Embedded Files
2022 Walloon - this blog is written in chronological order. Scroll down and you'll find all the entries so far.
Saturday, July 9
The typical first pics from any year's Walloon Lake trip are these two (below). No better signs in the world!
This is a multiple-meaning sign. Yes, it means you are entering the beautiful state of Michigan, my favorite state of all 50 states. It also means you are through all the Chicago and Gary Indiana traffic. In addition, it means you can make a pit stop. One more meaning: you are only 5 hours from paradise!
This sign has one meaning. You. Are. HOME.
Here's a picture of paradise. Walloon Lake MI - my happy place. Taken from our dock looking north.
The quick story: my grandfather and grandmother found this little slice of heaven in the mid-1920s and built their cottage around 1926. My grandfather and grandmother spent every summer here, my father spent every summer here, I spent every summer here, and my boys have spent every summer here. To say it's in our blood would be an understatement. It's a huge part of who we all are.
A little note about change. Over these past ~100+ years, the lake and the area has changed - the same way every other city, town, village, or hamlet changes. A hundred years ago, cottages slowly popped up all along the shore. More recently, cottages have been torn down for mcMansions. Businesses were built and thrived in the village of Walloon Lake. Most of those have been torn down and replaced by modern structures, a hotel, restaurants, shops, marinas, and even a wedding venue. Progress happens. I'm hoping that by writing this I can remember how it used to be, and that the cathartic nature of writing will help me embrace the change.... I am a realist and know that sometimes progress is good and much needed.
Here's what hasn't changed. The water is still a beautiful robin's egg blue, cold, (spring-fed) and velvet. The lake has healing powers (just like my grandmother used to tell me) and the springs are still drinkable. Petoskey stones dot the sandy bottom. Sailboat races happen on the lake every weekend. Fish still swim, splash, and tempt - yet elude many fishermen's hooks. Crayfish skitter backwards and hide under rocks, trying to avoid becoming a smallmouth's dinner. The sandbars are still a great place to swim and play in the sandy shoreline. Forts are still built in the woods behind cottages. Kids still run and play outside. Old, restored ChrisCraft barrel-back boats hum along slowly on calm evenings. The summer days are warm, the summer nights cool. The glider still rocks us to sleep on the screened porch as we listen to the tiny waves lapping onto the shore. Sweet peas and peonies sweeten the air with their captivating fragrance. The trees wave and bend in the breeze. Deer dot the varied rolling landscape. Bluejays, cardinals, and northern flickers sing a cacophony of songs before dark. Owls have conversations throughout the night. The stars are incredible. The way the Milky Way arches across the sky is breathtaking... and once in a while, the aurora borealis dances.
This is why it is my happy place.
My first sunset of the summer at the lake. <----
Most sunsets here are beautiful but some are really special. The lake helps the color somehow! Not sure that's scientific or anything...it just seems to be true.
Also notice that there isn't much (any!) traffic on the lake. The fourth of July is usually the busiest, and summer sure is more populated that spring or fall....but we rarely see more than 3 boats at a given time in our section of the lake. Have I mentioned it's peaceful?
Monday, July 11
After Andrew and Susie arrived yesterday, we had rain through the night and morning. How lovely to hang out on the screened porch with a cocktail, listening to the rain! Not to mention sleeping..... ahhhhh.
After Andrew and Susie arrived yesterday, we had rain through the night and morning. How lovely to hang out on the screened porch with a cocktail, listening to the rain! Not to mention sleeping..... ahhhhh.
Today's highlight #1:
Today's highlight #1:
A trip to Bear River got us dozens of minnows (bait) and NO mosquito bites! Andrew used his glass minnow trap and they absolutely swarmed it. There wasn't any room left inside! I guess they like saltines. Susie and I fished with hook and line from the bridge. Success!
A trip to Bear River got us dozens of minnows (bait) and NO mosquito bites! Andrew used his glass minnow trap and they absolutely swarmed it. There wasn't any room left inside! I guess they like saltines. Susie and I fished with hook and line from the bridge. Success!
Highlight #2:
Highlight #2:
Hung out on the dock....Susie and I were asked to gather some crawfish to use for bait. Once again, success!
Hung out on the dock....Susie and I were asked to gather some crawfish to use for bait. Once again, success!
Crayfish.... crawfish... crawdads... crabs... we have all the names for these crustaceans. Cousins to lobsters but a whole lot smaller! They're fast scooters, and hide under rocks and silt. Very elusive. My dad and uncle taught me how to find them when I was little. Andrew and James learned very young also!
Highlight #3:
Highlight #3:
Eagle-eye Susie spotted a large bass swimming near the dock. Andrew quickly baited a hook and cast in right where the smallmouth was. Got him! A 17" smallmouth bass without leaving the dock!
Eagle-eye Susie spotted a large bass swimming near the dock. Andrew quickly baited a hook and cast in right where the smallmouth was. Got him! A 17" smallmouth bass without leaving the dock!
Then they went out fishing with neighbor Dennis.
Then they went out fishing with neighbor Dennis.
Tonight's fishing trip was successful! They got 5 smallmouth bass, (one was released with a thank-you) and 7 "keeper" rock bass, and one nice- sized perch. Andrew cleaned them all and they are vaccuum-sealed in the freezer.
Tonight's fishing trip was successful! They got 5 smallmouth bass, (one was released with a thank-you) and 7 "keeper" rock bass, and one nice- sized perch. Andrew cleaned them all and they are vaccuum-sealed in the freezer.
Tuesday, July 12
A charcuterie board with a view.
A charcuterie board with a view.
More fishing today - not quite as successful but they had fun nonetheless. We were invited to dinner courtesy of Dennis our next-door neighbor, who Andrew takes fishing often. He's an amazing chef and made us this charcuterie plate to start, which we enjoyed on the deck with wine and cocktails. Then rack-of-lamb with noodles and salad. Wow, just wow!
More fishing today - not quite as successful but they had fun nonetheless. We were invited to dinner courtesy of Dennis our next-door neighbor, who Andrew takes fishing often. He's an amazing chef and made us this charcuterie plate to start, which we enjoyed on the deck with wine and cocktails. Then rack-of-lamb with noodles and salad. Wow, just wow!
Rack-of-lamb
Rack-of-lamb
The presentation.
The presentation.
A sunset cruise after dinner completed the lovely day.... or so we thought. Then THIS happened.
The full super moon rose over the trees. This photo doesn't do it justice. It was taken with my iPhone12 pro max from a moving boat.
Again, iphone pic from a moving boat but....we followed the yellow brick road all the way home!
Wednesday, July 13
Just before sunrise from the lakeside porch.
Just before sunrise from the lakeside porch.
A typical Wednesday morning trip to the Boyne City Farmer's Market - got us this haul of beautiful fresh yummies!
Farm fresh eggs, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes, moritake mushrooms, morel mushrooms, garlic, strawberries, carrots, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Also herbed vinegar, and a spicy cocktail mixer of jalapeno cherry juices.
Farm fresh eggs, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes, moritake mushrooms, morel mushrooms, garlic, strawberries, carrots, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Also herbed vinegar, and a spicy cocktail mixer of jalapeno cherry juices.
Susie made us traditional Walloon Lake black raspberry mojitos with black raspberries and mint from the yard. So refreshing and delish!
Susie made us traditional Walloon Lake black raspberry mojitos with black raspberries and mint from the yard. So refreshing and delish!
Andrew made us dinner tonight - chicken thighs in a stew with potatoes, mushrooms, garlic scapes, carrots, and a wine & chicken broth reduction. Hearty and tasty.
Andrew made us dinner tonight - chicken thighs in a stew with potatoes, mushrooms, garlic scapes, carrots, and a wine & chicken broth reduction. Hearty and tasty.
Susie is definitely winning the fishing game this year....
Susie is definitely winning the fishing game this year....
Night cruise after fishing to watch the full SUPER moon rise.
Night cruise after fishing to watch the full SUPER moon rise.
Something kind of cool happened as the sky turned pink and orange then black....as we were waiting for the moonrise. There was a white sailboat undersail in the dark. That's very unusual! We realized it was coming right toward us, with the beautiful colors of the sunset behind it. I tried so hard to capture it....but it's super difficult because it was 1) dark and 2) I was on a moving boat. Night photography takes a whole bunch of different settings, which would be fine if I wasn't moving up and down with the waves. I had to compensate to allow a fast shutter speed but had to up the ISO and the f/stop to allow more light in. The results weren't as good as I'd hoped, but if you don't look too closely, these are the best-of!
Something kind of cool happened as the sky turned pink and orange then black....as we were waiting for the moonrise. There was a white sailboat undersail in the dark. That's very unusual! We realized it was coming right toward us, with the beautiful colors of the sunset behind it. I tried so hard to capture it....but it's super difficult because it was 1) dark and 2) I was on a moving boat. Night photography takes a whole bunch of different settings, which would be fine if I wasn't moving up and down with the waves. I had to compensate to allow a fast shutter speed but had to up the ISO and the f/stop to allow more light in. The results weren't as good as I'd hoped, but if you don't look too closely, these are the best-of!
Thursday, July 14
Andrew and Susie planned our day today! We did some exploring along the Lake Michigan shoreline, then did a bit of a winery/cidery/distillery/brewery hopping excursion. First stop, East Bay along the Little Traverse Bay shore.
Andrew and Susie planned our day today! We did some exploring along the Lake Michigan shoreline, then did a bit of a winery/cidery/distillery/brewery hopping excursion. First stop, East Bay along the Little Traverse Bay shore.
Turquoise water
Turquoise water
I think they dyed it like the Chicago River does on St. Patrick's Day. Not really, but...it's so turquoise!
HUGE dandilion seed pouf!
HUGE dandilion seed pouf!
I can't wait to see the photo that this photo represents.
So pretty
So pretty
This inlet leads to a harbor with HUGE boats and houses.
Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery & Rudbeckia Winery is such a cute spot! They have snacks and sandwiches, beer, hard cider, wine, and spirits. And a little farm with these two darling pigs, Posey and Coco Chanel. They have 190 acres that overlook both Lake Michigan and Walloon Lake.
Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery & Rudbeckia Winery is such a cute spot! They have snacks and sandwiches, beer, hard cider, wine, and spirits. And a little farm with these two darling pigs, Posey and Coco Chanel. They have 190 acres that overlook both Lake Michigan and Walloon Lake.
Pigs are people, too...
Pigs are people, too...
They need a nice umbrella on hot days.
They like tummy scratches and selfies...
They like tummy scratches and selfies...
...but right after I took this picture she snapped at Susie :(
Looks very casual...
Looks very casual...
but the dining/drinking patio is everything!
A flight of ciders and beers
A flight of ciders and beers
Cherry cider, apple cider, Hemmingway IPA, and Candy apple cider
Chips and Salsa
Chips and Salsa
A flight of salsa from mild to TNT!
Resort Pike Winery & Cidery is an annual favorite. Nice place, nice people, nice cider and wine! Not to mention the iconic American Flag barn and a goat in a tree house.
Resort Pike Winery & Cidery is an annual favorite. Nice place, nice people, nice cider and wine! Not to mention the iconic American Flag barn and a goat in a tree house.
Resort Pike Winery
Resort Pike Winery
...and cidery
and goat.
and goat.
who doesn't want a goat in a treehouse??
Delicious flights!
Delicious flights!
my favorites were: CiderRita, Tom & Cherry, and LocoMocha.
The Walloon Junction Inn is under new ownership. It's a definite upgrade! This place used to be a dive bar with good burgers. Now it's a nice, local hangout bar, with great food! We had burgers of course. And ran into a bunch of my cousins! Also - cool story. We're sitting there at a hightop getting ready to eat and I noticed a large map in a frame sitting by the entry way. Do you see it in the pic at the right, behind the broom next to the popcorn machine? It looked familiar. I told Andrew to go read the artist's name on it. It was my Uncle Walt's Walloon map that he did probably 60 years ago. The original hung in my grandparents cabin here, and my cousin still has it. They made a copy for the Junction Inn, because it is now owned by the people who've lived next door for 50 years! They haven't hung it up yet! So very cool. What a legacy my uncle has!
Cutest couple at the lake this week
Cutest couple at the lake this week
Olive burger with blu cheese
Olive burger with blu cheese
Gotta have olive burgers in the north woods. It all started with Wimpy's!
Menu posted to remind us how good it is!
Saturday, July 16
Jules and Matt came to visit! Matt, Susie, and Andrew did a bit of boating and fishing.... Matt caught a nice sized walleye, Andrew some rock bass, and Susie -- the definite winner of the fishing this week, caught this bass.
Let the 5-star dinner commence! Andrew created this beautifully plated dinner for us. What is it, you ask?
Roasted chicken with root vegetables and a corn-avocado salad. Complete with a garlic scapes-mustard sauce. All served family-style and beautifully presented. I'm spoiled when Andrew and Susie are here!
The serving tray was an inspiration for this dish, and was an antique find at the local mercantile antique shop here in Walloon Lake Village.
Sunday, July 17
A lazy Sunday with lots of floating in the lake and playing with ducks. The clouds were super wispy and pretty! Looks like a child scribbled in the sky.
A lazy Sunday with lots of floating in the lake and playing with ducks. The clouds were super wispy and pretty! Looks like a child scribbled in the sky.
It's a chill kind of day
It was a float-in-the-lake kind of day
Susie's dad Mike spent the day with us.
Susie's dad Mike spent the day with us.
Susie feeds peas to the mallards
These baby mallards are so cute! Susie tried feeding them all fresh peas....which they liked. Evidently the runner ducks that belong to Susie and Andrew LOVE peas!
Monday, July 18
Today's post will be all about tonight. Andrew and Susie left this morning, and I tried to nap during the day because I'd been getting alerts about possible aurora displays for the next three nights. No luck - so I went shopping. Then begins the long wait through the evening for nightfall, all the while watching the data.
I'm going to write down the technicalities that all the apps and experts were telling me, not so any readers of this blog will get confused, but so that I remember it.
All evening the Bz stayed in the positive + realm, the solar wind speed was hovering around 500, +/-25. The Kp index stayed around 2-3 all evening as I watched.
We were forecasted to have rain and clouds, but other than a few white fluffies, the earth weather/clouds were irrelevant. The strangest thing was that on all the apps, the auroral oval was non-existent. Seriously - not even a wisp of green on ovation maps.
Until midnight.
Suddenly the Bz went south. WAY south. -7, -11, -12! Wind speed stayed around 500. But still NO ovation and a very low GW power. Then the Bz bounced back north. Ugh. Around 1:30 am I gave up, took a few beautiful shots of the Milky Way core, and went to bed.
Woke up an hour later and checked the data. Yikes! NOW we have a consistently negative Bz, good wind speed.... and KP 3-4. The GW was trending up, and now we have ovation! YAY! But the moon had risen and was in and out of clouds. I went out anyway.
So glad I did! It seemed to build all night and I stayed out till the first light of dawn. It was never a strong aurora display, never visible by the naked eye. But I missed lady aurora so much for these past couple of years, it felt wonderful to see her in my viewfinder! Here are the 'best of'.
about 3:00 am
about 3:00 am
A few pillars visible but only BOC or in the viewfinder.
about 3:30 am
about 3:30 am
The oval is a bit brighter now. This illustrates the power of Gigawatts in aurora! Dark night ends at 3:49 am
Pre-dawn, about 4:00 am
Taken from the front porch. No more stars, and clouds have definitely rolled in. Astronomical twilight. This is taken with my iPhone 12 ProMax. "Dark" mode lightens things up a bit. Dawn was actually hard to see - it seemed pitch dark with just a bit of light showing on the horizon line. Good night/Good morning!
Thursday, July 21
Julie came yesterday to stay a few days since we've been getting alerts and warnings of potential aurora borealis at our latitude. This is very exciting for us!
Wednesday night was a bust - rained all night and lady aurora didn't show up anyway. We hoped for Thursday night! So, Thursday was shopping and exploring north of here. See captions on the photos we took below!
The Tunnel Of Trees .... along the way.
We saw this 'tea house' along the way and thought it might be interesting.... after all, we both like tea..... Creepy, more like it!
They took a perfectly adequate log cabin house and turned it into a Tea House - of horrors! Actually not horrors just very strange and odd. Note the 'medicine wheel' on the left side of the house - it was like a Native American mandala with a buddha in the middle. Hmmm?!
Along the Tunnel of Trees (M119) you will find many places you have to slow down and even pull over to let oncoming cars go by. But this is the worst spot, called Devil's Elbow. Very twisty and curvy snake-like road!
A fawn and her mama crossed the road right in front of us. This is my photo, the next two are Julie's from her new, fabulous Samsung phone's camera. I'm jealous!
Good Hart
The famous Good Hart General Store. The BEST Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies on the planet.
This is the little one-room schoolhouse turned into an AirBnb that Julie rented for 6 weeks in the winter last year. So cute!
Good Hart beach
Good Hart beach
Good Hart - Lamkin Road. A beautiful spot with cottages and houses with a fantastic view!
We debated for a second but it said to inquire at the main house so.... we did! We ran into this lovely couple who own both the 'cozy' a-frame and their own HUGE a-frame! They showed us around.
They have 200+ feet of pristine Lake Michigan shoreline.
The 'main' house.
The rental Cozy a-frame.
At Legs Inn - the best view around!
The grounds at Legs Inn is spectacular.
This was their lunch plate. Cabbage Rolls, Bigos Stew, and pirogis - my FIRST pirogis ever! A very huge lunch and delicious Polish meal typical of Legs Inn that was first established in
This bizarre huge 'statue' is made from a burl.
BURL: A tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. -Wikipedia
Happy girls!
Pond Hill Winery
One of our favorite wineries up here! They have a delicious "northern lights" sparkling wine that I might have bought a couple bottles of! Also please note the entry way to the winery - the two posts on the side are upsidedown trees! See the roots at the top?! What a cool idea!
Petoskey - Little Traverse Bay
Petoskey - Little Traverse Bay
And now to say a little something about the northern lights. GRRRRR they're frustrating!
And now to say a little something about the northern lights. GRRRRR they're frustrating!
We waited and waited. Data said it would be great last night, tonight, and tomorrow. Of course, the priority is earth weather when chasing the lights so - we watched. There were gorgeous stars overhead, we saw a few shooting stars, the big & little dippers, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Polaris, and the gorgeous Milky Way. Planets and stars galore and an orange crescent moon. And of course all the Starlink satellites. :( What you are seeing in the photo to the left is my camera set up, waiting, and in the background you're seeing the light pollution from Petoskey reflecting on the crazy cloud bank. This is NOT the northern lights! We stayed out till about 12:30 am, then woke up at 2:00 and also 3:00 to check. There was a low cloud bank to the north that we couldn't see through or around. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
Friday, July 22
After a fun day of shopping, eating and exploring, we tried to nap.... but because the aurora forecast was SO GOOD we couldn't wait! We sat out through sunset and caught some gorgeous clouds while we waited. Oh and a spider tight-rope walker. And the waiting paid off.
Watching the data the whole time, we saw when the CME hit because the data went from "okay" to "fantastic" and not long after that, the sky to the north started to dance! Look at that windspeed and bz!
Throughout most of the night, the Aurora put on a light show for us with a couple of peak performances to the north. At the same time, we had a lightning show in the west and south. Below are my 'best of' pics of the lightning. It never rained, and we never even heard thunder, but the light was brilliant! And it seemed to circle around us - first coming from the west and going around the lake toward the south then east. It was a once in a lifetime experience, to have the northern lights dancing at the same time as lightning was popping all over the place!
Waiting for clouds to clear, for darkness to settle in, and the aurora to dance!
This aurora show started out STRONG - we could see green, and pillars! And it started right at astronomical dark, about 11:30 pm. It cycled up and down throughout the rest of the night, till astronomical dawn around 4:30 am. These pics are in order, the duller ones were during a slow down in the wind speed and/or a north bz. The photo below was an experiment with my iPhone 12 ProMax. WOW it worked pretty great!
The crescent moon made an appearance around 3:00 am
At left: the last of the night, again taken with my iPhone. Look at that dipper!
The very grainy pic at the right is of "The Foot" aka the Village of Walloon Lake with the moon rising above it. I had my settings wrong but I kinda like the outcome!
Saturday, July 23
Saturday, July 23
Naturally we have the same shoes. #solarsisters
Julie went home to her cabin and we tried to nap (again!) to rest up for our adventures to Bois Blanc Island tomorrow. Julie's Oura (like a fitbit) told the story. <---- Read the last line.... hahahaha!
I spent the night at Julie's cabin (See Chateau Relaxo below) to be up and ready to take the ferry over to Bois Blanc. We FINALLY got some sleep since there were storms in the area. No aurora chasing tonight.
Sunday, July 24
Sunday, July 24
A big day adventure to Bois Blanc Island which in French means White Trees. You can see a bunch of the white trees in some of the photos along the roadside. The locals call it Boblo Island...which is a mispronunciation of Bois Blanc. Here's the historical marker that tells about the island.
Neither Julie nor I had ever been to the island before even though it's actually closer and easier to get to than Mackinac Island. It's bigger, too! However, it is worlds apart from the tourist-y Mackinac Island. See the map below.
We started the day at the State Street Coffee House in Cheboygan, before boarding the Ferry to Bois Blanc Island just down the street from here.
The Bois Blanc Ferry office was rather a hole in the wall, but we found our way. The staff will drive your car onto the ferry, and you drive it off. Works like a well-oiled machine with no glitches. The outgoing trip was easy, they only had 2 vehicles and 4 passengers. We visited with the two (dad and daughter) who have lived summers on the island for over 60 years. Lovely people!
Drawbridge up, and we were on our way. It's about a 30-40 minute trip. Smooth waters today.
This is the Poe Reef Crib Lighthouse, out in the middle of Lake Huron just off of Cheboygan. It was built in 1851 to keep the ship traffic in the Straits of Mackinaw safe. This photo was taken with my very zoom-y telephoto lens and turned out pretty good despite it being a very long way away from a moving ferry boat.
The pic at the right is the first view of the Bois Blanc harbor.
These 5 pics are of the Island Diner. We had a gigantic cinnamon roll and giggled about the ONE gas pump on the entire island. We were told it was about $6.50/gallon but as the sign says, the pump is not calibrated!
The nicest people work here. Just sayin'. Island people are so friendly and kind.
We drove on almost every road that wasn't a two track... and some that were. This is the north view, on Bible Street. From here you can see north to Mackinac Island. And freighters/tugs.
Mackinac Island from Bois Blanc Island
The Mackinac Island lighthouse
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
The photo below ... and several others are credited to photographer Julie Hand.
North beach on Bois Blanc
Exploring north and west, we found the "town" of Pointe Aux Pins - which they call "The Pines". Hooded mergansers rest on a huge rock.
So many things to see out here in the southwest part of the island! Houses made of bark, a gazebo, a covered fresh-water well structure, a church with the most beautiful stained glass window, and so much more.
The well house
The Town Hall
Beautiful church: Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. Here's what the Self-Guided Tour map says: "This stately wooden church has seen over a century of weddings, baptisms, Sunday services, and memorial services since it opened in 1905. The magnificent stained glass rose window was designed by island artist Eustace Ziegler and installed in 1906. Prior to its construction, both services and dances had been held in the Columbian Hall once located next door. One of the few "summer only" churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan. It is staffed by visiting priests in July and August."
The Island airport had the only paved spot on the island besides the dock!
The Bible Farm - C1925-1984 John and Mildred Bible
Pines School began in 1894. "At one time, during the booming lumber era, as many as five schoolhouses dotted the island. This K-8 school is the only one remaining and one of the few still operating one-room schoolhouses in the country. Present day students complete their elementary grades here then attend high school in Cheboygan where they usually board with local families."
The Post Office: "Bois Blanc has its own postal zip code: 49775. While some island postal patrons get home delivery, many still trek here to pick up mail and visit other islanders. Mail comes by boat in warmer months. It is flown in or carried over on snowmobiles when the Straits of Mackinac are iced over. In early days, winter mail came over by dog sled on the ice. Postman Fred Roberts and his dogs once broke through the ice, but all survived. Mail has also been delivered to the island by a fan driven iceboat. This building is the latest of many island post offices. In the early days, until this building was opened in 1994, the post office was often attached to the postmaster's home."
This is me, mailing one of many postcards this summer to my granddaughters Ava and Riley.
Dillinger's Hideout
<-----This mostly falling down log cabin is supposed to be where John Dillinger had his hideout. Here's what the Island Self-Guided Tour Map says: "As the story goes, the first "Public Enemy #1" hideout location was on this island. These dilapidating cabins (previously known as the Sportsman's Club" were the location of his alleged retreat. To elude authorities, Dillinger had plastic surgery performed on his face and disappeared for some months while he healed. As local legend has it, his hiding place was right here. He should have stayed, since shortly after leaving the island he was gunned down by the FBI outside of a Chicago movie house."
We were so hopeful for the east and north side of the island but -- it wasn't as nice as the southwest part. Of course, it was raining when we were there! Kinda buggy and wet. Some pretty private homes though! Also the one bar on the island is called "The Island Tavern" and we had a good BLT sandwich there while it rained!
I'm not really sure why the place is basically wallpapered in dollar bills...
The Coast Guard Chapel "This chapel was created by islanders. The structure was originally built around 1887 and was located on the lakeshore and was used by the US Life Saving Service as a boathouse. The building was recruited by Rev. Floyd Sullivan and the land was donated in 1961. The Lincoln Park Methodist Church in Flint originally held the title to this property, but in 1990 the board of directors for the Coast Guard Chapel purchased the deed for the building and property. It is now a nondenominational church."
We found Lake Mary which we heard is a great fishing spot. It's a pretty big lake in the middle of an island in the middle of an even bigger lake (Huron!) Below is a video of the lake and a fun sign (Dock, Camping, Fish'n) that is typical around this island!
Mary Lake.MOV
Leaving the island was an interesting trip. The sky was full of beautiful cloud formations, the waters were calm, and it was quite warm considering. Light sweatshirt weather. It was only 30 minutes on the ferry.
Instead of being one of two cars on the ferry, it was packed full. Even the "Booty Beast" was onboard. (see the license plate of the gold truck/camper?!) Some pirates waved goodbye to everyone. Check out the video below! Bye bye for now, Boblo Island!
pirate sendoff.MOV
Wednesday, July 27
Wednesday, July 27
Lavender Hill Farm is gorgeous as always. I took a wreath-making class this evening and it was so fun. Took some pics of the farm before class.
Looking straight down into a gorgeous lavender plant.
The wreath class instructor was from a local floral shop. She brought fresh and dried eucalyptus
We picked our own lavender - there were two different varieties available.
The first layer - fresh eucalyptus woven into the grapevine wreath
hung up on a nail to check progress
The finished product. Only took about 2 hours and the barn just smelled heavenly. Because these are fresh they will dry over time and I'll probably have to make another one next year but in the meantime it will be beautiful and very fragrant.
Tomorrow I'm taking a journaling class at an art studio in Cross Village.
Thursday, July 28
Thursday, July 28
I spent a good part of the day today in Harbor Springs, Cross Village, and Good Hart. Did a bunch of rock hunting on this beach! Found some pretty stuff and fossils. The waves were high today, and loud! The beach was almost deserted, and the sound of the waves was so soothing - almost like an ocean beach. I SO wish I lived here sometimes.
Fab Tea Find
Fab Tea Find
Personal Story....
Personal Story....
Found this tea at a local market and WOW is it good! Very fragrant and soothing. It's called Lemon Lovin' Detox Tea and it is made here in northern Michigan. It contains lemon verbena, lemongrass, lemon balm, dandelion, and ginger.
I've spend some time in the past year + stressing about whether I should/can still wear my rings from Mark. I decided to try taking them off, since I didn't want to loose them at the lake and it would be a good test as to whether or not my finger would feel naked or not. It did. So today I was at one of my favorite stores (Indian Hills) and found this beautiful infinity symbol ring in sterling silver. This. Is. Perfect. A new symbol for a new life. An infinite reminder of my love.
Saturday, July 31
Saturday, July 31
Sailboat races on a Walloon weekend.
Sunrise, 5:00 am and a gorgeous planet Venus rising over town.
Sunday, July 31
Sunday, July 31
Today was day 2 of the Walloon Lake Arts and Crafts fair at the foot. I found this unique Petoskey Stone necklace that I just love! Pictured on top of my best Petoskey Stone find this year. Below is a look at my 2022 rock collection as of today.
Monday, August 1
Monday, August 1
My birthday dinner of deliciousness. Venison top sirloin roasted to perfection served on green & yellow beans, roasted potatoes, and corn on the cob. Chef Andrew does it again!
Some pics of Andrew and Susie's new boat. It's beautifully appointed with all the bells and whistles!
Tuesday, August 2
Tuesday, August 2
After breakfast we all 3 went for a boat ride over to the Springs which is on state land and is one of many artesian springs that feed Walloon Lake. They make it a colder lake too - walking into the water by the springs can freeze your feet. "Cold spot!"
Andrew and Susie fished and I netted their catches. It was a beautiful day on Walloon - about 80 degrees and hardly a cloud in the sky. These two smallmouth bass were caught at the same time - the larger one by Susie!
The yummy chicken pot pie below is from the Good Hart General Store. One of the things they're famous for. This one easily served 3 people and it was so good!
Wednesday August 3
Tito's and Cheetos was the order when I went to the General Store this evening. Actually they said Tito's but I heard Cheetos - so I got both!
Thursday August 4
Andrew and Susie say goodbye to Walloon for the summer. I will miss them, but I'm looking forward to having James, Allyssa, Koda, and Ayla here next week!
Saturday August 6
I must interrupt this vacation blog to bring you my newest beautiful grandbaby - Willow Sladek! Todd, Wendy, and girls Ava and Riley welcome the third little girl to the family. She was a bit early, and only 5.5 pounds - but baby and mama are doing great! I absolutely can't wait to meet this little bundle of joy! I know the girls will have lots to tell me when I get home!
I went over to Magnus Park in Petoskey today for a little beach combing and rock collecting. It looks super clean now, like the dead fish from earlier this summer are all gone. Even found a couple pretty Petoskey stones!
Looks like storms are rolling in - which I always love on the lake at night! Good sleeping weather for sure. It was hot and humid today, I'm hopeful that this front will bring cooler temps. It looks like next week will be perfect lake weather! Warm in the daytime, cool at night. Can't wait for James, Allyssa, Koda and Ayla to get here!
Monday, August 8
Just a relaxing day by myself! Also cleaning, shopping, and getting ready for James, Allyssa, Koda, and Ava.
Wednesday, August 10
Wednesday, August 10
James and Allyssa's family arrives! Having the kids at the lake is always a dream come true. It is so much fun sharing traditions with the little ones!
Thursday, August 11
Thursday, August 11
Just sitting on the porch drinking coffee watching the fog on the lake, deciding I needed to grab a photo.... and Allyssa said to me, "do you see that kayaker in the fog?" OMG what a good eye she has!
Sibling love.
We had such a fun day today! We went into The Foot and found the 50 Mile Market today. It's a lovely place and is filling up with beautiful things! We met the owner Joanne too. She was great! She wants to exhibit some of my photography so she may be my new best friend! LOL
We played at the park at The Sweet Tooth, went to the General Store for ice cream, played at the park, went to Bear River, and then to the public beach. So much fun and exhausting! Here's a photo dump of the day.
Ice cream Koda
He ate the whole thing!
Or maybe it's mostly on his face....
Stop and smell the flowers
Have puddle, will splash
Toy fire truck
Eating daddy's muffin
Beach time
Ayla and I cuddled
Watching these shenanigans from the porch
Playing in Bear River with dada
The full super moon rising over Walloon.
Friday, August 12
We spent today in Boyne City, with coffee shops, crepes, cinnamon rolls, and the most awesome park for Koda...then back home to play on the dock with fish and crayfish, and swim. So much fun!
My beautiful Ayla just hanging out and being her happy self.
Before dinner, perhaps Koda's first "Nana School?!"
My Ayla
James got to go fishing, finally! Smallmouth, perch, and rockbass.
Saturday, August 13
Saturday, August 13
These four people are so much fun! Today was rather gloomy so we spent time on the dock and Koda got to do one of his favorite things - playing with little fishies and minnows.
