Not Much of a View

Several tourists giggled and pointed as I pushed my packages and milk up Fort Hill after school today. (How else was I supposed to get it all home?) The lack of view was worth it though because right now I am enjoying a delicious, sugar-free hazelnut steamer. 

This little gizmo makes frothing one up super easy and it's been a great way to get the kids drinking more milk.

The Great Pumpkin

We had a visitor yesterday. He left the perfect pumpkin in our front yard. It's beautiful; huge, round and the most perfect shade of orange you've ever seen. The photo just doesn't do it justice.

A year or two ago S and K asked the gentleman who grows pumpkins near the Big Barns if they could have one. He had already promised all of them that year, but ever since, he has made sure they were on his list. He's been so sweet. Now, whenever they see him in town they yell,  "Hi Pumpkin Man."

I think it makes him smile. I hope it does, because he sure puts a smile the faces of two kiddos.

Mackinac Problems

On my way to school this morning my pant leg got caught in my bike chain; like pulled in between the chain and the guard. Sigh. 

Any suggestions on getting oil out of fabric?

Friday

We came into school on Friday morning to find this little guy hopping down the hallway. He probably thinks the Three Rs are reading, writing and reptiles...

Proud Mama Moment

Last spring, with the help of a poet, the Island kids wrote Mackinac-inspired poetry. Next, artists came to school to work with the kids to create art to "visually express the theme of their poems." Finally, the poems and artwork were displayed together in a juried show.

I actually didn't know about the "juried" part until we got to the opening reception and they started announcing winners. (We were in Seattle last June and missed the show.) You can imagine my surprise when the judge announcing the Best in Show winner said this, 

"This poem and painting beautifully captures the unique experience of visiting Fort Mackinac. Every time I visit Fort Mackinac I am overwhelmed by the vibrant colors and our State's history. 'The Fort' poem and painting immediately put me there and it honestly warmed my heart."

K couldn't believe she'd won the whole thing - Best in Show! She was on cloud beamed as the reporter from the Town Crier interviewed her. In case you didn't make it to the show (at the Center for the Arts at Mission Point) here is K's poem:

One of the best parts is, that lovely paining will be coming to our house soon. I have just the spot to hang it.

Homemade Ghostbusters Proton Pack

A couple of people have asked me how I made the proton pack I wore for Halloween a couple of years ago. I don't have pictures of the process,  but I can explain where I got the parts and how I put it together.

First of all, and probably most importantly, I started looking for parts early. I knew I wanted to be Holtzman  but there was no way I was going to spend $700 on a pre-made pack. My budget was more like $50.00... So I started scrounging every time I stopped at Goodwill.

Most of the parts were items I picked up at thrift shops for next to nothing. In fact, the most expensive part of the whole thing was the spray paint!

(Click to make the image larger.)

I used an acrylic tray as the base of the pack, rather than the military frame that lots of people use. The ALICE frame was running between $25.00 and $50.00, so when I saw the tray for $1.00 it was an easy decision.  My husband cut some slits into the top of it for me so I could thread through straps I took from an old backpack.

Most of the other parts ran around the same price - except for the spray paint and the lights. (Everything is better with lights, right?) The best part was finding the light saber on the shelf at The Salvation Army for $1.99. After cutting down the end and drilling holes, a coat of paint, and some added lights - it was close to perfect.

After scrounging all the parts I used E6000 glue to hold everything together. Best. Glue. Ever. It stinks to high heaven, but it's flexible and is great for holding things together that need a little give.

To be honest, there was some sewing involved since I did add the orange and gray ribbon to the jump suit. It was actually cheaper to buy a pre-made jumpsuit on Amazon than it would have been to buy the fabric and a pattern to make one. It may not be screen accurate, but it was prefect for Halloween.

Totality

It hit me the other day that I never really posted about the solar eclipse last summer. My super fantastic husband arranged for us to drive down into totality, rather than view the partial eclipse Mackinac Island was going to get.

He did a ton of research and found this lovely little park in Murphysboro, Illinois.   It was perfect - quaint and quiet. We started to worry early in the day as we watched thunderheads building nearby, but Mother Nature cooperated and we weren't disappointed. Right on time, the moon showed up and treated us to this:

Photo courtesy of Nick Ulivieri

It's not my picture (none of mine turned out nearly as well,) but it was taken from Murphysboro.  Pictures, even this one, just don't do totality justice. It was such an incredible sight. I never really understood eclipse chasers - until I experienced totality myself.

Before totality, we had a wonderful time playing around with eclipse viewing methods:

through the trees, 

through our hands,

and of course, through our eclipse viewers. 

