A Road Near Our House

Even though Mike and I call Scottville, Michigan, our home, we actually live several miles from that community. nd, this road is our access point to our home in the Manistee National Forest. Our house is about a quarter of a mile past that curve.

At this time of year, the forest greenery is coming alive again.  In fact, this year it came rather early due to te warm winter we had and the great weather in March.  April has soon much cooler weather with many hard freezes that will affect the fruit crops in many orchards across the state.  As for myself, I never start my garden up until late April as even some days in May can be quite cold up here.

Still, when the forest sprouts up its greenery it makes me want for Spring all the more.  It is the time of year I long for to walk the forest around our home.  The forest is again painted a brilliant green!  Everything around me is fresh and flourishing!  Can summer be far behind?

Stretching Out on The Good O’le Hammock

I had stretched my hammock out overlooking Round Lake and settled down for what I thought would be a few hours nap. I awoke near midnight but not naturally. A thunderstorm jolted me from my hammock right onto the muddy ground. I think I slept through some initial rain as it was a thunderclap that awoke me.

Needless to say I was soaking wet and quickly took down my hammock with mud still dripping from my hands. That hammock really had put me to sleep with ease that afternoon but I was not prepared for my rude awakening. I ran into my cabin only to have my wife greet me with a laugh. I must have looked a sight and she ordered me onto the porch to rid myself of my muddy clothes. Thank goodness she had a fire going as I was shivering badly.

Next time I plan on checking with the weather station before attempting any sleep around Round Lake.

Frick and Frack in Snow

Frick and Frack tend to vary greatly in personality as much as in color and appearance. However, generally speaking, they are very affectionate dogs, bred to cuddle with other dogs as much as with people. Frick, especially, will often walk right up to a strange dog and attempt to instigate a cuddle session. They are both incredibly athletic and keeping up with their energy level is a full-time job.

These dogs are not suited to an urban apartment lifestyle as they need a constant source of exercise, and due to their amazing endurance, never seem to get tired. They both tend to wander or what I would better term explore. They are loyal and with their incredible speed and fierce independence, the they will not stick close when off-leash. Frack is more the adventurer and is usually very comfortable with car rides and breaking out of old routines. My guys both tend to eat more than my husband Mike as they are ferocious eaters and can be food fixated. These dogs are happy to live outside as much as inside and in Michigan that is a natural habitat for them as long as they stay away from my garden as they love to dig. If only I could train them to dig holes so that I don’t have to and the way I want them dug for my plants and vegetables.

Their coat tends to be self-cleaning so they need only infrequent bathing and don’t tend to stink. They have a shedding season in the spring but don’t tend to leave huge amounts of hair around the house all year long. There is no fence too high for them to jump as they can leap up to 6 feet from a sitting position. Swimming is not their strongest quality but they tend not to show any resistance or fear of water and can be trained or encouraged to be active swimmers. They don’t take to retrieving naturally. Due to the inclusion of sight-hound in their genetic make-up, my guys tend to have very good vision and a strong nose. They are gifted and passionate hunters and tend to show these qualities at a very young age. My guys can be seen hunting anything from deer to minnows with varying success. And these two great guys are my pals, Frick and Frack!

Concerts in Riverside Park

“Oh, the birdie and the cricket and the willow tree, Oh, the birdie and the cricket and the willow tree, Oh, there’s no hurdy-gurdy with a melody so purdy, as the birdie and the cricket and the willow tree”.

Mike and I used to take in the human version concert in the park many years ago. But the crowds bothered us so now our concerts come from the wind through the trees, the sound of the Pere Marquette River moving through Riverside Park, and from the birds. Adding to that mixture is the blended sound of the cricket orchestra in full volume. The only type of music that tops that is organ music at church.

As for the park itself, Scottville Riverside Park offers over 50 modern sites, complete with electricity, water, and cable on about 30 acres. Primitive sites are also available for those who care to “rough it” a bit. There’s a handicap accessible bath house and laundry facilities, along with a large shelter with a stone fireplace. North of the trailer site is a camping area with its own shelter which is used by scouts and young people on canoe trips.

