michigan

Life In a Northern Town

We had a record ice storm hit Michigan last week. It swept across the U.S., but on Wednesday night, it struck the Great Lakes with particular fury.

That night, we listened anxiously while tree branches cracked and fell, breaking power lines all around us. We had an oak tree snap in half and block our street because of the weight of the ice. I braved falling branches the next morning to go around the yard and document everything sheathed in a clear coat. By the afternoon, all the ice had melted. The storm swept in and swept out quickly.

For two nights, we huddled in the basement as a family, wrapped in blankets while the temperature inside the house dipped to 47° F. We only got the power back on Saturday, and what a relief. But driving around town and seeing all the wreckage, we were lucky.

That’s life in a northern town.

 

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Fall Things

This weekend we did fall things.

In October, it’s like this all over the midwest: pumpkins, apples, cider, and donuts. Some of our local cider mills are now so busy that we have to go looking for quieter, more intimate places. We found that at Red Egg Farm, just outside of Jackson. It had all the traditional autumn stuff we wanted – cider slushies, hay rides, petting zoo – without the busy crowd of some other places.

We also visited Adams Farm to pick up actual apples (for cider) and pumpkins (for carving) to bring home. 

We did fall things, because it’s that time of year. 

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Hale

It’s been a year of new homes, with our family’s, and my dad purchasing a cabin in Hale, Michigan – in the northeast, close to Lake Huron.

We took Independence Day weekend and traveled there for the first time. It was our chance to get out of town, spend some summer days outside, and see a new place. 

We found everything we were looking for in the pastoral scenery, the cool and clear lakes, and the natural beauty you find in northern Michigan. 

I almost brought a film camera to fit the setting. After all, every 50 miles you go north you travel back in time 10 years. But that will have to wait. I didn’t want to fuss with film and settings and remembering how to use my Canon AE-1. I wanted to keep it simple.

Simple is good. That’s why we’re here. 

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West Michigan in Winter

It’s an annual cold-weather tradition: heading to Lake Michigan in the dead of winter to see our nearest Great Lake frozen.

This year, we were near Saugatuck, Michigan, and visited the lake on a sunny but very chilly Sunday afternoon. Visiting Lake Michigan this time of year is like landing on a different planet: cold, windy, the beaches barely recognizable. Beyond the snow hills, the lake was heaving – big waves of ice and snow, full of terrible power. 

Before that, we indulged in some hygge at one of my favorite cideries, Virtue Cider in Fennville, Michigan.

I discovered Virtue Cider randomly: one time I grabbed a random six-pack of cider at a local party store. After taking it home and loving it, I’ve been a fan ever since.

The cidery was hosting a Wassail party, but because of the freezing cold, they canceled it. That didn’t stop us. We still wanted a warm lunch and good cider, so we went anyway. 

Despite the weather, it’s important to get out and enjoy the cold when you can. 

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Real Winter

Real Winter

It’s nice to have real winter weather – freezing cold, snowy, and a bit sunny – instead of our as-of-late damp and cloudy winters.

Working from home, I appreciate looking out on lovely January day. 

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