Timmbbbbeerrrr!

You know that someday this tree will not be here any longer. I think it was just 2 trees that grew together, but I don't know for sure. I do know that the splitting process will not take too many more years. Every year, snow and water get in the crack and expand in the freezing temperatures and will eventually split this lovely tree in half. It is on top of a very large hill, so it will be interesting to see what the view is like when this tree is gone.

It just made me Laugh!

I saw this sign on a local restaurant. Usually a restaurant would announce that they have a new menu, but this place is proud of the same one!! Hope you get a chuckle out of this today as well.

Way off in the Distance...

There is a village that it just outside Petoskey called Bay Harbor. It is a very nice area with lots of expensive and very expensive homes, (some with lot prices of $1 million), and a nice little downtown shopping area. My favorite pizza is served in a great shop there, but that's a picture for another day. It is only about 2 or 3 miles from downtown Petoskey. The large white building you see in the picture is the Inn at Bay Harbor, a nice inn with good restaurants. Check them out at: http://www.bayharbor.com

An Accidental Picture, then a Mystery

Okay, this picture was an accident, but it was interesting, so I thought I'd share it with you. The central theme of the picture is that tiny dot near the middle. If you think you know what this is, leave a comment. I'll post the answer tonight!

The Ole Fishin' Hole

I don't know if there are many fish here or if anyone actually catches anything, but this is a place that you can fish. (So I've heard. Never really fished myself.) This is located right below Sunset Park, which is at the top of the cliff in the middle of the shot. There is a nice deck from which you can fish and the water is rather deep with quite a bit of plant life so there are plenty of places for fish to hide. I don't ever remember seeing anyone swim here, probably because the Bay is just to the right about 300 feet with much cleaner water. Happy Angling!

Just One More...

I had to put just one more picture of Dow Gardens here. Consider it a picture from a day trip from Petoskey, as it is less than 3 hours away. This is a gorgeous bridge in the gardens, aptly named the Sun Bridge. It is only one of the 5 bridges in the Gardens, but my favorite. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Cute as a Button!

This little guy was as cute as a button and let me get this close to him to take the picture. (no telephoto lens or cropping here, folks!) We were at a lovely garden last weekend on a mini-vacation and there were dozens of chipmunks, squirrels, and other little furry creatures galore. This one was especially cute, though. If you would like to see where we went, visit: www.dowgardens.org

It is a beautiful place, the kind of place that you wish your own backyard was like! If you get a chance, it is a wonderful place for a stroll any time of the year!

The First Color of Fall!

Yep, the season is almost upon us. The fall colors will be here in all their glory in a few weeks, but these leaves have decided to start early so they can get a lot of attention. I do love the reds and yellows this time of year, but I don't like what comes afterwards. I'm not a huge fan of winter. Snow and cold, and more snow is just not my favorite thing. I have to say I love spring, summer, and fall, but endure winter. So, I will try to enjoy myself and the colors coming out, and not think about what is to come, for another month at least!! :)

A New Flower... To Me!

Okay, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. We came upon it and it was off the trail a few feet. It was such a bright orange that it caught my eye. I'm still researching what it is, but it was intriguing. What I've found so far is a description of a "Green Dragon" plant, but the leaves don't look the same. Its leaves are like a Jack-in-the-Pulpit, but they don't have berries like this that I've ever seen and we have some of those in our backyard. A mystery!! Let me know if you know what this is!

I think I've found the answer: I think it is a Jack-in-the-Pulpit! I found one in my backyard and it had a flowerhead like this. How fun!!

The Spirit of the Forest

Just a little ways down the path from THE HILL, I found this interesting tree. It looks to me like there is a face in the burl, so I wonder what type of dryad this would be. I am a huge fan of the Narnia books (and the movies) and dryads, which are featured in the books, have always fascinated me. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I found this!

Hiking Again...

Yesterday afternoon we went for another hike. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and breezy. On one of the trails, there is a rather steep climb that can leave you winded. At the top, your reward!! A sign congratulating you for your trek. I did it and wanted to share it with you!

Gingerbread, Gingerbread

Many of the homes in Bay View are Victorian in style, but I think this one wins the prize for most gingerbread! I've only seen about 1/2 of the homes there, but this is one of my favorites. I love the upstairs porch. (On another home, we saw a hammock in an upstairs porch like this--what a wonderful idea!!)

A Winding Road

This road winds along the bayfront and has some nice homes along here. It is a very quiet street, with a great view of the bay. In the distance, you can see the sand dunes of the Petoskey State Park, a popular place for campers in the summer and a great place to swim and hike as well. If you look closely, you can see the ski runs on the left. That would be Nub's Nob, the most popular place for locals around here for winter skiing.

