My Heart Knows 7/29/15

Posted on July 29, 2015 by bree1972

UP NORTH

It’s the place people go to escape,

A place made of cabins, pine trees and lakes.

But no matter how far you drive

There’s no sign to say “you’ve arrived”.

So just follow your heart till you find . . .

Your special place that brings peace of mind.

As you breathe in the air and unwind . . .

Your cares are all left behind.

It’s no mystery where the northwoods start

When you arrive Up North you’ll know

In your heart.

Suzanne Kindler

It happened for me on Monday afternoon as I was driving somewhere between Flint and Gaylord, MI. Ted had been napping, but I knew he was awake. We had reached that point on the upper limits of I-75 where the highway separates, the billboards disappear, and between the northbound and southbound lanes the space is filled with trees. For a few miles it’s miscellaneous green, and then you begin to see the trunks of white birch.

I reached over and touched Ted’s arm and said, “We’ve arrived.”

“Arrived? Arrived where?” he said, looking out the window.

“Arrived where I’m a different person from who I am anywhere else,” I said.

Ted smiled. He’s used to me going all mystical on him when we’re up north. I smiled back, feeling my body relax and the magic of the northwoods turn the corners of my lips upwards.

IMAGINE . . . .

Think back to your childhood and try to remember the most fun you ever had. Chances are one of the first things that will pop into your mind is summer camp – at least if you were ever lucky enough to go.

Being at Sue and Terry’s place on Black Lake is like that . . . .

Our place . . .

It's a log cabin filled with sink-down-into-them sofas. . .

. . . is a log cabin filled with sink-down-into-them sofas. . .

. . . windows and door that are never closed . . .

. . . windows and doors that are never closed . . .

. . . and doors at the front and side that slam shut when they closed and squeak when they open.

. . . and screened doors at the front and side that slam shut when they close and squeak when they open.

There's a dock lines with American flags . . .

There’s a dock lined with American flags . . .

. . . kayaks on a sandy beach . . .

. . . a fire pit, a swing, a hammock . . .

. . . a fire pit, a swing (it squeaks too), a hammock, chairs designed for conversation (that’s Sue and Terry’s cabin behind the trees) . . .

. . . and two resident Goldens (Brinkley and Ruby) that have made Bear and Maddie welcome.

. . . and two resident Goldens (Brinkley and Ruby) who have welcomed Bear and Maddie with open paws.

We sleep at night with the cabin wide open and the screened porch aglow with sparkling lights.

At night the screened porch glows with sparkling lights . . .

. . . and we sleep amid pillows piled high on a tall bed close to open windows.

For three weeks we’ll call this beautiful setting home.

My heart knows we’ve arrived

Weary in Wapakoneta! 7/26/15

Posted on July 27, 2015 by bree1972

Hello from Wapakoneta, Ohio!

We had all kinds of good intentions to make it to Whitmore Lake, MI today, but after 600 miles and 11 hours on the road – from our first stop last night at Jason’s in Atlanta – we just said, “That’s enough!” and pulled into one of our favorite dog friendly Best Westerns.

It’s amazing how much more time living in Beverly Beach adds to this trip. We traveled 400 miles on Saturday to Atlanta, and we’ll have another 400 to go on Monday. Yes, it’s a long trip, but we know it will be worth it when we arrive!

Bear co-piloted most of the day, Maddie slept, I navigated (with the help of MapQuest on the iPhone), and Ted drove – yep, all 600 miles.

Highlights (hmmm . . . maybe these are lowlights) of our trip today:

1) Had to make an unscheduled 30-minute stop in Richmond, KY at a PetSmart to find Maddie a halter after hers broke on a walk earlier this morning. She patiently put up with Ted, me, and a PetSmart employee putting her little legs in and out of at least 15 different halters before we found one that would work on her little sausage body.

2) Lunch was drive-through because it was just too hot to leave the pooches in the car – even in the shade with the windows down some. No way! So we ate our McDonald’s with Bear and Maddie drooling over our shoulders. Yes, they got a few French fries.

3) Several times today the truck AC cut off and nothing but hot air blew out. Let me just tell you this old girl almost had a heart attack right there and then. Visions of the riding the remaining 700 miles with all the windows down and our feet hanging out the window. Thank you Lord, it kicked back on each time. Please Lord, let it be ok tomorrow . . . and the rest of the summer.

4) Traffic was HORRIBLE in Cincinnati and in Dayton. It always is. And, even after that long stop to shop for a halter, it was the traffic delays in both those cities (caused by construction) that sealed our decision to stop in Ohio and not go on.

Traffic backup outside Cincinnati.

We are so looking forward to pulling in at Whispering Pines Cottage on Black Lake Monday afternoon!

Sue sent this pic a few minutes ago, after seeing my traffic pics on Facebook. She said”Traffic is really heavy at Black Lake too . . . had a boat go by about 20 minutes ago.”

Dinner was Taco Bell in our room (can’t leave dogs unattended in room, and just couldn’t bring ourselves to put them back in the truck again today).

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I’ll see you all back here in a few days . . . or a day . . . or sometime soon!

Thanks for all the travel prayers. Please send one more up for tomorrow!

Hugs and love and God bless.

Almost On The Road! 7/24/15

Posted on July 24, 2015 by bree1972

I wonder if anyone has as much trouble packing as I do!!

Here's the deal. We don't want to have to lug our huge suitcases out of the car each night on the road. So, we pack a

Here’s the deal. We don’t want to lug our huge suitcases out of the car each night on the road. So, we pack a “destination” suitcase (or two or three) AND a “trip up” suitcase. The “trip up” suitcases are small and carry ONLY what is needed to spend a couple of nights on the road. They go into the truck bed LAST so they are easy to get out.

