After a tour of the Upper Peninsula, including Copper Harbor, I'm back in my hometown of St. Ignace. There is lots of history and beauty in our state.

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor was the scene of the Thimbleberry Festival. I decided to spend an extra day at Fort Wilkins State Park. Only two people rode the first tourist bus to the festival, and were interviewed upon arrival. Both of us made the Marquette Mining Journal Thursday, July 21, and I will admit, it was exciting. Jim Kosek of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, was the other visitor who traveled up through St. Ignace to learn local history. He says he loves the weather, with cooler summer temperatures than he's used to. Mr. Kosek visited St. Ignace last summer, as well as Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island, and he enjoys the slower pace and friendly people here. He celebrated his birthday August 1.

St. Ignace competitors will be among those heading to Dafter for the Dafter Lions Club mud run. Trucks from all around the area will compete Sunday, August 10, at noon. Cost is $5.

Army Specialist David Durm, son of Annette and Jim Durm of Moran Township, is home on leave for two weeks. He also visited friends in Kalamazoo, en route to St. Ignace. This is his second time serving in Iraq.

Mary Jane Cadotte (Cadotte Family Photograph) Donna and Gary Bassett celebrated their wedding anniversary July 11, with a trip to Beaver Island. The couple enjoyed hiking and dinner. Anniversary wishes to Karen and Don Sandberg August 6, Darcy and Jack McLean August 7, Dean and Laurie Steiner August 8, and Ernie Jr. and Kris Vallier August 10.

Elizabeth Pudenz and Skylar Pauley were welcomed at the home of Ruby Shaffer in St. Ignace for a week. While in town, Elizabeth's brother, Thomas Pudenz, met up with them after spending several days in Trout Lake with his grandmother, Marge Vonderwerth.

Mary Warden of Riverview, Florida, spent a couple of weeks with her mother, Norma Emery. While in town they took in many sites and enjoyed each other's company.

A special couple, Bob and Rose Nelson, are celebrating their 69th wedding anniversary this month. They still have their home in St. Ignace, but travel to Arizona when the weather turns cold.

Irene Fenlon was busy doing errands in town last Wednesday. She says she is thankful that her daughters help her out. Mary Fenlon lives with her, and daughter Kathy Hughes spends each summer in town, then returns to Lawrenceville, Georgia, for the winter months.

Mary Jane Elizabeth Cadotte will celebrate a birthday Wednesday, August 6. Mary Jane will be two years old. She is the daughter of Connie and Howard Cadotte, and her grandparents are Helen and Otto Hyslop of St. Ignace.

Happy birthday to Mike Fraser August 10.

Please keep my brother-in-law, Joe Decker, in your prayers as he goes through radiation for the next six weeks. Hazel says he gets tired very easily. If you would like to mail him a card, his address is as follows: 392 Turkey Foot Road, Woodland, PA 16881.

The vesper cruise scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, was canceled owing to the weather forecast. We did receive quite a thunderstorm later that evening.

Billy Milford, having spent part of the summer in St. Ignace, has returned home to Pasadena, California, as of Thursday, July 31. Mr. Milford, a 1955 graduate of LaSalle High School, numbers David Walker and George Yshinski of St. Ignace among his good friends.

Free concerts at the marina this week include Michele Chenard Wednesday, August 6, and Boogie 2 Shooz Thursday, August 7. Each evening the music begins at 7 p.m. at our beautiful St. Ignace Marina.

Enjoy the gorgeous flowers in town. Lots of effort goes into caring for them.