Finally

The tulips in my garden have finally opened; they opened on May 25th. Spring in the UP is generally late, but this year it was exceptionally late. This winter just held on, and on, and on. 

Our spring hits so late, out plant date is Memorial Day. Usually, I can get away with planting things a couple of weeks early, but not this year.  This year, we had multiple frosts the week right before Memorial Day. 

Spring!

We are finally getting flowers blooming on Mackinac! Planted in the ground flowers, not ones that were started in a greenhouse and transplanted. Mine don't get quite as much sun as the tulips at Grand Hotel, so mine aren't quite this far along. Flowers always put me in a good mood so I'm glad I get to see these every morning on my walk to school...

Happy Worm Day

 Happy Worm Day 2026!

This year's Worm Day is the latest since I've been keeping track, but it's a day to celebrate none the less.

 The first day we find huge numbers of worms on the pavement after a rain means spring is here!

Crossing

I'm thrilled that this winter has been much more like the winters of old - snowy and cold. Years ago the boats almost never ran all winter; they typically stopped on the second of January and didn't start up again until the end of March or early April. In the days before Amazon, we stocked up and we prepared. (Some of use still struggle not to stash copious amounts of everything we might need in the basement.)

Given the cold temperatures we've been having, Mackinac is lucky enough to have an ice bridge this winter. (That means the surface of Lake Huron has frozen  between the island and the mainland, and the ice is thick enough to hold the weight of a snowmobile.) Mackinac residents look forward to the ice bridge because it is the only time when our lives aren't governed by someone else's schedule (ferry boat or plane.) Not to mention this year a round-trip plane fare costs $118.00.

Now, do not take my words as a testament to the safety of the ice. THE ICE IS NEVER SAFE. Each and every time Allen and I go out there, we make sure we have information on the current conditions. Are there pressure cracks? Slush holes? Allen and I never venture onto the ice without that information. We take safety equipment with us and follow a set of self-imposed rules to help mitigate some of the risks. We've lived here for over 30 years and we never cross the ice without serious consideration. I DO NOT ENDORSE THE SAFETY OF CROSSING  - IF YOU CROSS THE ICE BRIDGE, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.  Now that that's out of the way...

That little blue dot was us as we went to St. Ignace this morning.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, so Allen agreed to take me over, help shovel out the car, and the run to the grocery store to pick up a few things while I was at my appointment. Visibility was good and we could see all the way across (one of those self-imposed rules.)

Allen was nice enough to drive so I could get a few pictures, plus he had gone over earlier in the week and was more familiar with the trail. This year's ice is not smooth - not at all. There is a great deal of jagged ice causing the path to wind through the roughest patches. The zig-zagging and bumps combine to make for a fairly slow crossing; Allen said our top speed was under 30 mph (about 48 kph.) It was a busy day out there. We saw numerous snowmobiles coming and going.

This picture gives you  good view of ice piled up along the shore, as well as the Christmas trees marking the route.

When the island has good ice, lots of people take advantage of the ability to haul items across. We saw multiple loads of drywall and other supplies heading over to the island today. Hauling things yourself can save a lot of money on freight charges!

How long will is last, you wonder? It all depends; wind, temperature, air pressure, and the movements of the Coast Guard cutter all impact the ice. If we're lucky, we'll be able to cross through the end of March, but tomorrow could just as easily be the last day; only Mother Nature knows for sure. Either way, for those of us who live here, the ice is part of our lives. I'm not posting this as click bait, or an attempt to get views (my blog isn't monetized); I am simply recording this unique aspect of my life as a year-round resident of  Mackinac Island.

Christmas Miracle

Something miraculous happened at school recently. My students entered the classroom and discovered Camilla the Christmas Chicken was no longer a stuffed chicken - she was real!

Needless to say, they were all rather surprised, and a couple of them were a little scared. Luckily, Camilla's sweet personality and calm demeanor won them all over instantly.

Unfortunately, Camilla couldn't hold a pencil to take the spelling test so she had to leave. We called my  daughter who was willing to drive down to school,  pick her up, and take her home to our chicken coop. Thankfully, the next day Camilla was back to her old, stuffed self!

Old and New

I haven't really felt much of the Christmas spirit this year. I'm not really sure why, but from shopping to decorating to baking, my heart just hasn't been it. It wasn't that I haven't had any Christmas spirit - it's been more of a "tank half full" kind of feeling. I know myself, and my tendency is to push through things and do what I feel like I should do, or need to do, but not this year. This year I told myself that whatever I managed to get done would be enough. So... the Christmas cookie spread was a little lighter this year, but that was OK.

