Boats!

The boats started today! For the first time, ever, I was able to go off on the first day of boats. (Years ago the teachers tried to negotiate to get the first day of boats off, but sadly we couldn't because the date changed every year.)

The kids and I popped off for a quick overnight with grandma and grandpa, and, of course groceries. Neither of the kids had been off the Island since before Christmas.

And chicken feed. I'd bought seven, 50 pound bags right before the boats quit in January. My calculations were pretty good - I had just two bags left.

Here's a little taste of the first boat leaving the Island this season... 

Hopeful

The Canadian ice breaker was back at it this morning. Check out this video to see the ice breakers taking out the ice bridge yesterday. 

We're all hopeful that the boats will start running soon...

Farewell

Our trusty little 1996 Polaris Indy Lite snowmobile gave up the ghost this week. My husband and my son have done their best to keep it running for the last few years, but it finally died. Part of me is a little bummed because now that it had crossed the 26 year-old mark, it was considered a "historic" snowmobile; the rules for registering vintage machines are different from registering other machines. You pay a one-time $50.00 fee and do not need to buy the yearly trail permit, which costs another $52.00. But, those savings don't justify the cost to completely rebuild an old and well used engine.

It's been a good little machine. We bought it a little over 15 years ago for $1500, so it's more than given us our money's worth. Both of my children learned how to drive on it, and it's taken them to school each winter day since my son turned 12. I'm not sure if it will be fixed and continue to run around Mackinac or if it will be scrapped for parts. Either way, farewell little machine - you served us well. 

 

Sad News

At about 3:15 am last night the Mackinac Island Fire Department responded to a house, on fire, on the East Bluff. (The very first house when you are heading down the Bluff toward Mission Hill.) Sadly, there was nothing that could be done to save the historic home - it had already collapsed by the time the a Grand Hotel security guard noticed the flames and called 911. 

As of this morning, this was all that was left. Thankfully the house was empty for the winter - no one was hurt and no other homes were damaged.

Lots of people may not recognize this house since it wasn't visible from the water, but this picture will give you an idea where it was. No word yet on the family's plans, but please keep them in your thoughts.

Arch Rock, 1908

This card, from October 1908, reads "Mackinac Island is certainly a beautiful place - Weather fine but smoke from forest fires unpleasant. M+A"

After reading it, I got curious about the mentioned fire. Turns out there was a huge forest fire in Presque Isle County on October 15, 1908. The Metz Fire burned over 200,000 acres and completely destroyed the Village of Metz, leaving about 40 people dead and over 700 homeless. (Metz is marked in red below.)

It sounds like an awful, awful day. Of the 16 killed on the train, three women and nine children were burned to ash in a steel car, while a man who sought safety in the train's water tank was boiled to death, literally. A number of people who jumped survived, but just barely. The silver lining however is that due to the tragic loss of life from the fire, Michigan began working to create forest fire prevention and control programs so something like the Metz Fire would never happen again.

Marquette Park, 1962

I collect antique Mackinac Island postcards. I suppose technically, I use to collect postcards since I haven't bought a new one in about 17 years. I quit because as postcard collecting became more popular prices skyrocketed, and as a new mom I didn't have extra cash laying around to play with in those days.  

Yesterday I opened the box and had a lovely time perusing my collection. I thought they might make a few of you smile as well. Many of my favorite cards have been sent through the mail; I like having a concrete date. Plus the teacher in me thinks it's fun to try to decipher the senders' handwriting. Which sometimes is quite difficult! Click on the card to see it full size.

 

I think it says: "Hi here I am we all having nice time Am all having lunch fort Going to Mc Island this morning. Little cool. Seeing all soon Mother Lyn"  In some ways it reminds me of American Sign Language - if you wrote it down. What do you think?

Chores

This is my first winter keeping chickens. We first got chickens from a friend in 2015. Back in those days, the girls only spent the summers with us since our coop wasn't really appropriate for northern Michigan winters. But this winter, they stayed in their new winter-friendly coop and run. I enjoy them so much, I don't even mind keeping the walk way to the coop shoveled - which, some days, is quite the chore. 

Just Another Day

It's got to be pretty awful for us to stay inside for recess. Mackinac Island kids come to school dressed to be outside in the weather. 

My students' favorite thing about winter recess? Playing on the snow hill of course; they love it!