Near the entrance is the picnic area, complete with numerous tables, grills, kindling wood, and playground. Activities at Scottville Riverside Park include basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, horseshoe, and an outdoor pool. An off-site boat launch allows those with kayaks and canoes to head out onto the Pere Marquette River, which is also known for its quality trout and salmon fishing.

Mike likes to fish through those concerts while I prepare a picnic lunch of ham and potato salads, dill pickles, French bread, and watermelon slices for dessert. There under a beautiful blue sky we dine and listen to nature’s concert each and every time we go to the park. Our ears are tuned specifically to listen to the wonderous music of nature. And there is no music as “purdy” as that!

This is the Winter That Wasn’t

I’m a little jealous of my good friend David who lives in Indianapolis for he told me this morning that for the next seven days daytime highs in his city will be in the 70′s. Today he said that Indianapolis will be warmer than San Diego. The expected high for tomorrow in his city will be 78. What is going on???

Even here in Michigan our weather has been better than usual and scenes like this have been few and far in between.  My wife always has whites out in the spring on her clothes line but the real white out has been as rare as the dodo bird in Michigan this winter.  My two huskies think that I’ve misplaced winter this year and that they’re living in another state.

My snowmobiles haven’t been used a whole lot this year and that’s a shame.  Maybe there’s something to this global warming thing after all??  And what will the weather be like in Michigan this summer?  I heard that it even snowed in Hawaii this winter.  What is going on???

I’m somewhat concerned as to what Spring will look like in Michigan this year after our winter bust.  Maybe even some snow among the apple blossoms??

My Pool Room

Let me que you in on something. I love my pool room in my home. I do some of my best thinking over a game of pool. But not just any game mind you. I enjoy 6-Ball Pool the most. I play this with the eight ball squarely in the middle of the table and this ball cannot be touched whatsoever over the course of the game.

Before each pocket is a ball and the object of this game is to get every ball in its pocket on six shots.  However if a ball is moved even slightly without dropping into the pocket one loses their turn.  If more than one ball drops into a pocket on one turn than any extra shot is afforded them to place the eight ball in a pocket at the end of the game.

When all six balls are in their respective pockets, then a player must call the pocket for where the eight ball will be going.  Any other pocket gets him a single point but if he calls the pocket he gets two extra points.   But during the course of the game that eight ball must remain unmoved from its center perch until the other six balls are in their pockets. 

I don’t play Darlene very often because she likes to bet and she usually wins so she takes too much out of my personal pocket and then goes shopping with her winnings.  I think she practices this game when I’m not home.  Is that fair?

Sketching a Sunset

I ever so much enjoy doing pencil sketches of Lake Michigan. I just take my pad of paper and a chair out onto the sands of Lake Michigan and began whatever project fits my fancy. Depending on my location I either sketch the Ludington Lighthouse or the outlet into Lake Michigan of the Big Sauble River. Sometimes I pick a location between the two and sketch out the skyline against the waters of Lake Michigan.

Mike usually goes with me and does a few jogs of a thousand years in the general area I sketch as he does not like me to be there alone as I am almost oblivious to whatever’s around me while composing. In my mind I visualize the colors that I see however they do not go onto my canvas. I have a camera to capture those effects. The simplest work that I do are where the water meets the skyline. Yet I ever so much putting in the wave action of the lake.

It takes me about an hour to finish a general outline of what I want to do and then I fill in the gaps later at home. I prefer sketching on non-wavy days as it is hard to capture the Lighthouse, for example, when it continually is pounded by waves during high winds. Plus the sand is sent flying through the air and it stings making artwork impossible to handle.

I’ve always wanted to work with pastels but so far I haven’t tried that. There’s something so innocent and perfect about pencil sketching. I have several canvases of my work and I always try to top my previous work. My favorite times to sketch are early summer and early fall. And, I would recommend this form of artwork to anyone.

Abandoned Barns

Old barns have always fascinated me. What stories do they hold within their ancient boards? There is always the aroma of mustiness in old barns. It could well be a mixture of old hay, the cows that once inhabited it, and other less notable scents. And that mustiness sends one back into a time tunnel of what used to be and all the thoughts of what was once held precious by those that owned them.

I glanced toward some old stalls and wondered how many cows occupied them?  How many times did that farmer awake early in the morning, come cold or heat, to milk them?  And, how many stacks of hay were piled nearly to the roof for feed?  Was that side room used as some sort of den for the farmer to fix things?  How many tools did he have upon its walls? 

I also wonder how many purposes were meant for those old structures?  And, how many people did it take to raise that barn in is infancy?  There are far too many of these old barns standing fallow in Mason County, Michigan, these days.  But each is full of stories upon stories coming from those that owned and worked them. 

My father’s barn was the central hub of his farm.  Did any of our readers have barns within their family and, if so, tell us about them by way of a comment. 

Where Do Big Bass Lake Folks Shop For Groceries?

When my parents visited my Grandmother Noreika in the 1960′s, she did the majority of her grocery shopping in Scottville at a grocery on US 31. Now, for emergency items she went to The Big Bass Lake Store but their prices were rather high for a full grocery shop.

Today, perhaps the Wal-Mart in Ludington is an option? When I was taking Boys Clubs of America trips to our property we always shopped at a supermarket in Baldwin, Michigan. Or for snacks at the Dublin General Store which we did when visiting the Pine River. Again, today, there would always be Larry Bender’s Corner Store between Big Bass Lake and Loon Lake. But that kind of store is more like the 7/11 stores you find in cities.

If you’re a resident of the greater Big Bass Lake area, please let us know where you go for your full grocery shopping each week.  Where do you get the best bang for your buck?  Leave us a comment with your choice and why you go there.

Those Marvelous Dusty Roads

I love all the sandy roads within the Manistee National Forest and I don’t have to go to far to find one even in this day and age. Yes, the majority of the main roads are paved but who loves to go as the crow flies?  I enjoy those roadways that are rarely driven and that lead to virtually nowhere. 

Those are the roads untouched by human hands.  No construction is going on in those areas and you’ll never be plagued by “This road under construction” signs.  The down side is that your top speeds will run between thirty or forty miles an hour unless you want to put your shocks to the test?    And that could prove to be an expensive move!  Not to mention how you would get home unless you’re carrying a cell phone.  There aren’t any phone booths out in the sticks!

So take it easy and enjoy your ride out in the country.  Plus you’re get the added satisfaction of being able to clean all that sand off your car when you get home.  Isn’t life grand?

Extreme Cherry Pie

My husband, Mike, dearly loves my cherry pie yet even with his ravenous appetite he would be hard pressed to finish off the pie I am about to describe to you. Even Dave Norris’ friends Myrna and Dianna couldn’t even tag team this pie. You see my picture above once held that pie.

In 1987, the town of Traverse City had its own cherry festival. The Chef Pierre Bakeries went to work, and on July 25 it baked a cherry pie that was 28,350 pounds; 17 feet, 6 inches in diameter. And, the town had Guinness Book of World’s Records certify its pie as the largest ever.

The Traverse City pan stands unadorned, propped among bushes, in front of the former Chef Pierre Bakeries plant. Next to it, in a brick memorial, is an oversized certificate from the Guinness Book of World’s Records, fraying at the bottom, that gives the pie’s particulars.

I wonder if Ms Delcambre will make her way to Traverse City to get those particulars?  After all, Louisiana needs to be known for something!

What A Day to Drive In!

Usually a drive from Ludinton to Scottville takes ten minutes or so, that is, except in the winter. If Ludington gets a lake effect snow, that same ten minute drive can stretch into an hour. Now don’t get me wrong. Usually the Michigan Highway Department gets right on the dime with highway clearing and does an excellent job in so doing, but lake effect snow is a challenge to anyone.

And, it’s never just the road condition either.  One has to endure all those idiot drivers out there that don’t know how to drive in these conditions.  Some go too slow while others think they’re on some sort of speedway and I hate to be in front of those idiots.  They want to pass you and they do but slipping and sliding all the way.

The older people like to drive about five miles an hour and then that trip would beg to be just an hour.  I don’t like to pass during lake effect snow storms because the visibility is so poor.  But, to be honest, I rarely drive my vehicle in this kind of weather opting instead for my snowmobile where  I can set my own pace.  I also don’t necessarily have to follow the beaten path that being the highway.

Oh well, winter comes but once a year.  Great, isn’t it?

Mason County Winter Wonderland

I always love the first snowfall every year and then it tends to grain on me. I miss doodling in my garden. Instead of harvesting produce from my garden, I trade my hoe for a shovel and that is anything but “Hoe, Hoe, Hoe!” 

Mike loves the winter scene more than me.  Yet I do enjoy Christmas and New Years but then I can’t wait for the first thaw of spring and the times when flowers start popping up all over the place.  You know it takes more energy to walk in the winter as I have to walk through deep drifts of snow.

Snow is lovely to look at out my window but I hate driving in the stuff.  Mike loves snow a lot except when he has to shovel it.  And, around our place there is a LOT of shoveling to do since we live out in the country.  That’s when our snowmobiles come in handy. 

Oh well, after the holidays there are only a few months left of all this white stuff before my green garden coms back to life.  I can wait. 

A Preview of Coming Attractions

It’s not unusual at this time of year to observe brightly colored leaves adorned with a fresh snowfall.  Usually hat first one doesn’t stick around but there is plenty more to come!  I marvel at how the Michigan Highway Department gets our roads so clean especially after a heavy snowfall and how fast they go about it.  Just look at how high the snow is packed off to he side of the road and they even leave a half lane on the burr.

Now the road I live on out of Scottville often doesn’t get plowed as there are only a few houses down that road.  I have my snowmobiles and four-wheel drive truck.  It’s only a mile to a man road and I also have a shovel mounted on my truck for just such emergencies in the winter months.  However many county side roads are also cleared on a very timely basis.

Off to the left side of the road in this photograph is a snow bank that is just ready to come own upon the road with the slightest bit of noise.  It would again cover that highway.  I wonder if one of my sneeze’s would do the trick?

 

There’s A Bear In My Yard!

As a rule, there’s not too many things that get my goat, but one day this summer, after Mike left for work,  I was ready to do some planting and weeding in my garden when I glanced out the window only to observe a bear in our front yard.  I should have known something was wrong when our two huskies, Frick and Frack, began growling toward the back door. 

After seeing the bear, I wasn’t about to let them out even though I think they would have held their own against that critter.  It was a black bear and they are becoming ever so bold these days to get into people’s gardens and groves to feast upon what is to their liking.  I sure wasn’t planning to intervene on their diet that day.  It was fascinating, though, to watch him walk through our yard and sniff at my produce. 

Fortunately for me, not much was to his liking so after about ten minutes or so he lumbered back into the forest to see what other mischief he could get into.  I’m just glad hat he chose not to enter my house as another bear recently did on the east coast.  But then he would have also encountered Frick and Frack and I know that wouldn’t have been to his liking either.  Boy, would I have a tale to tell Mike that evening. 

The Great Scottville Rubber Duckie Race

Being from the greater Scottville, Michigan, area, I would much rather be known for being the town of the Scottville Clown Band over the town that hosts this race. Granted, this race is great for the kids of the area with the exception of the teenagers.

The race is really big in this area and has even garnered media coverage. I just make sure that I’m not in the way of the camera on those days. Our rubbie ducks are yellow which means they are even immune to Green Lantern’s power ring should he ever make his way to Scottville.