But - you have to be somewhat organized to be able to plan a 3-day/2-night road trip and every, little detailed thing you need once you stop for the night. One year I had everything I needed EXCEPT my huge round roller brush, which for some reason I'd packed in the

But – you have to be somewhat organized to be able to plan a 3-day/2-night road trip and think of every little detailed thing you might need once you stop for the night. One year I had everything I needed EXCEPT my huge round hair styling brush, which for some reason I’d packed in a “destination” suitcase. There was just no way I could “do” my hair without it the next morning, so Ted had to haul every single “destination” suitcase, dog food bin, cooler, toolbox, camera case, etc. out of the truck to get to the bag that held my brush. Well, let me just tell you, THAT was not a happy way to start the day, and I’ve done my best to make sure it hasn’t happened again!

Even Maddie and Bear have the type types of luggage - big green bag (destination-full of toys, meds, brushes, etc.). Small tote (trip up-full of dogfood and bowls)

Even Maddie and Bear have the two types of luggage – big green bag (destination-toys, meds, brushes, etc.). Small tote (trip up-dogfood and bowls)

Anyway, we’re almost packed, and I’ve spent most of this afternoon cleaning house. Ted always asks, “Why are you cleaning the house when we’re not going to be here?” It’s kinda like your mom telling you when you were young to always wear clean underwear in case you’re in a car accident and end up in the emergency room. I’d hate mighty bad for someone to have to come into our house (for whatever reason) and find dust on all the furniture and Bear hair floating across the floor and in every nook and cranny. So – I clean before we go. And yes, that’s what my mom did.

While I’ve cleaned, Ted and our neighbor Ernie have worked out in the near-100 temps to cover our boat. Ernie will be in charge of moving the boat to dry dock IF a hurricane should be about to hit our little stretch of beach while we’re gone. We pray that is something he doesn’t have to deal with!

I got a text message this morning from Sue and Terry, whose lake cabin we’re renting for the first three weeks of our Michigan trip. She was warning me that the temps are on the rise for the next two weeks, and forecasts are calling for highs in the 80’s. Frankly, “the 80’s” sound like a cold front to us!

Orietta Barquero, our friend on Mackinac Island, shared some great photos this week!

A beautiful view of ferries coming and going on a busy summer day.

Looking across Fort Mackinac toward the Straits.

Main Street hustle and bustle.

Carriage Tour horses walk past the always-flowering grounds of the Metivier Inn.

Another view of Main Street.

We’re only going to drive 7 hours on Saturday because we’re stopping off in Atlanta to spend the night at Jason’s On Sunday we’ll hit the road early and drive until we feel like stopping. Since we won’t be on the island the first three weeks of our stay, we don’t have to worry about ferry schedules – we plan to arrive at Black Lake sometime Monday afternoon. Even though we were just on Mackinac a few weeks, ago, it’s been almost two years since we’ve spent long, QUALITY time on our favorite island. By that I mean weeks with plenty of time to relax, walk trails, eat out all over the island, see friends, check out what’s new and revisit what’s old, and just hang out. We are excited!

I will try to write a blog post at least once on the road, and if we’re friends on Facebook, I’ll post there pretty much daily.

Safe travel prayers are always appreciated. See you in Michigan – and from points north – good Lord willing!

God bless.

Update on Max Jones Ride Across Iowa for the Mackinac Island Fire Department:

This photo was in Hiawatha, Iowa yesterday. They were 130 miles from their 480-mile goal! Max is on the far right.

Searchin’ For My Long Lost Shaker of Salt . . . and some Hogfish 7/20/15

Posted on July 20, 2015 by bree1972

One of our Georgia friends saw a photo I posted on Facebook during our Islamorada trip and quipped, “Wait a minute. You live at the beach, but you also go on vacation to the beach?”

It does seem a little excessive, doesn’t it – especially as much as I complain about the heat. But – when your kids invite you along on their vacation, you happily say “YES” and start packing!

Ted and I dropped the pooches off at Lily’s Thursday morning, then turned the truck southward. Ted hadn’t been to the Florida Keys since he was a very small boy, and the furthest south I’d been is Miami. What we’d both forgotten was how LONG Florida is. We consider ourselves living a little north of the middle of the state, but the trip to Islamorado was an almost six hour drive!

Julie, Matt, Jordan and Matthew went down on Tuesday, so they’d already been there a couple of days when we arrived.

Breezy Palms Resort was our destination – nestled directly on the Atlantic Ocean.

Breezy Palms Resort was our destination - nestled among the palm trees right on the Atlantic Ocean.

Islamorada is called a “Village of Islands” and is located on the islands of Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plantation Key.

The kids had towed their boat down from Ormond Beach and had chosen Breezy Palms because they could tie up at the dock there. We walked down to the dock to wait for them to come in and watched fishermen cleaning the day's catch . . .

The kids had towed their boat down from Ormond Beach and had chosen Breezy Palms because they could tie up at the dock there. We walked down to wait for them to come in and watched fishermen cleaning the day’s catch . . .

. . . . and throw the leftovers to the waiting Pelicans.

. . . . and throwing the leftovers to the waiting Pelicans.

There were other seabirds waiting for hand-outs . . .

. . . and an unbelievable number of iguanas roaming around.

This big guy always got my attention when I walked outside. I kept my eye on him constantly . . . .

This big guy always got my attention whenever I’d walked outside. I kept my eye on him constantly . . . .

