U.P. North Life

Ferry Etiquette . . .

2014-05-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

New to the Island? Here are a few tips on Ferry Etiquette to buff off some of that newbie shine you might be sporting:

1. Plan ahead - It helps:
First, check the schedule for the boat so you can plan your travel times. Our Drummond Island Ferry runs on the 10s and 40s. You can find the current schedule online here:
http://www.drummondislandchamber.com/media/DIFerrySchedule052314.pdf

2.    Be nice – It’s the right thing to do:
There IS a line leader. They are the ones who got to the ferry dock first, line-up nicely behind them. Do not take cuts.

3.    Waiting - It happens:
In high season, ferry traffic will exceed capacity, particularly on Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings/early afternoons. At these times the ferry may or may not “run wild” – meaning make extra trips between regularly scheduled runs to pick-up cars that were inline but simply couldn’t fit onboard. Be prepared to wait. Bring a book, a newspaper or a good friend to chat with!

4.    Don’t rush – you won’t get there any faster.
When getting on or off the ferry watch and wait to be directed by a Crew member. Rushing rarely accomplishes anything and may cause accidents.

5.    Hang up – stop texting.
When loading or unloading from the ferry please turn your cell phone off and pay attention. The process goes smoothly when we all work together.

6.    Have your money or ticket ready.
The EUPTA only accepts cash or check. They are NOT set-up to accept Credit or Debit Cards of any kind. Know what the fares are in advance by reading the board on the DeTour side or online at their official website:
http://www.drummondislandchamber.com/media/DIFerrySchedule052314.pdf

7.    Don’t argue with the Ferry Crew, ever.
They are here to help us, they know what they are doing and do it well. Take time to smile and wave as you unload!

8.    Sit back and enjoy the view!
You’re on “Island Time”!

Photo Credit: Donna Alexander

Together We Make a Family . . .

2014-04-27T12:10:00.001-04:00

Our family. We are a strange clan of characters making our way through life sharing DNA and toothpaste. Borrowing money and divvying up marshmallows . Inflicting pain and hugging to heal it all in the same moment.

We love, laugh, fight and defend. At times we struggle to figure out just what the common thread is that binds us all together.

It isn't blood. When we married each of us brought two biological children to the table. His daughter and son, my two sons and a "daughter" who became family by default. Our five have grown, married and multiplied - this month we morphed into a family of 24! Five children, their spouses/partners, their children and their step-children. All part of this thing I lovingly call "Our Clan".

I am now the Matriarch of this ragtag bunch. And I find myself using terms like "young people" and "good, clean fun" when referring to the activities of my grandchildren. When did I become my Great-grandmother?!

But the thing is, when I look at my life, my greatest happiness-es are our family happiness-es. Each and every milestone takes on new meaning for me. Babies being born. Wee ones starting kindergarten. Older ones going to Prom, off to college and getting engaged.

Our family - our Clan - is a circle of love and strength. With every birth, union and milestone the circle grows. Every joy shared adds to the love we all feel for each other. Every obstacle faced makes our growing circle stronger.

I didn't choose this family - they are God's gift to me. The bond that links us is not entirely blood - it is the love and joy we bring to each other.

Together we make a family!

How C-O-L-D Was It? The Story of a Cold Winter in the Island's History as shared by Lisa Ellis:

2014-01-03T13:34:00.000-05:00

Coast Guard Cutter 'Mackinaw' in the ice circa 1960s

(Photo Credit: from the collection of the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum)

Lisa Ellis was kind enough to type up this story of her father's memory of another C-O-L-D winter in the Island's history:

"My Dad, on his regular visit this morning had a cold weather story to share!

He began talking about the coldest he had ever seen it on Drummond - I would say after 82 years he has seen a lot! He said that the coldest he had ever seen it on Drummond was -50F! BURRRR!

He also told of weeks and weeks of below zero weather. I can remember -40F for weeks in my life time.