I did decided to try a couple of new things. I found a madeleine cookie pan at the thrift shop recently for $1.00, so I made madeleines for the first time, which was fun. Especially after seeing them made on the Great British Bake Off. For the record, mine had a lovely hump. I also tried a new recipe for cutout cookies (the blue and white ones above), which taste really good. To go with them, I tried a different decorating technique (found here.) While the spread may be lighter than in past years, for this year, it is enough...

Hopeful

Local lore says the lake has to steam seven times before she freezes and we get ice. Today makes steam number one...

Happy December

My students have been counting down the days until Camilla the Christmas Chicken returns to the classroom. She came back today - and brought treats! (This year my students have been bringing treats in for their classmates for no reason. One Tuesday, someone brings in donuts, then the next the next week we're getting cupcakes. We've decided to call those days "Random Treat Days," and Camilla decided she needed to celebrate, too.)

Perfect Timing

Mackinac Island awoke today to a blanket of snow. We had a smidgen yesterday, but today we had more than enough for our snowmobiles. Not much makes us happier than that! For me it was perfect timing - now getting several large boxes down to school in the morning will be much easier.

Today's the Day

Yep, today is the day I need to turn the heat on in my classroom. 65 degrees Fahrenheit is a bit chilly, even for me.

For the record, I did not come into school at 4:16 am today. I get here early, but not that early! The clock is just wrong...

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!

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!

Um......... No

Allen and I spent a recent weekend in Traverse City to celebrate my birthday. Since shopping is his favorite thing to do, we spent Saturday walking around the downtown area. As we wandered, we discovered Rocket Fizz: Soda Pop and Candy Company. Once inside, we both immediately noticed the bottle of ranch flavored pop, which we had to buy for my ranch-loving daughter. Since we couldn't just take one home for her, we picked up a small selection of flavors to try: ranch, peanut butter, mango, and honey. Let's just say our taste test was an adventure; one that can be summed up in a single photo:

For the record - the honey flavored pop was tasty.

The smell of the ranch soda was indistinguishable from real ranch dressing, but it tasted awful. Imagine drinking watered down, sweetened, carbonated ranch dressing - disgusting! It was horrible, mostly because it was sweet. Just thinking about it makes me want to gag all over again. The peanut butter was marginally better, and the mango slightly better than the peanut butter.

Then Allen decided to mix the peanut butter and the ranch, which just created an abomination that, of course, we all had to try. Please, take my word for it, peanut butter ranch is a flavor you can live your entire life without ever knowing exists. Trust me...

Ice Storm!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to share these pictures, but we've been busy cleaning up after the ice storm. (We have to get all of our broken branches and trees put out by the road by April 20. Starting on the 21st, the people hired by the city are coming through with a woodchipper to get rid of all of it.)

Thankfully Mackinac is in pretty good shape!

As you can see, a lot of ice built up during the storm causing numerous trees to fall and knocking out power to much of northern Michigan - including Mackinac Island. All night long it sounded like a warzone. We heard near-constant popping, bullet-like sounds as small branches broke off the trees all around us. Every few minutes there were loud cracking noises as larger trees broke under the weight of the ice and collapsed. It sounded like buildings disintegrating as the trees, encased in ice, snapped and tumbled to the ground. We have a number of large trees growing around our house, so at any moment one of them could have hit us. Neither Allen or I slept very well that night.

By morning, the ice covered everything,

and I mean everything; an inch thick in some places.

Allen and I were very lucky. 

  

A large branch took out the corner of our chicken yard, but the house came through unscathed and the chickens were fine, too.) We lost lots of smaller branches, but nothing bigger around than my thigh.

Many of our neighbors weren't so lucky. 

All in all, Mackinac Island fared pretty well. We did lose power, but only for a few days. (I have friends in Petoskey and Gaylord who were out for over a week.) Our fire, police, and state park staff were out constantly cutting trees to keep the roads open for emergency vehicles, and the boat line even ran a special boat to get the electric linemen and women over to the island. 

The city opened the Mackinac Island Community Hall as a warming center and charging station for anyone who needed it. Allen kept us going at home by breaking out the camp stove so I could have a hot cup of coffee every morning. The house got a little chilly - I think it got down to about 57 (about 14 C,) but we managed. We crawled under my mom's house and shut her water off, just to be safe.

School was cancelled on Monday and Tuesday due to a lack of power at the school, and again on Wednesday due to safety concerns over students traveling on ice-covered roads. In my 32 years of teaching on Mackinac Island, we've never cancelled three days in a row! But we've also not had a storm like this in my years here.

The days after the storm were beautiful, with bright sunny skies. The ice sparkled like crystals in the trees. When the wind blew, it cracked and shattered, and then clinked to the ground like cacophony of  shattering glass. It was an eerily beautiful sound. 

