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Boarding Call

I've not had a Mackinac specific post in quite awhile, so I thought I'd share a unique to Mackinac moment with you - horses leaving for the winter, a sure sign that the "season" is over.

At the peak of the season, there's upwards of 600 horses here on the Island, all with their job to do, hauling people or freight. But they don't spend the winter here, due to the lack of pasture and the necessity/expense of hauling all their foodstuffs over via ferry.

So except for a very few, they travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in small groups, to spend the winter at pasture. And that  starts with a ferry ride to the mainland.

Due to the current very low water levels, the ramp down into the ferry is pretty steep, but most of the horses take it in stride - they've made this trip before!

But occasionally, one will decide that this just isn't a good idea:

"I don't WANT to go!!!"

"I still don't want to go!!!"

"Okay, if I have too, but I still think it's a bad idea!"

"What's his problem? It's no big deal."

In the spring, the process is reversed, with the horses gradually returning - they're usual the first "seasonal" workers to arrive!

Touring Michigan - Munising

Water - it's the centerpiece of the landscape in Northern Michigan and was the focus of our recent visit to Munising, located on the southern shore of Lake Superior and a gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

There are seventeen waterfalls in the Munising area, one of our favorites is Laughing Whitefish Falls. The falls drop a hundred feet down a limestone slide; in the spring, the flow is much stronger than now, but it's still beautiful. It's a tough place to photograph well, the ravine is so deep that only at midday does sunlight reach the bottom.
 

There's beauty in the little details too - the color of the rock, the play or light and water.

 With a forty foot drop, Miner's Falls is the reward for a twenty minute walk through the woods.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a place unlike any other, towering above Lake Superior are the most prominent of the park's  features, the multicolored sandstone cliffs for which the lakeshore is named. These cliffs reach to a height of 200 feet above the lake; the name "Pictured Rocks" comes from the streaks of minerals that stain and decorate the face of the wind and water sculpted cliffs. Sandstone cliffs of ochre, tan, and brown - sandwiched with layers of white, green, orange, and black - glisten against the cloud-streaked sky and clear waters of Lake Superior.

There are a few ways to see the Pictured Rocks, we choose a boat cruise this time. About 12 years ago, we hiked the length of the park - from Grand Marais to Munising, a total of 42 miles. Maybe we'll do it again some day!

The cliffs start out small:

But big on color! The colors and patterns are caused by water carrying minerals such as copper, iron and manganese through the soft sandstone.

If you're comfortable in a kayak on Lake Superior, you can get truly up close and personal!

 Arches and caves are formed by the forces of wind and water:

Many of the formations have been named, this is Indian Head:

This is Chapel Rock, topped with a magnificent pine - even more amazing when you notice the root system bridging the gap to the cliff!

Spray Falls marks the turn around point, the falls also marks the the resting place of an 1856 shipwreck;  "Superior" lies at the base of the falls in 20 feet of water.

As is common on Superior, a quick moving storm moved in on our return trip:

But it stopped just before we passed the East Chanel Light on Grand Island - we had spent the previous day on Grand Island, biking nearly 20 miles.

The Munising area is beautiful all year, but the best time to visit is quickly approaching: FALL! The colors are already starting to show just a bit - plan your visit soon.

What "Eye" Can See

It's "shoulder" season - the brilliant colors of autumn have passed, but the white snow of winter has not yet arrived - but that doesn't mean there isn't beauty all around us in the seeming drab surroundings of late November.

It takes a different approach, allow your inner "eye" some freedom to roam - you might just be surprised by what might be revealed when all the foliage is stripped away.

First frost:


Brambles, with leaves ready to drop:

Wet pavement, adorned with fallen leaves:

Picked clean:

Forest hieroglyphics:

The snow will be arriving soon, but for now I'm enjoying the spare, pared down appeal of a fairly monochromatic landscape - I hope you do too.

Walk in the Woods

A combination of many personal commitments and windy/wet weather have kept me out of the woods, but I made it yesterday afternoon - and I was so happy to be there!

Peak color is , of course, past, but bright color can still be seen here and there. The real interest is on the forest floor:

This guy thought they were pretty interesting too:

I saw dozens of squirrel, all scurrying about, fattening up for winter. The birds are equally busy, with chickadees and juncos the most active in late afternoon. I was fortunate enough to spot a pileated woodpecker; they're one of my favorites, looking somewhat prehistoric as they glide from tree to tree:

Late fall beauty is subtle, depending more on texture and form then color:

And if Spring is all about the wildflowers, Fall is all about the fungus - equally beautiful, but frequently overlooked:

To appreciate this time of year, you need to slow down, look a little closer, study the details - like this tiny puddle, held in the cup of a fallen leaf:

Or this lovely little autumnal vignette, arranged by nature itself:

Or this little "forest" of moss and lichen:

Fall is my favorite time of year and yesterday's walk was splendid, the colors, the forms, the light, the scent of the fallen leaves and the sounds those leaves make as you move along the paths - make time to slow down and enjoy the season!

Fall = Apples

Apple pie, apple fritters, and especially apple cider - fresh made and NOT pasteurized, at a local cider mill!

We have apple trees here on Mackinac, the long lasting remnants of a time when there were farms here on the Island - can you imagine trying to farm such rocky "soil"?

Apple trees (and lilacs), seemingly out of place in the woods or fields are the sure sign of long ago farmstead, they are amazingly resilient.

Here's one of my all time favorite apple recipes; it's true fall comfort food:

Apple Custard Cake:

1 stick butter, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup flour, plus more for the pan

1 vanilla bean

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 large apples

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk at room temperature

powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9" square pan with foil, then smear with a think layer of butter. Dust with flour, turn the pan over and tap lightly to remove excess flour.

Melt the stick of butter in a small saucepan. In a bowl, whisk or beat together the eggs and half the sugar. Split the vanilla bean in half the long way; scrape the seeds into the egg/sugar mixture and put the pod in with the melted butter; let the butter cool while you prepare the batter and the apples. continue to beat the eggs and sugar, adding the remaining sugar a little at a time, until thick. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then trim their ends and slice thinly.

Remove the vanilla pod from the butter and beat the butter into the batter, the mixture should form a ribbon when dropped from a spoon. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir it into the egg/sugar mixture alternately with the milk. Add the apples and stir them in well, every piece of apple must be coated with batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out the batter.

Bake for 45 minutes, then rotate the pan, bake an additional 25 minutes until the cake pulls away from the pan and is brown on top. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes, then serve long slices, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

We have been trying to eat more seasonally and locally; I just picked eggplant, zucchini, green beans and peppers from my own garden, here on Mackinac - yes, on October 23th!

Right now, we're enjoying apples and I hope you are too.