A Trip To A Not-So-Dark Isle

There is an island, somewhere in Michigan where I was recently privileged to visit.  I am withholding the name of said island to protect it's secrecy.  At any rate, suffice it to say that it is really far up there and situated in one of the Great Lakes.   There, that narrows it down for you.

So, three of my brothers, as well as some friends, celebrated my illustrious father's 85 birthday while we were there!  He's an amazing specimen of humanity, my Dad.  For even now, despite his official status as an old fart, he seems to be able to run mental rings around the rest of us!  Pretty amazing.  The poor guy was very worried prior to our departure from his house, due to his belief that I didn't want him to drive.  The truth of the matter is that I have just as much confidence in HIS driving abilities as I do in my own.  I had mentioned that I was going to bring up my 4x4 for the trip, and he made it clear that that was NOT what he wanted to ride up in.  In the end, my truck had a dead battery, and I drove a mini-van, which we left in HIS garage.  We went up in my dad's 4-door sedan, of all the crazy things.  Dad has made this trip many, many times and has always done so in one of his sedans, despite the at times, 4-wheel drive conditions, somehow????

At any rate, the weather was incredible, the sun shining most of the time, the trees blazing in all their glory, and the air crisp and refreshing.  Ah, Michigan, I miss you.

The cabin in which we stayed is part of a very large piece of property, with miles of lakeshore to call it's own, and some really beautiful woods, fields and ponds as well.  The local wildlife includes, at times, white-tailed deer, black bears, cougar or mountain lion, wolves, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, beavers, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and many others, making that island on of the most wild in Michigan.