A Rainy Morning by the Bay

Yesterday we went on a bike ride in the morning. There was a cloud hovering over the center of the bay that didn't touch either side-and it was cool and there was a breeze. (I wish I had gotten a cup of coffee before we went down there!) But it was quiet, at least until we all went down to the shore and threw rocks in the water. Skipping stones or making them splash as much as possible are always fun games for our family. And all this before our bike ride!! Such fun!

Bay View Memorial Garden

I just found out this was here yesterday. It is a memorial garden near the water for friends and family. You are asked to enjoy the garden but to stay on the paths as some people have requested that their ashes be spread here when they're gone. I think it is a lovely sentiment and a lovely place. I can't imagine a nicer spot to be remembered in.

Ascending can be an Adventure!

I just think that this staircase to a house in Bay View is one of the coolest I've ever seen! You can't really see the house from the street, just what is in the picture, but the mystery of it is pretty amazing. And who doesn't love a stone wall? And stone steps?

At the Beach..or Not

Here in Petoskey itself, there are few choices if you want to head to the beach. This is one of the 2 (that I can think of) sandy beach areas around. The others don't have sand, they have rocks, which is great if you're looking for Petoskey stones, not so great if you want to play in the water or lay out on a towel. This area is where the Bear River flows into Little Traverse Bay, so there is a current here, I'm told. I've never gone swimming here, we usually go to shallower Walloon Lake. It takes until August for Lake Michigan water to get even remotely warm! Someday, maybe, I'll get a wetsuit and go swimming here!

"Waving" Goodbye

Someone commented yesterday that the blue sky was saying goodbye as it was the end of summer, so I thought I would just elaborate on that theme a smidge. Labor Day weekend was the warmest weekend we had all summer, so it didn't really feel like the end, but the weather has cooled off so much now that it really does feel like it has said goodbye. Hope your summer was a great one!! :)

Beautiful Blue!

I just had to share how beautiful the sky was..! It was a deep blue with just little tiny wisps of clouds and it is not something you see every day, especially here near the water. So, enjoy a beautiful blue sky!!

Improv!

Last night we went to an open air comedy improv show that was hilarious! 321 Improv was really funny and the show was full of audience participation. I laughed until my cheeks hurt, and then I laughed some more! It was a lot of fun and the three guys, Carl, Eric, and Adam were very nice. They even signed autographs on a paper plate for my daughter. If you want to know more, their website is: http://www.321improv.com/

Gelato at Night

One of our favorite places to go in the evenings is the Gelato Cafe to get a treat. There are so many different flavor combinations that variety seems endless. But then again, we all have our favorites. My son loves Blood Orange sorbetto. My daughter, Chocolate gelato. I waffle between sorbetto flavors of Lime and Marionberry (similar to a black sweet raspberry) and gelato flavors of Chocolate and Burnt Caramel. Although I do go out on a limb and have something different once in a while, like Hazelnut Stracciatella or Eggnog with the Chocolate. My hubby likes the Chocolate and Peppermint gelato and sometimes dabbles in the sorbetto flavors as well. There is always some new flavor to try there, but usually they use whatever fruit is in season, so if you want Pineapple in January (as I did after my son was born--craving!) you are out of luck! But visit and see what your favorite flavor combination is!!

A River Runs Through it.

Another shot of the river that runs right through the middle of town. You would think you were far away from civilization and out in the middle of nowhere, when actually you are directly in the middle of Petoskey! The river runs through Petoskey and there are 4 bridges, one of which you must cross to get from one side to the other. This is the section of town that was heavily industrialized at the turn of the last century, but now has returned to a woodsy state. There are trails on either side where you can find parts of old structures in the paths; pipes and paving stones, crumbling walls and chunks of unidentifiable things. It is an interesting walk through history.

Wind and Waves = Fun!

Today we were driving by the bay and saw a few guys out windsurfing! On our way back through town, we didn't see them again, but they were out of the water switching sails, so we got to see them take off and then return about 15 minutes later. They were flying across the water--it was quite windy today. They looked like they were having a great time. You have to have strong arms and good balance for this sport, but they were experts, so it was not a problem. Something I may have to try someday!!

A great park!

Yesterday we spent the morning and part of the afternoon here at Resort Pike Park. It is a little park right on Walloon Lake, a beautiful spot to play. There is a nice little playground and plenty of picnic tables up on top and then stairs to get to the small beach and swimming area. It is a nice, but rocky beach area and the water stays shallow out to the buoy seen in the water. A quiet little getaway for you and your family! (We had a really good time, but carrying the kayak down the stairs was a chore I was told!)

Sister Cities Theme Day

This month's theme is sister cities--and Petoskey's sister city is Takashima, Japan, Shiga Prefecture. I don't know much about the area yet, but it is beautiful, famous for its cherry blossoms. It is also on a large lake, just as Petoskey is. It was the birthplace of a famous 17th century Japanese philosoper, Nakae Toju. They celebrated the 400th anniversary of his birth this year.

I look forward to finding out more about this sister city. I have to thank Philbert Ono for his lovely picture of Takashima that he shared with all of us!

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