And So it Begins...

Today was the first day of school on Mackinac for the 2025-2026 school year. Today, behind that window, my class of nine 5th and 6th graders got to work. (I don't have signed permission slips letting me share their pictures yet, but in a few days I'll be able to share photos.) Let me tell you, they are off to a great start!

Happy

I walk over this valve cover every time I go up Grand Hill. Today I realized he's a little pervert who likes looking up ladies' skirts. Good thing I'm more of a shorts kind of girl.

Illegal?

As my husband pulled this bill out of his wallet recently, he noticed the "In SCIENCE we trust" stamp and showed it to me. I always thought it was illegal to deface American money, but he disagreed. Of course, I had to look it up. Title 18, Section 333, of the Unites States Code states: "It is unlawful to mutilate, cut, deface, disfigure, perforate, or otherwise damage drafts, notes, or other evidence of debt that has been issued by a national banking association with the intent to render the bill, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued." 

So, as long as the intent isn't to make the bills unusable, stamping messages on U.S. money is perfectly legal. Looking at the list of no-nos (mutilate, cut, deface, disfigure, perforate, and otherwise damage) it makes me wonder - just how much disfigurement would it take to make a bill no longer fit to be reused? Not that I'm going to try, however. If a person is found guilty of this crime, the punishment is a fine and up to six month in jail, though proving you had intent might be tricky.

August

Nothing says late summer on Mackinac more than hollyhocks. These look stunning growing along the fence in the yard of Little Stone Church's Parsonage.

Things Could be Worse

I completely agree - trying on swimsuits in a Goodwill that doesn't have changing rooms would be worse than, well, many many things. 

But finding this mug, with two of my 30+ year besties, was an absolute hoot. (We were laughing so hard, people were staring.)

You know what was even better? The one holding the mug took it home! (Yes, she paid for it.) Now we get to laugh all over again every time were having our morning coffee at her cottage.

Special Delivery

My husband brought me flowers - an entire cartload of flowers!

There's a house on the corner of Market Street that is being renovated, so I asked if they had plan for the plants currently growing in the yard. The owner told me they were changing the landscaping and I should help myself to whatever I wanted- whoop whoop! Yesterday, after my voice lesson, I stopped by and started digging. (Yes, I rode through downtown with a shovel in my bike basket!) My darling husband met me with his cart and then hauled everything up the hill and back up to the house. 

Hazy

We've been having more smoky days lately.  It's really bothering people, like Allen, who suffer from allergies. Some days, it's just a bit hazy, but other days it actually smells like wood smoke.

 

Derpy?

Here's another critter we found hanging out around Mann Lake (near Sheridan, MI.) There's just something about that little snakey face, isn't there? "Derpy" was the word my daughter used to describe it, which I had to look up. I found several different meanings ranging between foolish or weird to lovingly stupid. And looking at that face, I can see how the word fits. Guess I'm going to have to add derpy to my slang vocabulary, though with my luck it's not "in" anymore.

Um...

While I was waiting for my friend to purchase some fishing supplies the other day, I noticed this little gem for sale. I'm sure it serves an incredibly important fishing purpose, but it didn't get any better when I read the packaging...

Finally

One of my student's parents started a painting company, so we hired him to paint and stain our front porch this summer. (Trust me; it needed it!) It's finally finished, so tomorrow Allen and I can return to our favorite spot for morning coffee. It looks amazing - definitely worth the wait! 

Caption This

I took this picture while our extended family was together at Mann Lake, near Sheridan, Michigan. What do you think he's thinking about? Wrong answers only!

Missing

There should be a bridge in this picture, but there is so much smoke coming down from the Canadian wildfires we can't see it. 

Under Appreciated

Hawkweed can be found all over Mackinac Island. 

Most of the year people barely notice it,

but for a couple of weeks in early July, it's hard to miss.

It lines many of Mackinac's interior roads, and really is

quite pretty when it's in bloom.

I've never noticed a scent from hawkweed and apparently it's not native to North America, but it certainly brightens my walks to and from work each day.

Fun Times

I'm so glad mt front yard looks like this tonight. If you are passing a house on Mackinac Island and you see that many bikes in a yard, you know something fun is happening inside.

My kids and a bunch of friends are all gathered around my dining room table playing Dungeons and Dragons tonight; and it makes me really happy.

Are they loud? Yes. Do they make a mess? Sure, but I don't care; not in the slightest. They are socializing, in person, and only using technology to project a map and look up information about monsters, cantrips, and race abilities. (Yeah, don't ask, I'm not sure either.) 

I love that twice a week, my dining room is the place to be for fun.

Invasion

I am the proud owner of a tribble. Eric the Tribble spends his days lounging on a bookshelf enjoying listening to NPR and watching Star Trek (of course.) He actually prefers Star Trek Voyager, if you're wondering; he happens to be a big Janeway fan.

I thought all was well, but recently I started noticing little tribbles.

Little tribbles in the entryway,

tribbles on the credenza,

and even more tribbles on the bookshelf.

 They were everywhere. 

Which, if you know anything about tribbles,

makes perfect sense.

Thank you, Allen Burt. This really put a smile on my face!

Independence Day

It's always a good day when Fort Mackinac flies the Garrison Flag. 

It's a big flag - 38 feet by 20 feet (11.5 meters by 6 meters) - that's only flown when the conditions are perfect. It's so big, it takes quite a few scouts to fold it. (When you see it with people for scale, you get the true feel for just how huge the Garrison Flag really is!) I'm not in the photo below, but I came to Mackinac with Troop 327 as part of the Mackinac Island Scout Service Camp, for five summers.

