Sunday, August 16, was a perfectly beautiful Mackinac day with brilliant warm sunshine for everyone to enjoy. Many people took the carriage ride, while other folks rode bicycles nine miles around the Island. Along the way, one could view the wildflowers in a variety of colors. A duck could be seen teaching her ducklings to swim in the lake. Looking out over the Straits of Mackinac, a 1,000-foot ore carrier could be seen en route through Round Island Passage westbound to Gary, Indiana, with a load of taconite.

In the July 3 edition of Dog News, the Digest of American Dogs, Sadie, the black Scottie owned by Amelia Musser of Mackinac Island, was featured in a beautiful picture with the caption “Sadie thanks the judges for making her America’s #1 Dog, all breed/all systems.” Friday, August 14, in Topeka, Kansas, Sadie won her 71st Best in Show. Congratulations to Sadie from all of her fans on Mackinac.

Happy birthday to Larry Rickley, Jr. August 16. Hope you had a great day.

Gracie Francis’s daughters, Michele Johnson, with her son, Chance, and Robyn Mac Meeken with her son, Christian, from Plano, Texas, spent two weeks with Gracie and Donnie. They especially loved spending time with good friends Pat and Vivien McTigue, Jim and Diane Sprengel, and the Schultzs, Norm, Mickey, and Beau, and cousin John. This is the 18th year they’ve traveled to their much loved Mackinac Island, where they have made many friends.

Happy anniversary to Dave and Pat Ramsay August 24. Hope you had a wonderful day.

Congressman Bart and Laurie Stupak were honored at a fundraising event Tuesday, August 18, at Grand Hotel.

Happy anniversary to Doug and Carol Rearick August 22. Carol is touring China for two weeks.

Andrew Doud celebrated his birthday August 23. Hope you had a great day.

Congratulations to Jim and Julie Fisher on the birth of their son, Jordan James, Thursday, August 13, at Cheboygan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth and measured 19 inches in length. Proud grandparents are Willie and Debbie Fisher and Joan Barch, all of Mackinac.

Patrick Culleton of Livonia visited his grandparents, Brian and Barbara Hellis, and his aunt and uncle, Virginia and Dan Riordan. His parents, Kathleen and Brian, with his brother, David, joined the family last weekend.

We send best wishes to Rita Sue Cohen, who was flown to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak Saturday, August 15. Island friends send special greetings.

Happy birthday to Lorma Kolatski and Mikie Gallagher August 24. Hope you both enjoyed your day.

The Mackinac Island Medical Center Auction will be Sunday, August 30, at Grand Hotel. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and may be dropped off at the medical center.

We are happy to report that Bart Huthwaite is recuperating nicely at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital in Petoskey. He would enjoy receiving a card from his many friends on Mackinac.

Bill and Kathy Lake celebrated their anniversary August 25. Hope you had a wonderful day.

The party honoring Frank and Joan Nephew for their 60th wedding anniversary and Frank’s 80th birthday was a great gathering of family and friends from far and near. The party was Friday, August 14, on the lawn of Armin and Nancy Porter’s home, where colorful flowers were in full bloom. It was a wonderful time of friends greeting friends, and great food. A good time was enjoyed by all.

Happy birthday to Ed McGreevy August 26, to his son, Ian, August 29, and to his sister, Mary Lou, August 28. Have a great day.

Mary K. McIntire returned to Aspen, Colorado, Wednesday, August 19, after spending a week on Mackinac visiting family and friends.

Jack Landres of the Victorian Gallery on Market Street has a beautiful, colorful garden growing in front of his shop. At the right corner of the garden is a bright cluster of assorted petunias and impatiens. In the middle of the grouping appeared a tall green stem, which certainly didn’t belong there. Eventually, a blossom started to appear and now a beautiful sunflower is in full bloom. All of the visitors are admiring it as they pass by. What was thought to be a weed turned into a thing of beauty.

En route to the east end of the Island, it was noted the marina was filled with yachts of every description, a real sight to see.

Dr. Helen Straus and her brother, Francis, are vacationing and visiting family members on Mackinac.

Guests of Margaret McIntire are Dr. John and Anne Killinger of Virginia. Dr. Killinger is the former pastor of Little Stone Church. They attended the memorial service for Lorabeth Fitzgerald.

Guests of Alice and Albert “Buck” Sharrow Sunday, August 16, were their son and five-yearold granddaughter, Makayla, of Charlevoix. They all enjoyed a wonderful carriage ride with Lady and Prince, the two black hackneys that Grandpa drives.

Happy anniversary to Doris and Richard LaPine August 27. Have a wonderful day.

Loretta Spata’s mother, Jay Vecchio, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is visiting her family on Mackinac. Her grandson, Joe Brodeur, and his family drove her to the Island from Detroit.

The Brad Conkey family recently spent a weekend on Mackinac.

Skip and Cindy Kutsop of Mountainside, New Jersey, brought their youngest daughter, McKenna, to the Island with two of her friends, Stephanie Scofield and Cassy Kinney, to celebrate their 16th birthdays. The girls’ birthdays are actually in October, but because of school, they came to Mackinac now. They stayed Saturday night, August 15, at Grand Hotel, went to Fort Mackinac Sunday, August 16, and Monday morning, August 17, watched the sunrise by Mission Point. A great time was had by all.

Congratulations to Alex and Kristi Graham on the birth of their second daughter, Stella Sophia, Tuesday, August 18. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth. She is joined at home by her big sister, Penelope.

Susan Allen of Alexandria, Virginia, wrote the following poem for Lorabeth Fitzgerald, her longtime neighbor on the East Bluff, who passed away Friday, July 31:

Forty-five years I've passed your house, biking, trudging up our beautiful "never-gets-easier" hill.

Most of the time you were on the porch, or inside, rattling around with your boys, later the men, then just with John, and finally, the cats.

Your advice to me was always sound.

And since you weren't my mother, I usually listened to it.

Literature craver, hungry for prose, thirsty, always for a good poem.

Good metaphors made you dance, you clapped your hands at an orginally shaped idea.

Yesterday I looked up and saw two green chairs on your porch; yours, and the special one you invited me to sit in.

I remember us talking, the chill of darkness, you standing up and walking inside.

You left us suddenly, we were breathless, out of words.

You went way beyond the lake alone at dawn.

With your shade up, the window cracked, Mackinac spilling into your room

as you were spilling out.

Lorabeth, there's wind in our cedars today, is it you we hear rustling out there?

Is it you? Enjoy your week!