Saturday, December 31, 2011

Time to Take Time!









"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience". 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
 
 There is time – and that is often the hardest thing for me to acknowledge. There is time today.
 
 
Unfortunately, I am often too worried about returning on time, finishing on time, running out of time that 
I forget it is time to take time. 


Time to walk slower – to match my gait to the leisurely pace of those whose path crosses mine.


To enjoy the sunlight . . .


and the sound of the breeze rustling through the trees.


When it appears there is no more time, 
that I have only a few days and then only a few hours, 
and finally only a few minutes – 
I need to remember there is still time.


There is always enough time if I remember that the time is now.


“Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”  - Will Rogers

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Smooth Sledding . . . !



Eyes wide with fright. Tears frozen on your cheeks. Fingers encased in woolen mitts frantically grasping at anything within reach – rungs, ropes or the friend your legs are precariously wrapped around.

You race at breakneck speed down the snow covered slope. The rush of frosty winter air whooshes past. Your screams are muffled by the scarf bound tightly round your neck and mouth. You are as close to flying as you can get. You are invincible as you plummet down the hill.





 Tumbling off in a flurry of jumbled body parts you whoop and laugh all the way back to the top for one more amazing run.

You are . . .


SLEDDING!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Snow, snow, come on, snow!


Here it is, ladies and gentlemen! 
The original “Heikki Lunta Snow Dance Song!”


Now I’ll sing my song
To make the snow come down

And I’ll do my snow dance
Whoops! I almost lost my pants
I’ll holler and yell,
And really give it h#ll!


It’s Heikki’s snow dance song,
Heikki’s snow dance song


We gotta have some snow by the 4th of December
“Heikki Lunta, make it snow!” 

say all the Range Club members
The races are only three weeks away
And if I don’t make it snow, 

I’ll go back to making hay
It’s Heikki Lunta’s snow dance song,
Heikki Lunta’s snow dance song.


Snow, snow, snow!
Now I’ll dance some more,
And I’ll really know the score
How to make it snow,
Come on, man, go, go, go!


Don’t even slow down
till the snow starts falling down

It’s Heikki Lunta’s snow dance song,
Heikki Lunta’s snow dance song.
Snow, snow, come on, snow!


 "The Heikki Lunta Snow Dance Song" Written by David Riutta 
(P) 1970 WMPL Radio 
Hancock, Michigan

And now for Da Yoopers Heikki Lunta 
Snow Dance Song! 
(Just want to make sure 
all our bases are covered!)


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer . . .


 We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams,which supply us with water. 


We return thanks to all herbs,
which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.


We return thanks to the corn,
and to her sisters, the beans and squash, which give us life. 


We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit.


We return thanks to the wind,
which, moving the air, has banished diseases.

 

We return thanks to the moon and the stars,
which have given us their light when the sun was gone.


We return thanks to our grandfather He-no,
that he has protected his grandchildren from witches and reptiles,
and has given to us his rain.


We return thanks to the sun,
that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye. 


Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in whom is embodied all goodness,
and who directs all things for the good of his children. 

 ~Iroquois Prayer from the 1800's

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Twas the Night Before Deer Season . . .

 
Twas the night before deer season, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The bowstrings where waxed and in their cases with care,
In hopes that deer season would soon be there.


The young hunters where nestled in their beds,
While visions of Big Bucks and Does danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, all angry at dad,
Because of the time spent preparing his bag.


When morning came round, coffee so warm,
The hunters where wondering “Is it going to storm?”
Watching their videos getting all pumped,
Making sure their guts unload by taking a dump.


Getting in their camouflage, and all the hunting stuff,
Firing up their Scent Smokers and watching them puff.
Load up in the vehicles and off to the woods,
Hoping they remembered everything they should.


Arriving at the hunting grounds feeling like Christmas morning,
Hoping they give their prey no fair warning.
Some walking to stands and some to their blinds,
Can’t wait to leave all their worries behind.


As day slowly turns from the night,
The birds start to wake and begin to take flight.
They sing their songs that have sounds of beauty,
While the hunters are finishing their duty.


Waiting and watching anything that moves,
The hunters are slowly sliding into their groove.
Some will find success, and some will get skunked
To most it does not matter if they get punked.
 
 
The smell of autumn and the changing of leaves,
This is why a hunter lives and breathes.
For on the opening day of deer season,
To be in the woods is life’s reason!
 
Good luck to all who are venturing into the woods this season

God Bless and Be Safe!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Live LOCAL! Shop LOCAL! Support LOCAL!


