Waste Not, Want Not

 Do you know Mackinac Island has beavers?

We do! Down at the cove the beaver lodge is home to a Mama and her two kits.  They're quite popular among Island residents, and Nancy May does a great job of keeping everyone posted about how they're doing. (I'm not sure if there's a Papa beaver in the neighborhood.)

As I drove home the other day, I noticed my neighbor trimming his trees. As is typical on Mackinac, I stopped to chat. 

"Can't talk now," he said, "we're just about ready to take another load down to feed the beavers."  What a perfect solution to the problem of what to do with tree trimmings - beaver food!

Bright Spot

After the dreadful day I had (completely unrelated to my students) I found this happy little flower on my bed.

My thoughtful  daughter left him for me to find, knowing how badly I needed a bright spot in my day...

Mackinac Problems

A week or so ago we invited a few friends over to celebrate Allen's 50th birthday. I planned the food, I planned the beverages, I planned the entertainment. However, I forgot to think about where I could stash all the snowmobile helmets. It really surprised me - I am a total planner and I don't usually forget details like that. Plus, this is my 25th Mackinac winter, so you'd think I would have encountered this before. Apparently not.

My takeaway from the evening - we really need to have people over more often!