. . . because you never knew where he was going to pop up next!

Soon the kids arrived from a day of fishing and snorkeling, and after they cleaned up we went out for what was to become one of many, many meals of fresh seafood. Thursday night’s choice was the Islamorado Fish Company, where we first heard of and ate hogfish. They showed us a picture, and the name is actually a little too glamorous for what this fish looks like. But, man oh man, was that some good eating!

At 5:15 the next morning I awoke to Matthew leaning over me whispering, “BeBe, it’s time to go fishing!” Say what??? But by 6:00 a.m. we were pulling away from Bud n’ Mary’s Marina, where we’d grabbed breakfast sandwiches, bait, and gas for the boat.

It was hard to take in so much beauty that early in the morning, but I tried my best to capture it. There were a few clouds, but the sun rising through them just added to a scene that was surreal in its tranquility.

All the Hewitts love to fish, but Matthew definitely takes it all in and processes it through a young teenager's brain. His passion to learn every single aspect of fishing knowledge is a grand thing to behold.

All the Hewitts love to fish, but Matthew takes it all in and processes it through a young teenager’s brain. His passion to learn every single aspect of fishing knowledge is a grand thing to behold.

Almost past the rocks . . .

. . . and several miles out to sea. We came upon our first group of boats - all stopped to catch bait fish.

. . . and heading out to sea. We came upon our first group of boats – all busy catching bait fish. We continued on out for a little over eight miles, looking for . . . .

We were looking for the "seaweed line", flying fish, and seabirds. All three of those indicate there are fish around.

. . . . a line of seaweed, flying fish, and seabirds. According to Jordan, all three of those indicate there are fish around. As soon as we saw all those signs, Matt and Matthew began to put out all the trolling lines. Just take my word for it that trolling is a lot of work. They put out six lines and were constantly checking to make sure the lures hadn’t been covered with seaweed.

Jordan took over the duties of keeping us parallel to the seaweed. Every Hewitt can capably “captain” the boat.

We hooked and lost several fish before getting this small dolphin aboard (this is the dolphin you eat, not the “Flipper” dolphin. In seafood restaurants you would order it as Mahi-Mahi. This one went back into the ocean to grow some more.

With the fish bites not coming at too steady a pace (we didn’t catch any keepers), we headed in, with a stop at Alligator Key Lighthouse (where the water was a blue unlike any I’ve ever seen except in Bermuda) . . . .

. . . for swimming and snorkeling.

Matthew also impressed us with his backflips off the boat. The day before Julie and Matthew had climbed to the top of the lighthouse, then back down to the platform you see beneath the tower. They both jumped off from there!

Matthew impressed us with his backflips off the boat. The day before we arrived Julie and Matthew had climbed to the top of the lighthouse, then back down to the platform you see beneath the tower. They both jumped off from there!

Ted - bless his heart - had to take a little nap on the way back to shore.

Ted – bless his heart – had to take a little nap on the way to lunch at Island Grille – also by boat.

We arrived back at the Breezy Palms around 3 p.m., where Ted and I claimed exhaustion and the kids went back out on the boat. Ah, to be young!

On Saturday morning Ted and I went out to do a little island shopping, while the kids went out to sea again (they promised to come back and get us for lunch). We saw a lot of things we’d have loved to bring home if we’d brought along a moving van, but our only purchase was a pelican for the front yard (more on that later).

We boated around to the bay side for lunch at Robbie's, which took us past house after house . . .

We went to lunch Saturday on the bay side at Robbie’s, which took us past houses . . .

. . . that were unbelievably beautiful – and HUGE!

At Robbies, we bought a bucket of fish and fed the tarpons, ate a great lunch, and asked a tourist to snap a family photo.

After lunch the kids returned to fishing, and Ted and I just took it easy for the afternoon.

Before dinner on Saturday night, we went for drinks at Zane Grey Lounge and walked outside on the porch . . .

Before dinner on Saturday night, we went for drinks at Zane Grey Lounge – then walked outside on the porch . . .

. . . to watch the sunset.

it was Chef Michael’s for dinner, where we all had seafood again (Ted and I have been checking to make sure we aren’t growing fins).

Matt once again had hogfish - a whole one, beautifully and lightly fried, with all the trimmings.

Matt once again had hogfish – a whole one, lightly fried, with all the trimmings. Ugly, yes. Delicious, YES!

We left the Keys around 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning . . .

. . . and stopped by Delray Beach for lunch with Blake (it seems everyone in the family except Jason now lives near the water).

What a wonderful vacation time with family! We came in late Sunday afternoon, and I started doing wash. I didn’t even unpack what I didn’t wear – I’ll just put the washed stuff back into the suitcase and then pack another one full of cool weather stuff for Michigan. Gotta be prepared for everything in Michigan!

See you back here in a few days – probably before we leave on Saturday morning for our trip North . . . . . . .

Oh, oh, oh – almost forgot!

Our pelican buddy from Islamorada - safely transplanted Sunset Inlet.

Our pelican buddy from Islamorada – safely transplanted to Sunset Inlet.

Ready, Set, Go! 7/15/15

Posted on July 15, 2015 by bree1972

The Islamorada bags are almost packed, and we’ll be on our way south Thursday morning – right after we drop the pups and all their gear off at Lily’s house.

Dogfood: check. Treats: check. Daily meds: check. Meds for Bear if he gets hot spot: check. Joint supplement for Bear: check. I'm telling you, I spend more time packing for them than for me!

