Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Our anniversary drive and dinner



These were taken on our anniversary when we went for a nice drive to Ontonogan, Silver City and the Porcupine Mountains. We went to dinner a very nice restaurant in Twin Lakes then headed for a long drive. It was the hottest day of the summer. One of the those days you wish you had a suit with you to jump in the lake. It was so humid and muggy it was hard to get out of the airconditioned car. Boy, the lake looked so inviting!! The beach here was just down from town, a block or so. We spent more of our time watching the poor firefighters and the band that it was late when we got to the Porkies. We just drove through the State Park to see the campers. Looks like a nice spot to camp, but its very crowded and sunny--not many trees. We like a woodsy camping area much more.

The big fire downtown

Were we surprised when we pulled into town as a parade and bands were playing. We knew it was the Ontonogan Days and it was Labor Day Weekend and our anniversary, but little did we know about the big fire that broke out at 5:00 in the morning. Five downtown buildings were burned to the ground. How sad. The town still went on with the festivities as the firefighters were battling the blaze. The fire even made front page news in our paper the Daily Mining Gazette on Monday.

Painted buildings on the water front



While we were visiting the town of Ontonogan we saw this painted place down by the marina. We had not been here for many years and its only an hour or more from home. We often by-pass this town on the way to Duluth or Wisconsin. I was amazed at how it changed. It is a nice little town with a big river running along the town. And the shores of Lake Superior are just at the end of the streets close to town. I thought how fun it would be (to live there) and run a block or two down to the sandy beach for a quick swim!

A smooth slab of stone, washed by the waves

This smooth slate on the waters edge of Lake Superior goes along with the saying below.

Todays Quote

The most beautiful stones
have been tossed by the wind,
and washed by the waters,
and polished to brilliance
by lifes strongest storms.

I want to go back and pitch my tent on the sand...




It sure was nice to watch the big waves! John enjoyed skipping stones through the waves.

As we were exploring, we found this...



Last weekend John and I went to a different shore on Lake Superior. We took the road in to the mouth of the Gratiot River. It was a windy, gray day, but still alot of fun to walk the shore. It's quite a remote spot, I don't think alot of people know about it. Its a good place to pick berries and rocks. I found a couple of agates. As we were walking the shore, I found this little tent made of branches. It looks like someone camped here. Looks very inviting and cozy! I wish we had our sleeping bags.

My pretty new plate

My sweet sister Janice gave me this plate while I was downstate visiting my family. I just love it and am still trying to decide where to put it in my kitchen. It's one of those T.J. Max specials. We just love to go there to find neat decorating items for our houses. As my mom likes to say--"I'm having a T.J. Max attack!" The problem is we have to go 600 miles to get there!

Monday, September 22, 2008

A very good choice!


I'm very happy with McCain's running mate--Sarah Palin. With all the talk about her experience or lack of I think she has done a good job as Governor of Alaska and Mayor of Wasilla. She seems to be a fast learner and can handle responsibility. She is quite adept at learning new things and is well rounded, loves her family and has conservative values. She is very confident, expressive and I believe can handle the job of Vice-President of the United States of America. Let's pray to our Heavenly Father that this is the right choice, and what is meant to be for our country. And many prayers for John McCain also. I hope God will guide them along the way. Things are tough in this world right now and we need a strong leader. It surely won't be an easy job for anyone with the way the economy is, the moral values declining, the war, the natural disasters... It surely is a sign of the times as written in the Bible. Dear God, please continue to Bless our Nation.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Quote

Years may wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm
wrinkles the soul.
Samuel Ullman 1840-1924
Educator, writer, poet

Summer fun!



Thursday, September 18, 2008

A favorite Childrens Hymn of mine

Children of the heavenly Father, Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven, Such a refuge e'er is given.

God His own doth tend and nourish, In His holy courts they
flourish; From all evil things He spares them, In His mighty
arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever, From the Lord His children
sever; Unto them His grace He showeth, And their sorrows
all He knoweth.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers, And no daily cares encumbers;
Them that share His every blessing, And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers, Your Protector never slumbers;
At the will of your Defender, Every foeman must surrender.

Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne'er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose only, To preserve them pure and holy.

I Finally got it!


My one and only picture of Evan and Nicoles baby. I can't wait to get out there to hold her and Lars, see the other kids and take lots more pictures!

Our new grandson




Lars Joseph is his name. Chad and Chelsea's new little one. Will is the lucky little fellow who has a new baby brother. I'm trying to post the picture of my new grandaughter who was born a couple of weeks before Lars. She is Jan Valerie (middle name after me). Proud gramma is a smiling away! I only have one little shot of her and it won't scan. I'll keep trying.
Soon Leah and I will be flying out west to see them--October 7--I can't wait!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quote for today

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.

Lake Superior Diamonds




Monday, September 1, 2008

The Royal Thimbleberry

I thought this was very interesting from Wikipedia. What really got me excited was the fact that the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan was mentioned, and that the jam is such a delicacy of our area. It sure is!! And I had to laugh when I read that the leaves can be used as toilet paper. Hee Haw!! Gee, I never thought of that!!


Thimbleberry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thimbleberry

A flowering thimbleberry
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
(unranked)
eudicot
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Genus:
Rubus
Subgenus:
Anoplobatus
Species:
R. parviflorus
Binomial name
Rubus parviflorusNutt.
Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan,[1] and south to northern Mexico. It grows from sea level in the north, up to 2,500 m altitude in the south of the range. The plant is said to have given its name to the Thimble Islands in Connecticut, although it is very rarely seen in that region.

Thimbleberry
It is a dense shrub up to 2.5 m tall with canes 3-15 mm diameter, often growing in large clumps which spread through the plant's underground rhizome. Unlike most other members of the genus, it has no thorns. The leaves are palmate, 5-20 cm across, with five lobes; they are soft and fuzzy in texture. The flowers are 2-6 cm diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. It produces a tart edible composite fruit 10-15 mm diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like other raspberries it is not a true berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core; the drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, giving the plant its name.
The species typically grows along roadsides, railroad tracks, and in forest clearings, commonly appearing as an early part of the ecological succession in clear cut and forest fire areas.

[edit] Uses
Thimbleberry fruits are larger, flatter, and softer than raspberries, and have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially. However, wild thimbleberries make an excellent jam which is sold as a local delicacy in some parts of their range, notably in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan. Thimbleberry jam is easily made by combining equal volumes of berries and sugar and boiling the mixture for two minutes before packing it into jars.
Thimbleberry plants can be propagated most successfully by planting dormant rhizome segments, as well as from seeds or stem cuttings.
In a pinch, the leaves of the thimbleberry are recognized as a handy "toilet paper". They are large, soft and non-irritating.