Category Archives: michigan

michigan: the sasquatch state. and the Great Lakes are here too.

Standard

Over the years, reported sightings of the legendary — and mystical — Bigfoot have made headlines across the United States. He’s been spotted in parks and campsites by people who claim the giant Sasquatch is unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.

The legend of the beast has grown over the years as there are whole groups of people who search for Bigfoot and track his “known whereabouts.”

According to a new TV show, “In Search of Monsters,” Michigan is one of the top places to encounter Bigfoot as there have been 1,131 sightings reported in our state over the years.

In a description of their findings, the show — which airs on the Travel Channel — says many of the reported sightings were near the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula. They even describe a scenario where a woman claims Bigfoot walked up to her car and looked in while her baby was inside. She said there was a foul odor in the air and then she saw the massive creature.

In the fall of 2016, there were at least three reported sightings of Bigfoot in Michigan in the span of a few weeks. All of these occurred in the Upper Peninsula.

“the inclination to believe in the fantastic may strike some as a failure in logic, or gullibility, but it’s really a gift. a world that might have bigfoot and the loch ness monster is clearly superior to one that definitely does not.”     

-chris van allsburg – author of the polar express

 

 

 

credits: mlive.com, matt durr, grand haven tribune

the crossing.

Standard

word has it the littles are headed to england.

hopefully they’re back in the states

in time for the first day of school today.

“you can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

-rabindranath tagore

glen lake, empire, michigan – summer 2018

grape and grain.

Standard

whiling away the day

at the casual and welcoming

houses of grape and grain

“come, gentlemen, i hope we shall drink down all unkindness.” 

-william shakespeare, the merry wives of windsor

 

 

 leelanau peninsula, michigan, usa – summer 2018 

light.

Standard

relaxation –

the process of an electron releasing a photon of light (energy)

and falling back down to a lower energy level. 

 

 

 

on traverse bay, michigan, usa – summer 2018

i rate enthusiasm even above professional skill. – edward appleton

Standard

IMG_0814
some of the grandies

upstairs

near the bunk-bed room

pajamas on

unwinding

 problem-solving

 still full of energy

after a long day

spent enjoying and exploring

the water and sand and gardens and lawn

way up north

on a warm and breezy

michigan night.

climbing up high, right into the sky.

Standard

11807294_10153587070801694_4275931625983698736_o

look at your feet. you are standing in the sky. 

when we think of the sky, we tend to look up,

but the sky actually begins at the earth.

~diane ackerman

11802781_10153587088281694_4693039249380184033_o

family climb at the sleeping bear dunes national lakeshore –  empire, michigan

make fudge, not war.

Standard

images-2

through the generations, murdick’s fudge on mackinac island

has been recognized as an iconic michigan favorite.

with 17 fudge shops on the celebrated historical mackinac island of michigan,

all offering free samples,

there is an ongoing rivalry between 6 rival companies,

each claiming to be the best.

my suggestion is to try them all to make it a fair contest

and decide for yourself.

Mackinac Island fudge1

mackinac island fudge festival | august 21-23, 2015
while fudge was not invented on mackinac island, mackinac island’s fudge has become the most popular fudge in america. this festival celebrates the creamy goodness with events such as Dining Under the Influence of Fudge, Fudge on the Rocks, Michigan Craft Brew Beer Tastings, Great Turtle Slow Ride and the coveted “Daddy, I Want the Golden Ticket” vacation giveaway.

happy national fudge day – june 16

save the earth. it’s the only planet with chocolate. ~author unknown

images-2

MACKINAC ISLAND

Covering 3.8 square miles, Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsula. It is only accessible by ferry or plane. • The island was home to Native American settlements before European exploration began in the 1600s.

It also was a key site for the Great Lakes Fur Trade and was home to Fort Mackinac, built by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, the island became a popular tourist destination and summer colony, and that popularity gets stronger by the summer.

The entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Battle sites, historic buildings, the fort, and dozens of additional diversions, including Original Murdick’s Fudge, entertain visitors.

Because automobiles were banned from the village in 1898, and from the park in 1901, on-island transit is by foot, horse, carriage and bicycle.

image credits: mackinacisland.com, originalmurdicksfudge.com, michigan.com

happy 178th birthday to my state of michigan

Standard

1409025

and thanks for being in a the shape of a mitten

so i can always show where i’m from

or where i’m going

or where i got lost

michigan-hand

and thanks for both peninsulas

i love both of you

and thanks for being surrounded by the 5 great lakes so i never go thirsty

and for being so close to canada so i can travel internationally

great-lakes

i know you’ve had some rough years

but you look pretty good for your age

at least to me.

a child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer. ~author unknown

Standard

IMG_0130

how many minnows are in there?

what’s that thing?

is that place far away?

how many different colors are in there?

where did the sun go?

why is that bigger than my head?

who’s turn is it?

sittin’ on a dock on a bay…..

address:

on glen lake up north in michigan

“and at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling.” — shanti

Standard

1470269_10152615497611694_1308576953840277441_n a windy day

at empire beach

on lake michigan

by sleeping bear dunes

36414b764893c66a988092c25c80a17d