Dogfood: check. Treats: check. Daily meds: check. Meds for Bear if he gets hot spot and detailed instructions on how to treat it: check. Joint supplement for Bear: check. Emergency sheet with vet name/number: check. I’m telling you, I spend more time packing for them than for me!

As soon as I pulled the first suitcase out of the closet, they both started pouting. But NEXT WEEK – when we pull out to drive NORTH – there’ll be no stopping at the petsitter’s. It will take them about 30 minutes to realize we’ve been on the road and haven’t stopped to leave them anywhere. That’s when Maddie will curl up in my lap and Bear will get as relaxed as he’s going to get in the car. They’ll know that trip includes them, and they’ll be happy campers the rest of the way!

WHERE WE’RE GOING

The Hewitts are already in Islamorada and sent a couple of pics yesterday.

Matthew became a teenager yesterday and celebrated by snorkeling . . .

. . . near this lighthouse. Oh my gosh, that water is beautiful!!

They took their boat with them so we’ll be playing a lot on the water!

A FUN DAY!

Amber Clore, our interior designer and owner of A. Clore Interiors, sent professional photographer John Zawacki out to photograph our family room and foyer this week. The photographs will be used on Amber’s website and maybe, just maybe, a few will make it to houzz.com.

John set up lights everywhere. He said all the windows presented a shooting challenge, but I’m sure he got it figured out. LOL! Sure am glad he wasn’t shooting that messy kitchen island!

Getting some detail shots!

MANATEE SIGHTING

A couple of manatees were feeding in our inlet yesterday at low tide . . .

It's so shallow at low tide that when they're grazing on the bottom, it's easy to see their backs and their tails!

. . . when it’s so shallow that when they’re grazing on the bottom, it’s easy to see their backs and their tails!

We’ll be back on Sunday, and I’ll try to post something on Monday about our trip. Y’all have a great weekend, and good Lord willing, I’ll see you back here soon!

God bless.

Back to a Happy Normal and . . . the Weeks Ahead! 7/12/15

Posted on July 12, 2015 by bree1972

Don’t you just hate it when your “normal” life gets interrupted by something different? Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about disrupting normalcy with a cruise to Bermuda or winning the Publisher’s Clearing House Giveaway. I mean a disruption that throws your whole mind and body into turmoil . . . like a fire extinguisher head being set off (when there’s no fire) and flooding your house!

But – as much as I hate to give it up and say this – even those “bad” interruptions can bring good things. You just have to get over the turmoil, say “thank you, Lord”, and go looking for them.

Our “good things” are these:

The house is back to normal - rooms have been cleared and things put back in their place.

Our house is back to normal – rooms have been cleared and things put back in their proper place.

The downstairs bedroom and closet now have brand new carpet instead of carpet that is nine months old . . .

. . . so does the stairs.

In addition, the downstairs bedroom closet (where they had to cut a hole in the wall to mop up water) now has a great big storage place under the stairwell, with a very nice custom door leading from the closet into the storage area. I can't show you that because the stuff we put back in the closet hides the door.

In addition, the downstairs bedroom closet (where they had to cut a hole in the wall to mop up water) now has a great big storage space under the stairwell, with a very nice custom door leading from the closet into that area (I can’t show you that because the stuff we put back in the closet hides the door).

What’s even more amazing is, with the help of the warranty people, our builder, and the restoration company, all this was accomplished in less than a week! To go from a sit-down-in-the-middle-of-the-floor-crying-over-it mess to normalcy – with benefits – in six days is an amazing feat in my book! So a huge thank you to all involved – especially the warranty folks who set off the sprinkler by accident. Those two guys worked harder than anyone to make sure our house was put back to rights. Mission accomplished!

A WALK ON THE BEACH WITH BEAR AND MADDIE

I don’t normally get up for the early morning walk with Ted, Maddie and Bear. To me, if the sun isn’t up, the good Lord meant for us to keep on sleeping. But the other morning I woke up early – just as Ted was leashing up the dogs – and decided to take the 2 1/2 mile stroll with them (their walk has to be early these days, or they’d all melt before they made it back home).

The benefits of rising early and hitting the beach!

For Bear, the walk on the beach means a time he can be off-leash (yes, the city frowns on this, but who’s around at that time of the day to report us). He LOVES running the beach, even though he’s not once gone into the water more than ankle deep. On this morning, when he was doing his normal “scare-the-crabs-out-of-their-holes-and-chase-them-into-the-ocean routine, the sea offered up a very different gift!

“What the heck? It looks like a tennis ball!”

“It tastes like a tennis ball – except a little salty.”

“But before I get too excited and take it home, I’m going to watch it a while to make sure there are no claws with pinchers attached.”

Maddie has no desire to chase tennis balls or crabs. All she wants to do is dig them up!

Every single hole is sniffed and dug into.

“I know I just saw his beady little eyes!”

“So many crab holes, so little time.”

Walking back home – from the sidewalk.

OTHER BEACHY STUFF

Breakfast this morning at the Funky Pelican. The fishing at the end of the pier is already in full swing, but these days folks bring a sun umbrella along with their fishing gear.

Breakfast - a full of cholesterol seafood omelet for Ted. I chose a very healthy yogurt/granola/fruit dish - with four strips of bacon on the side. Kinda like when I order a big Mac with a diet coke.

Breakfast – a full of cholesterol seafood omelet for Ted, with toast and home fries. I chose a very healthy yogurt/granola/fruit dish – with four strips of bacon on the side. Kinda like when I order a big Mac with a diet coke.

