General

Over the past couple of years, trying to spot the neighborhood snowy owl is some of my favorite backyard bird watching. He floats from treetops to light posts, even lighting for an entire day recently on our roof. No doubt there are tasty mice and other rodents darting about the fields, or squi...
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We rely on the postal service day in and day out but how many times have you ever thought to thank your mail carrier? Living outside of Petoskey's city limits I've seen them driving through rain, snow and mud. In town I've seen them walking tirelessly through the streets to deliver the mail on time...
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Winters can be long here in Northern Michigan, but if you love being outdoors our area has so much to offer. Summers boast camping, boating, swimming and many more activities. Winters here bring snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, snowmobiling and more outdoor excitement. Bird watching can also be ...
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Winter is finally here for good and that means cold temperatures, ice and snow are all here to stay! For many of the cold winter months I can be found outside with my children and at our local ice arena. I love nothing more than bundling up in warm clothing, throwing on a hat, gloves and a scarf to ...
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Because I read prolifically—and because I write about what I read—I am always scouring publishers’ catalogues for what books are coming soon. I am also regularly quizzing my friendly neighborhood booksellers. Between these two sources, my list of books to read is always growing. ...
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Winter driving is one of those things that I am not a huge fan of. Living in Northern Michigan I've learned to drive in the winter but no matter how old I get and how awful the weather is I never really get used to winter driving. Several weeks ago we all thought we weren't going to have a w...
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Snow days are something that a parent either dreads or loves. Snowstorms in Northern Michigan can hit unexpectedly but are usually called by 5am-6am by our local superintendents. This leaves a little wiggle room for planning your day. If you need to check for school closing, you can tune into our lo...
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A month into the school year and I have plenty of reason to speak to students about what they are reading. A few even ask sincerely for suggestions, and while I recognize the challenges of suggesting or assigning reading, there are just some books that all high school students should read. M...
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Pumpkins, wine and everything fine! It's fall and here in Northern Michigan that means the leaves are starting to change colors. The temps are dropping and it's even been a little rainy. That only means one thing, it's fall! Fall here in Northern Michigan is almost magical. The kids are back in scho...
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Honey. It's sweet. It's sticky. It tastes really good. But did you know that there is a lot of time, work and energy that goes into making and processing honey? Most of us purchase honey from our local grocery store or organic farm and probably don't put much thought into it. Not only is honey amaz...
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