Hibernation of Garden Statues

As part of the garden clean-up to get ready for winter every year, all my garden statues need to get put away in the shed. My husband has this fun job, and he does it so carefully (thank you!). Then in the spring, he surprises me with this year’s placement. I never know where things will show up, kind of like my Columbine plants.

I did used to leave some of them out over the winter, but that led to a lot of damage. They will begin to crumble and I’ve lost a few. Best to put them away, or wrap up the larger items, to keep the water (therefore ice) from getting into the porous cement.

I got most of these a couple at a time, years ago, from a vendor at a local craft show. Then one year, they stopped coming. A few more were bought at a local garden shop, which unfortunately recently went out of business. All the more reason to be careful with them.

Here’s just some of what’s in my collection…

And this is their lovely winter home…

Ominous Weather

This is one of those days that you know the National Weather Service is all hands on deck. We were supposed to drive from Chicago to Terre Haute, IN today to watch my son and his teammates run in the Nike Cross National Midwest Regional Race. But, instead, I spent hours pouring over the all the NWS reports from Chicago, Central Illinois and Indianapolis last night and this morning, trying to make heads or tails out of what was headed our way. We decided it didn’t look like a good day make that long of a drive, so we stayed home and watched the race on-line. Turns out that was a great idea and seems like most people took the warnings seriously as well.

When I went out to “batten down the hatches” this morning, it was weirdly warm, humid and quiet. The birds, however, were going crazy. It’s like they knew something bad was coming. Not only was there a lot of activity, but birds were here I don’t normally see often. And all at the same time! In about 10 minutes among the starlings and house finches, there were robins, a pair of cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, juncoes, and even a cedar waxwing.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a cedar waxwing, and certainly never in my yard. Maybe it’s all the yummy berries!

As the day progressed, we had over an inch of rain, (which means the rain boots had to come out again) as well as lightning and hours of winds of 25-30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

We thankfully didn’t have any tornadoes nearby, although many, as predicted, were scattered around central Illinois and Indiana. Prayers go out to those people who have been affected, it looks like a mess. I’ll be glad when the howling outside ends.

Here’s some of my favorite places to get good weather info at home and away:

National Weather Service and local offices for detailed reporting
WeatherBug for local reports from weather stations on many local schools (web, iOS and android apps)
Weather Underground for detailed local reports from trained weather spotters (web, iOS and android)
MyRadar app-the most accurate radar (iOS and android)
The Weather Channel for general weather (tv, computer, iOS and android )

You can also sign up for alerts from the NWS, TWC and Accuweather , or get a noaa weather radio app for you device. Do you have a favorite weather source?

Just a Dusting

We spent the weekend getting the garden prepared for winter. That is, when we weren’t cheering on the IL State Cross Country Champions (sorry this is really a huge event for the boys and school–first time ever in the team’s history). Later this week, I’ll write about the things we did, but overnight we had our first real, yet barely, measurable snowfall. Other parts of the area got more, but where I am, we rarely get lake effect snow so that usually keeps the amount of snowfall down.

Not quite as inviting as earlier this summer…

All summer I have been admiring this clematis that is right outside the side door. Now, even as the days grow shorter, the daytime temperatures keep dropping and we’ve even had a little snowfall, it just stubbornly, or defiantly, keeps putting out new blooms.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of those places you go to that makes you realize how beautiful and naturally diverse our country is. On the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan are stunning, glacially formed bluffs that overlook Lake Michigan. The shoreline is a hilly, varied landscape where you can find rivers, clear lakes, sandy beaches, beech-birch and maple forests and a dune topography that is ever changing.

The name, Sleeping Bear, comes from an Indian Legend describing how a mother and her two cubs tried to escape a fire raging in Wisconsin and became what is now the Manitou Islands and the Sleeping Bear Dune. If you have younger children, the book, The Legend of the Sleeping Bear by Kathy-jo Wargin and illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen, is a “must-have” before you go or as a souvenir when you’re there.