Each neighbor in Sunset Inlet gets a little different angle on our little group of houses. Jennifer shot this across the canal at sunset. Our house is

Each neighbor in Sunset Inlet has a little different angle on our group of houses. Jennifer shot this across the canal at sunset one day this week. Our house is to the right of the 3-story.

One of those awesome photographs that you might get once in a lifetime. Neighbor Missy captured this ominous shelf cloud coming in a few days ago. Looks like a UFO, doesn’t it! Amazingly, we didn’t even get a sprinkle of rain out of all this drama!

THE ISLAND! THE ISLAND!

A great shot of kayakers and a freighter from Clark Bloswick.

Also from Clark: Sunrise from the east side of the island . . .

. . . and sunset from near Devil’s Kitchen.

I’m jealous of Jill all the time now because she gets to live on the island all summer. But this week I’m doubly jealous because she got to go over to Round Island and spend the day. You can only do that once a year, you know. Jealous, jealous, jealous . . . but so excited and happy that she got to go!

Also from Jill – a view of the harbor from the back of the Peace Garden . . .

. . . and an up-close look at the new Peace Garden sculpture, “Be Still”. Love this!

An awesome photo by Valerie Porter of the “new” Fort Holmes!

From blog reader Becky Jacobs.

Becky and her husband recently got the thrill of a lifetime when they won a Facebook contest sponsored by the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce. The prize was a trip to the top of the Mackinac Bridge!

A GOOD CAUSE

Ted and I met Max Jones and his family a couple of summers ago. At that time Max was 13 and had already been in business for himself for two years as the owner/operator of Max’s Errand Service on Mackinac Island.

Max is planning to ride across the State of Iowa to raise money for the Mackinac Island Fire Department.

From an interview of Max by Jason St. Onge at the Mackinac Island Fire Department:

Max, the son of John and Karrie, spends his winters in Kalamazoo but summers on the Island. Max stopped by the Market Street Firehouse to talk about his plan with the MIFD.

Max said, “You guys do a lot for the community and I just want to assist in any way I can. I think I can raise some money to help with equipment.”

Max will spend the next couple weeks securing pledges and training for the ride. He will be asking for pledges from businesses and citizens and promises to collect “Only if I finish the nearly 500 mile trek.”

Max runs a bicycle errand/delivery service on the Island that he started several years ago.

Max will set out on his journey on July 18. Thank you Max, and good luck!!

Personal Note:

To donate to Max’s ride across Iowa, which is July 18-25, you can email Max directly at mjj5366@yahoo.com, subject “Max’s MIFD Ride”, to pledge. Max will email you back with all the details. You can also donate at the micf.org (Mackinac Island Community Foundation) website. Once there, just click “donate”, then put as the fund name, “Max’s Ride for the MIFD”. The money won’t be collected until Max finishes the ride. All donations will be through the Mackinac Island Community Foundation for a tax deduction.

This is a great cause, and we applaud Max for wanting to give back to the Mackinac community.

Max – on one of his many daily delivery rides up and down the hills of Mackinac Island.

THE WEEKS AHEAD

Ted and I will be heading to Islamorada in the Florida Keys on Thursday to spend three nights with Julie, Matt and the grandkids. We get back on Sunday, and the following Saturday we head north to Michigan for nine weeks. There is no way I can even begin to tell you how excited I am to be heading to cooler weather!

For the first three weeks we’ll be with friends Sue and Terry Conlon at Black Lake near Cheboygan, then on August 18 we arrive on Mackinac for six weeks in a condo downtown in the Mission District.

A really fun surprise . . . I’ve been asked to stay two nights at the Grand Hotel (this will be while we’re at Black Lake) and to write about the Woods Restaurant (owned by the Grand). Ted and I have never actually stayed at the Grand, and we are so excited to have this opportunity!

So, we’ll be on and off the island even during the three weeks we’re at Black Lake.

I’ll be blogging the entire time, but I’ve decided to not have any kind of schedule for the rest of the summer. From now until the end of September, posts might pop up at any time. It may be a story or just a photograph, but – starting now – expect something more than twice a week – just on no certain day. And I’ll post the same blog to both Bree’s Mackinac Island Blog (http://bree1972.wordpress.com) and To Be Clay (https://bree2015.wordpress.com).

We’re going to miss Sunset Inlet. We’re leaving just as we’re all beginning to get to know each other, but we’ll be back at the end of September to rejoin the gang and enjoy Florida when I love it most . . . . fall, winter, and spring!

Please say a safe travel prayer for us. Bear and Maddie will be staying with our pet sitter for our Islamorada trip, but they’ll be with us – of course – when we head for Michigan!

Love you all!

God bless.

Happy Day After! 7/5/15

Posted on July 5, 2015 by bree1972

Happy Day After the 4th!

It’s hard not to make comparisons between places you’ve lived, and holidays lend themselves to comparisons in a big way.

Until yesterday, Ted and I have spent the last several years celebrating the 4th on Mackinac Island (except for last summer, when – if I remember correctly – I spent the 4th at Lake Blackshear providing TLC to Bear immediately following his ACL surgery).

The Mackinac 4th of July celebration is an all-day event. There are family activities at Windermere Point – like climbing the greased pole and sack races. The Stone-Skipping Contest is during the morning, with professional stone-skippers from all over the world arriving to try and set new records. Late in the afternoon is the Grand Hotel Picnic at Fort Mackinac. Friends reported that it was a picture-perfect day on Mackinac, with temps in the 70’s. Ahhhhhhh . . . .

Red and white checked tablecloths are provided by the Grand, and everyone stakes out a piece of lawn where kids can play and everyone can eat from the huge buffet the Grand provides. (Photo from yesterday's picnic by Mert Vartanian).

