Enough Already! 11/8/15

Posted on November 8, 2015 by bree1972

I love both of my volunteer jobs – each for different reasons. At the Flagler Humane Society I snuggle with, pet, and photograph kitties to my heart’s content. At Florida Hospital Flagler my ER buddy and I keep 31 ER rooms stocked with gowns, sheets, pads, washcloths, hand towels, blood pressure cuffs, heart monitor “stickies”, specimen cups, socks, Kleenex, gloves, etc. Occasionally we’ll wheel patients to their rooms or deliver them to their cars when they’re discharged. We provide chilly folks blankets straight from the warmer and do any other chores we’re asked to do by the nurses or administration.

While I’m mostly working alone at the Humane Society, at the hospital I work with a great group of displaced Northerners from New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Mike, who is my volunteer buddy in the ER, is the only true Floridian in the bunch. The rest moved down here years ago to get away from the harsh Northern winters. They LOVE Florida’s weather and are quite vocal during our breaks when I start talking about going to Mackinac in December. They usually look at me aghast and shake their heads, wondering – I’m sure – why anyone in her right mind would voluntarily go north in the wintertime.

But – when we settled into our chairs around the break table in the cafeteria last Thursday (each of us bringing coffee or soft drinks and one of the fabulous muffins left over at breakfast and offered free on the food line to us volunteers), I distinctly heard one of my Northern friends say – quite loudly – “Enough already!”

“Enough of what, Mary,?” I asked.

“This hot weather!” she said adamantly. “I moved down here for the warm weather, but almost 90 in November is ridiculous!”

I soooo agree!

By this time last year, we were in the 60’s during the day and having some 50’s at night. We’re still in the 70’s at night, and I don’t even want to talk about the daytime (ok, I will talk about it – it reached 90 here one day last week). It might as well be July! The nor’easter that was supposed to blow in this weekend, lowering temps and bringing rain, must have made a U-turn somewhere and become a sou’wester. No rain. No lower temps. Just hot, with tons of humidity mixed in.

Enough already!

It's hard to believe that a year ago this week Ted and I closed on our house and moved in with just a blow-up bed and two beach chairs. We made do for almost a week until our furniture arrived from Georgia.

It’s hard to believe that a year ago this week Ted and I closed on our house and moved in with just a blow-up bed, two beach chairs and a coffeemaker.

We made do for almost a week until our furniture arrived from Georgia. It was quite the adventure, and we loved every minute of it. Well, except that first morning when we discovered we’d brought the coffeemaker but no coffee.

Over the last year we've sometimes wondered if we'd ever feel we weren't living in a construction zone. But one night this week, as I was turning down our street from a dog walk, I noticed that - for the last few houses on our block at least - we were almost looking

Over the last year we’ve sometimes wondered if we’d ever feel we weren’t living in a construction zone. But one night this week, as I turned down our street from a dog walk, I noticed that – for the last few houses on our block at least – we are almost looking “finished”.

Our little house looks all snuggled in and protected by those big guys on either size.

Our little house looks all snuggled in and protected by those big guys on either side..

Weather on Mackinac Island has been unnaturally warm also for November. They’ve had some pretty gusty November winds a few times, but so far the really cold stuff hasn’t shown up – and snow hasn’t even been mentioned in a forecast. I’m beginning to think my Christmas Bazaar visit the first weekend in December may be snowless.

A scene from Market Street by the folks at Metivier Inn. November is probably the slowest month of the year on Mackinac. A lot of the men are off-island at hunting camps, and many women are off the island visiting friends and family. It’s truly a time for relaxation – after the super busy summer season.

While Mackinac remains snowless for now, the island has hosted some rainy days and nights (Photo: Greg Main) . . .

. . . mornings when fog rolled up from Lake Huron to tickle Fort Mackinac’s ramparts (Photo: Clark Bloswick) . . .

. . . blustery days when a ferry ride should have included sea sick pills (Photo: Clark Bloswick) . . .

. . . blustery days when a ferry ride might have included some sea sick pills (Photo: Clark Bloswick) . . .

. . . and one morning when there was just a hint of frost on the rooftops at Mission Point. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

For the most part though, November has been a beautiful continuation of October. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

And the sunsets continue to dazzle. (Photo: Greg Main)

It’s strange to me how slowly October passed this year and how rapidly November seems to be flying by. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and the week after that I’ll be heading north. I sometimes wonder if the love and passion I feel for my time on Mackinac will ever change, but I can’t really imagine that happening. In Joan Chittister’s wonderful book, The Gift of Years, she writes that “the beauty of the later years is that if we have learned through life to trust our own insights at least as much as we trust the insights we have been taught, we find ourselves at the end of a very long life with a very young soul.” For me, returning to Mackinac turns on my “young soul” so quickly I’m almost dizzy with it when my foot touches down on the ferry dock. I know many of you feel exactly the same way.

