Michigan Love

It's mid-April here in Michigan and many Michigan farmers are getting ready to tend to their spring crops. Whether they are out in the fields already, working in their hoop houses or making simply making checklists,  a farmers work is never done. Growing up on a farm, I can remember even during the...
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Some of us have been tying trout flies all winter.  We’ve also been reading, or simply going through gear, new and old, tossing out the ratty leaders, trimming the unkempt flies, and agonizing over whether to toss an old reel or spool or a formerly favorite vest. Winter is over, and so too is ...
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It's spring here in Northern Michigan but it definitely doesn't feel like it! Many of us northerners are honestly overwhelmed with the spring snow storms. We are in that odd spring lull. The ski hills just closed this past weekend because well, it's spring.  You can't ice fish or snowmobile right n...
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Friends and acquaintances are forever asking for an insider’s view of Mackinac Island.   I have summered there for almost 35 years, but I still learn something new each time I visit.  Here are few things I’ve learned over the years: 1. Check the ferry schedule and be flexible.  There’s ...
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Although it doesn't feel like it, Summer is fast approaching and will be here before we know it. School is out in June and many parents I know struggle with what to do with the kids during the summer months and most parents I know are always on the look out early on for summer activities for their k...
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Because I read books, because I teach books, and because I write regularly about books, folks are forever asking me “What’s your favorite book?” I also have two dogs, have long been a dog lover and dog owner, and likely will be a dog guy for as long as possible, but no one ever asks me whic...
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Tea just like coffee tends to be an acquired taste. Growing up my father was a huge tea fan. We constantly had some version of black tea, usually Lipton's stocked in the pantry and a huge jar of raw honey. On cold winter days we would spend the morning ice fishing out on Mullett Lake and then head i...
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Winter might be winding down, but it is not too late to enjoy a memorable frozen site close to home. So, stop whatever you are doing, drop everything, and then point your truck north to Mackinaw City to appreciate the widely reported blue ice. The much-photographed colorful ice formations st...
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Established in 1946, Grandpa Shorter's has always carried a wide range of fun, beautiful and unique gift items. Throughout the years we've carried tried and true brands such as Minnetonka moccasins and gorgeous Petoskey Stones. Jewelry aficionados have come to love Grandpa Shorter's selection ...
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The good folks at the Mackinac Bridge authority just put a big dent in my spring running schedule. Hoping to ensure safety and history for the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk, the authority decided to cancel several other bridge-closing activities, including the annual Memorial Day run across the Mi...
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