Catch a falling star with the Perseid Meteor Shower

For those of us in Michigan now is the time to catch falling stars during the Perseid Meteor Shower. Unfortunately, the peak meteor activity this mid-August will be interfered with by the full moon tonight and its waning phases the next few nights. I remember laying out on a blanket one summer night as a child and watching the show that the meteors provide. It was literally a fireworks show presented by nature. Instead of booms and whistles the night air was only punctuated by my family's 'oohs' and 'ahhs.'

So, create a memorable family experience and lay out under the stars at least once over the next few days. The show starts to fade around the middle of August which is already next week. Where has the summer gone?

On a side note:

When I was writing this article, the Don McLean song "Starry Starry Night" (its actual title is Vincent, as in Van Gogh) popped into my head. I must admit that I never really listened to the words to this song in detail before. I never knew that it was about Vincent Van Gogh. You can listen to a live performance at Don McLean's website here. Starry Starry Night refers of course to Van Gogh's "Starry Night."

Giant garage sale on U.S. 12 this weekend

Beginning this Friday, August 11, and running through Sunday, August 13, you can shop at hundreds (perhaps thousands) of garage/yard sales from 9 am to 5 pm each day. I have heard of a lot of folks that make a weekend trip out of this. They start at one end of U.S. 12 as it runs across lower Michigan and start shopping. Speedier shoppers might accomplish this feat in a day, but the majority make a weekend out of it and stay at one of the many fine Bed and Breakfasts or hotels along U.S. 12.

Can you imagine if people from here in Michigan all the way to Washington state (where U.S. 12 ends) participated in this yard sale? The current holder of the "world's largest yard sale" title is the one along U.S. 127 from Kentucky to Georgia.

I'll be posting some places of interest along U.S. 12 tomorrow morning. There is more to U.S. 12 than yard sales, of course. :)

P.S. Interested in the history of U.S. 12? Check out the documentary, “From Moccasins to Main Street.”

P.P.S. Head over to www.us12heritagetrail.org for additional info.

Alternative fuel turns out to be Manhattan's trash

Gary Varisto of C&V Logistics thought he had a great idea that would help the environment and create jobs at the same time. What he thought to be waste paper that could be pelletized into a burnable fuel that would create electricity instead turned out to be trash from Manhattan. He already had interest in the product from Cadillac Renewable Energy to use his product. Now the trash sits at Seng Dock & Trucking waiting to be disposed. Varisto doesn't have the funds available to pay for the trash removal. He had already invested $160,000 in the pelletizing equipment and his dreams of generating jobs and electricity with waste paper have been dashed.

Read the entire article at the Ludington Daily News.

Aunt Elma's Cherry Pie

This recipe has been in my family for generations. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does! What you need:

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 3 c. cherries, pitted
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

• Mix together cherries, sugar, flour, and butter. Put in unbaked pie shell.
• Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 25 minutes.
• Blueberries or rhubarb can be instead of cherries.

Bid on a Chance to Travel on a Great Lakes Freighter

The bidding ends next Sunday, August 13, 2006, on a chance for two people to enjoy a 7-day "cruise" on a working great lakes freighter, The Saginaw. The current bid is $3,000. Normally trips like this would only be available for the shipping company's customers. The proceeds of the auction are to benefit the Port Colborne Marine and Historical Museum.

So unless you are a shipping customer or have the hankering to get your seaman's papers and work on a freighter this will be your best chance at a truly unique trip. All meals and beverages are included in the winning bid. You will be staying in the ship's spacious guest quarters during your trip with the possibility of a tour of the ship at the captain's discretion.

For more details on this unique auction head over to www.boatnerd.com.

Michigan Gas Prices Week of 8/7/06

Gas prices across the state of Michigan have shot up to an average of $3.119. Around southwest Michigan the average price was around $3.19 from last Thursday through Saturday. It dropped to $3.129 as of yesterday. One year ago we were paying $2.383 in Michigan on average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Gas price data courtesy of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.