I often wonder how many bets are waged on the winning rubber duckie? Does anyone give odds? Do they allow for catfish interferance? Maybe Ludington would like to take this event for a couple of years? You think?

Rubber Duckie Rebuttle to Mike Reynolds by Duckie Sara

No, Mike, that isn’t a lemon slick coming down the Pere Marquette River but a yellow duckie slick and one that is very slick indeed!  How dare you be so obtuse as to think Ludington should get such a race!  That really ruffles my plastic feathers!  If you want a tip bet on the duckie in the middle of that “slick” as Ora Duckie can really float!

This race puts Scottville on the map and we’ve become even more famous than those jokers that dress as clowns and play band instruments.  Anyone can do that!  But how many rubber duckies do you know that can float down a river with such ease and grace? 

I’m the reigning Duckie and I really strut my stuff with that honor.  In the race almost anything goes to get across that finish line first.  I even hired a carnival guy to take some pot shots at the lead duckies.  KM Duckie thought she was going to win this year but I sure showed her.  Yes, these rubber duckie races can become ruthless in our mad desire to win first prize.

Last year I got featured in Rubber Duckie Review before I was stuffed into some easter egg to be given out to some kids.  Us rubber duckies just don’t get any respect.  Nuff said, Mike?

Rubber Duckie Family Dispute

My husband, Mike, and I live quite close to Scottville, Michigan, and we can both agree that the Clown Band provides the community great exposure. However, Mike is less than enthusiastic for the Rubber Duckie Race that happens each year. I, on the other hand, think its just great for kids and also for grown up kids as well.

The waters of the Pere Marquette River are brightened up by the release of 1000 bright yellow rubber ducks that float down the river in a mad race to the finish line. And while Mike shows no pains in expressing his displeasure at this race, I have often wondered how real duckies view this proceeding? Do they ever try to make new friends with their artificial cousins?

While I stroll along the banks of the river, Mike rolls his eyes in disbelief and my enjoyment of this race. I have wondered if Mike was ever deprived of rubber duckies in his bathtub as a youth? That could well explain a lot!   Or maybe he’s just denying the inner youth within him?  Hmmmm?

A Nearby Neighbor’s Farm

I enjoy driving around the greater Scottville, Michigan, area often and looking at the various farms that dot our landscape. What saddens me about all this is the growing number of vacant farms. Farming is fast becoming something of the past. That is why I always look forward to spotting an active farmer still plowing his fields. You can spot those active farmers by the bales of hay on their fields.

Yet the further out I go from Scottville it seems I find more vacant farms than not. Today I ventured into Lake County Michigan and turned down a side road and found vacant farm after vacant farm. I also notice that the Manistee National Forest, in spots, is getting further away from the road due to commercial expansion in the area. I don’t mean for this post to a downer but I am concerned about the plight of the Michigan farmer and I am sure that condition also applies to other states where farming is going downhill fast.

That is why I look so eager to find the active farmers and applaud their efforts to keep it going strong. On this particular day I stopped at two farmers and told them they were the backbone of America. I received back more than startled looks as though they thought I was something like a nutcase. I don’t care a whit about what they think as I just wanted them to know how proud I was of them for their perseverence in a time when farming seems to be winding down.

Maybe I should just stick to Lake Michigan posts?

No April Fools Day in Michigan

In Michigan, just because the calendar reads “Spring”, doesn’t necessarily make it so. Winter still has its grip on the majority of central Michigan northward at least for another few weeks. Sure, the ice on most lakes is melting and I would not regard it as safe to walk upon, but a lot of snow is still around.

I personally enjoy Michigan winters because we have them around for more than most people.  Michigan snowbirds miss this special time every year as the State of Florida, for a time becomes Michigan South.  I don’t know what I’d do without my snowmobiles in the winter for I love to ride them with my husband. 