We stayed at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor and you can read about our stay and other things to do in the area in my previous post, Family Trip to Glen Arbor, MI/Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We spent about a day and a half in the National Lakeshore exploring the area. You could definitely spend more time, as there is so much to explore and enjoy.

First thing to do when you arrive is to visit the Philip Hart Visitor Center on M-72 just East of M-22 in Empire, MI. As with all National Park visitor centers, it’s a great place to get oriented, ask questions or get advice on your visit, and learn more about the area through exhibits. You can also pick up great wonderful, inexpensive booklets from the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes that cover things like Hiking Trails, Common Wildflowers and Birding.

After the Visitors Center, you’ll want to head out to the Pierce Stocking Drive. It’s a 7.4 mile scenic drive that takes you to some of the best scenic sites in the park and gives you a great overview of the different forest and dune ecosystems. It is a seasonal road, so check that it is open when you want to go. Be sure to pick up your Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive booklet and take it along as you travel to the 12 numbered stops. Parking can get crowded, so best bet is to go early. You won’t want to miss the #9 Lake Michigan Overlook. It’s probably the most photographed spot in the park. As tempting as it is to run down the dune, remember that you need to get yourself back up and more than a few need to get rescued from the dune each summer. It’s also been designated a protected area that has been terribly damaged by all the years of climbing, so they’re trying to reduce the environmental impact on this fragile ecosystem by suggesting people stay off and just enjoy the beauty.

After you’ve enjoyed the scenic drive, continue traveling north on M-109 to the next stop, the 110 ft. Dune Climb. This is the place to climb to your heart is content. Once you’ve climbed up, you can hang out and be entertained by people watching and enjoying the view, or you can continue onto a fairly strenuous Dunes Hiking Trail that will take you to Lake Michigan. Be warned, there is no shade or water and the trail is all sand, which makes for difficult walking. If you’ve timed it right, this is a great place to have a picnic lunch. In fact, other than in the towns, there is no food service in the park. There is a small Camp Store at the Dune Climb, which stocks mostly light snacks, trinkets and souvenirs.

Continuing on M-109, your next destination is the Glen Haven Historical Village. Hours of the Village Museums and shops vary, so check the Visitor Guide. Even if things are closed, it’s still a great self guided area and worth stopping at. We found the Cannery Boat and Maritime Museums to be particularly interesting. It’s also a great spot to put your feet in the water and skip some rocks. This is also the starting point for the strenuous Sleeping Bear Point Trail.

Glen Arbor is the next stop on the tour, and more can be found about there in my previous post about our trip the to the area.

Glen Arbor is also an entry point to the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. It’s currently a 4 mile, multi-use paved trail from Glen Arbor to the Dune Climb. My son used it on our trip for cross country training runs. But, he had lots of company from bike riders, rollerbladers, walkers and other runners. The plan is to have an additional 4 miles of trail from the Dune Climb to Empire completed by spring 2014. When fully completed, the public/privately funded trail will run 27 miles, from the southern edge of the park, north to Good Harbor Bay.

If you haven’t had enough of beautiful scenery and have the time, a trip to the more northern Point Oneida Historic District and Pyramid Point area is worth the trip. You can bike or drive through the back roads of the historic agricultural landscape. While you’re there, be sure to take a quick hike on the moderately difficult Pyramid Point Trail. The views are spectacular.

Two other parts of the park we’ve been to on other trips are the Platte River District, south of Empire, and the Manitou Islands. In the Platte River area are the Platte and Crystal rivers, which are wonderful for canoeing, kayaking or tubing. The Empire Bluff Hiking Trail is often recommended as the best hike in the Park. The Manitou Islands are accessible via Manitou Transit, which leaves out of Leland. You can visit South Manitou Island for the day, or camp overnight, and see preserved beaches, wildlife, shipwrecks, giant cedars, historic farms and even climb the lighthouse. Be sure to bring everything you need, as no services are on the island. North Manitou is even more remote and completely undeveloped. Trips here require an overnight stay, so great for a backpacking experience.