He told of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (the old one) pulling into the ferry dock, putting the stern engines in forward and the bow engines in reverse sending ice chucks rolling up around the bow along with car parts, bikes and mud from the bottom of the lake!

He also told of weeks and weeks of below zero weather. I can remember -40 for weeks in my life time.

He told of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (the old one) pulling into the ferry dock, putting the stern engines in forward and the bow engines in reverse sending ice chucks rolling up around the bow along with car parts bikes and mud from the bottom of the lake!

He told of being out on the ice (driving across with their car) and being 60 feet or so from the Mackinaw while she worked her way through the St. Mary's ice. They watched as 4 or 5 foot thick chunks of ice bubbled up around the bow and slid across the top of the ice-crusted River! (He wishes he would have taken pictures, I wish they would have too! I would have loved to see that!)

He told me how exciting it was to see that majestic boat at work. He considers it a privilege to have been able to see it! I think it's awesome to hear his stories! If anyone had photos I would love to see them! Candis Collick here is a story for you!

Coast Guard Cutter 'Mackinaw' in the ice circa 1960s

(Photo Credit: from the collection of the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum)

**********************************************************************************
I love hearing and sharing the stories of our Island's history. Stories like this define one's sense of the unique nature of each of our families, and of our own places in them. They provide us with inspiration, warnings, and cherished values. These stories never leave us; they reverberate through our lives, guiding our choices in work, friendship and love. Keeping a family's history alive is critical not only to its memory, but also to its members own emotional survival.

Thank you Lisa for sharing your father's story today - keep 'em coming!
Cheers!

For all your "Calming" Beverages!

2013-10-19T11:19:00.001-04:00

The rhythms and rituals of life on the Island are sacred. Now you can be reminded of your own "Island Times" while sipping your morning coffee - or the "calming" adult beverage of your choice!

Get your own "Keep Calm" mug from Cafe Press by following this link: http://www.cafepress.com/mf/83589722/keep-calm-and-island-on-drummond-island_mugs?shop=Drummond_Island

The Hatch is ON!

2013-07-10T08:51:00.000-04:00

Think how fast a year flies by

A month flies by

A week flies by

Think how fast a day flies by

A Mayfly’s life lasts but a day

A single day

To live and die

A single day

How fast it goes

The day

The Mayfly

Both of those.

A Mayfly flies a single day

The daylight dies and darkness grows

A single day

How fast it flies

A mayfly’s life

How fast it goes.

It starts like a rise of small trout. There are dimples on the surface, little fingerlings eating midges, perhaps. But these are no fish. The water breaks and up pop the wings of a Mayfly, then another and another. The hatch is on!

This legend plays out every year on calm, dark, humid nights in late May and early June. The mayflies make the television news by showing up on doppler radar or calling snowplows out of dormancy to remove layers of duns from bridges.

Mayflies have two adult stages. They first emerge from the water as duns (scientifically known as the subimago stage). They then molt into the spinner (imago) stage, in which they mate and die.

This poem is from the book The Llama Who Had No Pajama by Mary Ann Hoberman. Hoberman's poems, accompanied by Fraser's illustrations, have been delighting children for 40 years. Now, many poems from their out-of-print books are available in this fun collection. The selections are mostly humorous, sometimes contemplative, and deal with animals, family, play, and plain silliness.

Once You Have Slept On An Island . . .

2013-05-14T07:44:00.000-04:00

If once you have slept on an Island

You'll never be quite the same;

You may look as you looked the day before
And go by the same old name,

You may bustle about in street and shop
You may sit at home and sew,
But you'll see blue water and wheeling gulls
Wherever your feet may go.

You may chat with the neighbors of this and that
And close to your fire keep,
But you'll hear ship whistle and lighthouse bell
And tides beat through your sleep.

Oh! you won't know why and you can't say how
Such a change upon you came,
But once you have slept on an island,
You'll never be quite the same.

by Rachel Lyman Field

Be changed. Experience sleeping on an Island this summer. Drummond Island is waiting for you!

