Random Photo #1

Seasonal Signs

Life on Mackinac is cyclic - and I don't mean bicycles!

As summer passes and we move into fall, there are certain signs that the season is changing and one of the most telling is the gradual, annual movement of the horses back onto the mainland.

I'm sure these were not the first batch to make the move, but they are the first I've seen. It's a bit bittersweet to see them go, but it's just part of the rhythm of life on this Island.

I recently became aware of a very special program filmed in 1988, When the Horses Leave: Metamorphosis at Mackinac. You can see the online version here.

It was made 25 years ago, but still illustrates the lifestyle of year round Mackinac today and it's great fun to watch and compare how some of our residents looked a quarter century ago!

Temperature's Dropping!

This particular thermometer is actually showing a rather high temperature compared to the last several days!

So cold, the lake has been steaming - the old timers say the lake has to steam seven times before the ice will make.

There's a bit of ice in the harbor, but not enough to stop the boats just yet (but every trip across has the potential of being the last!

And there's a thick coat of ice on the boat itself.

The few remaining horses are still at work, wearing frost beards!

We even have some snow, which has been in short supply the last couple winters - it goes a long way towards making winter on Mackinac more enjoyable!

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!

Transport - October 2012 Bead Journal Project

When I first started this project, I intentionally did not research the ancient rune stones, as I did not want to be influenced by tradition - yet two of my stones ended up exactly following the traditional!

The first was my January stone: Ice. The second is this month's stone Transport or Horse.

The Horse is a rune of travel and change; it may indicate a spiritual journey and the need for faith in your own destiny.

When this rune is reversed, it warns of a restlessness and a desire to escape by traveling or moving away from the problem - a passage away from pain.

On Mackinac, the horse is an integral part of the lifestyle, serving to transport both people and freight. Yet the horses themselves have a routine of transport, traveling to the mainland each fall and returning in the spring - a potent symbol of seasonal change.

I struggled with an appropriate found object for this particular stone, but when our new kitten broke a small horse figurine, I had my horse representation!

This grouping, my January - October stones,  was one of several pieces I exhibited at Crooked Tree Arts Center as part of their Artists of Mackinac Island show - and it sold!

When Simple Isn't

Living on Mackinac is so rewarding, but at times frustrating - and no more so then when what would be very simple in the "real world", is so very complicated to accomplish here on Island.

For example, we really wanted to see the movie "Warhorse" in the theatre:

It just seemed to be one of those films that would not be quite the same viewed at home on the TV (and that turned out to be true). I'd highly recommend the film, while there are some scenes that are bit cliche and heavy handed, we really enjoyed it immensely - just be sure to bring your hanky, you'll need it.

So step one: Find out if it's playing anywhere in the area. Petoskey, not quite an hour away, was the closest showing AND they had a matinee - so no need to stay overnight.

Step two: Find a couple people to cover my on-call time at the Med Center - I'm on-call 24/7 in the winter, for both lab and radiology - it took a little arm twisting, but managed.

Step three: Consider the ferry schedule - the movie is at 11:45 am, that means leaving on the 8:15 am ferry, which means getting up at 6:30 am on my day off - YUCK! We walked down the hill, while there was a little snow on the roads, based on the forecast there might not be when we returned.

But I must admit, being up for sunrise wasn't all bad:

And we discovered that a bit of scim ice is starting to form on the St. Ignace side:

So we arrive in St. Ignace around 9:00 am; we scrape off the car and head for Petoskey. Fog had started to move in and the towers of the Mackinac Bridge were hidden as we crossed - very eerie looking!

We arrive in Petoskey just before 10:00 am (remember the movie isn't until 11:45am), so we went out to brunch at the Twisted Olive - great food and an incredible view of the harbor. Picked up a few minor things not available on Island and them off to the show!

The movie ended about 2:15 pm and last ferry home is at 4:15pm, so we took the "scenic route" home - just wandering the back roads, heading north.

Arrived back in St. Ignace, noticed most of the ice had disappeared, boarded for our 40 minute trip back to the Island and hiked back up the hill, arriving back home about 5:15 pm.

All this just to see a movie!

Indian Summer on Mackinac

I would have loved to have spent most every afternoon for the last week or so just lounging in the sun - we've been having some spectacular weather lately!

There's just been so much to see and enjoy - seeds are flying:

and a few butterflies are still flitting about:


The geese flocks definitely like to stop and take a break here as the head south:

We've had some fog, but that's good too:

It just makes the bright colors even more outstanding:

A few road apples are just to be expected:

(Sorry!!!!! Bad Mackinac humor)

The woods are at near peak color:

And the views seem to go one forever:

The seasonal employees are heading off, to winter pastures:

It's fall on Mackinac!