What else to do? There’s plenty more! There’s beautiful sandy beaches, trails to hike, campgrounds, Star Parties, roads and trails to bike on, and ranger-led activities to participate in. There’s even plenty to do in the winter. Check out some of these resources to help plan your trip to this spectacular vacation spot.

It’s a Great Day to be Red!

Today’s post is a tribute to my son’s high school cross country team who will be traveling to the IL state meet tomorrow with the goal of coming home #1! As everything around town has been turning from summer green to fall red, it brings to mind that this could very well be the year that it will be “RED” hoisting the championship trophy.
As a send-off to the boys, here are some of the beautiful red colors we’ve been seeing lately.

No matter what happens this weekend, just like this geranium still strongly blooming late into fall, these boys are tenacious and aren’t going away anytime soon. Good Luck!

Family Trip to Glen Arbor, MI/Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

This past summer we took a trip up to the Glen Arbor/Sleeping Bear Dunes area of Michigan with our 2 teenage boys. I’m always amazed with the beautiful and interesting places we have visited all over the US. Conveniently for us, this one is practically in our backyard. Sleeping Bear Dunes NL was even voted “America’s Most Beautiful Place” by ABC’s Good Morning America. On this family vacation, we took time to enjoy the scenery, fly fish, golf, hike, shop and relax!

On this trip we stayed at The Homestead: America’s Freshwater Resort. We visited the resort many years ago and decided to return on this trip. There are lots of different types of lodging to choose from; hotel/lodge style rooms and a variety of different condos, villas or homes along the Lake Michigan waterfront or nestled up on the ridges. We chose to stay in a 2 bedroom townhouse up in the Hawk’s Nest section. It’s a little off the beaten trail, but nothing is too far away and they have a complimentary shuttle if you don’t want to drive (or great if the kids want to do something different). It was comfortable for the four of us. We could eat breakfast and lunches in the unit, relax at night, and while we couldn’t see the lake, we could hear it and enjoyed watching the wildlife in the woods. Our unit didn’t have wi-fi, so that was an issue for us. The unit amenities (wi-fi, ac) vary, so call to find out before reserving a space if you want to be sure what yours will have. Our unit was also a mid-priced “classic” unit, meaning it wasn’t the most updated and luxurious, yet definitely not bare bones. I think that it was accurately described, and was clean, comfortable, decorated nicely, and set beautifully in the ridge high above Lake Michigan.

Homestead Resort, MI

In the summer, the resort has a beach, pool, golf, tennis, a spa, kid’s camp, hiking, dining and shopping.

Resort Dining

Since we drove, we either brought food to have breakfast and lunch in the unit, or packed up a picnic lunch to take with us on the days we were out all day. There is a grocery store in Glen Arbor, not more than 10 minutes away, or there’s Cavanaugh’s, which is a small country store in the resort that carries mostly gourmet type food, snacks and beverages. It also has made to order sandwiches and a coffee shop.

We arrived pretty late the first night, so we headed to the resort’s casual sports bar, Beppi’s. It’s downstairs from their signature restaurant Nonna’s. The interior decor is a little lacking, but the food was delicious and the service was great! We loved the pizza and even went back another night to have it again.

We also ate at Cafe Manitou, which is right on the beach by the pool and recreation area. For some reason the indoor dining room was closed, so we ate outside on the patio. Service was spotty and the food was very casual. The Fry-Fecta (trio of potato, sweet potato and zucchini fries) was a definitely a hit.

The scenery was amazing and we weren’t in a rush so we were ok. You do need to walk about 10-15 minutes, or take shuttle from the beach/pool parking area, so be sure to take that into account when you make reservations. There is no on-site parking for the restaurant.
We ran out of time to eat at Nonna’s or CQ’s Cabin, but they seemed popular and inviting.

