It looks like a stretch of front porch weather is coming our way this week. Blackberries are ripe. A blackberry and apple pie is mighty fine.

Visiting on the front porch last week were Roy and Linda Ragland. The Raglands have spent a good part of the summer downstate attending to family matters. We’ve missed them.

It’s August, and the Flora family gathered at the home of their late father, Bob Flora, on Wildwood Lane this past week. Maria Flora Boots of Denver, Colorado, Kot and Larry McGranahan of Iowa City, Iowa, John and Ann Flora Ryan of Tecumseh, and Mike and Judy Flora of Homer, Alaska, enjoyed their time at Dad’s home. Bill and Sue Kanour of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, were not able to make the trip this year. Petey, the Wildwood Lane peacock, put in an appearance on the deck. He cleaned the deck of spiders and partook of the crackers the family shared with him.

Gustafson’s Smoked Fish made The New York Times Wednesday, August 26, in a story entitled “Now Entering Upper Michigan’s Smoked Fish Zone.” The reporter interviewed the many smoked fish establishments in the U.P., telling the history of how they got started. Mike Gustafson’s picture and the smoked fish sign appeared in the article, which can be seen on www.nytimes.com.

Sharon and Joe Chalmers golfed at the Hiawatha golf course Sunday, August 30.

Joe Stewart flew back to Brevort Saturday evening, August 29. Dave, Tracy, and I joined Joe and Lorie for dinner Sunday evening, August 30, at their home on Shore Road.

Tom and Joyce Gustafson, Lara Gustafson, and Charlie Lamoreaux completed a CCW pistol training session in Newberry. They were all certified Saturday, August 29. There were 12 participants taking the eight-hour class.

Gordon Knight will take part in a pre-revolutionary war reenactment next week as a Fort Michilimackinac trader. He is a member of the Ottawa Long Rifles. There are arts and crafts denoting the era before the Revolutionary War in this area.

Happy birthday to Angel Dishaw September 8.

Anita Graham of Seymour, Tennessee, and Marion Green of New Hudson have joined Glen and Claudia Wiseman at the Green cottage on Shore Road.

I visited the Roger’s farm last week. The garden is wonderful and green with many kinds of vegetables ready for picking. The Pontiac red potatoes are being dug, carrots are being pulled, peas picked, and it goes on. The hens are laying those good healthy eggs. The farm is open to the public.

Thora and Jack Shepard arrived home after a vacation at the Gun Flint Lodge visiting with Lee Foster, who is associated with the Boundary Country Trekkers. They spent time picking raspberries and blueberries and Jack did some fishing. They shared space in the berry patch with a rather large black bear. The bear relinquished his place in the patch and ambled on down the road before Thora had a chance to take a picture. At Toplar Lake, where Jack and Thora rented a cabin, was a gentleman who played the bagpipes every evening. It was so quiet on the lake, the sound of the bagpipes carried over quite a distance. The piper would end his performance with “Amazing Grace.”

Allison Smith joined her grandmother, Sharon Smith, picking berries and hunting beach glass on the shore of Lake Michigan this past weekend.

Joan Spencer is spending more time off the walker that has been part of her life for many months. She is feeling much stronger.

Shari Baron spent a joyful week at home on the Pine River with her husband, Ray, and many family members consisting of eight adults, a teenager, and eight little ones plus in-laws. It was wall-to-wall sleeping bags and couches serving as beds. Shari has been downstate most of the summer with her mother, who is not well.

Jeannie Rose with daughter, Kari, and grandchildren, Kaden and Andrew, visited with Dave and Lois Movalson Thursday afternoon, August 27. Lorie Quigley offered her beach for Kaden to play on, and Ingrid Daemmrich provided beach toys. The Rose beach is rather rocky and not too pleasant to build sand castles.

Mary Carney is home this week, not last week as we had hoped. Hopefully, this last session in the hospital has solved the problem that keeps recurring. Keep well, Mary.

Please keep Sharon Nelson in your thoughts and prayers as she undergoes another round of chemotherapy back home in Colorado.