The Extra-Long Homily at Saint Bernards

On a trip to our property with the Salesian Boys Club, I had promised the Catholic parents that their boys would not miss Catholic Mass. Saint Bernards was in nearby Irons so I dropped them off there. Four boys on the trip were Catholics. So Whitey Meier, Mike Jones, and Mike Myers along with Timmy Flannery attended that service. The other three boys on the trip were not Catholics so we went across the street to a putt-putt course and waited while playing the game. And we waited and waited. We even went to a local Diner for a snack and still we waited. Finally after almost 2 hours the boys came out from the service. They looked somewhat exhausted. They said that priest really had a long homily that morning. Longer than they had ever heard before. So after the long service we all went out to eat at the irons Cafe and they made me promise them that they wouldn’t have to go back there again. I did not let their parents know that promise. They had learned something that day and that was that all Catholic Services aren’t the same. They said that was twice as long as the service at St. Ladislaus in Columbus. That afternoon we took a hike at nearby bear track and the morning service was soon forgotten. What they didn’t know was that the boys that didn’t go to service had a long morning as well. I’m sure the Catholic kids appreciated there home Church much more so after that experience.

An Alternate Ending to The Wizard of Oz

The Wicked Witch of the West needed Dorothy’s ruby red slippers because they were all out of her size at Macy’s and the style was discontinued. If you believe that then you will enjoy the alternate ending of The Wizard of Oz. alternate ending A great way to begin the holiday season.

Caberfae Peaks in Cadillac Michigan

With Ward Hill ski area no longer operational I would recommend Caberfae Peaks in Cadillac Michigan.

Take your entire family and enjoy the slopes.

They have open slopes like this or if you want more of a challenge trying something like this.

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon on a weekend getting some fresh air and having a great time. Check it out!

Hay Gathering Time

I remember well every time someone would cut the hay off of our fields and leave them in similar stacks. Even earlier in the 1950’s those stacks would be more rectangular and be piled up to the ceiling of our barn. It would be great fun to climb them in various ways.

Those stacks were used to feed the cows in the winter months and by the time spring arrived, those stacks would be reduced to next to nothing. It was hard to believe that the cows could consume that much hay. But my dad’s family was rather large and they consumed a lot of milk. Cows must have an enormous appetite to consume that much hay over the course of a winter.

Then again, winter in Michigan actually begins in November and can last through mid April. I even remember those times of running behind Frank Benish’s tractor as he plowed our field. Those were great times. The length of our family field from beginning to end was close to a half mile. The main concourse of that field was along Big Bass Lake Road from just west of the Public Landing all the way to Noreika Road.