Dining in the Area

If you wanted to venture about 10 minutes to Glen Arbor, you have a lot of other dining options, ranging from casual to fine-dining. We were looking for casual so Western Avenue Grill, Art’s Tavern, and Boone Docks were recommended. We chose Boone Dock’s after checking out the menus. We dined indoors since the sun was setting and it was getting chilly. The huge outdoor patio looked very fun and had a live band that evening. There is a slightly different menu inside and out, so be sure you are seated in the right area if you have your heart set on something specific. The menu had a good variety of foods, service was ok, and the food decent.

For coffee, you must go to the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company in Glen Arbor. We spent a few mornings there, drinking coffee and having a tasty treat while waiting for one of our sons to complete his morning cross country training run on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (trailhead is on S. Forest Haven Dr.).

For more dining options, check out the other restaurants on Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce or Pure Michigan.

If you venture a bit further, we had a great meal at Maddy’s Tavern on US31 near Interlochen MI. If you’re traveling through, or going to the Interlochen Center for the Arts, this is a great choice for a casual yet delicious meal.

Things to Do

There is so much to do in this area, it’s no wonder people spend their whole summer (and lives) here. We, unfortunately, only had a few days. You need to pick you favorites and start there. There’s golf, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing, quaint shopping, beaches, biking, wine tours and lots more in the area. Something for everyone. We focused on sight-seeing, fly fishing and golf.

On our first day we wanted to fly fish, but we weren’t very familiar with where the best areas to go were. The Homestead is an Orvis Fly Fishing School, so they have teaching ponds and fishing locations there, but for summer trout fishing, you need to head to the Boardman or Upper Manistee Rivers which are about 45-90 minutes away. Our first stop was to the Streamside Orvis store in Traverse City. They were tremendously helpful in getting us to the right fishing spots and recommending the right flies to have. Then it was off to fish after getting some truly delicious donuts at Potter’s Bakery on E. 8th Street in Traverse City. The fishing was fun, the rivers beautiful, and we even caught a few small catch and release trout in the two days we spent on the water.

We spent another whole day in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. Since that is such a special place, I will write about our time there in its own post.

We did get a chance to get some golf in, both at the Homestead and on a nearby course. The Homestead’s Mountain Flowers Course is a 9-Hole, Par 3 course that winds around the resort, mostly on the ski slopes. It’s surprisingly challenging, yet fun for the whole family. It also has some of the most stunning views you’ll find on a golf course. This year, they offered a Family Night on Tuesday’s that is worth looking into to bring down the cost.

We also golfed at the Dunes Golf Course on M-72 in Empire, MI. It’s a pretty, casual, friendly course that was perfect for a relaxing round of golf.

For shopping in the area, you can head to the nearby towns of Glen Arbor, Frankfort, Traverse City, Leland and Suttons Bay. All have lots of cute boutiques, local specialty shops and galleries.

Hope this helps to plan your next trip to the area. It really is a special place. What’s your favorite thing to do “Up North”?

Interesting “Event”

I was on my computer around 12:30 this afternoon when everything just kind of rolled and rattled for a few seconds. I have honestly never felt anything like that before. Neither did my dog, since she was also startled. I’m sure to people in earthquake regions this would have been a big yawner, but this is really unusual here in suburban Chicago. I was on the second floor of my house, so I really felt the sway, with lots of creaking and rattling to go with it. Was it a giant gust of wind? Not windy today. Something big nearby exploded? No boom, plus I was so puzzled I quickly went outside to check the neighborhood. Earthquake? Most likely based on what I felt and knew didn’t happen. But, never having felt one, I had no real idea.

I took to Facebook and twitter to see what everyone else had felt and people all over the western suburbs and downtown were reporting the same sensation. Shortly after, the USGS declared that an M3.7 earthquake centered nearby had occurred. With further analysis, that was shortly changed to be an M3.2 caused by blasting at a quarry just a few miles east of my house.