But you’d better wear your sun glasses because the brightness of the sun upon the snow can well blind you without them.   Even though winter is about to give up the ghost this time around, I also can look forward to getting back into my garden with spring planting.  Happy April Fool’s Day to you all!

Downtown Scottville

Mike and I live outside of this community about five miles but it is what we call our home town. I do most of my shopping here or in Ludington which is about 15 miles from where I live. Scottville has a community college that offers me some “culture” by way of educational interests and then there’s the lure of the Scottville Park for both picnics and fishing.

About another ten miles from town is an orchard where I go to pick all kinds of fruit for my various pies that I make and bake. Scottville is on the edge of the Manistee National Forest which affords Mike and I some wonderful areas to hike and swim.

Most downtowns in this area of Michigan have older buildings with not much new in sight. Each year Scottville has a harvest festival which Mike and I attend. And, our town also boasts of the Scottville Clown Band which marches in parades throughout the area.

Yes, I do love my home town downtown. Friends and I often meet for coffee there. It’s not Chicago but the traffic is good!

Scottville Park

I could say that this is my favorite park in Scottville, especially in the springtime, for then I can fish to my hearts content on the Pere Marquette River or do some jogging upon the fresh green grass. Darlene and I love to picnic here nearly every week in the spring but as for the other seasons we seem to drift to the Manistee National Forest.

It’s strange how this park draws us to it in the spring yet not at other times. Maybe its because after the long hard winter this park is so close to where we live that we celebrate new life that springs brings with it? The best thing about living in this area is on how many places there are to visit. The beaches at Ludington along Lake Michigan, the many vistas of the Manistee National Forest, and yes, this beautiful park in Scottville.

Soon, I’ll be bringing you other attractions of this area of Michigan.

Scottville Harvest Festival

Yes, there is more than just the Scottville Clown Band and Rubber Duckie Race in my fair community as you will learn over time. Kind of the last “Hurray” before winter besets us is the Scottville Harvest Festival where kids can ride all the amusements they want while parents shop for bargains downtown.

Darlene and I like this festival for a change in pace and a night out without it having to do with the Manistee National Forest. I personally am not the best one for these things but I had a good time and even managed a couple of rides for myself. Darlene hates rides as she tends to get dizzy on them. I got dizzy when I saw how much she spent on her shopping excursions.

Another good thing about the Harvest Festival is the food that is served there. Let’s just say that Darlene didn’t have to prepare supper that day. Now winter can come upon us at almost any time. Yes, even when the leaves are in full color it has snowed before.

Autumn is usually short lived in North Central Michigan as winter beckons.

Autumn Roads Ablaze with Color

This is but one of the area roads around Mason County that is full of autumn color. One of the bright things literally about this area is that nearly every road looks just like this. Pine trees full of green also appear periodically to provide a balance in the color. I think the drive from Scottville to Free Soil is a favorite to really experience fall in all its glory.

But then the drive to Baldwin provides much the same scenery. Choose nearly any sandy road in the area for a more private journey but still full of ecstasy. If you happen to pass by a lake you can find even more colors reflected in the waters of that lake. There just isn’t anything to compare with a Mason County autumn. Experience it for yourself.

He Leadeth Me Beside The Still Waters

This winter has been an extremely brutal one for the majority of the country and Michigan has endured a long one as well. It makes me long for Spring. Today I am thinking about the Psalmist when he said, “He leadeth me beside the still waters”. In Winter, Michigan is not known for still waters. Yet that time is coming again and is really just around the corner.

In Michigan, Spring rarely raises its wonderful head until about mid-April. But as the flowers begin to poke their way up through the brown earth, a new vitality breaks out in me as well. It will be time to get my garden up and running again. My planting involves both flowers and vegetables as Mike and I enjoy the majority of our yearly vegetable diet straight from my garden.

So the time of still waters is not that far off now. Only about two more hard months of Winter is left. I really can’t wait for the advent of Spring this year. Does that hold true for you as well?