Okay, not exactly Petoskey....but...

...I couldn't resist. This is a shot of the Mackinac Bridge (pronounced Mack-i-naw). It is about 30 miles from Petoskey and the bridge is 5 miles long. It connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan and divides Lake Michigan from Lake Huron. You can walk across this bridge once a year--on Labor Day in September--along with 50,000 other people! They used to have a long bike ride that culminated in a ride across the bridge and a trip to Mackinac Island, and you could join it the morning of the bridge ride, so I've been able to ride across the bridge twice, but that is not an option any more, you have to ride the whole thing. What gorgeous views.

Snow

How many pictures can you take of snow and still have them be interesting? I really have no wish to find out!! I have heard that snow when it seems like Spring is coming is like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss... very appropriate, I think.

Stained Glass -- #5

These 2 panels are part of a 4-panel screen of stained glass and wood. It has beautiful flowers of Spring on it, crocus on one side, Lady-slippers on the other, and the trillium and the daffodil shown here. This piece also has slices of polished agate and Petoskey stones, as well as a large tiger eye that is gorgeous! This is truly a work of art.

Stained Glass -- #4

This is a specialty piece from Shadetree Studios that is just so cool! I had to share it with you. On the right is the shape of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with a Petoskey stone where Petoskey is on the map. It is so pretty and a great reminder where it came from!

Spring is Coming!!!!!!!!

I'm just a little excited (hence all the exclaimation points) about Spring this year. These are the first green shoots I've seen, hostas coming up near the library downtown. They'll be gorgeous in a while with huge leaves and oh, they can't come soon enough for me!

Symon's General Store

Is definitely more than your "general", run-of-the-mill store. It is a lovely store with lots of very yummy specialty items from all over the world. I was in here trying to find some chocolate caramels with sea salt. No luck today, but they are getting some in, so I'll have to go back again soon! They have great deli sandwiches and a wine cellar downstairs. Check it Symon's on the corner of Lake and Howard Streets downtown!

Stained Glass-- # 3

I visited the stained glass studio in town and this is one of my favorites, although I could say that about all of them! This one has slices of polished agate in the piece, around the base of the tree, and there is a Petoskey stone in this piece as well, right under the trunk of the tree. It is very detailed and just beautiful! Penny Kristo is the artist and owner of Shadetree Studios, which is right downtown on Emmet Street. If you're in the area, this is a great stop to see some amazing art. More pictures to come in the following days...

Stained Glass -- #2

Another window from the church, this one is also lit up by the setting sun. It has part of Psalm 23 on the bottom windows, and I think the faces and the sunset on this one are just amazing.

Stained Glass -- #1

This is the first in a series I'm going to do about stained glass. We have some great examples in Petoskey, as well as a stained glass studio. This one is in a church depicting the Apostle Paul in Athens. I love the way the sun is coming through the window, it just makes it glow.

Made Me Laugh

Don't you just love bumper stickers sometimes?

Just One More...

The sunset was so exquisite the other day, I couldn't resist just one more picture of it. If you look closely, you can see the couple walking near the sun. Lovely!

Gorgeous Sunsets

We've had some incredible evenings lately. This sunset was just gorgeous. The sun was a huge golden ball and the reflection on the ice was just beautiful. It almost looks like a summer sunset (except for the snow!)

Ice Sculptures

A natural ice sculpture is sometimes the best! The road to the waterfall is usually not open at this time of year, but they actually plowed it a bit for some reason. So, you get to enjoy this picture of the waterfall. I have never seen it with ice on it before, this was a first for me!

Winter does have One Good Thing....

Beautiful sunsets! This one was gorgeous and the colors were so vibrant that I had to share it with you. Hope you enjoy it as well!

Sun and Clouds

The sun is really trying to peek through, but the clouds were really thick. I'm so glad that no matter how thick the clouds, it still trys!

Yep, Still Snowy!

The ice is still on the bay and the fishing shanties are still solidly out there near the lighthouse. Hopefully they will be gone before the ice begins to melt. The ice should be there for at least a few more weeks, although the temperatures are supposed to be warmer this weekend--in the 40's!! I'm just looking forward to being outside with a warm breeze and the sun on my face. Soon...

Waterfront Snow

Just another view of all that snow at the Waterfront. Hopefully it should be warming up in about 2 or 3 weeks and the snow should start melting. I hope. The spring in Petoskey should be cold though as the bay will be frozen for quite a while while the land warms up. And since the wind comes off the lake most of the time, it will be a cool spring around here.

Cold, Snowy, and Windy

It seems like that has been the theme of this blog for months now!! But today is another day, a new picture of the bay in all its white glory, and snow blowing around yet again. Actually, it is not snowing as much as it is blowing today. The winds are VERY strong, with some gusts up to 50 miles per hour. The wind actually kept me awake for quite a while last night howling through the trees and around the house. Thankfully, the wind is supposed to die down by this evening, and the wind chill is supposed to drop as well. Then it will just be cold.

It Snowed. Again.

Last night about 6 pm, it started to snow. It started out slow, just tiny flakes. But as the evening went on, the snow got heavier and the wind picked up considerably. By the time I got home last night at 8:30, visibility was about 200 feet and was I glad to be home for the night!! The snow stopped around 1 or 2 am and this morning when we got up, we had over 10 inches in our driveway! Schools are closed and people have been asked to stay in until more plowing can be done, probably a few hours or so. Hopefully, this is winter's last hurrah and Spring can come soon. As for me, I'm staying home today!!

It's About Time!

Usually, in a small town, there is a bank or some other business that has a clock and something that displays the temperature. Not Petoskey. When we first moved here many years ago, I looked for one downtown as we drove through, but never saw one. Then we lived through the winter here and understood why! It's COLD! Petoskey may not tell you the temperature, but they do let you know the time. (Even if the clock was really off when I took the picture!) For those of you on Daylight Savings Time, hope you can get a nap sometime today after the time change!

Welcome to the "Hall of Foam"

In the basement of the Perry Hotel is the Noggin Room Pub, which features its "Hall of Foam". It is a casual restaurant where you have to earn your mug. How? By sampling their list of beers from around the world. There are hundreds of mugs, each with a name or initials. I wonder if you get to use your mug when you come in, or does it just become part of the decor?

It's Melting...

Or at least starting to! The temperatures are supposed to be in the 40's today (Yippee!) and that means the advent of the icicle in earnest. These are a few of the first "hanging around". I love it when the sun shines through them and they sparkle like glass.

Serene Spaces

This is one of the most serene spaces I can find. It is in the Perry Hotel complete with fire in the fireplace and a comfy couch and a great table for a cup of coffee and a place to put your feet. All you really need is a great book and a throw blanket for a great afternoon. (oh, and the coffee...)

Paper Trail

This artist is so amazing. This is a paper sculpture, similar to the one I posted the other day, and the details are just stunning. I forgot to write down which artist 's work this is, but I'm fairly sure it was a Native American artist from the Western United States. This sculpture is also at Ward & Eis Gallery on Lake Street. Be sure to enlarge the picture so you can see what I mean--the details are fascinating!

So Inviting--March Theme Day--Glass

My daughter and I looked in the window at Gattle's last week and the first thing that popped into our head was "How inviting!" Seriously! It is a lovely display of a pink and white bedroom, very springlike and soft. Gattle's is located on Howard Street, and they have beautiful things there for the home. I may just dream of a room like this tonight...
Today is the Theme Day for March, check out these other participants:Click here to view thumbnails for all participants