!. The calendar should be ready to ship  next week. In good time for Christmas.  After the 13 month one is done, I plan on doing a 5 month Cottage calendar like last year.  I have just now gotten the CSA dates and will incorporate them.  Expected release by Dec 1.

2.  The beach at Point Betsie comes and goes this time of year. The short beach will heal itself with a few strong South or Southwest winds. Which are less frequent this time of year. The Winter, North and Northwest winds tend to erode the beach.

3 Tonight’s pic is from this Spring…a mild reminder of the Winter to come…..

Be well,     Jay

Heads up…Firearm deer season starts in MI on Tuesday..Please be extra careful for the next few weeks driving.  The deer will be moving out of their usual haunts, and crossing roads at non standard times and places…(Anne almost hit an 8 point buck on Saturday…in Park Ridge IL. (near O Hare))..The deer in the pic is Jane Doe..The other pic is of the lack of beach at Betsie from a few weeks ago.

Be well,  Jay     FYI….I’m doing a 13 Mo calendar this year and it should be ready shortly. I’ll keep you posted

Welcome Home,  and thank you for your commitment, dedication and sacrifice.

Be well,  Jay

Good evening,

Tonight I’m cleaning up some of the left over Fall pics.  We had our first trace of snow today…We knew it was coming, but it’s always a shock when it happens…Gale Warnings on the big lake last night. I happened to be in town last evening and the rain puddles in the parking lot by the harbor, almost had whitecaps..
I was out East last weekend and caught the Sunday morning news…The lead story was that the sun was going to set  60 minutes early….I thought I’d never left home….
There will be an Eagle release in Empire this Saturday…Check with  wingsofwonder.org for time and place.
EVERYTHING, is out there on the net.   I found a camera at Point Betsie and was trying to locate the owner.  Lo and behold, there is a web site for that. What a hoot..ifoundyourcamera.net… I’ll let you know if I’m able to connect with the owner..

Be well,  Jay

Good evening all,

I trust that those of you on the East Coast are getting back to somewhat normal, after your snows the other day.  I know how ugly it can get when Mother Nature and Urban collide.  Usually, it’s me fussing about early snows, but not this time…..(I did see some ice crystals mixed in with the rain drops the other day)  ((It’s currently 58 at 845PM…unreal and welcomed))
Pumpkin Ed did his usual outstanding display this year….After his week long carving trip to Hawaii…I wondered if we would ever see him again…With all the wineing (sp?) and dining there, I guess the call of a Michigan 7  course dinner, called him home….(MI 7 course = a bucket of smelt and a six pack)…
The Frankfort Film Festival was last week and well attended…The folks at the Garden are to be commended…thank you…( The Sunday evening movies in January and February are becoming an institution)…The weather remains moderate, but the last wind storm ate the beach at Pt. Betsie…I’m hoping it recovers by January, so we don’t have to hold the New Years  Eve bonfire in the parking lot…

Be well,  Jay
FYI… the Shroom was about 15 inches across….

The Fall Festival weekend ended up be the be all, end all, Indian Summer weekend..It could have been mid August…  I didn’t get many pictures, but spent some time out on the bay measuring the distance of the pumpkins being launched. ( I had a GPS).(426 yards was the best)  There was a strong South wind ,so Elberta was under no pressure of a pumpkin making it all the way across the bay.  The pumpkin picture illustrates something I found fascinating.  The flat spot on the top of the two sections, is where it hit the water.  The fracture lines, due to the impact, are just so uniform and precise they look man made…..(that pumpkin is a special South American variety with extra thick skin, that the punkin chunkers favor)  The regular orange ones disintegrate completely on impact..
We are having wind storms about every 4 days…last week it was 40+, today was 20+ and another one due mid week……It’s almost too windy for the kite boarders and that says a lot….The Fall colors were a bit of a disappointment to me this year,  they were colorful but they never seemed to peak.

Be well,  Jay

Good morning.  Yes the leaves are Maple…not Oak as labeled…and the time for the chili is around 5 PM…I’m going to have a stern chat with my proof reader
Be well,   Jay

The weather window has opened and it is spectacular…The mid 70s, clear and calm that we have had all week are forecast through Monday. Someone out there is doing things right.  The Fall Festival is ramping up as planed and don’t forget your pet for the parade  (mutt march at 11:00 ) Pumpkin drop at 2:30 and trebouche pumpkin  launching 12:00 – 2:30. (last year we almost put one,across the bay, and into the park in Elberta)

The beach chili at Point Betsie is a definite go.  Spiced cider and my signature chili are all that I’ll be able to put out (due to time constraints) but friendly folks, a nice sunset and moon rise should make for a good evening.  (I’ll have a fire going for the thin blooded people)   A reminder for those of you, new to Crystalnews “Beachies”…. They are a way for me and everyone else to get out and enjoy Mother Nature and meet new people.  They are open to anyone who would like to attend. (the more the merrier) …If you would like to bring something, that would be wonderful, but not necessary…The main thing is to bring yourself and a smile.  The cost of attendance  is that you have to introduce yourself to two people that you don’t know….(anyone that comes out is worth knowing and probably very interesting)  ((My favorite opening, introductory line comes from Gabe Campbell…”In 5 minutes, tell me how you got here”…brilliant.and efficient..))

Stay well and get out and enjoy the Fall. (wherever you are)    Jay

PS   the shaggy mane mushrooms are edible, but they will not be in the chili…

Today’s pic is of Crystal last Sunday morning, with a nice fog bank on the East end of the lake.  I’m reminded of my younger days and skipping church to go and sit on the MI dunes and watch whatever was happening on the water and in the sky….. I called it ” attending Sister Lucy’s on the Lake”…..
I’m playing with the idea of doing Chili on the Betsie beach after the Fall Festival on Saturday around 5 PM…I’ll let you know “go, no go” by Thursday.  Saturday will be a busy day for me….  and I hope you get out and enjoy the festivities on Saturday,..Parade, activities, socializing, and the the pumpkin drop. .

Be well and enjoy life,   Jay

and so the pumpkins are gathering….it must be Fall.  These three are at (pumpkin) Ed Moodys. The first two (2,300# ) are going with Ed to Hawaii where he will carve them at a festival….Congratulations Ed.     (I need to find a craft where people will fly me all over the world)…The third one (1,100 #)  has a crack and is going to stay here and end it’s life by smashing a car from 60′ up.  Ed tells me that pumpkins in general and the Giants in particular are in short supply this year. The huge display at Ed’s house may be somewhat smaller this year.  I don’t think the number visitors will be any smaller however…Last year near 50,00…and you thought you had to buy lots of Halloween candy…   The Fall Festival in Frankfort will be held on Saturday Oct 8. hopefully the weather will cooperate like last year…The festival is always a hoot…come out and enjoy.

The two nature picture were taken this past weekend while I was out cleaning my two sections of Highway….Just proving how wonderful this part of the world really is…even when you’re out picking up litter..

Be well,  Jay   ps this link was sent to me and I’ll pass it along….Its a 1949 travelogue about Northern Michigan.  It’s quite interesting              http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=QMR7veI78f8