CHATTER MATTERS :)

104th Race to Mackinac, 326 yachts, 2,000 men, 7 women, 105 rum drinks, 336 belly laughs, 153 heart-to-hearts, 19 years for  first mate Cathy and Captain Kim, my good friends, on their #1 virtual reality boat THE CHIT CHAT! 

Cathy Waggoner of Springfield Ohio and Kim Beach of Cincinnati who originated the idea of the virtual reality sale boat, the Chit Chat, have sailed...along with their crew...to the Island for 19 years!

Yachts & yachts of yachts in the Mackinac Harbor during the Chicago to Mackinac race.

The Cable Cottage also known as Chit Chat Race Headquarters. 

Olympic opening ceremony...can you guess the countries?

Lights on for the 3rd Annual Euchre' Party, Red Solo Cup style!


All the fixings for  the Euchre' evening!

Cathy, Captain Kim, Steve (owner of Horn's Bar) and Andrea, hanging out in our second favorite spot on the island.

Chit Chat mascot dog called....Puppy....or 15 for short!

Oooopppps....call the puppy neglect hotline!!

Senior Chit Chat, Jane, and Betsy from Cincy on the Awards ceremony rum party day!!

 Jane and first mate Cathy on Headquarters Porch!

Chit Chats Cathy, Betsy, Kim and Sally stopping for "the pose" on the boardwalk.

Some things seem to stay the same, yet at the same time things change for better and for worse. The summer of 2012,  Cathy hit 50 and Sally lost her wonderful husband, Casey.  

A tribute to both!

I so enjoy my few days with the Chit Chats and never say goodbye to them but always, "see ya' next year, and....here's to tall ships, here's to small ships, here's to all the ships in the sea.  But the best ships are friendships, so here's to you and me!"  Chit Chat Jane :)

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H.O.M.E.S (a quiz!)

Huron. Ontario. Michigan. Erie. Superior!  The five Great Lakes. How'd you score?  Mackinac sits in Lake Huron, so naturally I see a variety watercraft.  I am constantly snapping digital photos and today I would like to share with you a bit of what I see as I wander around and over this 8.5 mile Island on foot, on my bike and in a horse-drawn taxi! 

Self- explanatory U.S. Coast Guard boat in the Mackinac Island harbor which you see in the background.  When I grow up, I want to be in the Coast Guard and be assigned to the Great Lakes.  There are, of course, larger Coast Guard boats as well as helicopters in the area on a regular basis. This calm looking Lake can become a MONSTER in no time!! 

In the Harbor, at the Arnold Boat Line dock, is the Yorktown...a Great Lakes cruise ship. There are two I know of that make regular appearances on the Island.  Note all the bikes!!  No autos.

I have posted lots of freighter shots, but this one took my breath away!  There are two yacht races (more on this in a bit) and of course the freighters just plow right through the race... yachtsmen beware! This snapped at the finish line.  The one with sails up is trying to complete the race while the one with sails down has finished and is headed into the MI harbor. 

Indians?  Don't think so!  Interesting but no knowledge of the who, what, when, where and why!  Gorgeous canoe!! Notice in the following photo, they just paddle right in among the yachts in the race.  Awesome!!

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This is also a freighter but one known as a "salty," as it has come to the Great Lakes from saltwater...I had never personally seen this one previously.

Surely this is James Bond...or some such...arriving in the harbor.

This is the Lake Guardian, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPS) vessel which came through...beyond that apple tree ....at dusk.  In the big scheme of things, it is newer than most so far more attractive.  Believe it was built in 1981.  Indeed an impressive sight.

Ugly Anne is used for tours of the Straits, the bridge, etc....

I can only wish.....

There are three passenger ferry lines: Arnold, Sheplers and Starline.  This is one of Starline's ferries which brings passengers from St. Ignace as well as Mackinaw City.

A mighty powerful and gorgeous power boat in the harbor!

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There are two major yacht races to the Island each year.  This past weekend....and the photos that follow....are from the Port Huron Race which is actually from Detroit to the Island.  Next weekend is the Chicago Race which is from Chicago to the Island.  These yachts actually will pass right in front of Cable Cottage, and if the wind is right, they will be full of color.  Enjoy the next few photos from the Port Huron Yacht Race.  