Photo credits: All photos are used with permission
and come from the @Drummond Island MI Facebook page.

Paddling Drummond Island

2013-03-07T07:40:00.002-05:00

There is no rushing when paddling. When you paddle you go at the pace of the water and that pace ties you into a flow that is older than life itself on this planet. Acceptance of that pace, even for a day, changes us, reminds us of other rhythms beyond the sound of our own heartbeats.

Drummond Island is a paddler’s paradise of sheltered bays, forested islands, and stone-studded shorelines in northern Lake Huron. The Island and its many satellite islands combine to form a marvelous playground for seasoned kayakers. Of course, Drummond’s quiet bays and forested shoreline can also be explored and enjoyed by less experienced paddlers on day trips and over-nighters, provided they select a route geared to their experience level. With that said the Drummond archipelago is particularly suited to veteran kayakers. Drummond’s waterways feature long sections of exposed shoreline, and exploration of some of the outer islands in Potagannissing Bay require open crossings of a mile or more.

If one sets out to navigate the waters surrounding Drummond you should always be mindful of the fact that perspective changes and what is familiar from land is not always so clearly recognized from the cockpit of a low riding kayak. Always plan your paddle and paddle your plan! If you need help laying out your route, simply stop by the DITA office. Our local experts will share their knowledge and experience in an effort to make your paddling experience a successful adventure!

Drummond Island has over one hundred forty miles of coast and inland shoreline to explore – all plotted out via the DITA recreational map and easily accessed from multiple public launch points. There’s much to explore by kayak or canoe, especially on the Drummond Island Heritage Water Trail - where points of interest are linked around a 60-mile loop. From easy paddles in our inner bays to high adventure risk and challenge circumnavigating the entire shoreline - paddling the Island’s waterways is a true Up North experience!

Escape your land-locked life for Drummond Island, where our scenic shoreline awaits you for the ultimate paddling adventure!

Let Us Always Remember . . .

2012-12-07T08:55:00.001-05:00

Seventy one years after the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, our cultural memory of the attack has inevitably faded. It won't be too long before those with direct memories of the day are gone but it is important for us to remember the sacrifices made by past generations, especially since those individuals are not just names in a history book but are our neighbors, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

Let us always remember this day in history

December 7, 1941

Good Hair Days!

2012-11-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

Well, it may seem a bit shallow but TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR good hair days and today is one of those days for me thanks to the most talented Cindy Hammers here on the Island. I don’t know what it is about a good hair day that makes me feel extra special.

I could be wearing sweats and sick to my stomach but if my hair is *good* I will instantly feel better about myself. It happens to me all the time.

Today I am having a good hair day and it has made me feel beautiful! Every time I see it, it makes me smile, and smiling makes me feel great. And when I feel great I want to make others feel great and is there anything really wrong with that? Of course not!

I hope that you all will have a good hair day sometime this week because you deserve to feel as special and beautiful as I do right now! THANK YOU CINDY! :)

Waking up in the Woods!

2012-11-29T08:50:00.001-05:00

I woke up in the woods this morning! My woods – the woods I never tire of exploring, who’s nooks and crannies are as familiar to me as the rooms of our home. I think people who don't know the woods very well sometimes imagine it as a kind o

f undifferentiated mass of greenery, an endless continuation of the wall of trees they see lining the road as they zoom past. And I think they wonder how the woods could hold anyone's interest for very long, being all so much the same.

But the truth is I have a list of a hundred places on the Island I haven't been yet. Wooded shorelines to wander; ponds I've never seen in the winter (I've seen them in the summer - but that's a different pond), and forests deep in the interior to explore. My list gets longer every year and doubtless it will grow until the day I die. So many woods - so little time.

But today I woke up in the woods! And I AM SO VERY THANKFUL FOR my woods!

Thankful for the Pain . . .

