Vacation and Computer Talk

Oh, my. I'm b-a-ack! I've been out of commission. Needed a new monitor--after only two years of use. Hopefully, all is well, now. It's good to be back!

I've been seeing lots of vacation photos, especially of Michigan. Being from the Great Lakes State, as well as vacationing here, I thought it would be fun to share some of my own. This year we stayed in Traverse City and Frankfort. Both are situated on either Lake Michigan or on the Bay. The main part of Frankfort is a three-block stretch of shops and restaurants beginning at the shoreline Frankfort is beautiful, small and serene.

These first three photos are of the same lighthouse and pier in Frankfort, taken from various angles and times.

Another photo of Lake Michigan. This one reminds me of Kuwaii, Hawaii.

Bald Eagle taken while we were kayaking at Honor, Michigan.

Taken from up high, near Frankfort.

Finally, taken further north near the top of the lower peninsula.

Oh, to live up north only when the weather is perfect! Warm weather, very little cold. Dream on...

Nighty, night; sleep tight... Pleasant dreams of beaches, sifting sand, lazing around, kayaking, being pushed by the waves and breathtaking sunsets on the water.

Dreamer

A Rock by Any Other Name...

Being a true lover of sea glass, but not knowing I could find it in Michigan, I never really scoured the beaches for it. After all, we don't have a lot of sandy beaches around these parts. You can live in a place for eons and not know of the existence of certain places. They can be very dreamy places you'd love to escape to, but you've not known they were there.

One website displayed all different types of beach glass found on Lake Erie. I was amazed. My mind started drifting off to beaches in the area where I could go beach combing.

On a recent boat trip to one of Lake Erie's many islands with my daughter, I found a shiny black rock (photos below). I have no idea what the rock is.

 

A couple of days ago I joined a website appropriately called, "Sea Glass Lovers". I put the question out there. Some speculated that it might be obsidian, which is a type of lava rock produced by volcanic action. Of course, we have no volcanoes in Michigan, so I'm still left wondering. It isn't transparent, so that it would be glass seems unlikely.

If you have any thoughts, please post them on my blog.

A rock, by any other name, is still the same!

Rocky Mountain High

 

Petoskey Stones, Fossils and Old Glass Bottles

Today we went boating over to Sugar Island in Lake Erie with our daughter and son-in-law. Our granddaughter and her friend were collecting stones, and I was assisting in find the most unusual. We collected many for her little friend to take home. I, on the other hand, kept only three. One or two are fossils with one bearing a wing imprint; the third, not pictured here, is shiny and black--interesting. I have found blue chunks like that in East Bay of Lake Michigan, around Traverse City, Michigan. Along with today's find, there are photos below of some Petoskey stones I've collected over the last couple of years, up north, around Petoskey, Michigan. They are in their natural state, cleaned only by rain and unpolished.

Petoskey Stone Photos (click to see more)


Aren't they interesting! At one time Michigan was covered with a glacier from which, upon melting, the landscape was formed. Petoskey, a wonderful vacation spot on the northwestern side of the state, yields a generous amount of Petoskey stones.


Here's one for you: The ocean yields sea glass, but do the Great Lakes? The ocean's salt smooths the glass quickly, unlike here in the lake. Today we found an old, thick, glass bottle and on it are raised letters spelling out "Detroit, Michigan" . We know it to be old; however, the edges are still slightly shiny, and it looks as though it was, not too long ago, tossed into the water. After writing this post, I found a link that answers my question:
Lake Erie Beach Glass Colour Rarity Rank

Pleasant dreams of getting stoned! Just kidding. Pleasant dreams of beaches abounding with sun-kissed sea glass. Good-night...

 Lady Lake

Petoskey Stone Necklace & History

Last summer, while we were vacationing with our daughter and family, she spied the most gorgeous stone necklace around someone's neck. That necklace occupied her thoughts, even when the trip was over. She was so excited about those stones. Hmmm! I reflected on her comments about the necklace and finally came up with a design from which to create her Christmas gift. Three strands of citrine nuggets, freshwater pearls, cats eye beads, shell beads and copper findings, were pulled together by a loop of glass beads and a vintage piece to function as a clasp. The focal point, however, was a small treasure found in a quaint little shop in Traverse City, MI: a sweet, polished, Petoskey stone button! Michiganders love to comb the beaches of Lake Michigan for Petoskey stones, and I have collected a few over the years. One is carefully placed and half hidden in a stone wall in my family room. There are a couple of P. stones outside in my rock garden. Even though they aren't extremely rare, a nice one is still a precious find to me and everyone I know.

Check out this link   http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/petoskystone.html  to go to Michigan State University's website for some history on the Petoskey stone.

Your Pen Pal Petoskey Gal

(You will be my pen pal if you write on my blog!!!)