"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about dancing in the rain...." Anonymous

I was awakened this am by one of those wonderful storms that pass over/around/through any Island sitting in the middle of any large body of water!!!  I walked for an hour after and snapped and am now sharing some of the sights I saw with my very own eyes!!  Enjoy...

Various views of the State of Michigan Maritime Academy boat where young men and women train to travel the Great Lakes on various vessels.  Magnificent sight!! 

Awesome view of Round Island Light House in the background  The forefront is a refrigerated food truck (Sysco or Gordon Foods) which came over on boat.  The truck cannot drive on the streets; hence, you are getting a classy peek at how they off-load the food!! (perhaps more on this later....)

Boy and Girl Scouts rotate through the Scout Barracks near the Fort.  Daily they raise (this is what I am sharing) and lower the he flags.  They are poised to do so!!

I have assumed through the years that this is a really old luncheon sign hanging outside a wonderful outdoor eatery.  Their whitefish sandwiches are awesome!!

A cutesie Grand Banks/Tug Boat type boat in the harbor.  Note how they bring their bikes for transport around/over and through the Island!

This always takes me aback a bit.  Such as in...."where the heck is the 'thingie' the horses are supposed to be pulling"?  In actuality, this is how they take the horses to and from the ferries for transport off and on the Island. 

The name of the game on MI is patch, patch, patch.  This is an old historical building, The McGulpin house, undergoing renovations....again!!

And lastly....in memory of John who loved, loved the Island and with whom I had many a wonderful time!  This is the Islands'  Veterans recognition spot on the Island!

24 Hours of flowers on Mackinac Island

I love snapping photos of flowers.  These are the early ones; I shall share more as time passes and warm weather helps them burst into bloom!

 Lily of the Valley in our yard!

 A purple Iris about to unfold! 

 An open white Iris. 

An open lavender Iris!

 An open poppy!

 Soon to be a gorgeous poppy!

Horse Chestnut Tree blossoms. 

 Lavendar Lilacs....my do they smell wonderful!

White lilacs...also smell wonderful!

 My favorite of the lilac on the Island! 

 Forgot the name of this one!

 Gorgeous begonias everywhere!

Name escapes me at this time!

UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS ON MI....PART TWO :)

More digital snaps of people, places and things I think you do not see in your home town....

Hang time with an Island police officer and a carriage driver....how cool!

Another Island officer assisting some tourists!

You guessed it....the horses poop, and someone has to scoop!  Love his transportation!

Paddle boarding big in the harbor...where the water is calm...this year.

Check this one out on the transit dock..delivery of hay across the waters from the mainland.  Bicycle tucked away below the dock. (I suspect it has been "borrowed" and hidden from someone, as that is not the normal place to put a bicycle.)

Often mistaken for a loon, this is actually a Cormorant (sp?).  Water birds seen typically are this one, gulls, geese, mallards and mergansers (sp?).  Loons have unfortunately gone away....too much boat traffic for them. 

Nope, this is not a snake!  I call it a rope coil used by those yachters and boaters who are "picky" about how they tie up to the boat dock!!

UPS truck resting on the deck of the freight boat which brought it from St. Ignace to the Island.  The boxes are being off-loaded onto the horse-drawn dray. 

High-class employee living!!

All girls just want to have fun!

A load of hay headed up Cadotte (Grand) Hill to the horse barns. 

Electric blankets covering the marble slabs, on which they make the fudge, in the fudge shops.  Apparently, they must maintain a constant temperature and this was early when the weather was on the chilly side. 

A friend and I went off Island one blustery day and sunned, read and napped on the sand beach of Lake Michigan.  No sand on the beaches of the Island....merely rocks.

Fort Mackinac which stands guard over the Island at sunset! 

 The Indians thought the Island looked like a turtle from afar; hence, turtle "stuff" is sprinkled all over the place.  I especially like this one as it has Petoskey stones embedded in it. 

 An early evening shot of the historic light house that guards the passage. 

The real light house protecting boats as they pass through the harbor. 

I have been coming to this Island since I was 8 years old, or perhaps younger, and this is the type ferry which carried us to and from. 

That's it folks!  Hope you enjoyed....  And with this I return to Georgia, I hope to do one more blog merely with flowers and horses of the Island. 

###

UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS ON MACKINAC ISLAND :)

These things you are most likely not going to see in your hometown....

This is an inukshuk....loosely interpreted as a rock formation....along the shore.  This is one of many, many!!

Another inukshuk with wild flowers thrown in....

Large trees which have come over on the freight boat and loaded on this dray being pulled by two Belgian horses and headed for a home on the West Bluff!  

Police officer in charge of the moving of the trees; they ride bicycles (of course) as they do their duties. 

A load of top soil and plants in pots on their way for someone's garden!!

Yep, these are bats all cuddled together....in the day time, of course!

I tackled this one, wrestled him/her to the ground and snapped a photo!!

On a lighter note .... check out this adorable radio flyer with cooler, umbrella, child and goodie bag!!  

An honest to goodness UPS delivery from the back of a horse-drawn dray!

Not your "normal" downtown, main street shot!

I think I am long over due for shaving my legs and getting a pedicure!

You can call these what you like, but I call them Rainbow Sherbet roses!  Found in Margaret's Garden at Grand Hotel.

Do remember that EVERYTHING that comes to the Island must come across the water...even the portapotties for the after-Yacht Race parties!!

Portapotties off-loaded and in place for the Port Huron Awards Ceremony!

Even gull-culture dictates that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.   ...just sayin'

Let's Have a party!

Hmmmmmm.....

I'm watching you.

Mom and dad were not in favor of a "real" horse back ride.


OK, folks, I could go on and on and on with photos which certainly hold interest for me.  Hopefully you have enjoyed.  Stay tuned for flowers of the Island.....jw

###