Red and white checked tablecloths are provided by the Grand, and everyone stakes out a piece of lawn where kids can play and everyone eats from the huge buffet the Grand provides. (Photo from yesterday’s picnic by Mert Vartanian).

And then there are the fireworks. Sometimes we’d walk downtown to watch, but usually we just sat on our condo deck in the Village, where the view was awesome. (Photo by Emily Galka of last night’s Mackinac fireworks)

Ted and I love that Flagler Beach – in a few important ways – reminds us of Mackinac. There is that small-town atmosphere, and the 4th of July celebration here reminded us a lot of the island’s old-fashioned and laid back observation of this important day in America’s history. At the park in the middle of downtown there is always something going on, and 4th of July events included activities for the kids (face painting, games), live music, and vendors selling food and crafts.

But . . . with a well-reported reputation of really bad traffic congestion downtown at the pier (where the fireworks are set off), we decided we’d forego all that and watch from the beach.

Jennifer and Ernie Sund opened their home to neighbors last night for what we hope is an annual 4th of July cookout (with rotating venues, of course). We got to meet neighbors who have just moved in, and Ernie grilled up burgers, hot dogs, and brats (that’s bratwurst for my Southern readers), and guests provided all the other trimmings. Yes – those are the Horton Georgia Bulldog chairs front and center!

We got a few sprinkles of rain off and on during the time between eating and going over to the beach, but it was so hot and humid the sprinkles helped keep us cool (between the rain showers, my trusty hankie, and my favorite funeral fan, I survived without a complete meltdown). At around 8:30 we all traipsed across Highway A1A to the beach, set up our chairs, and settled in for the fireworks scheduled at 9:15. While waiting, we were entertained by children playing in the surf and by folks all around us setting off their own fireworks. We were all hoping that the sand at one of the nine protected turtle nests on our beach would start stirring and hundreds of baby turtles would be born on the 4th, but no such luck! It’s about time for 2 or 3 of those nests to erupt with babies, and we talked about setting up a rotation of turtle nest watchers for the next few days and nights. Not seriously, of course – but it was discussed!

All in all – a great first 4th of July at our new home!

OTHER STUFF

Our warranty team came in on Saturday and did some preliminary work and will be back bright and early Monday morning to start putting us back together after our indoor rainstorm. We have Georgia company planning to arrive on Thursday, and we’ve been semi-promised we’ll be back to normal by then and we won’t have to cancel on our guests. That will take some seriously hard work – walls to be painted, carpet to be laid, cracks and seams to be repaired, etc. I’m pulling for them to get it done!

A FEW MACKINAC PHOTOS

The 4th on Mackinac! A flag on a ferry's stern waves proudly as they pass under the Mackinac Bridge.

The 4th on Mackinac! A flag on a ferry’s stern waves proudly as it passes under the Mackinac Bridge. (Photo: Bobby Lee)

An awesome patriotic shot of Lady Liberty’s torch against a full moon over the Mackinac Marina. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

Wow! The restoration of Fort Holmes is changing the scene as you come into the harbor. Bruce LaPine captured this from a boat coming into the harbor.

Wow! The restoration of Fort Holmes is changing the scene as you come into the harbor. Bruce LaPine captured this from a boat approaching the harbor.

Sunrise by Clark Bloswick.

A great Georgia friend whose family owns a cottage on Mackinac always celebrates the 4th on Mackinac. Sure missed seeing you this year, Jane! (She's the beautiful lady

A great Georgia friend whose family owns a cottage on Mackinac always celebrates the 4th on the island. Sure missed seeing you this year, Jane! (She’s the beautiful lady on the left with the gorgeous white hair.)

One of Clark Bloswick’s favorite subjects – and mine -the Mackinac Lighthouse.

We’ll have company coming in on Thursday (if the house is put back together), so I’m going to take Thursday off from blogging. I’ll see y’all back here on Sunday, July 12 – good Lord willing!

Have a great week, and God bless.

The Bad, the Good, and the Really Good 7/2/15

Posted on July 3, 2015 by bree1972

THE BAD

Ted and I woke up earlier than usual Wednesday morning. Maddie had been restless all night, and Ted took her and Bear out for a walk well before the sun came up. While they were gone, I brewed some coffee and went out on the deck. The moon was full, and the couple of shots I took about 20 minutes apart showed our world as it was that morning – quiet, peaceful and beautiful.

Ted came back with the pups, joined me on the deck with his coffee, and we chatted for a while about what we had going on the rest of the day . . . mainly our warranty people were coming in again around 9:00 to finish touch-up work on the ceiling at the top of our staircase.

The morning proceeded as planned. The warranty team came (two guys that do an amazing job with anything they touch), set up that “high-wire” board again across our stairwell and began their work.

And then. . . . . . (insert sound of thunderous noise, shouts of dismay, cries of “Oh no! Oh no!”)

I was in the bedroom, and my immediate thought was one of the men had fallen off the board and down the staircase. I went flying into the kitchen and stopped abruptly when I saw what appeared to be a torrent of water coming from the ceiling over the stairwell and shooting full blast into our family room. It just didn’t compute for a moment. And then someone yelled, “The hot gun got too close to the sprinkler head and set it off!”

The next 20 minutes was a chaotic jumble. The guy (who somehow didn’t fall off that board when the sprinkler head went off) climbed BACK ON THE BOARD – even though it was soaking wet and slippery – and tried to divert the water away from the family room and down the stairs. He stood there under that torrent a good 6-8 minutes until we located the turn off for the sprinkler system.

