Over the weekend while working outside my son and I heard a constant barrage of rumbles and loud bangs from local pyrotechnicians perfecting their craft for the 4th of July. Yes, it’s that time of the year again when local dogs run for cover under the porch or in their doghouse and don’t emerge [...]

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is represented in a new business venture from two NMU students - Darren Young and Brian Emigh. The two took an entrepreneur class at NMU and were inspired to start a business involving custom longboards (like skateboards only longer and more stable).
The wood for the longboards is from local [...]

Limestone cliff, originally uploaded by Blondieyooper.

This is a great shot of the limestone cliffs you will see at Fayette Historic State Park. This “ghost town” offers a look at the early years of iron smelting operations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

More information about Fayette Historic State Park

I’ve got to take a moment to brag on my garden a bit. I planted a 3′ x 3′ plot of strawberries in a raised bed four years ago and just let them spread to the rest of the raised bed and then let them spill out over the sides. The patch is [...]

The past two years have seen much ado about, well, nothing so far in the case of the proposed $161 million theme park near Grayling. The next hurdle needing to be crossed is the proposed $5.2 million dollar sale of 1,700 acres of state-owned land.
It looks like the July 10 Michigan Natural Resources Commission [...]

Michigan cherry farmers are looking at what could be as small of a crop as the decimated 2002 cherry crop for their projected 2008 crop. Hail, late frost, weak trees from last year’s drought, and poor bee pollination are sited as reasons behind the weak outlook.
Growers are looking at a cherry crop that will [...]

In an effort to shave approximately $13,000 off of its annual operating costs the Mackinac Bridge Authority and MDOT have put in place a plan to shut off the bridge’s decorative lighting beginning at 1 a.m. In the past the decorative lights came on a sunset and shut off at sunrise.
This way, folks can [...]

I don’t anticipate any tomato shortages or problems with salmonella this summer. My tomatoes are growing great in my raised bed garden. I planted two different varieties - Big Boy and Beefsteak as well as some Sweet 100 grape tomatoes. I can’t wait until they are ready. Yum!
If you don’t have [...]

Embattled Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick has given a stay of execution of sorts for the eventual demolition of Tiger Stadium. The original June 1 deadline has obviously passed and the Mayor has given The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy (of which broadcasting legend Ernie Harwell is a board member) until August 1 to come up [...]

Michigan’s maple syrup producers pumped out around 100,000 gallons of maple syrup this year. That’s the most since 110,000 were produced in 1964 according to WWMT.com.
Michigan ranks sixth in the nation in maple syrup production with Vermont leading the way with 500,000 gallons produced in 2008. On average, it takes 40 gallons of [...]