THINK!
  • Your local businesses give back more to the community.
  • More of your dollars stay in the community.
  • More jobs stay in the community.
Shop:
  • You can find anything you need locally.
  • You develop relationships locally.
  • You can find affordable prices in our community.
Buy:
  • For every $1 spent at local businesses, 45¢ is reinvested locally. Non-local purchases keep, at most, 15¢ in your local community.
  • Local businesses value, respect and appreciate your patronage.
  • More tax dollars go to schools and roads in your community. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local:  

Join the movement! Take the pledge to show your support: "I pledge to THINK first of my local economy, SHOP first at my local businesses, and BUY first from local companies who give back so much, in so many ways, to my community."


Holly Daze has one focus - to inspire you to do your holiday shopping locally by making it easy for you to find fabulous holiday gifts right here on the Island. Supporting local entrepreneurs as well as local artisans in the process.

Shopping locally is truly one of the best gifts you will give this holiday season - to yourself and to your neighbors. It will help connect you to the joy of the season found during Holly Daze when our businesses are decked out in their finery, and person-to-person, human good cheer abounds. 



Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James
 
DRUMMOND ISLAND HOLLY DAZE
NOVEMBER 5, 2011
10AM - 4PM

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Delicious Autumn!


That smell.

It fills you with the tang of being up north in the fall. 
 

It is earth and decomposition and sunshine and pureness in leaf shapes.

Golden yellows, soft roasted-looking reds, flaky brown ones, orange ones speckled with bits of brightness. 
 
 
Bringing a handful to my face I close my eyes and see back to the trails I used to make in the yard as a child. Raked labyrinths leading nowhere and everywhere.

Inhaling I feel a shock of chilled air in my lungs. Exhaling I hear geese in the sky. 
 

It is one of those perfect autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.


 NOTE: DRUMMOND ISLAND FALL ON THE ISLAND FESTIVAL:

Every autumn, nature puts on a brilliant show of color on Drummond Island. From bight yellows to vibrant reds, the leaves transform the landscape,
showing off their rich and intense hues.

Every year people flock here to take in the fall foliage, 
to catch a glimpse of nature's splendor.

Now they come not only for the colors - they come for the Festival too! 
To learn more go to the official Festival website: 
 
 

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Fourth Day . . .

The Great Circumnavigation Adventure!

With each sunrise we start anew!

Day four finds us rising to a beautiful sunrise and fog floating across the water, blocking even the Lighthouse from our view. We discuss the possibility of heading out using the emergency strobe lights I brought along for both of us - "just in case".

Just as we are discussing Plan B, the sun burns the fog off the lake and we are able to shove off.

With a stiff wind out of the west, southwest we decide to play! Heading out into the big water we are able to ride the waves all the way to the south shore of Espanore Island.


But kayaker BEWARE! Very few of Drummond's satellite islands are State owned. The majority - including Espanore - are privately owned. Meaning not accessible. Period.



And let's face it - would you want someone camping out in your front yard? I think not! So please, do be mindful of the rights of private property owners when exploring not only the waterways of Drummond Island, but Drummond itself.
 

We head back out into the big water and ride the waves once more to Gravel Island on the outskirts of Huron Bay. Ducking into a tiny bay we beach our kayaks on State owned land.

 
According to our original plan, this was to be the location for Camp #5. A full two days ahead of schedule due to amazing weather and winds we discover we can see our launch site off in the distance from here!
 
 
We are now faced with the toughest decision of our journey. Set-up camp or ride the winds home?
 

We opt for an extended break to enjoy the sun, scenery and serenity of this inlet just west of Warners Cove.



 
Lunch, exploring and making sure we continue to *Leave No Trace* fill our time on this beautiful, rocky shoreline.
 
With the wind and waves still calling we shove off and paddle out into the big water south of Traverse Point. If we go off shore far enough we know we can ride the surf all the way home.
 

Back at square one it is difficult to comprehend that we did it. That we circumnavigated the entire island. That we did it two full days ahead of schedule BUT never felt rushed. Never felt as though we were in a competition trying to prove our mettle.

 
The statistics:
Total time on the water paddling: 23 hours 35 minutes 03 seconds
Total time spent on voyage: 79 hours (3.5 days)
Total distance covered: 51 miles
Total time spent grinning ear-to-ear: On-going!
 

There is no rushing when paddling.
When you paddle you go at the pace of the water and that pace ties you into a flow that is older than life itself on this planet.
Acceptance of that pace, even for a day, changes us, reminds us of other rhythms beyond the sound of our own heartbeats.
- Candis L. Collick