When it was over, both our recliners were soaked, and the couch, coffee table, dining room table, fireplace, bookshelves and end tables were wet. The area rug in the family room was soaked, and the dining room area rug was damp. The fact that he jumped up and diverted the water as long as he did saved our furniture.

Downstairs all that water soaked the carpet on the stairs, then ran under the downstairs tile and into the first floor bedroom closet and on into the bedroom, soaking all that carpet.

With the water off, Ted and I, the two warranty workers, and the construction site supervisor (who immediately came over) went to work. We used every towel in the house to soak up the water upstairs, rolled up area rugs, dried off tables and bookshelves and the fireplace. The warranty guys torn up the carpet on the stairs, cut a hole in the back of our downstairs bedroom closet to get to the water soaking that bedroom carpet, moved furniture out of rooms, and stuff from under beds. A shop vac was brought in to vacuum more water upstairs.

Family room carpet rolled up - ready to go outside.

Soaked amily room carpet rolled up – ready to go outside. The couch was splashed, but not soaked.

Because water was soaking the carpet in the downstairs bedroom, we had to pull everything out from under the bed and move the bed away from the wall.

The closet carpet was soaked. There's now a huge hole in that back wall so they could soak water up that was coming in from the foyer.

The closet carpet was soaked. There’s now a huge hole in that back wall so they could soak water up that was coming in under the tile from the foyer.

The flex room also was used for furniture and other things that had to be moved.

Carpet being taken up from downstairs bedroom.

Carpet being torn up from downstairs bedroom . . .

. . . and from the stairway.

Upstairs, things had to be moved and surfaces dried.

A couple of hours later a restoration crew our builder had called arrived on the scene. They took measurements and scans and readings of everything, then set up about 15 of those fans that sound like jet engines and said, “It will take 3-4 days to dry out, and nothing can be fixed until it is bone dry.”

Ted and I used a lot of sign language to be heard over all this!

THE GOOD

The restoration team came back this afternoon and took all their readings again. They declared the house BONE DRY and praised everyone for getting the water up so quickly. The fans are gone, and upstairs we have returned to normal, except our area rugs are out being professionally cleaned.

On Monday the warranty team will come back to complete their work and fix what little was damaged by the water (mostly painting that same stairwell). Hopefully the carpet will go in next week also. We leave for Michigan in a little over three weeks, so it all definitely has to be done by then.

THE REALLY GOOD

We are so happy no one was hurt yesterday. The young man who set off the sprinkler system could have easily fallen down two flights of stairs – either when the water came on or when he jumped back up on that ledge to try and divert the water.

Our warranty team and our builders have been on top of the whole situation practically from the moment it happened. They are working diligently to make sure everything is repaired and replaced to our satisfaction, as quickly as possible. They even offered to replace all our towels . . . now THAT was tempting. In my mind I was thinking, “blank check to Bed, Bath, and Beyond”!

So – a morning that started off with a peaceful cup of coffee on the deck changed in an instant to complete chaos, dismay, and thinking it would be weeks before we had things back to normal. I have to admit I sat down in the middle of the floor and had a good cry somewhere during the morning, and I think I was actually in shock for a little while. But – it is turning out much better than we could have possibly imagined.

The Horton house is quiet once again tonight. And we will rest better tonight and every other night, knowing – beyond a shadow of a doubt – our sprinkler system works very well!

Have a great 4th of July, stay safe, and I’ll see you back here on Sunday – good Lord willing.

God bless.

Hot, Humid, Hazy – The End of June 6/28/15

Posted on June 28, 2015 by bree1972

Here in Beverly Beach we’ve settled into the long and humid days of summer, where even the locals are saying it’s not usually this hot until August. That makes me very happy we’ve already made plans to go north at the end of July, because if this June is a “warm up” for August, I don’t want to be around to see – or feel – what the end of the summer will be like.

Ted – bless his heart – gets up between 6:30 and 7:00 to take Maddie and Bear out for their long walk of the day. He measured it recently, and they’re putting in 2 1/2 miles each morning. By the time they come in, I’m up, and after the pooches have breakfast, we all go out to the deck. Ted and I have our coffee, and Maddie and Bear take a long snooze after all that early morning exercise.

After dinner – unless it’s storming – they’ll get another longer walk before bedtime. Other than that, a quick potty break in the backyard is all we can persuade them to do. It. Is. Hot.

Speaking of storms . . . .

Every afternoon the sky darkens, the palm trees begin to sway . . .

. . . thunder rolls, and lightning flashes. Sometimes we get a sprinkle from all this, sometimes we get a gully-washer,and other times it just all blows over.

. . . thunder rolls, and lightning flashes. Sometimes we get a nice showeer from all this, sometimes we get a gully-washer, and other times it just all blows over.

Just before we left for Michigan Jason flew in for a few days’ visit. It’s always great to have company, and when “company” means “one of the kids”, it’s even better!

It’s always a hoot to have Jason in the house!

While he was here we took the boat out and rode down to the Matanzas Outlet - about 16 miles from the house.

While he was here we took the boat out and rode down to the Matanzas Inlet – about 16 miles from the house.

Matanzas Inlet (the outlet from the Intracoastal into the Atlantic) is closed to navigation.

Matanzas Inlet (the outlet from the Intracoastal into the Atlantic) is officially non-navigable.

In layman’s terms, “non-navigable” means DO NOT – under any circumstances – try to go out into the ocean through this outlet. But, even with that warning, boaters have been known to slip out through there at high tide. If you should try it and your boat is damaged, your insurance pays nothing – because you weren’t supposed to be there in the first place! Needless to say, the Hortons won’t be trying it! (Photo: Wikipedia)

Coming back home under the bridge we go over when we drive into Palm Coast.