True story.... when woke up on their first day here, he saw the lake and said, "BIG POOL"! They have a pool in their back yard at home, and he equated the lake to the pool (so smart!) and always called it the "Big Pool" the rest of the time.
Then every time James caught a fish, big or small, it was "Big Fish!" James explained to him how fishing works, so he was able to put together an amazing sentence that I'll translate for you...
Bob Und Big Pool Dada catch Big Fish
When the Bobber goes Under the Big Pool, Daddy catches a big fish!
Ayla just watches and smiles. She'll be out there with him next year I'm sure.
Sunday, August 14
Sunday, August 14
Capt'n Koda wasn't sure about the life vest, but he was so good on the boat! Boat rides, fishing, crawfish hunting at The Foot, ice cream and playground time at Sweet Tooth, dinner at The Walloon Junction.
Miss Ayla was mezmerized by the rocking motion of the boat and the clean, fresh Walloon air. Such a good baby.
Typical seagull (little Joe) at Walloon, and a heron flew overhead.
Wednesday, August 17
Wednesday, August 17
Allyssa's family arrives today so I went to Julie's cabin "Chateau Relaxo" over in Indian River. It was a beautiful day! Koda loves the water and my raft.
The aurora forecast is spectacular for the next 3 nights. However, the mainstream media has gotten ahold of the forecast and that usually jinxes it. Time will tell.
These pics were from the night of Aug 17-18. We all sat out and watched on the lake - got to see a TON of stars, the Milky Way, shooting stars, but no aurora until I was on the way back to Julie's cabin.
At Thumb Lake, a bit east of Boyne Falls. 2:30 am. You can just see the very beginning of an aurora, note the greenish on the horizon.
The numbers started looking better, so as soon as I got to Indian River I went right to Burt Lake State Park. This was happening. The Bz never really went south, and the other data was very minimal. The hemispheric power is (I think!) what made the lights happen. Neither of these were very visible with the naked eye. If you know what to look for, yes....but not as good as they had predicted, by far.
The next days, Thursday and Friday, I spent at Julie's beautiful cabin we've named Chateau Relaxo. It's a gorgeous, well appointed and updated cabin in the woods super close to the Sturgeon River, and also close to Burt Lake and Mullet Lake.
This barn is on the way over.... I thought it was so pretty!
On Thursday night I drove the 20 minutes north to Cheboygan and got a couple great sunset shots - waited for darkness but it was way too popular a place. So many cars and headlights in the way.
I moved on up a bit more north/west to closer to Mackinaw City and the bridge. The northern lights were out! Again, faintly visible with the naked eye, but better on the camera's lens.
It was definitely dark enough. This was facing south, before I tried a northward shot. Do you see the shooting star, just to the left of the tree in the middle? Lucky shot! The core of the milky way is so beautiful. It is actually colorful, if you let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 30 minutes or so. I have read that most people haven't really seen the core of the milky way, or it stretching across the sky from horizon to horizon. Go to a really dark place - Bortles 1-3 sky if possible - and you'll be amazed. It looks like a cloud until you get used to it. What we're looking at is the center of our galaxy. The milky cloud is actually billions of stars whose light brightens up the sky so much it's impossible to see each individual star. When you look at the core of the milky way, you are looking into the galactic center of our galaxy.
It was really quite hazy toward the north. Light pollution played a part, yes, but also fog coming off the lake. It was a warm humid night. The body of water in this picture is actually Lake Huron, on the east side of the Mackinac Bridge in the Straits of Mackinac. I've always wanted to see the Aurora over the Bridge.
This is a very imperfect image. I had to turn the ISO way up (3200) to get any of the northern lights.... but that high an ISO creates a lot of noise/grain in the image. It's the best I could do with the haze and the weakness of the northern lights.
Then the bright crescent moon rose and it was over!
Thursday thru Sunday, August 18-21
Thursday thru Sunday, August 18-21
Below are the next couple days when I wasn't there. James and Allyssa shared these and I thought they belonged on this blog also! Always so much fun at the beautiful Walloon Lake!
This was taken on the foot path between The Foot (Village) and my family's property on the North Shore. My dad used to tell me there was an old Native American walking path that went all around the lake and this section was the path most traveled. In the years since then (200+) people have built the most beautiful homes and the path has changed. We all walked this as kids. It's a beautiful view of the lake and the properties.
These two pictures were taken on the same bench overlooking Lake Charlevoix in Boyne City -- a year apart. On the left, 2021 when Koda was about 10 months old. On the right, 2022; Koda is almost 2, and Ayla is just 3 months. What a beautiful family!
Nothing like an introduction to jetskiing! Koda loved it - Allyssa, not so much. Ayla wasn't having any of it!
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