We're in the cabin and are still in the process of settling in, but feel so good about being here. The drive was easy. We stayed in New Buffalo, MI, Thursday night and visited Barb Miner in Holland, MI on Saturday before driving to Gaylord for Saturday night. We crossed over to the Upper Peninsula on the Mackinaw Bridge Saturday morning, caught the 11:40 ferry at Detour, watched as the lake boat, American Century, came by, and were at the cabin by noon. The cabin survived the winter, but we are replacing the water heater which has finally decided to quit after some 25 years of service. Our friends (from left to right) Pete, Sandy, Jurgen and Candice very graciously unloaded the car for us, and Saturday evening Jurgen and Candice had us for chili and wine and several welcoming scotches. We went to church Sunday and reunited with friends and now feel even more that we are where we belong -- at least this time of the year. For those winter months we have not only our Warrensburg group of longtime and loving friends, but also the wonderful friends and fellow worshipers at Christ Church in Lexington. And, of course, along with all this we have our five boys and their wives and families. So, we are much blessed.

After church Sunday we drove north bout 15 miles and saw the Trillium. Along the way we experienced a new clear cut timber area. The Trillium are a beautiful example of what nature can do when left alone. The clear cut is the work of man and the picture pretty much says it all.

This week we will continue to move in and buy flowers for the deck and hanging baskets. Greg and Lori will be with us Memorial Day Weekend to help with the flowers, clean gutters, and I'm sure find other things to do for us.

We miss all of you and love you.

Today’s Blog is all about our Sunday at Lexington and was special for us for three reasons – it was our first full Sunday back, it was an opportunity to celebrate the Cardinals as the new World Champions

(no. 11), and Scott and Mickey Simnett provided a wonderful post-worship fish fry.

Christ Church, Lexington is an antebellum church that is beautiful on both the outside and inside. The stain glass window pictured is one of nine side windows. There are also large windows in both front and back.

Your mother and I celebrated the Cardinal victory by wearing our Cardinal caps to church and, although this is Royal’s country, the congregation was very enthusiastic in their clapping to the opening song: “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”

The fish fry was wonderful and those of you who do not attend Christ Church can get acquainted with our Church friends through the pictures included. Scott is pictured frying the fish – Mickey is wearing a red shirt and a big smile.

It was a fun day and only wish all of you could have been with us to enjoy the day.

This is the final blog before we leave the island for home and will mostly be a final catch-up. The leaves are pretty much at their fall peak, the sun is rapidly moving south and bringing magnificent sunsets our way. Greg and Lori have been with us helping us clean up and close up and enjoying a fishwich sandwich at Chuck's Place -- the Easternmost Bar in the U.P. The bare deck waiting for the winter snow is one of the results of their work. Last night we had a full moon and we were recently visited by two female Hairy Woodpeckers who tested our trees and also the cabin for goodies before they were chased off.

Two other things of interest: a German cruise chip the C. Columbus -- we usually see two or three a year, and the newly painted doors on St. Stephen's Church.

It has been a good summer but it is time to go and we are ready, but first we leave tomorrow for our Church Convention in Escanaba, then back to the island on Sunday before leaving for Warrensburg around October 20. It will be good to again be with friends and family and our Lexington Church family.

Leave a light on for us. Until then. Peace.

Fall is not as yet here, but there are signs -- frost warnings, Cedars forming their seed pods, Hummingbirds leaving, wildflowers not nearly as abundant, and thoughts about morning fires in the stove -- so, Fall is not far off.

The past several weeks have been family time at the cabin -- first Kevin and Pat and then Chris, Terri, Kaz, Max, Zach and Nini. Kevin brought a very lovely table that he made for the cabin and he also brought his chainsaw. The table is now at the end of our kitchen island and the chainsaw made small pieces of a couple trees that fell during the winter and several more that were dead. We played cards, watched a movie (Mrs. Henderson Presents with Judy Dench -- recommended, ate well, and had lunch at our newest island eating establishment -- Esther's Mobile Authentic Mexican Cuisine -- also recommended.

Things picked up a bit when Chris and Terri, etal. arrived. The kids enjoyed the water -- an afternoon at Big Shoal Beach and much rock throwing on our beach. They went to the Soo, bowling, to the Teepee for ice cream, and watched the lake ships go by.

Things are quiet now, but we are thinking about next August when, hopefully, the family will all be together on the island -- August 4 to 11.

When the signs of Fall begin to appear, we begin to think about our trip South and again seeing and being with family and friends whom we very much missed this summer. Greg and Lori will be back in early October to help us with some of the heavier closing chores (also cards and good food). We plan to attend the Northern Michigan Diocesan convention as delegates, October 14-15, and should be back in Warrensburg by either October 21 or 22. If we make it by the 21st, we will look forward to being in Lexington for church on the 23rd.

Until then, much love to all!

The Flowers of the Day are the Daisy and Chicory. The Daisy has been here for quite awhile, but the Chicory has just recently shown up. And although not wildflowers, nevertheless, Sandra's Lilies and Fireweed are also worth showing.

We have recently had several visitors of interest -- an exciting and colorful Pileated Woodpecker, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Male Butterfly (male? don't ask), a Bee that feasted on a Pansy while we were having our afternoon break on the deck, and a Frog (or toad?) on the beach. Our pair of Hummingbirds are still working at our flowers and feeder, but they are almost impossible for us to photograph.

Life is good when you are fortunate and able to not only see but enjoy what is happening around you. We give thanks that we are so blessed.

New wildflowers continue to bloom and beautify our roadsides,fields and woods, but there are other flowers that I want you to see and enjoy -- Sandra's (or your mother's, depending on who's reading this) flowers that she with love nurtures and tends. It's difficult to imagine what our place would be like without them. Please enjoy.

The Flower of the Day, the Swamp Milkweed, is new for us this year. It showed up on our beach several days ago, and is, of course, related to the Common Milkweed.

The summer for us has settled into a nice routine -- walks, checking out wildflowers, daily chores, reading, enjoying friends, watching the evening news (better not comment), looking forward to those who will be coming to visit, and church on Sunday.

Another important part of our summer routine are the boats that pass before us on their way to the Sault St. Marie locks, into Lake Superior, and then on to Duluth, MN or Thunder Bay, Ontario. They mostly are loaded with iron ore and grain at Duluth or grain at Thunder Bay, before again passing by us on their way south. There are two kinds of ships that travel the Great Lakes -- lake ships (those that travel only on the Great Lakes -- some which are quite large -- over a 1000' in length) and foreign ships that travel over 2200 miles and raise 600' in elevation from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth or Thunder Bay. The foreign ships are smaller than the lake ships and generally carry grain.

The two ships with the unloading towers are foreign ships -- one is from Germany and the other from Athens, Greece. The ship with CSL on its side is Canadian -- the Roger Blough is U.S. The picture of the Roger Blough was taken from the ferry as we were coming back to the island.

And a last minute add on -- last night's light, thunder and wind show snapped off the top of a cedar tree and deposited it on our incinerator. Fortunately, it didn't hit the power line that was close -- or the cabin.

We hope all is well with you and we want you to know that while the summer is good for us, we nevertheless look forward to just being with you again. Much love to all.