Thanks to everyone last week who added a comment about what you were up to in October. I so enjoyed reading every one, and I know everyone else did too.

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.

Catching Up 3/8/15

Posted on March 9, 2015 by bree1972

Is everyone on the right time today? I remembered to set my clock forward THIS MORNING – even after being reminded twelve times by Ted.

You see, Ted is away for a few days, and you should have heard all the instructions before he left. Like – setting the clock forward on Saturday night; emptying the garbage every evening (that was actually one of Blake’s instructions); don’t forget to lock up at night; don’t forget to get the newspaper in every morning; don’t forget to get the mail; don’t forget to let Maddie out around 7:30 because she’ll need to “go” between her walk at 5:00 and her last walk at 10:30. I mean, really. He does realize we live in the same house, right? Like all this is new!? Ok – I’ve vented. Thank you very much.

Ted has a meeting in Macon (Ga.) on Monday, and he’s getting our taxes done in Georgia on Tuesday (hard to break those old habits), so he decided to leave on Saturday and spend a little time with the gang at the ri’vah this weekend. SO WISH I could have gone with him, but there’s another volunteer meeting here at the hospital on Monday (lots of red tape involved in hospital volunteering). Good news! I got just what I wanted – an Emergency Room shift – Thursday from 8 a.m.-12 noon! The bad part is I can’t start training until after an all-day orientation session on March 30. Patience, patience, patience!

In the meantime, I run out to the Flagler Humane Society twice a week with my trusty camera. When I arrived last week the empty room they’ve been letting me use as a “studio” was full of kitties because THEIR room was being painted. So, I decided to try my hand with a few dogs . . . not as easy as I thought it would be. First, I have to glue myself to one of the dog walkers (because we know what happens when I try to walk them myself). But – everyone was very friendly, and after all, it’s all about finding these babies homes.

Gibbs – a 6 year old Hound mix. Such a sweet dog!

Meet Boyze – a 7 year old Shepherd/Chow mix with a touch of arthritis. He deserves to be pampered and loved for many years to come.

Cute little Buster! This little guy has a great personality and is only a year old. He’s a Beagle/Pug Mix (a Puggle)!

Even though Flagler Humane Society is NOT a no-kill shelter, they work very diligently to adopt out their dogs and cats and are certainly in no hurry to euthanize. Last week I was witness to the reunion of a pit bulldog mix with his family – after having escaped from their yard over six months ago. He was such a nice dog the humane society removed a fatty tumor from his side and neutered him during his stay with them – they were determined to find him a nice home. The owners (who did not live in Flagler County) had not checked shelters outside their county, and the dog was not micro-chipped. Then last week – almost as a last effort to locate their dog – they started calling surrounding county shelters. And there he was. The reunion was such a joy to see – one big wiggling body and a tail wagging so hard it was a blur! Yes, I cried.

IT’S BEEN MIGHTY WARM

We’ve had a couple of days in the 80’s – just right for sitting on the deck, sipping a nice glass of wine, and watching the sunset.

The next morning after the above photo, the wind started blowing like crazy, it rained, and never got out of the 50’s. Due to warm up again this week though!

Oh – it’s BIKE WEEK down here. I’ve never seen so many Harleys in my life. They are literally EVERYWHERE! What is Bike week, you may ask. As far as I can figure out, it’s when folks who love motorcycles drive down to Florida from all over the U.S. just to ride up and down the beach highway for hours on end. Great for the economy – bad for your ears! Sounds like an old woman talking, doesn’t it?

UP NORTH

This the front yard of friends Lowell and Faye Greene from Olivet, Michigan (close to Lansing). Lots of snow - then it rained - then the rain froze. Does that look slick to you? It is!

This the front yard of friends Lowell and Faye Greene from Olivet, Michigan (close to Lansing). Lots of snow – then it rained – then the rain froze on top of the snow. Does that look slick to you? It is!

A beautifully layered sunset from Clark Bloswick . . .

. . . followed by Clark’s Thursday morning shot of the moon setting.

Ok – this scares the stew out of me! A shot from one of the Mackinac Bridge towers (by the Michigan Department of Transportation) of the icy Straits of Mackinac AND one very brave soul ambling down the suspension walkway. Oh. My. Goodness.

Update: Molly McGreevy. On Friday afternoon Molly underwent nearly 5 hours of breast cancer surgery. We’ve chatted several times online, and she is so thankful to be over that part of her journey. She has been in quite a lot of pain since the surgery and is hoping that will lessen soon. Now. Imagine having had ANY kind of surgery and then having to go home over 5 miles of ice on a snowmobile – OR try to maneuver yourself into a tiny plane for a flight from the mainland to the island. Either way, it’s not going to be easy, and we all need to add that element to our prayers – getting Molly safely, and as comfortably as possible – back to Mackinac. A huge thank you from Molly for your continued prayers and for the donations that are helping her and Ed through this scary part of their lives together.