2012-11-28T19:19:00.000-05:00

Pain is a part of life. Sometimes it's a big part, and sometimes it isn't – but either way, it's still a part of life. Pain does two things: It teaches you – it lets you know that you're alive. And it leaves you changed. It leaves you wiser – sometimes. It leaves you stronger – sometimes. Either way - pain leaves its mark.

I am NOT thankful for the pain this insidious disease brings into my life. But TODAY I AM THANKFUL for the lessons it has taught me.

I am all Kinds of Full of Thanks!

2012-11-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

This month – thanks to the suggestion of a dear friend – I have been thankful for stuff. Like, seriously thankful. Like thankful-out-of-the-wazoo kind of thankful. I have been earnestly committing to reflecting each morning on one thing to be thankful for and sharing that reflection here.

But today I am going to generalize my thankfulness. Because – honestly – I’m feeling lazy. And I don’t want to spread my thankfulness too thin. But don’t doubt that I could. I could totally whip up 100 things to be thankful for and include the truly important things in life like sunshine and impending vacations. But instead of a cornucopia of thankfulness today I’m going to reduce my thanks to just 1. That’s right - one generic TODAY I AM JUST PLAIN ASS THANKFUL. For my life. For everything in my life. I am all kinds of full of thanks!

A Lifetime of Paddling - A Month of Thanksgiving!

2012-11-26T10:50:00.000-05:00

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR a lifetime of paddling!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 25, 2012

2012-11-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward

I was the child no one wanted for a student. Obstinate. Opinionated. Curious. Well-read beyond my years. Front and center, hand raised high on every question - questioning the questions along with the answers. I came to understand at a very young age that there was so much to learn and so little of what I wanted to know being taught within the confines of the many schools and classrooms I was relegated to endure.

I have, however, been blessed to have had some really great teachers in my life. My Great-grandmother – who taught me to be a Wilds; my Grandfather’s mistress, Nora – who taught me that books are the quietest and most constant of friends; my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Johnson – who taught me that my curiosity was a thing of beauty to be cherished, nourished and admired; my first college professor Dr. Shuman – who encourage me to stretch myself beyond any and all external limits; and philosopher/author Parker J. Palmer – who taught me we teach who we are. That good teaching cannot be reduced to technique – great teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR all the GREAT teachers in my life that valued and shared their sense of identity and integrity with me.

Today I am Thankful for . . . SNOW!

2012-11-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

I love snow. I absolutely adore snow. I get little-kid giddy when it snows. To me, snow is proof God has a sense of humor. If the weather forecast contains even the slightest possibility of snow, I'm sitting by a window, looking out, hoping and praying - please let it snow. Why do I love snow so much?

I love snow because it brings out the kid in me - snow is the only weather you can play with. You might be able to play in the rain, but you can't do much with the rainwater. But with snow - well - there's almost no end to the things you can do with snow. And that's one of the reasons I love it. I love getting in the snow - touching it, holding it, walking in it, skiing in it - just plain loving it!

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR snow!

Part of my *A Month of Thanksgiving* series

30 Days of Thanksgiving Continued - November 23, 2012

2012-11-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

I sincerely believe that history matters. History defines, educates and inspires us. It lives on in our stories and traditions. As custodians of our past we must value it, nurture it and pass it on. Stories define one's sense of the unique nature of each of our families, and of our own places in them. They provide us with inspiration, warnings, and cherished values. These stories never leave us; they reverberate through our lives, guiding our choices in work, friendship and love.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR memories – the history of our family shared through its stories.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving Day 2012

2012-11-22T10:19:00.000-05:00

"I Receive ALL of Life with Thanksgiving -
I have gratitude for EVERYTHING
that has ever occurred to bring me to this moment.
I give thanks for the joys and the sufferings,
the moments of peace and the flashes of anger,
the compassion and the indifference,
the roar of my courage and the cold sweat of my fear.
I accept gratefully the entirety of my past and my present life".
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

TODAY I AM THANKFUL for all things!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 21, 2012

2012-11-21T09:41:00.000-05:00

They were once little boys who looked to me for everything - love, protection and guidance. They loved me unconditionally and snuggled up to be hugged at a moment’s notice. They are now men and though they will always be at the center of my life, I am no longer at the center of theirs. Their own sons and daughters have taken over that role. I am so proud of them that it makes me proud of me. I hope they know that.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR

my two wonderful sons.