As silly as it may sound, the two and a half minutes of totality we experienced that day was probably the most incredible thing I've ever seen with my own eyes. Really. The 13 hour drive back to Michigan was completely worth it. It was so amazing, we're already planning for the next total solar eclipse  to hit the United States. Did you know another one was coming? It doesn't cross coast to coast, but it still hits a number of states.

And, ever so conveniently, my husband's parent's backyard is smack dab right in totality.   One guess where we'll be on April 8, 2025.

On the Mend

Things have been quiet around our house this week ever since my daughter got her tonsils and her adenoids removed. She's been a trooper through the whole thing. (She was even willing to get her IV before she was sedated.) Her trusty friend, Wonker, has been at her side the whole time, which I think helped. Her lovely volleyball teammates gave her a giant adorable octopus, but he was too big to go with us.

She asked her doctor if she would save her tonsils. "I don't want to keep them," K said. "I just want to see what they look like." (She is so my daughter.)

After a quick discussion, K and her doctor agreed she could bring a camera to surgery; that way the doctor could get pictures of the the tonsils for her since medical waste wasn't allowed to leave the O.R. with a patient. K's surgeon's sense of humor was clearly evident when we got home and peeked at the pictures. (Remember, we gave the doctor our consent to take photos in the operating room.)

Stop now if you don't want to see K's tonsils...

Everyone at the hospital was wonderful. I appreciated how they were willing to work with our scheduling constraints - given that we needed to be released in time to catch a ferry boat home. 

It amazes me that back in my dad's day a tonsillectomy meant a three day stay in the hospital; and here she was, in and out in under seven hours. K is on the mend and getting lots of ice cream and Jello. (Not a big fan of the Boost.) She's still uncomfortable, but each day is getting a little better...

Oops

The Ashtabula had a little trouble yesterday as she made her way past the Island.  It was super windy and apparently the wind and waves pushed her a little too close to Round Island - where she ran aground.

If you click on the picture up above to enlarge it, you can see that she is listing ever so slightly to her starboard side. Probably not a very pleasant day for her crew. Luckily, as of this morning, she was free.

photo via US Goast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie

PEMDAS

My students love this video and have been having trouble finding it to watch. I hope posting it here will make it easy for them to find. 

For everyone else - enjoy this catchy little ear worm - sorry if it makes you feel old. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally is so 1980s, PEMDAS is the way to go these days...

Back in the Saddle

Henry the Pony, a resident of  The Little Barn, stopped by the Mackinac Island School yesterday to help us celebrate the first day of school. My students (six fifth graders and seven sixth graders) loved visiting with Henry.  Such a Mackinac way to kick off a new school year...

Excursion: Birch Lodge & Motel

A couple of weekends ago we took a quick trip up to Trout Lake. The Birch Lodge and Motel was the perfect spot to spend a quiet weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Mackinac Island. 

The lodge, motel and grounds were lovely, but we spent most of our time out in the canoe.

There were turtles to catch (which were later released,)

 

and fish to be caught. Allen caught lots and lots of Bluegill, Sunfish and a few other species. Believe it or not, one of the Bluegill he caught qualified him for a Master Angler Award; it was 10 1/2 inches long (about 26.6 cm.) The little Walleye above went back into the lake.

I managed to drag them all blueberry picking as well, but of course, I was too busy picking to get any pictures! After cleaning I managed to stash 3 1/2 pounds (about 1.5 kg) of wild Michigan blueberries in the freezer for jam.Now that were back home I need to get to work - I've got all a freezer  full of raspberries waiting, too.

Antics

I have been having so much fun with "The Girls" lately. Their antics just make me giggle. At about 6:45 this morning they were making huge amounts of noise, which is unusual, so I went out the the coop to investigate. (I was already up.) When I opened the coop it was clear they were not happy. The older birds, who roost up on a higher bar, were grouching loudly at the younger hens who were down on the floor. They roost on a lower bar and can easily hop down.

As I looked around I quickly saw what had gotten into the coop overnight and was making them so upset; every single one of them was up in arms over a tiny little cricket! I'm fairly certain they were arguing over who was going to eat it for breakfast. Just imagine seagulls fighting over a french fry and you can picture what they were like.

Many of the chicks we got this spring have come into lay (actively laying eggs.)  I love checking the nesting boxes every day to look for eggs. We're getting some every day - and they're getting bigger. When hens first start laying often the eggs are quite small, sometimes without a yolk.

Just look at those beauties. I'm thinking quiche for dinner...

Hmmmmmmm

I'm always amazed when I find snails in high places. I think about just how far that climb must been for that little snail; I mean it probably took it all night to slide up my bike. 

