SKYWATCH-7 BELLS BUT ONLY PUSH ONE

They ring pure, nothing stands in their way. Giving sound to the wind and carried far and wide. But when listening to the melody, ask not for whom they toll. Join other SKYWATCH Friday participants and enjoy your weekend!

HOMES OF HARBOR SPRINGS-PART THREE

Just another "cottage" in Harbor Springs. This one sits on a bluff overlooking the harbor and the Bay. Many homes incorporate stone in their foundation and other places. 

This little number sits on the Bay. Again, note the stone foundation.

PUSH ME, PULL ME- PART 2

While having dinner last night, I saw this strange looking plane pass my line of sight on approach to the airport. It was similar to the Piaggio aircraft I showed you several days ago. It has rear facing propellors and it's rudder is underneath the fuselage. It is called The Starship. So far, I can see you nodding off. It was the first aircraft to employ all-graphite composite in the airframe. It employed many other "firsts" but are way to technical for this blogger. Commercially, the plane was a failure;only 53 were ever built. They were too expensive and introduced during a down cycle in the economy. As of last fall, only 6 were still in service. I'm not an aviation junkie, but I think it is kind of neat to see something that is the last of it's kind when just a few years ago it was so ahead of it's time. Look up, you may see one of the last ones yourself. They are pretty hard to miss.

THEY'RE HERE

This is the newest member of our family. His name is Michael Jackson;MJ for short. He showed up about the time of his namesake's demise. No bird-feeder is safe from MJ. He eats more than my wife. Once he finishes with his daily ration of nuts and the birds sunflower seeds, he stares in the window with that, "Don't you know winter's coming" look. He has dug up every plant on the deck, destroyed the peat pots before the seeds sprouted, and drives my dogs crazy. My only hope is that he joins a union and is forced to take weekends and holidays off. Any suggestions for relocation services or vacation destinations, would be greatly appreciated.  

TIMBER

The woodpeckers in Michigan are considerably larger than those we have in Florida. The above tree provides an example of the Michigan guys and girls handy work. We have seen many similar examples far and wide. Many a time, we will be taking a leisurely walk and hear, what seems to us to be, a jack-hammer at work. But in the woods? No! It's just Woody and many of his friends.

THE SOON TO GET IT WRIGHT BROTHERS

It is  well known fact that the Wright Brothers had A bicycle shop. What is not as well known, however, is their first attempt at flight was on a bicycle. The above photo documents that failed try. They were able to achieve lift-off if only for an instant. The craft came to land on a fence post not far from their shop where it remains to this day.  Across the street was a pub and the patrons were laughing hysterically at the brothers, one even suggested they attach wings to the bike as to not scare the birds. The brothers looked at each other and shouted, "Eureka. They hurried back to their shop and, as they say, the rest is history. And now you know the rest of The SKYWATCH history of little known facts.

HOMES OF HARBOR SPRINGS-PART 2

One of the more fascinating aspects of Harbor Springs is that almost nobody knows about it. It has been referred to as "The most exclusive summer resort in the midwest" for well over 100 years. An article in Town And Country Magazine said, "If Norman Rockwell had ever visited Harbor Springs, he would have found enough work for a lifetime." The short time I have been here, I can only amplify what the magazine said. The above summer "cottage" has been in the Thomas family since the 1920's. It is called Cedarmere. The photograph only hints at how truly beautiful it is. Scott and Zelda would have fit right in.

DOESN'T LOOK A DAY OVER 100

My wife and I were playing golf yesterday. On the way to the next tee, I saw this magnificent tree in bloom. Neither of us knew what it was. As we approached the tee, there was a small plaque stating this was an Historic Chestnut Tree. It seems most of the Chestnut Trees in the United States were killed by a devastating blight that was transported from Europe at the turn of the last century. This tree is one of the few remaining American Chestnut Trees in the U.S. It is estimated to be 130 years old. Who ever thought golf could be so enlightening. 

I'M LATE, I'M LATE ...

While taking a leisurely walk the other day, I happened upon this charming fellow. He was somewhat agitated, so I inquired as to why. He continued to tell me that the most dreaded holiday for a Turkey is this week. After I stopped laughing, I let him know that he was misinformed and he would have another four months to work on a disguise. He thanked me for setting him straight and hurried off to tell the rest of his siblings the good news. He said they would probably have a feast and he would over-eat and probably put on a little weight. I just smiled and told him that I hoped so.

SCHOOLS OUT

These two fish stand guard at the Boyer Glassworks Studio and Gallery. It is their job to watch over the area, tell a few jokes and alert people when their parking meters are about to expire. The shop is owned by Harry and Kathleen Boyer. He creates beautiful pieces of handblown glass many of which are one of a kind creations acquired by collectors and discriminating buyers. It is fascinating to stop by and watch Harry create marvelous things from molten glass. If you are ever in the area stop by, but you may want to bring a sardine and extra change for the meter. The fish will thank you for it.

SKYWATCH-ANTI ICBM OR M & M's

This could be almost anything. I could say it is a sighting mechanism for a Star Wars Anti-Missile System. There might be a few believers. A three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game;a few more. If I told you we are looking straight up a clock tower on a beautiful cloudless day, only the SKYWATCH true believers would believe that. You believers are so wise.

A WALK DOWN MAIN STREET

I thought we might do something a little different, once a week or so, while I'm "summering" in the North. Harbor Springs is a small community of 1,500 people. It became a summer haven for the "well-healed" from Detroit, Chicago, and other monied areas. The summer homes they built are simple but simply elegant. I thought I would show them to you for your viewing pleasure. The stories are hard to come by but I will try. I know nothing about the above home but I like it. It is the first of one or two a week. I will try to interject a little history, also. I hope you enjoy the series.

HEAVY METAL MUSIC

The recycling centers in this area have a person like this keeping an eye on things. He shows you where to put the plastic, glass, metal, and paper. He works tirelessly both day and night. I caught him at a candid moment. He looks somewhat surprised. He really is rather shy.

SOUNDS OF SILENCE

We attended an art show the other day at Nub's Nob. It is a ski resort located just outside Harbor Springs, Michigan. While walking around, gazing at the various booths, I came across these two gentlemen who were taking a break. I sat down and attempted to strike up a conversation. I inquired about their dog, commented on the weather;nothing. Not a single response. The dog even ignored me. These two guys were rather stiff and very poor conversationalists. At least the art show was interesting.

MOVE THE BOAT OAR ELSE

While driving across town the other day, I came across this unusual craft parked in front of a house. It is too big to be a canoe, so it must have some other use. It is made of wood and must be heavy and very hard to move. There was no-one around to query regarding it's purpose. Perhaps, it is destined for one of the races my friend Vogon Poet so artfully covers on his wonderful web site, Livorno Daily Photo. Another mystery left unsolved.

PORGY AND BESS

This is Bess. Forgive her for not getting up as she just gave birth to 14 piglets. Mother and all the little piglets are doing well. They live at Pond Hill Farm. It is an organic  farm the likes of which this city boy has never seen. They have all kinds of pesticide and herbicide free produce, hormone and antibiotic free beef, pork (don't tell Bess), and lamb. They also have canned goods, soaps, and a lot of other things that I don't have a clue what they are. We went out in a field and picked our own strawberries. If you can believe this, they actually grow on a plant. Who would have thought? I just assumed they were generated in the back room of my local Publix. This country living has given me a whole new appreciation for a life I never knew anything about. You can check out their website, it really is a neat place. By the way, Bess's sister Peggy Sue lives at the farm and is due any day. Wow!

SKYWATCH-HARBOR SPRINGS, MICHIGAN

The air crisp, daylight fading, we are about to enter that zone known as twilight. Lots of strange things happen at that time, but, nothing this night. Just a pleasant walk on a lovely evening. The end of a beautiful day. Be transported to other skies around the world by going here.

... THERE IS A SEASON TURN, TURN, TURN

You may be thinking that this is a shot from last Fall, but, you would be wrong. This photo was taken just the other day. It is like nature is giving folks a preview of what's coming. I'm sure there is a logical explanation why these leaves are displaying autumnal tendencies. I, however, have no idea what it may be. Do you?

PUSH ME, PULL ME

On first glance, this appears to be just another small private airplane. That's what I thought also. On further examination, there is something that is very wrong. The propellors are on backwards. The plane is made by Piaggio Aero of Italy. The main wing is in the rear and the engines are in a push configuration. Most of the other information can be found at Piaggio's web site. If you are at all interested you can check it out here. Just a little something different for today.

BASEBALL, HOT DOGS, APPLE PIE AND ...

What is more American than hot dogs on the 4th of July. This is a shot of The All-American Hot Dogs at the Harbor Springs 4th of July Parade. Hope you had a safe holiday.

LET FREEDOM RING

Let none of us forget the price that was paid that we might enjoy this day and every day!

GEORGE, HAVE YOU SEEN THE CAT?

It came from the ground and pointed upward towards the heavens. It's meaning, hidden. It's purpose, unknown. The background, a perfect setting for SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

FEELINGS, NOTHING MORE THAN FEELINGS

So sorry. I came up empty.Click here to view thumbnails for all participants