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 20, 2012

2012-11-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

I came kicking and screaming to social networking. Why would a grown woman with grand-kids want to spend any time at all on the computer just chatting? It was my granddaughters who set up my first Facebook page during our annual 4th of July family gathering on the Island.

There was no turning back after my first *Friend* invites came rolling in. Now I can’t imagine a day going by without being able to chat with friends near and far. Without sharing recipes, announcements of births and deaths, and getting a giggle or two from the photos, jokes and quotes everyone posts.

These days I have a VERY active Facebook account, Pinterest boards and I Tweet on a daily basis. Yes, there are days when what I read frustrates and saddens me. But mostly I feel my life is richer as a result of all these instant forms of communication - of social interacting.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR this thing called FaceBook!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 19, 2012

2012-11-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

What a pure blessing it is to have a bath in a tub alone in a room where all you have to do is turn on the knobs and let the water flow. Not tote buckets. To lie back, relax and take comfort in knowing that when you are finished all you have to do is pull out the plug. Not tote more buckets to empty the tub. That kind of thing is easy to take lightly unless you have never had it.

There have been times in my life when I toted buckets. Lots of times and many buckets.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR hot baths whenever I want them!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 18, 2012

2012-11-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ah, Sunday Mornings! From our very first weekend spent together Barry and I have cultivated our Sunday morning routine – jazz, mimosas and the Sunday paper. Sometimes the most important part of the whole week is the rest taken between two deep breaths. For us, Sunday Morning is that rest.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR Sunday Mornings!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 17, 2012

2012-11-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

I read all sorts of things: books, boxes, magazines and newspapers. I have always had this insatiable desire to learn but mostly I just love to read for reading’s sake alone. I love words!

Being dyslexic means learning to read - for me initially - was a struggle. But once mastered it has become a lifelong obsession. Anything really interesting can absorb me to the point that I don't know what is going on around me.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR the gift of printed words!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 16, 2012

2012-11-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

We all seek water, shelter, food and a means to gather all in one place for security and in most cases comfort/prosperity. This place is the thing we call “Home”. But having lived in everything from a tiny trailer deep in the woods to a house on a hill in a Historic Neighborhood I have come to understand that no four walls nor roof will ever suffice unless you know what you want in life.

For me home is not where my heart is but where my heart is most happy. Home is the place where I am loved unconditionally. Home is where I feel safe and protected.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR having found my “home”.

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 15, 2012

2012-11-15T08:41:00.001-05:00

I can’t ever remember thinking; “Someday I want to be wildly successful at schlepping shoes on eBay”. But here I am – with multiple college degrees in various science fields at multiple levels. And I schlep shoes (and more) on eBay. All because life knocked me on my ass – literally – when I had a freak water skiing accident nearly 10 years ago. All because I refuse to sit back and let life happen to me - because I have this innate need to happen to life! So I schlep shoes on eBay. And eBay’s been very, very good to me.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR - eBay!

A Month of Thanksgiving - November 14, 2012

2012-11-14T07:34:00.000-05:00

I have never recognized the existence of an impossibility. I am not especially courageous – I am just bullheaded. I was born with the soul of a poet and the emotional makeup of a junkyard dog. This trait doesn’t always endear me to people who can’t understand the passion I bring to life. But come hell or high water I know this tenacity is what gets me through to the other side of whatever is thrown at me. I don’t lie down and I don’t let life whoop me.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR being stubborn. Really. Seriously!

(Photo – me, age 5. You can see the stubbornness oozing out my pores even back then!)