Happy Halloween

We woke up to snow this morning, but we're taking it in stride. Nothing gets in the way of Halloween on Mackinac Island; nothing...

Future Wildcat in the House!

Somebody in my house got good news in the mail the other day - an acceptance letter to their top choice college - Northern Michigan University! So, of course, we had to visit campus. (Plus it was a good excuse to visit my other Wildcat.) K was able to meet with an academic advisor to begin planning their program and we had a lovely weekend filled with time on campus, family time and fun.

We hiked up to the top of Sugarloaf and even managed to take in a live version of The Rocky Horror Show while we were in Marquette. (S was not enthusiastic about getting his picture taken with Wildcat Willie up on Sugarloaf, but in the end, he gave in to make mom happy.)

Rocky Horror was very well done! As small-town-theater-people we were quite impressed; the singing, acting, music, sets and costumes were wonderful. I wouldn't be surprised if we try to catch the show again next year.

Unfazed

I accidentally sewed over this pin today, but luckily he doesn't seem too upset about the whole thing. In fact, he almost looks happy.

I didn't use to see faces everywhere, but since I've joined this Facebook group, I notice them all over the place (like here and here.) 

Senior Pictures

My youngest and I spent a couple hours after school yesterday getting senior pictures taken. The photographer was wonderful and took K's requests seriously. More masculine poses? No problem. No feminine backgrounds? No problem. 

The pouring rain may have dampened the spirits of some kids, but K rolled with the punches. A beautiful blue sky would have paired nicely with the Grand porch, but I think K's smile will look great against any backdrop.

If you are looking to get portraits taken on Mackinac Island, I highly recommend Sara Wright! She does amazing work.

Insert Eye Roll Here

I was out shopping the other day and this caught my eye. It caught my attention partially because they were putting out Christmas ornaments before Halloween (sigh), and partially because someone felt the need to rearrange them. For the record, I would have also let out an audible eye roll if someone had spelled out B-I-D-E-N. 

To me, this kind of behavior is rude. Some poor employee had to hang those all up, in order and in one swoop this person came in and undid all that work. In addition, the letters are now out of order - making it harder for a customer to find the letter they're looking for. To me, this is no different than a five year-old coming in and spelling out the word P-O-O-P. At least with the five year-old I could compliment their use and spelling of the OO vowel team; but I've got no words for this person, other than maybe G-R-O-W-U-P.

Adventures at Pond Hill

Pond Hill Farm, in Harbor Springs, Michigan, is another wonderful place to spend an autumn afternoon. It's busy in the fall; full of families enjoying Fall Fest. My husband is not one for crowds, but he wanted to spend some time together outside and Fall Fest fit the bill perfectly.

Most of the activities were geared for younger kids, but that didn't stop K. She got right in there and tried her hand at Pumpkin Bowling. There were also lots of adult activities (wine tasting, music, craft beer, and hard cider, but we skipped those since we were with a teenager.)

It misted a bit, on and off, but the clouds parted and gave us a tiny bit of sun in time for a quick family photo.

Allen's favorite part of the had had to be perusing the different kinds of squash they had for sale at their shop. He chose three new varieties to bring home to try: delicata, buttercup, and carnival. So far he's made roasted stuffed delicata (without the nuts) and it was delicious!

Strolling

One of our favorite places to wander is the Oden State Fish Hatchery, near Petoskey, Michigan. It's usually a fairly quiet place, but on rainy fall days it's often deserted. It used to be the perfect place to stop and give the kids a chance to stretch their legs and feed the fish.

Now that they're older it's still a perfect place to soak up some of Northern Michigan's fall colors. I say "they're," but with one away at college, only one of the kids was with us. Next fall it will just be my husband and me. Which is how it should be, but it tugs a little at my heart strings to think about having an empty nest...

Even in the rain, Northern Michigan in the fall is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. 

We spent an hour wandering together quietly enjoying the smell of wet leaves, the sound of the rain and the beauty of autumn.