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♪♫♪♫Let me Entertain you....♪♫♪♫

Finding the time to avail myself of all the forms of entertainment on this Island is problematic.  

Stonecliffe Hotel on top of the Island is a fun Tuesday evening destination. Each Tuesday promises musical entertainment as well as the paintings of a local artist!  This is me with Teddy Richards an awesome acoustical guitarist.  He has many credits to his name, but I was most impressed that he is the lead guitarist for Aretha Franklin!!

The Los Angeles Youth Choir, Boy's Ensemble,  sang at Windermere Point with Lake Huron and lighthouse as a back drop.

This is the Little Stone Church, a Congregationalist Church, of which I am a member.  I attend church about 7 times a year, and Reverend Vince Carroll, a retired Navy Chaplain, and his 45-minute power-packed services carry me through the remaining 45 weeks of the year! My good friend, Ted...the Senior usher at the church....even let me be an "usherette" one Sunday this year.  :)  Thanks, Ted!!

And this is Mr. Darwyn Apple, an experienced violinist with a bio a mile-long, who provided the OUTSTANDING music for this past Sunday's service. 

This Wednesday at Grand Hotel, this gentlemen, Jim Lenfesty --- not a particularly flattering photo of Jim --- will do his weekly poetry session on Henry David Thoreau with sessions on Ranier Maria Rilke, Linda Pastan, Tomas Transtromer and others throughout the summer. 

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And there is more, so much more, to do here.  And if I really want more, I can ride my bike around to Mission Point and catch their weekly movie.  While the kids were here, it was MEN IN BLACK, 3.  I opted out of this one, but I always know that at each movie, I will share the theatre with bats!!

If you would like to take advantage of a "real" blog about Mackinac Island with a "real" blogger, may I suggest you google Bree'sBlog and take a ride with Brenda Horton from Lake Blackshear, Georgia!!

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LOOK DAD...IT'S THE TITANIC!!

Our Mackinac Island Fourth of July Wheel spinning your way wishing you a great day!!

So this little boy and his dad were walking by the cottage on the boardwalk when this big iron-ore freighter passed by, and he jumped up and down and said, "Look dad. It's the Titanic."  Loved it. 

Recycling day on Mackinac Island, in front of Cable Cottage....on the fourth of July!  They sort through the recycling bin, by hand, in front of the cottage, leaving behind items that are not recyclable.

Another fine family in front of the Cottage on this warm summer day. 

Shepler's freight boat bringing trees and a dump truck to the Island.  Remember, everything on this Island must come to the Island on the back of a boat!!!!

Sweet shore messages as viewed from Sunset Rock near Stonecliffe....on top of the Island. 

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Way beyond the popular apple tree....

Water craft seen on a daily basis between the tree and historic Round Island Light house.

Everything on the Island must come to the Island on a boat.  And this is the UPS truck whose tires will never touch the Island streets.  All packages are removed from the truck, placed on a horse-drawn dray and delivered!

Recreational SCUBA divers headed to the harbor.

Yachts and yachts of yachts sail between the tree and lighthouse!  Two huge yacht races, later this month, will bring many yachts of different sizes and classes. 

A passenger ferry headed away from Mackinac Island. 

This is a freight boat....does not transport people but brings hay to the Island and manure off the Island. However, not limited to just that.  Often brings heavy equipment necessary for construction. 

A plethora of iron-ore freighters pass by.  This one is headed from Chicago through Sault Ste. Marie and into Lake Superior to load on (most likely) Taconite.  It rides high in the water indicating it is empty. 

This mint-green freighter raised lots of eyebrows, as it had not been seen in the Straits before.  It flew a Norwegian flag and was not in my KNOW YOUR SHIPS, 2012, book.

The Paul R. Tregurtha is an iron-ore freighter 1000 feet long... affectionately called a "footer."  This one is headed to Chicago most likely loaded with Taconite gotten from Minnesota. John T. Winston actually spent a week on this along with five of his friends.  I stayed at home to teach....big mistake!

Always something to see on the Lake, and I hope you enjoy the sharing of the sights.  G-Jane