Now, my thought on this sign, which makes it look like you have to go one way for hamburgers and another way for french fries, was that one should never have to decide between a hamburger and french fries.  The two should always go together. Choosing between a hamburger and french fries is like choosing between sunshine and warmth, between apple pie and ice cream, between a movie or popcorn.

Yes, I know that eating hamburgers and french fries is bad for the heart and contributes to weight gain. But, for that rare occasion when I splurge, I don’t want to have to choose between the two.

I wonder if this sign had anything to do with the demise of the restaurant.

It looks as if the card was written by a salesman dad to his son in Battle Creek. The card is typewritten, which is a little unusual for 1909.  Dad the salesman must have been somewhat successful!

When I first glanced at this card I was looking mainly at the automobile and almost missed the cows pulling the wagon.  I am glad that never caught on. Can you imagine telling your friends you just bought a 75 cowpower engine for your boat?

 An acre of cool stuff discarded by others and rescued by the proprietor, are all waiting for adoption by a new owner. Architectural antiques include unusual doors, windows, wood trim, fretwork and more. I even noticed an interesting old bank teller’s cage, complete with all three sections, selling for less than a grand.

Iron work, hardware and all sorts of stuff, some useful and some just funky, cover the ground and even hang from the trees. There are also several old sheds scattered around the property waiting to be explored. And, if you go, don’t forget to look up. I even noticed a pair of old rocking horses on the roof of one of the sheds!    Their sign may say it the best: “We have this, that, these, those & thems”

Sunset Junque is located on the Blue Star Highway five miles north of South Haven, just south of 109^th  Street. Take exit #26 off I-196. Visit Sunset Junque on the web.

I was quite surprised by the amount of people wandering around on that rainy day, so others must feel like I do, that Sunset Junque is worth a visit. It is on my list to stop by again when in the area.

The other morning I noticed a small boat with two fishermen on board. This is not an uncommon sight. The cool of the morning is a great time for fishing. I am close to a good fishing hole, and many mornings I see fisherman taking advantage of that cool, peaceful time to get some good fishing in.

Mornings usually start better with a good cup of coffee. And what goes in, must come out. Anyway, much to my surprise nature must have called and well, one fisherman was relieving himself in our lake.

This wasn’t the first time I have noticed this type of behavior. I didn’t appreciate that act, I am sure the fish did not appreciate it either. I cannot say how for sure this effects the environment, but it seems to me, urine has nitrates and nitrates promote algae growth.   

I also wonder about any medicine that the person may be taking. What are the effects of someone’s high blood pressure meds on the fish?

If you are ever considering taking this action, you may want to be aware of the danger involved!  According to the Canadian Surveillance System for Water-Related Fatalities, between the years 1991 and 2000, 42 Canadians drowned because they urinated from their boat and fell overboard.

I am thankful for the fisherman’s sake that I did not have my camera with me that morning. Actually, I am thankful for myself too that I did not have the camera ready. Not sure I would want a picture of that!

So, in answer to the question  “Is it okay to relieve yourself in the lake?” No. My lake is not a port-a-potty.

Shortly after I took that picture, a Wienermobile made the news by crashing into someone’s home. Imagine coming home after a hard day’s work, looking forward to a relaxing evening, and suddenly you look up to see an uninvited  Wienermobile entering your home.  So much for a peaceful evening.  Hopefully, since they were at your house anyway, they would cook you a few hotdogs for your dinner.  

You can see the clip for yourself at http://www.comcast.net/video/crash-weinermobile-goes-wild/1188744538

It has been several years since I took drivers training, but I don’t recall covering Wienermobile maneuvering, so I guess we can’t come down too hard on the driver. The good news is, it doesn’t sound like anyone was injured.

I did a little home work on the Wienermobile and learned several things. There is not just one, but seven wienermobiles stationed in various parts of the country.

The drivers are called hot doggers.  They are drivers for just one year and then replaced. The position is open only to college seniors.

The Wienermobile is on twitter.

The Wienermobile has a blog.

The Wienermobile has a webpage.

I was saddened that no one was around when I saw the Wienermobile.  I would have asked for a Wienerwhistle.

Read more on Wikipedia about the Wienermobile

However, there are a few exceptions, but only a few. There is a retail store found only in northern Michigan named Momentum that is one of these exceptions.  They offer casual apparel for men, women and children at wholesale prices. That means affordable clothes. Every time we travel north, this is one of our “must stops” . The selection is limited, but it is always changing.

On our last visit, my wife found several items to her liking and made a purchase; a bargain compared to a visit to the regional shopping mall. This time I found several things to my liking, but unfortunately, not in my size.

On a previous visit, I found just the opposite. I purchased several quality sweatshirts and a great jacket at prices that do not require a stimulus package. That time my wife scored zero.

Every time we stop, they are busy. Not just people pawing through everything, but people actually buying products. That is great encouragement in this economy.

As I understand it, they have seven northern Michigan locations, but no website to our knowledge. You will find them in Atwood, Charlevoix, Frankfort, Glen Arbor, Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Traverse City.

This is in no way an advertisement, but a great place that we have found quality items at a reasonable price.

This tasty dressing is not available in many places down state, and just a few in the Grand Traverse area. This could be Northern Michigan’s best kept secret. This stuff is good. We have been using it for several years on our salads, hamburgers, and chicken breasts.

The grocery stores are full of the typical Thousand Island, Ranch, Italian and Blue Cheese dressings,  but none come close to the quality of this product. Mind you, you pay for quality.  An 8 ounce bottle will set you back a whopping $8.00 “Try it you’ll like it.”

No this is not a paid commercial for this product. I like it and it is worthy of mention. Most of all you may enjoy it as well. It’s a little bit of northern Michigan.

“Hi! Hope I’m not missed too much. Thanks for helping me out.  Am having a nice time.  Should do this more often.  I am at the beach today (Mon.) I’d like to own a place around here-lots of money get rich in a hurry.  See U. Say “hello” to everyone. “    Helen

As I look at the front of this postcard and read the message on the back, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to live in the beautiful  state of Michigan.  We are never far from water or a day or afternoon at the beach.  We don’t have to take a trip to some exotic location and then wonder how we will pay for it. Everything we want is right here in our back yard. 

Sunday was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, so after attending church, my wife and I headed out to Grand Haven.  We  had an extra bonus that day, as there was an art fair on the downtown streets, something we both enjoy.

 But, what we really enjoy is the water , walking the beach and then up to the lighthouse.  We always feel as if we have gotten away from it all and had a mini-vacation.  We often drive to the beach on the weekend, and always on the drive home we say, as Helen did on the postcard, “We should do this more often.”

So, this summer, or better yet,  this weekend, take some time to enjoy a Michigan lake.

Just outside of Downtown Holland, along Pine Street, is an interesting and whimsical collection of outdoor sculptures all made out of scrap metal from the Padnos Iron and Metal Company.

You will find a little bit of everything from Rusty’s Dog House to a pair of boxing crankshafts, Eskimo sled dogs and many other fun and imaginative things you would not expect on your way to Lake Macatawa.

The self taught artist has work at the Meijer’s Gardens in northeast Grand Rapids, as well as the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in downtown Grand Rapids. As I understand it, he does not sell his work, but occasionally donates it, usually in the greater Holland area.