Ferry Sightings!

Ferry service resumed today! The Huron had to go the long way around the island due to ice. The ferry does not cross Mission Point normally. This is a rare shot!





The temperature was in the 40s, which means a lot of melting snow. This morning I was greeted with a, "It's nice to see your bike out again." Another sign of spring!


It was a rainboot sort of day:


A freighter passed this evening:


The ferry passed at the same time!


It puts into perspective how huge freighters are:


She decided the statue was her boyfriend, "I want to be with him." But he doesn't move. He will be surrounded by tulips in the future:



Today finally felt like spring!

1000 Gallons Gone

It was "uniform" day for March is Reading Month at school. I sent a little Hermione Granger to kindergarten today:


The ominous brown paper bag indicating gas is gone. The gas ration is up. We have discovered how long it takes folks on Mackinac Island to go through 1000 gallons of gas. I didn't want to find out!


A little bat was flying around and settled on this tree- see it?


Tomorrow, Arnold Line Ferry resumes! They broke the Huron free from the St. Ignace harbor this afternoon. It's been a long time for this dock to have been ferry-free!


Snow is melting! There's still enough for snowmobiling, but I did my final trip to school by bike today. (I'm low on gas for the snowmobile)


The girls helped the last stretch on the way home! The melting snow is not good for biking with a burley.


My little sweethearts!


The snow might not last much longer:

Palm Sunday and Dying Eggs

Palm Sunday! I've always liked it. As a kid we'd get palm branches, which is downright cool. (My little sister went through a phase when she cried for cameras):


My girls made paper palm branches today, and my youngest waved it hollering Hallelujah instead of Hosanna. I love Palm Sunday.
We go to church in Cedarville, my husband's hometown. The choir sang beautifully today!


The girls loving their daddy:


The girls dyed eggs this afternoon:





Oh the patience!


The creativity!








I did one too:





One big difference with this year's egg dying is the immediate consumption of the colorful creations! We made a dozen eggs and only 4 survived our cuties:





Daddy is a superman fan:


The result of multiple colors and a well placed rubber band:


The result of a cracked shell, big sister was thrilled!


There's a lot of open water between St. Ignace and the island. There is still ice around the island.





This really might be our last plane flight this season!

Firetruck-Watching from Tranquility Point

The Mackinac Island Fire Department was active at a fire hydrant today. Must be another sign of spring!


Ladder Truck #2:


We watched them finish from Tranquility Point. Small weddings occur here during the summer season:





Robinson's Folly in the background as my preschooler explores:



We were able to snowmobile to the airport easily:


There is a lot of ice near the island still:


But there is a lot more open water! Ferry service has got to be close to resuming! (I adore the view from Great Lakes Air, but it's more costly!)

Gas Ration: Day 9

The gas ration began March 13th. Gas ran out on March 15th. The State Park sold 1000 gallons to the hardware store, so rationed gas became available again March 19th. I've never made so many trips to the hardware store!

Here is the view from the dock that the hardware store is located on. It's one dock over from Arnold Line (which is still unable to run the ferry due to all the ice):


Gas on Mackinac Island is $5.40/gallon, and we're limited to 2 gallons a day during the ration. Remember when all gas pumps looked like this?


It looks like winter at Mission Point Resort, but I'm loving the blue skies!


My daughter survived the sleepover! She had so much fun! Her little sister missed her and opted to ride with her instead of mommy:


The snow drifts are looking cool:





What a chunk of ice!


Waiting for spring weather:


Rabbit trails!






We don't when the ferry returns to service- there is less ice! (Still too much, but less ice nonetheless!) I don't want to find out how many days it takes Mackinac Island folks to use 1000 gallons of gas!