Grandbabies always come before writing!

A Sense of Wonder . . .

"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength .. " - Rachel Carson (The Sense of Wonder)

Rachel Carson's book - The Sense of Wonder - shaped how I approached raising my own two boys and later in life my perspective as an educator. Now, as a Grandmother, it is my hope that I am able to be that same good fairy christening my grandchildren with an indestructible sense of wonder.

Today marks Day One of Savannah's Great Adventure on
Drummond Island . . .

If you would like to know more about Rachael Carson's book *The Sense of Wonder* then go to Amazon.com at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sense-Wonder-Rachel-Carson/dp/006757520X

Sharing Drummond . . .

Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief

they haven't thought of yet.

 ~ Gene Perret

I head above the 45th with one of our youngest grandchildren - Savannah - today. It will be our first Great Adventure together. She has been on Drummond off and on since she was but a few months old. But always under the supervision of her parents. At a year and a half her parents have agreed that it is time for Grandma to start introducing her to the wonders of the world that is Drummond Island.

Time to start making memories . . .

Good Food, Good Wine, and a Bad Girl!

There is nothing like good food, good wine, and a bad girl. - Fortune cookie

The Summer Social Season on Drummond Island is about to offically begin! It will be heralded in by one of my most anticipated and relished events of the season – a Wine Dinner at Bayside.

There really is nothing like good food and good wine. Being a bad girl, I should know!

But honestly, I have always found the world of wine just a tad bit pretentious. Maybe that is because I was introduced to this universe late in life when I first met my husband, Barry. Despite his patience and tutelage I have yet to feel I am an accepted citizen of the wine world. Not that I don’t love a good glass of fermented grapes – in fact these days I prefer one to a glass of hops and barley. But I must confess – there was a time when I thought Char Donay was a lady from France!

This confession led to Barry purchasing a book designed to help me gain some wine smarts titled, The Saucy Sisters’ Guide to Wine. The Sisters claim that becoming a “wine diva” will give me entrée to a world of “greater popularity, love, sex, health and beauty.” What more could a bad girl ask for? They instantly sold me on boldly exploring this new wine-tasting frontier!

And there is no better venue’ for such study than a Bayside Wine Dinner where Rob, wine connoisseur extraordinaire, takes the time to walk you through each course and it’s accompanying beverage.

But again, I must be frank – sometimes Rob’s commentary begins to sound more like blah, blah, blah then “This is a wonderful chard for the price.” or “I can’t believe I was able to get this cab for tonight’s event.” There are times when, from my perspective, he may as well be speaking in tongues. Maybe he is.

Whatever language he is speaking, it is always clear to me I don’t totally comprehend the just of his meaning. Chard? Cab? Growing up in the Soo a chard was a burned up log or tree from either your burning pit or a wildfire. And a cab was something I didn’t see in person until well over the age of 21 – but I knew it was yellow because of picture books in St. Mary’s library.

When I am asked about wine in public, Barry better be by my side – otherwise I am likely to go off on how I typically judge a wine first by its label. Does it go – read coordinate – with what I am serving? And no, I am not talking the same language as Rob here. I am talking the language of a Fashionitis – does the label coordinate well with what I have going on in terms of color, texture, and style? A well dressed table is a MUST for all meals – wine bottles must not clash with the décor.

Luckily there is a portal into the world of wine for the like’s of me – and it is easily accessible to anyone attending a Bayside Wine Dinner. That portal is Rob. While he may at times appear to be speaking a foreign language he works hard to take the pretension out of his passion. Zinfandel with your Tex-Mex? Not a problem. A little chardonnay with your All-You-Can-Eat Whitefish at the Northwood? Delicious. Pinot Noir and wild venison? Why not?

I like Rob. He just might keep me from feeling like I am over a barrel the next time wine comes up in a conversation. So as Aristophanes, a B.C. bad boy, very cleverly put it - “Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.”

NOTE: If you would like to experience a Wine Dinner @ Bayside for yourself I understand the next event is scheduled for Sunday, June 4th. See you there!

Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center

Bayside Dining

Click for menu and reservation information

Jeepers, Creepers, Love to Hear Them Peepers!

As we peepers peep

We keep the people from their sleep.

Others hear our chorus

And know such swells of spring

A surest sign new life it is to bring.

In our search for other peeps,

We sing all night as we creep

And jump around the deep.

Spring Peepers - a poem by Catinka Knoth 2010

Drummond Island is being serenaded by the lowly little spring peeper, also known as the tree peeper. Right now a concert can be heard on any given evening.

These little frogs, not much more than an inch to an inch and a half, are difficult to find. They nest in and around trees; their brown and tan bodies resemble leaves. They blend in really well.

Like many frogs and toads, the peeper’s song is far louder than one might imagine. Peepers are a type of chorus frog, many call at the same time making their songs blend. The song of the spring peeper is often one of the first recognized by children.

If you are not sure what a Spring Peeper sounds like then enjoy the following video shared by Betsy Purple — April 29, 2007 — video made at a beaver pond in the U.P.

Drummond Island Sunsets . . .

Note: Please wait the few seconds it takes for the slideshow to load. To truly appreciate the photos, click on the small icon in the lower righthand corner of the slideshow toolbar to go to *full screen*.
Then just sit back and enjoy!






Make a Free Flash Slideshow

This slide show was made possible by all the wonderful
Drummond Island Michigan Facebook *Fans*
who generously shared their favorite DI sunset photos.
Special thanks go to the following (in no special order):
Chris Taylor, Aaron Belanger, Karen Elve, Dm Brys, Jack Egan, Heidi Heskett, Brad Rau, Missy Anderson, Gary Krywko, Scott Laaskso, Cj Roggow, Jacquelyn Guisbert, Summer Bartholomew Rose, Bill Bridges, Ross M. Kaplan, Aaron M. Jones, Derek Torno, DIsnowshoes, Danielle Guntzviller, Shannon Rose, Sarah Schackow, Betsy Boris, Jeannie Myers and your's truly, Candis Collick

Sunset Song . . .

A fitting tribute to the new Drummond Island Sunset photo album - enjoy!

Richard Thompson was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all-time and the recent recipient of both an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriting and the 2006 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, the iconic British folk rock legend is one of the world's most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters.

The Drummond Island Sunset photo album can be found at this link:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=171758&id=76566392370