Camping at Brevoort Lake

We spent last weekend camping at Brevoort Lake, which is in Brevort, Michigan. I have no idea why the lake has two letter Os, while the city only has one, but it was a beautiful place to spend the weekend. Hands down, my favorite part was listening to the loons in the morning. 

I don't think I posted about it, but last year we bought a Hiker Trailer from some friends who had outgrown it. Owning a teardrop camper had been a dream of Allen's for a while and when opportunity knocked, we jumped.  We've been trying to camp, at least once a month, to get a feel for it and learn what gear we need and what we can live without.

I've really enjoyed getting to explore places close to home. Northern Michigan is such a lovely place, and there are so many places, like Brevoort Lake, that I've never gotten to see. 

Visiting

I've taught on Mackinac Island for 32 years now. (Dear Lord, how can I be old enough to say that?!) I worked with Karen for about fifteen of those years, until she retired and moved to Florida. Now, every summer she and her family return to Mackinac for a week or two.

Each summer we make a point to meet at the Watercolor Cafe, at least once, for a cup of coffee and a poppie. We spent several hours enjoying the breeze and catching up. It was a lovely way to spend a morning! One of our favorite things about the Watercolor Cafe is it was started by one of our former students. One of the best parts of my job is getting to see former students leading happy, successful lives.

Watching

Sometimes I catch myself watching tourists. It's not in a creepy stalker way, I promise; it's more of a trying-to-see-things-through-their-eyes kind of watching. I try to catch their sense of wonder and excitement as they get their first glimpse of the Island. I don't want Mackinac to ever seem mundane to me. I know I'm incredibly lucky to get to live here.

Last week I ended up taking a slow boat, sorry, "Classic Ferry" to the Island after dropping my daughter back at work after her doctor's appointment. As I was lamenting the extra 15 minutes the ride was going to take, I caught this couple coming over to the Island for the first time. They were so excited when the ferry got close enough for them to see Grand Hotel, and just adorable taking selfies with the Island in the background.

Did you know it's cheaper to come to the Island via Arnold Line's Classic Ferry? Those tickets are only $23.00, compared to $36.00 for the faster ferry. Plus, since the Classic ferry only departs from St, Ignace, you get to drive across the Mackinac Bridge. For people traveling with a big group, saving $13.00 on each adult ticket will really add up! That cheaper price is only in effect when the faster ferries are running.

This Week in the Garden

Flowers tend to bloom a wee bit later on Mackinac Island, so my peonies have only recently opened. I don't always appreciate how floppy they are in the garden, but I love how they look (and smell) when I bring them into the house. They look perfect in my Great Aunt Ruth's Waterford vase.

Poetic Visions of Mackinac 2025

The exhibit of student Mackinac-inspired art and poetry opened today. And, I've got to say - their framed watercolor paintings look amazing! (Full disclosure, I did edit out the name from the painting above since I promised parents I would not use any student names on my blog.)

One of my students won first place for her painting "Secret Caves."

Just look at that art!

A huge thank you to the Mackinac Arts Council, the judges, and to Mission Point Resort for making this show possible. If you happen to be on the Island before the end of August, pop on down to Mission Point to check out the show. In my opinion it's well worth the walk.

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty Five

I love this view. If you leave the Village, heading toward the Governor's Summer Residence walking on Cupid's Pathway, you will see this lilac tree just as you come out of the woods.

Yesterday's deluge did a number on the Island's lilacs. The were nearing the end of their blooming cycle anyway and we certainly needed to rain, although not quite that much! 

Dang

Mackinac Island got just a little bit of rain today. OK, more than just a little bit - we got about two inches (about 5 cm) of rain in just under an hour. There was so much water so quickly the sanitary sewer was overwhelmed. You are looking at a manhole cover; a 90 pound (about 40 kg) manhole cover being pushed up by the water. Normally, that manhole cover is flush with the level of the street. Dang, that's a lot of water!

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty Four

Many people don't realize just how quiet and peaceful Mackinac Island can be. It's all about finding the  right spot - and getting out of downtown. Once you leave the downtown area, you be surprised at how few people you'll see.

Disclaimer: I did not take this photo today. It poured today - we got two inches of rain in an hour.

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty Three

This lilac tree is in "the Village" - the part of Mackinac where most of the year-round residents live. No Victorian cottages, no lake views; just a normal looking neighborhood for hardworking people. If you want to take a peek at the Village, head to Grand Hotel, and then keep walking up the hill. Or, take a walking tour with Chad. He'll happily show you around.

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty Two

I laid on the ground and looked up at the sky to take this picture. I think it is one of my favorite lilac pictures. Which one do you like best?

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty One

Years ago I somehow managed to get a tour of this house. (It had been completely redone at that point.) The thing that stood out most to me was the level of the windows up in the turret. It's beautiful from the outside, but from the inside, I couldn't look out the windows when seated. I decided if it was my house, I'd just enjoy my morning coffee on the front porch...

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty

I just love this house. Once, back when I worked at the Fort, the owners let the Crafties (the women who worked at the Fort) inside so we could take pictures up on the Widow's Walk. Back then, the house was called "Donnybrook," but I noticed the name plate has been taken down.

A Lilac a Day, Day Ninteen

A Lilac a Day, Day Eighteen

Even though white lilacs aren't my favorite, by neighbor's tree looks beautiful this year.

I Wonder...

Just how much sugar does it take to make a pound of Mackinac Island fudge? (There's 500 pounds (about 225 kg) of it in that picture, and they get deliveries twice a week.)

A Lilac a Day, Day Seventeen

There's just something about the colors in this photo. I might need to get it printed to put up in the house.

A Lilac a Day, Day Sixteen

I always wonder why one tree will be loaded with blossoms, while another nearby tree only has a few. This one definitely fit the "loaded" category!

On an unrelated note - happy Friday the Thirteenth!