Say "Uncle"

My brother Jordan came up to the Island for a little R&R during Fish Derby weekend. He emerged relatively unscathed despite being inundated with alcohol, good times and his overwhelmingly adorable nephew.

A Sense of Community

It was Fish Derby week here on Washington Island and as a result I was initiated into several Island traditions. First there was Women's Day, a counterpart to Men's Day. One group rides snowmobiles or 4-wheelers, drinks a lot of beer and eats meat. The other rides snowmobiles or drives from house to house, enjoying rousing games of Pictionary, drinking cocktails and eating different yummy food. I'll leave it to you to guess which is which.

The ice party kicks off the weekend...a pretty unique event in my opinion. I don't know a lot of places where people set up tables of food, a Port-A-Potty, heated ice shanties and some DJ equipment for a day-long good time on frozen Lake Michigan'

There's fun stuff for the kids too...I'm sure Max can't wait until he's old enough for this particular entertainment:



The week finished up with bingo and chili at Nelsen's Hall. I think this was my favorite, despite not winning a red cent at bingo. There's something great about a couple hundred islanders crammed into one room playing $1 per game bingo and eating Lion's Club brats and chili. I'm glad to be a part of it.

Baby's First Valentine

So no, Max is not a doll for me to dress up and take cute pictures of. However he does have doting relatives who have dropped some hints about the frequency with which I've posted pictures and videos of the boy lately (I plead stomach flu). And since a 10 week old does little besides look cute and flail around and coo, the occasion to put him in something thematic for certain days doesn't pass unrecognized. Besides, he didn't seem to mind sharing the love:



Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Weathering Winter

From catching some rays in the morning....



...to bundling up for a stroller ride in the afternoon, Max is learning to make the best of Wisconsin winters.

Best. Thing. Ever.

Feel free to watch this over and over. I wasn't home to witness it (and he has yet to do it again) so I know I will be.

Adult Entertainment

I know those below the "Tension Line" are inundated with winter right now (we didn't get a flake up here) and probably won't be in a winter beauty-appreciating sort of mood. You can always come back to this post later.

Dave and I took a snowmobile ride the other day along the eastern shoreline. It was nice to get out on our own and we saw some awesome winter scenery. The ice floes on Lake Michigan were especially stunning. The island is wonderful in spring, summer and fall, but the island in winter has a singular beauty. There is drama and stillness simultaneously and it takes my breath away:






Of course we couldn't help creating a little drama of our own: