, Hancock, Baraga, L'Anse, and parts of northern Wisconsin. It was a "shopper" and a unique community newspaper with a personal hometown touch.

After 10 years the paper is no more. Due to tough economic times, they were forced to close our doors. Thank you John and Sandy Monville and staff, we wish you success and hope you can return at a later date to once again be the Lake Superior Voice.

Growing..

We still don't have leaves on our trees but things are growing.

Wednesday

Wednesday..

It's the day the L'Anse Sentinel is published. It's a weekly paper that we all buy and everyone says there is nothing in it. This weeks paper is no exception.

We get together with friends most Wednesday night at a local bar and grill in downtown L'Anse. The Canteen is on the waterfront and has a Mexican special on Wednesday. They have great food but the place is a dive. It could use a good remodel to say the least but it's our Wednesday meeting place so we overlook the less attractive things.

Sometimes, if we feel like a change of pace, we detour to the Eagles Club and have the chicken wings and fries. Wednesday is not a day to diet.

What's your Wednesday like?

GREAT

The GREAT program is not one I'd think we'd need in the UP. Maybe that's the point, introduce it now and avoid the problem. Maybe I'm just out of the loop and don't know what goes on in my own community. You tell me.

The GREAT program has been introduced to the Baraga Area Schools, fourth and fifth grade students. It is being presented by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Weed and Seed Coordinator, Chris Gerard. It is a law enforcement officer-instructed program that is designed to teach youth ways to better handle pressure from peers associated with gangs. GREAT stand for Gang Resistance Education and Training.

Good luck to all. Please remember that parents are the first line for problems with teen and pre-teens. "Do you know where your kids are?" You should! And yes, your kid can do wrong. If they do something wrong, make it a learning experience, don't let them think you can get them out of trouble without facing the punishment. Ask my kids (who are now adults). They will tell you that if they got in trouble they would be better off to go with the police. They didn't want to face their dad.

More kids

I liked the young ladies that knocked on my front door today. They were girls I haven't seen before and about 7 or 8 years old. When they came to the door they were very shy. They had a notebook to read their speech from and a fine spiel it was.

These little girls were starting a business, a dog walking/caring business. They offered to walk our dog or wash our dog. They had set hours of the day they could do this for me. If the dog needed a bath, they would be glad to give it a bath.

That's a great way to make money. Even their prices weren't bad but this is a tough neighborhood though to try and drum up customers. All of the dogs in our neighborhood are as big as those young ladies. The Saint Bernard puppy next door weighs more than both girls together.

As for us? We don't have a dog but I hated to send them away. Maybe I should have suggested they walk with me everyday. If I had someone stopping to walk with me I would have no excuse, I'd walk.

Beautiful Day

It's a great day to be a yooper. The sun is shining and it's in the mid 60's unless you are catching the cool north wind.

I spent 2 1/2 hours in my flower garden getting it ready for the perennials to come up. I was working near some hyacinth and the smell was fabulous. The hyacinth are one of the most fragrant spring flowers. Two of three flower beds are weeded, one more to go. I don't want to rush into things.

The flower beds always look empty until early June. I go out and buy more and more because they look bare but it doesn't take long and they are packed with perennials that take a little longer to show they sprouts.

It was a perfect day to be out and about. Many people were out walking, Dave was golfing, kids were out playing basketball, and there were fishermen on the lake. I even heard a lawnmower. The sounds of spring!

Baraga County Gynmastics

Two girls from the Baraga County Gymnastic team stopped at our house today. They were on a bottle/can drive to raise money for a trip to Rochester, MN to compete in the nationals!

The team consists of 26 girls ages 7 to 16. The girls did well on April 18 and 19 in a competition at Wisconsin Dells. Hailey Lindemann took first all-arounds and Chelsea Pittsley finished seventh all around with 494 competing.

In Level 2 (7-16)competition, with a total of 81 girls total entered, Baraga County took home 1st, 3rd, and 4th place finishes.
Level 3 (age 9-14) had 82 compete with 8 from the Baraga Co. team earning a medal. Level 4 (age 11-16) had 87 total compete, with Baraga Co a third place.
Level 5 (age 10-13) had 56 compete with 3 medal won by the Baraga County team.
Level 6 had 56 participants with only one from the local team competing and she took home seventh place. All the girls needed to do well to qualify for the nationals.

Storm Spotter

Do you wish you could have been a meteorologist? Maybe you should attend the Storm Spotter training in L'Anse on May 19th. It's at 6:30 PM in the L'Anse Village Chambers.

The National Weather Service in Marquette offers the Severe Weather Storm Spotter Training Courses each year in various locations across the UP. It will cover weather reporting and safety. Those who attend will learn what to report to the National Weather Service. They will be able to estimate wind and they'll learn who tornadoes and waterspouts form and lightning and hail development.

It's free with no registration required. The course last about 2 hours. Haven't you always wonder who the Storm Spotters were? Maybe next time it will be you. I might go, maybe it will be me.