I think that’s all for tonight – except to say “thank you” to my trusty companion Bear, who had my back on Thursday night. Believe me, he got extra Milk Bones the next morning!

Love y’all! God bless.

P.S. Blake and I went to the movies this afternoon to see McFarland, U.S.A. with Kevin Costner. If you haven’t seen it, RUSH to the theatre. It’s based on a true story, and it will make you stand up and cheer at the end. Loved it!!

PHOTO Sunday . . . and a Story to Tell 2/8/2015

Posted on February 8, 2015 by bree1972

A Few From the Frozen North

This little Chickadee is lucky to have friends on the island . . . like Clark Bloswick!

Two of my favorite Mackinac Island children – Joan Barch’s grandchildren (Jordan and Jenavieve). They took leftover pumpkins from the summer garden and put them in the woods for the deer and squirrels.

Island friend Molly McGreevy got this great shot from the air as she traveled back to the island from St. Ignace. It’s Canada Steamship Lines’ Frontenac passing under the bridge. The Frontenac has been hauling frieight on the Great Lakes for almost 50 years.

From Tom Chambers – an icy view showing Trinity Church on Fort Hill in the foreground and the steeple of Little Stone Church on Cadotte Avenue in the background. Brrrrrr . . . . .

A great story and video about the Ice Bridge – and all its dangers! http://www.9and10news.com/story/28047180/the-ice-bridge-connecting-saint-ignace-and-mackinac-island-opens

A Few From Lake Blackshear

Lake Blackshear friend Marianne Lashley shared that the Camellias are blooming at the lake. I bet our old yard is full of these pink and white blooms right now. I miss Camellias . . . and I miss Marianne!

Lake Blackshear friend Marianne Lashley shared that the Camellias are blooming at the lake. I bet our old yard is full of these pink and white blossoms right now. I miss Camellias . . . and Marianne!

Another Lake Blackshear friend, Samille Posey, has been posting a photograph of sunsets from her dock each day since Jan. 1. This one though was sunset from the other side of the ri'vah - the Booger Bottom dock! I miss Booger Bottom . . . and I miss Samille!

Another Lake Blackshear friend, Samille Posey, has been posting a photograph of sunsets from her dock each day. This one though was a sunset from the other side of the ri’vah at our favorite hangout, Booger Bottom. I miss Booger Bottom . . . and Samille!

And A Few from Sunny Florida!

The final pieces of our family room furniture came – the coffee table – which is really a very old trunk from Indonesia (it took five months to get here) and two small ottomans that will give us extra seating when we need it! I wish that old trunk could talk. Oh, the stories it could tell!

A beautiful Sunday morning . . . .

. . . . a perfect day to walk out through the Nature Preserve . . .

. . . to watch Ted and Blake launch the kayaks . . .

. . . and head south on the Intracoastal.

Things we saw walking back from the dock . . . red berries (wonder if they are edible).

Other docks – the tides come and go under our walkway, so sometimes there’s a lot of water underneath, and other times it’s practically dry.

And a wonderful Egret resting in the top of a mostly dead tree.

This elegant Egret resting in the top of a mostly dead tree.

The “not fun” part of kayaking!

Back at the house. Little Maddies - waiting on her daddy to come back. P.I.T.I.F.U.L.

Back at the house. Little Maddie – waiting on her daddy to come back.

A Story to Tell – the “Other” Lowell

All of you who are regular readers know Lowell Greene, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world and someone who loves the island almost as much as we do. You’ve read about him, seen his comments and photos of him and his sweet Faye for many years now.

But . . . there is another Lowell in my life!

His name is Lowell H., and he’s been a Bree’s Mackinac Island Blog fan for almost as long as Lowell G. (except that Lowell H. does his commenting through email, not directly on the blog). Lowell H. was born in Michigan and loves Mackinac. Although I feel as though I know him and his wife Amy almost as well as Lowell G. and Faye, you readers don’t know him at all.

Phone rings Friday morning, and it’s Lowell H. He and Amy are traveling back to their home in North Carolina from Key West, and they’re staying the night in Palm Coast. What are the chances we could get together?

Are you kidding me?! I’ve been corresponding with this gentleman for over six years and have never laid eyes on him!

So, Saturday morning Ted, Blake and I meet them at their hotel for breakfast, and we spend almost two hours talking our heads off and just having the best time! Thank you, thank you, Lowell and Amy, for calling and making this meeting happen – it was awesome!

Sunday love and hugs to you all!

God bless.