And then I wonder about what the snail was looking for. I can't imagine a metal bike frame feels or tastes the same as the stem of a plant. So, what was it after?

Maybe it just wanted a ride down Grand Hill...

Unending

The raspberries just seem to keep coming. I'm surprised because it has been so dry this summer. 

Each time I've left the raspberry patch, I've been freezing the berries. After today I should have enough to make a batch of jam - two if I'm lucky!

Surprise

My neighbor has a sizeable raspberry patch in his yard. A raspberry patch he waters all summer. He and I have an arrangement - he grows the berries, I make the jam and everybody's happy.  Mackinac Island raspberries are delicious, by the way.

Yesterday I was over at his house, elbow deep in the bushes and I came across this little fellow. As I picked, I watched him climb up the stem, out onto the leaf, and then hang in the "J" shape. Such a nice surprise - so much nicer than the wasps hanging out in the raspberry patch. (Apparently they've decided raspberries make a nice mid-afternoon snack.) I don't mind sharing with the monarchs, but wasps aren't my favorite. Luckily, I was careful and I didn't get stung...

Molen van Sloten (Sloten Windmill)

On the map the Sloten windmill looks like it is way out of town, but it really isn't; it's only about eight miles from Amsterdam's Central Station. Not only is it within the city limits of Amsterdam, but it's the only windmill in Amsterdam that still pumps water and is open to the public.

To get there, we hopped on Tram One, at the corner near our house (Prinsengracht and Leidsestraat) and rode almost to the end of the line. From there we walked for about 15 minutes along a quiet canal to the Windmill. It took us maybe 30 or 40 minutes - including the walk.

Inside, the volunteers take you through just how windmills work. I didn't know each one can only lift water 1.5 meters (about five feet,) so typically a group of windmills worked together to keep a polder (an area of reclaimed land protected by dikes) dry. This particular area, which is about four meters below sea level (about 13 feet) use to have three windmills.

 

At the lowest level of the water-pumping mills there's an Archimedes' screw.

The screw connects to the sails (that move "anti-clockwise," by the way) by means of a system of wooden gears. They're lubricated with beeswax because according to our guide, Harry, the beeswax doesn't soak into the wood. The cogs were made to fit precisely; any other wax would cause the wood to swell and the cogs would no longer fit.

At full speed the Sloten windmill can pump over 60,000 liters (almost 16,000 gallons) of water a minute.

I found it interesting how the sails and main axle were built with an 18 degree tilt. According to Harry, the tilt is what holds all the moving pieces together; ingenious. Makes me wonder why 18 degrees - why not 17 or 19? How much trial and error did it take to figure out that measurement?

Not only was the windmill amazing to see in action, the view from the platform was spectacular. We could see some of the numerous canals surrounding the polder.

Of the over 10,000 windmills that operated in the Netherlands, most were replaced over the years by steam power and later electricity. Today only about 1,200 remain. Once a year the Netherlands celebrates  National Mill Day. On the second Saturday in May many windmills around the country, that are not usually open to the public, open their doors to visitors. How fun would that be!

We loved visiting this windmill. Sure the attached Coopery Museum was a little kitschy, but it was created by and is completely staffed by volunteers. Our €20.00 entrance fee will go to help maintain this neat site and keep it open to the public. That makes me smile.

Getting Around Amsterdam: Bikes

Riding a bike seems to be the preferred mode of transportation in Amsterdam. We did see some cars, but there's very limited parking within the city. With nightmarish parking, and the fact that Amsterdam is pretty darn flat,  biking is just easy. 

Most roads even have dedicated bike paths. Amsterdammers do not appreciate tourists getting in their way; most have bike bells and will ring them to signal for you to move, but they don't slowdown.

We loved checking out all the interesting bikes. We never saw kid carriers similar to the ones we use on Mackinac (ones that get attached to the bike and are pulled behind the bike.) In Amsterdam, they were all in front of the rider.

This sweet girl and her mom let me snap her picture while they paused for a snack. Her mom explained that it's easier to push the weight than it is to pull it.

Some bikes did have seats attached behind the adult. This bike has room for two kids - and groceries.

Others had kid seats up front. I tried for days to get a picture of a child in a seat like this one.

We didn't just see seats for kids. These two little dogs rode around Amsterdam in style.

With all those bikes, people need  placees to put them when they aren't riding. We noticed bikes parked all over the place: locked to bridges,

locked on barges, 

we even saw this three level bike parking garage. In one part of town the city is building an underground parking area to hold 2,000 bikes. It should open in 2021.

We never saw bikes parked at the at the curb on the side of the road. You know another thing we almost never saw?

...helmets...

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