You can imagine how hard it was for me to change my thought process from one that used to go "Oh, I think I'm going to run to the mall and buy boots!" to "Well, if I am going downtown for a gallon of milk, how many other errands can I squeeze into this one, and will it all fit into my bike basket?" And also, is it smart to order boots online? I learned too, that it is:)
For years I drove Grace to school. School in Midland wasn't half as far away as we live from the school here, and yet she rarely had to walk. She would walk home sometimes, like if I got caught up at work or something... but NEVER without complaint. Really, it was less than a mile.
So when we committed to going to school up here, Grace and I had the long, long discussion... she was going to have to ride her bike. Rain or shine. And sometimes, she would have to walk. And sometimes, it would be cold, and sometimes thunderstormy, and sometimes dark. She agreed that the benefits of going to such a small school on an Island she loves would be worth the transportation hassle, and promised not to complain. And I'm proud to announce to you that not once... zero times, has she ever complained about whatever the situation was. She gets up, gets herself ready, and off she goes.
Now that the winter season is upon us, we are allowed to ride snow mobiles. I am lucky to work for a company who provides a couple for us to get around on. I've never ridden on a snow mobile until early 2013 when I first started coming up here for work. My maintenance guy took me outside on the beautiful back yard at Stonecliffe and showed me how to drive it. He also taught me how to gas up, check oil, and a few other necessities. I was mobile! Talk about feeling empowered!
So now that it has snowed, I drive Grace to school every day on the snow mobile. If you know me at all, you know I'm not a morning person, so getting up, getting geared up (which seems to take longer than the drive itself) and going outside into the cold did not sound very appealing to me. However, it has to be done, and so it is. What I didn't expect, however, was to enjoy the ride. It is never ever not been pretty. This island is like 360 degrees of pretty. I hope I never get so used to the way it looks that I stop appreciating it.
For months I heard Islanders wish for snow... I didn't get it. But now.... now that I see this, I get it. Yay for snow!
A few snapshots from a typical drive to town:
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| Lake Huron, looking towards the Mackinac Bridge. The water wasn't completely frozen, but it was getting there! This is taken in front of the school. |
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| The Christmas Tree in the center of town... so pretty! |
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| Remember, if you're downtown, always stop at Doud's! Otherwise, you'll get home, figure out you need something, and wish you had! |
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| Fort Mackinac and Marquette Park |
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| I love our little post office! |
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| One of our first snowy days, I was mesmerized with the colors of The Grand Hotel. Nobody else had ridden down the street that runs long the front of it, so I decided to be that pioneer. Little did I know, there was a crane at the far end of the hotel, blocking the road! I had to figure out how to turn a big snow mobile around in a very small space, on top of a cliff/hill. I'm sure a few people working inside the Grand Hotel were amused:) |
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| Panoramic taken from the front of The Grand Hotel. |
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| The Stone Gates outside of Stonecliffe. |