Coming back home under the Hammock Dunes Bridge, which we cross when we drive into Palm Coast.

Later during Jason's visit, we had all the Hewitts over for Burgers . . .

One night during Jason’s visit, we had all the Hewitts over for burgers . . .

. . . then took the boat out again at sundown. It's times like these that assure us we've made the right decision in moving to Florida.

. . . then took the boat out at sundown.

Getting home after the sun went down.

On his last day here, Jason rode over to Ormond Beach, and Matthew gave his uncle a couple hours of surfing lessons. Between the bike ride and surfing, Jason definitelydidn't have to hit the gym for a few days after he returned to Atlanta.

On his last day here, Jason rode over to Ormond Beach, and Matthew gave his uncle a couple hours of surfing lessons. They had a blast, and Jason said Matthew was an awesome teacher.

OTHER BEACHY STUFF

Always good to see home folks. Danny Carter, the managing editor at the Albany Herald and a work colleague from my days as Public Information Director for the Dougherty County School System, and his wife Pam were in Ormond on vacation this week. We met them for breakfast at Java Joint Saturday and had a great time catching up on the Albany news.

Warranty folks doing some touch up painting in our stairwell . . .

. . . that board is balanced between a second floor ledge and a ladder, with a board pryed under it for support. Good grief!

. . . on a board balanced between a second floor ledge and a ladder, with a board pried under it for support. Nerves of steel!

Spotted this gator out of the corner of my eye last week - just off our seawall. Just added him to the list of other critters we see each day . . . manatees, fish (our mullet jump in and our of the water like they have a trampoline set up just under the water), pelicans, herons, egrets, snakes . . .

Spotted this gator out of the corner of my eye last week – right off our seawall. Just added him to the list of other critters we see almost everyday . . . manatees, fish (mullet jump in and out of the water like they have a trampoline set up just under the surface), pelicans, herons, egrets, raccoons, snakes, crabs . . .

. . .and grasshoppers bigger than Maddie!

Oh. Speaking of manatees. It’s mating season in the manatee world, and each evening – in our canal and at the end of the dock – we are entertained by what is called a “mating herd”. Imagine six to eight 1,200-lb creatures rolling and splashing around just at the water’s surface and occasionally bellowing at the top of their lungs. I won’t post a photo for obvious reasons, but one of our neighbors likened it to watching manatee porn. All I’ll say is they look like they’re having a great time!

See you back here next week – right before the 4th of July weekend!

God bless.

Mackinac June Visit – Last Day on the Island 6/25/15

Posted on June 25, 2015 by bree1972

The last day of our June visit to Mackinac was on Wednesday, and after spending the morning writing a Stonecliffe post, I hopped on a waiting taxi to meet Jill and Sue for lunch. Already on board the taxi were a couple from Kentucky and a lady with her daughter. The daughter (I wrote down all the names and have somehow lost them – imagine that) was from Canada, and her mom was visiting her – in the states for the first time. And that’s how . . .

. . . three moms (one from Kentucky, one from Saudi Arabia and me) spent a taxi ride sharing stories and cell phone photos of children and grandchildren. The lady from Saudi Arabia didn’t speak a word of English, but her daughter translated for us. She was so sweet and funny and must have shown us a hundred photos of her family. Only on Mackinac!

We ate lunch at Millie’s on Main and then took a long walk together – it felt just like old times! So glad a stranger asked if he could take our photo so we could all be in this shot in front of the lilacs!

I know the middle of June is well past “spring” in most places in the country, but with the high temps being only in the low 60’s, most of the island flower gardens haven’t been in the ground long. But, Mackinac always manages to look beautiful for the Lilac Festival, and this year was no different.

The steeple of St. Anne’s always makes a wonderful backdrop for the Main Street lilacs.

Hard to believe a couple of weeks ago, there were no flowers in these beds at all. It’s just another bit of Mackinac magic!

One of the new places to visit on the island - the Peace Garden behind the Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Museum . . .

One of the new places to visit on the island – the Peace Garden behind the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum in Marquette Park.

What a great place for a little quiet time!

The garden represents the longstanding peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada since the end of the War of 1812. Jack Barnwell and his crew did a beautiful job with the landscaping – what a great place for a little quiet time!

Jill had to leave us to go to work, and I needed to get back to Stonecliffe to start packing. Sue walked with me as far as the Grand Hotel, and we decided to go out on the porch so we could photograph the tulips from above.

The entrance to the Grand!

An awesome view past the geraniums on that long front porch.

An awesome view past the geraniums down Cadotte Avenue.

What an awesome landscaping achievement. A pinwheel garden of tulips!

What an amazing landscaping achievement – a pinwheel garden of tulips!

Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor was doing a brisk business – even in the chilly temps.

Have any of my readers ever played chess with these life-size chess pieces?

Another view of the tulips from above. . .

. . . and one from eye-level.

I walked past the Grand to Four Corners and hooked a left onto Annex Road – which took me straight back to Stonecliffe.

What a fun, fun trip! We can’t wait to get back in August for six weeks on the island!

I’ll be back on Sunday to catch you up on everything that’s been happening at the beach for the last couple of weeks. Hope to see you then!

God bless.

Personal Note: Please lift prayers for continued healing for our former neighbor and great friend Chief “Duck” Andress. Duck cut off two of his fingers last week while working on his world-famous walking sticks in his shop. He is doing great, but a few extra prayers never hurt!