The quarry owners have reported that they were blasting today, but everything was within limits. There does seem to be some confusion over how many “events” there were, and whether this was a separate event. In any event, this is a highly unusual and I would hope they are seriously investigating. I’m not very far away, and it was quite an event here. I would imagine closer to the quarry, based on what I felt, there must have been damage.

It’s interesting that these quarries are so close to downtown Chicago, and basically right in the western suburbs. They’ve been working quarries for over 100 years, so neighborhoods have grown up around them. People in those neighborhoods have grown used to the normal blasts and shocks that occur several times a week. But, a few years ago, something similar happened resulting in an M2.7 tremor. This same quarry operator was responsible and the unusually high tremor was reportedly due to “unusual atmospheric conditions”. Again today, this was definitely something out of the ordinary. I hope we don’t have a pattern developing.

Here’s some maps showing how far away this was felt

Michigan Tamaracks in Fall

You can find the beautiful and interesting Tamarack tree (Larix laricina) in Michigan. They are also known as the Eastern Larch. The Tamarack tree is a member of the pine family, and looks like most pine trees, except with one important difference; it loses its needles every fall making it a “deciduous conifer.” It thrives in the wet soil of bogs, swamps and lake edges. In the fall, the Tamaracks provide yet one more glowing color to the fall landscape, and they were just beginning to change this past week in northwestern Michigan.

photos by Peggy

My New Rain Boots

Ugh, water! Ever since NJ, where we moved into our first house in a new development and had an entire block’s worth of water come rushing across our backyard and down the side to the street, we seem to have been plagued by water running across the yard where it’s not supposed to be. Countless times there, and then here in this house, I have had to put on some ridiculous pair of the most waterproof boots I can find, usually the wrong size and maybe even designed for snow, grab a shovel and started redirecting water back to the swale to flow where it belongs. So last week, I finally bought myself a cute pair of Slogger rain boots. This way, at least if I am out there “slogging” around in the water, I can look good and be more comfortable.

Well, it happened again yesterday, so I’m glad I got the taller boots, instead of the equally cute garden shoes (which I might still order anyway because they are so cute and comfortable) .

This is what I woke up to after a night of rain…

Now, the water is supposed to flow to this corner, but it is supposed to then flow out and down the block between the properties to the storm sewer. But of course, something has gone wrong again.

You’ll have to excuse the mess behind the shed. This area is really part no man’s land, part utility easement. But, that’s where the flow was clogged and the water, instead of heading down the fence line and out, was coming back into the yard, trying to turn our shed into an ark. So, out come my new cute Slogger rain boots, my raincoat and the shovel, and off to work I go. There was all kinds of debris (leaves, sticks, mulch, and even those annoying plastic bags) clogging the flow, and once I got that cleared and redirected some of the water using those giant flagstones tossed back there for storage, we were good to go.

In this photo, I look like I am wading in a pretty river somewhere. But, instead, it means the water in my backyard is moving once again and I have solved the problem for now!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is always a mixed bag weather-wise here. I’ve seen everything from 70’s and gorgeous, to 30’s with snow, and everything in between. This year looks like a rainy, yet rather warm day and not very windy. In the scheme of things, I guess not too bad. But then, my kids are past their trick-or-treating years (I think) so I don’t need to worry about how to get their costume over their winter coat, or trying to figure out how to trick-or-treat with an umbrella.

When the drizzle stopped for a little bit this morning, I went out to see how the colors were changing and the garden faring.

For some reason the dying hostas looked so interesting today…

My “schizophrenic” tree, as a fellow blogger so aptly named it, is continuing on it’s own odd path through the fall changes…

The maples, burning bushes and serviceberries are just glowing these days…

And this mess I’ll talk about tomorrow…

Trick or Treaters are arriving! So glad they weren’t scared off by the rain!

Stephi Gardens