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to see how we're doing. Mackinac is recovering. This summer the lilacs probably won't be as spectacular as in years past, but they are hard to kill. (Allen refers to them as the zombies of the plant world.) In a year or two, they be as beautiful as ever. We're cleaning up, and the island will be open for business as usual this summer.

 

Happy Spring

First day of spring you say?

Thankfully, Mackinac is beautiful

in any season.

Hopeful

I took my fifth and sixth grade class with me to the poles today. I've never taken my class before, but we've been studying the US Constitution and it seemed like the perfect field trip. And, since it's Mackinac Island, our poling place is an eight minute walk from the school, so why not. Our poll workers were gracious; they explained each step of the voting process to my class and answered every question the kids threw at them, including: 

• What happens if you forget your ID - can you still vote? 
• What if you don't have hands and can't sign the form?
• If you can't read, can you bring a friend to help you?
• How does the voting machine work?
• Has the machine ever broken down? Then what happens?
• How many people will vote (here) today?

I tried to be upbeat and positive, and not let the kids see the almost overwhelming feeling of dread I have in the pit of my stomach, but when I start to get anxious I remind myself that I am hopeful.

Hopeful a majority of my fellow Americans choose wisely.

Capital City Comic Con

Back in February I posted about working on my Princess Leia costume, but I just realized I never posted pictures from the comic con. We had a blast! The Lansing Comic Con isn't huge, but it was a prefect con for us to start with. We had a great time. My favorite moment was getting my picture taken with a little Ghostbuster. She told me Princess Leia was her favorite Star Wars character and that she had been trying to catch up with me to get a picture. He dad was kind enough to snap a picture with my camera as well. I also got to hear Tim Russ, who played Tuvok on Star Trek Voyager, speak and answer questions; which made my nerd heart happy.

I went with my good friend, Keith. He's an incredible maker! He really doesn't appreciate it when I brag about his talents, but he really is incredible (and modest.) The man can make / build pretty much anything - his Boba Fett costume for instance. While he bought the jumpsuit and helmet, he 3D printed, built, and painted the rest of it. He even made all the hard parts of my costume, including my helmet, blaster, etc. 

Now we've got to start planning for next year! The nerd in me is thinking Star Trek, but who knows...

First Day

Today was the first day of school on Mackinac Island. I'm starting this year with eight students - two sixth graders, and six fifth graders. I had all of these students last year as fourth and fifth graders, so hopefully we'll hit the ground running and have an amazing year. 

I still can't believe this is my thirty-second first day of school! It just doesn't seem like I started teaching that long ago. This first day certainly was one for the record books because we had no power!

A squirrel knocked out the electricity for over 2,800 people in Mackinac and Chippewa counties, including ALL of Mackinac Island. Luckily, two full walls in my classroom are windows, so my students and I just rolled with it.

The Lady Jane

Recently the folks who work at City Hall were invited for a cruise on the Lady Jane. Richard and Jane Manoogian, the owners, often invite groups of people out on the boat. Since Allen is the director of the Department of Public Works and had a "plus one," I got to go, too. (Lucky me!)

We spent the evening on the water near the Island, finally anchoring by British Landing so people could swim.

It was a delightful evening, on a gorgeous boat, with wonderful people. Thank you, Jane; it was lovely to get to meet you!

Moving to College: Mackinac Style

This year, both of my children are heading off to college. When you live on Mackinac, you can't just pop out to the driveway to load the car - there is little bit more planning and organization required. Starting the day before. 

The day before Move-in Day, we were up early to load the luggage cart. It had to be ready for a 7:00 am pick up. (We didn't choose that time - that's when the dray was available.)

The driver hooked up the cart and hauled it down to the dock for us. For those of you who are curious, the fee for that was $45.00.

The dray delivered the cart to the dock and the ferry shipped it across to the mainland (no charge) where the cart waited for us until my husband got off work. Since the kids wanted to have their bikes at school they road down to the dock while I rode on a taxi with the few items they forgot to get on the cart.

Once we got to the mainland it was time to Tetris the back of the car. It took some finagling, but everything fit! Luckily my son's roommate was bringing the fridge and microwave, otherwise each kid would have had one of those items on their lap. (The car is a Ford Expedition Max, if you're wondering.) We like to go up to Marquette the night before and get an early start moving in. Campus is much easier to navigate on Move-in Day when you sign up for an 8:00 am move in time!

Once we arrived at Northern, we unloaded into two separate bins and each kid went their own way. K to Maple West and S to Magers Hall.

Mr. Second Year had absolutely no interest in help setting up his room... none.

but K, asked for help, so we spent some time unpacking and helping her get organized for her first year away from home.

Then Allen and I hopped in the car and headed home. Well, we actually stopped at Meijer first to pick up groceries and then we headed home. Home to an empty nest!