Windy

Due to this weekend's high winds, open water is now only 150 feet or so from the tree-lined trail on the ice bridge. That means no more ice travel this season. I've actually not crossed at all this year. It's not that I'm opposed to crossing the ice; I just haven't needed to go. And given the inherent risk associated with going out on the ice, if I don't have a good reason to go, I don't.

No Complaints

I have a friend who lives in Texas and he was complaining the price of gas that had gone up to $3.05 a gallon. So, of course, I had to share this with him. This was from filling my snowmobile today, and I'm not complaining. I will happily pay $6.00 a gallon rather than walk to work when it's below zero.

Winter Takeout

No one at my house felt like cooking tonight, so we placed a takeout order at the Mustang. (One of the two restaurants open this winter.) The burgers were delicious and the dishes were a snp!

Busy

Today was a busy one at Doud's Market - Mackinac Island's grocery store. Three shoppers at once? (Four of you include me as I hadn't taken off my helmet yet.) Sometimes when I'm there at this time of year, I'm the only one shopping, but not today. 

Icy

We probably had 15 or so tourists on snowmobiles drive past the school this afternoon. (After having driven across the ice bridge.) Lots of them stopped to admire this gorgeous view. One of my students, who recently moved to Mackinac from Hawaii, asked how I could tell the people were tourists. I explained: a sure fire way to tell if someone is a tourist is to look to see if their coat or helmet match their snowmobile. If they match they're a tourist; if they're wearing Carhartt or things are mismatched they're probably a local. Oh, and if they're riding with kids, they're a local for sure!

Just Passing Through

Saturday afternoon the Coast Guard passed by the Island on their way through the Straits. Had I been thinking, I would have opened my Marine Traffic app which would have told me which vessel I was looking at. But, of course, I was too busy enjoying the view.

All Set

Some of Island guys spent today planting our used Christmas trees into the ice to mark the trail across the ice bridge. Lots of tourists assume a tree line means the trail is safe - it isn't. Any time anyone decides to cross the ice, they are risking their life. Many of us choose to take that risk, but if you are thinking about crossing the ice, never just assume it's safe. Ice conditions can change quickly.

Photo courtesy of Sam Barnwell

In an Emergency

People often ask me about medical care on Mackinac. We have a two-bed emergency room at the Medical Center which has staff on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Often it's all people need, but not always. (For example we had to deal with this, this, this,  this and this on the mainland.) Patients who need a higher level of care are regularly taken to the mainland on the ferry boat during the summer or on the airplane during the winter. Sometimes when a crisis happens, and an hour can mean the difference between life and death, patients are shipped to specialized care via an air ambulance service such as North Flight. When private services like that are unavailable (and it is life and death) the US Coast Guard will step in and airlift patients to care on the mainland. In January 2019 they brought the Katmai Bay to the Island when the weather made the helicopter impossible to use. 

A Coast Guard transfer is free, but the air ambulances are quite expensive. (And the Coast Guard will only come if all commercial options are unavailable.)  The husband of a friend of mine was flown to Petoskey by an air ambulance service after suffering a serious stroke. The bill? About $65,000; thankfully his health insurance covered 100% of the cost. Luckily, I have never needed one of these services and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I never will.

 

Beautiful

Mackinac is always beautiful, but in the winter, following a heavy snow, the Island is gorgeous. Even though the landscape lacks color, it's got to be one of the prettiest trips to the grocery store around.

 

Quiet

No flights on or off the Island today due to the weather.  Luckily things are supposed to clear tomorrow and I don't need to be anywhere today....

You've Got to Be Kidding Me

Apparently 2022 didn't get the memo that things were supposed to improve. Sigh.... Right now our dryer is on the fritz, one of our snowmobiles isn't running, and since

Covid is going around on Mackinac, I have students in quarantine who have to zoom into class. I know by themselves none of those are big things, but lumped on top of everything else that is going on... it's just... a lot. 

I'm trying to be a trooper. I'm trying to see the silver linings. Logically, I know these are first world problems; we have enough clothes to get through a week or two without doing laundry; all my students have chrome books and an internet connection; we have a second snowmobile. I should just shut up and smile because I've got it pretty darn easy. But it just keeps getting harder to be upbeat and positive... 

Goodnight

I had to run down to town tonight. This glorious sunset made having to get all bundled up again well worth the effort.