By Jo Anne Wilson Sun correspondent SAIGNON, France (March 18, 2004) — It’s the middle of March and I’m in Southern France. I needed a break after a bitter Northern Michigan winter. Here, the climate is mild and the sun shines three hundred and twenty days a year. Serious snowfall happens a couple of times […]
By Norm Wheeler Sun editor Or one could write “Lilacs,” or “Apple Blossoms,” or “Prom Gowns,” or “Temporary Barricades,” or even, as Swift Lathers wrote, “Boiled Dandelions.” Growing up in Oceana County in the 50s, I read The Smallest Newspaper in the World, The Mears Newz, published weekly by Mr. Swift Lathers, of Mears, MI, […]
By Jane Greiner Sun staff writer This is the time of year when spring wildflowers uplift the hearts of nature lovers everywhere. One of the best places to see them in delightful profusion is along the Treat Farm trail just south of Empire. The trail offers the triple treat of a woods walk, historical farm […]
By Jane Greiner Sun staff writer After a long northern winter, everyone looks forward to spring. But spring is especially welcome to me this year because both my parents died this past winter. Though long expected, their closely spaced deaths left a hole in my heart, which has been slow to heal. Now I am […]
By Jo Anne Wilson Sun contributor “I’m moving to Provence,” I announced. “Provence?” My neighbor stared at me. “As in Southern France?” I could see her mind going. Me, the retired teacher of French had finally gone over the edge. “Not forever,” I hastened to add, “Just for a year or two.” “But you just […]
by Ashlea Turner Sun staff writer This column is devoted to budget travelers who enjoy fresh food and quality time spent off the beaten path in Leelanau County. Aaaahh, winter in Leelanau County. The snowbirds have fled to the Bahamas, Arizona and Florida and only the heartiest of souls are left here to battle the […]
By Jacob Wheeler Sun International Correspondent UTILA (Islas de la Bahia), Honduras – How he found me down here I have no idea. But I have no doubt it was he who renewed the hex. The two Chicagoans and I were as far from Wrigleyville as possible (a sleazy sports bar in the Guatemalan highlands, […]
By Ashlea Turner Sun staff writer Although many people want life in their communities to stay just as it is, change and growth are inevitable. This concept has hit home in the last decade with Leelanau County residents. With a population growth rate of 27 percent in the last decade alone, our home has become […]
By Linda Jo Scott Sun staff writer This story has a secret at its core. It’s a bit like writing about a favorite fishing hole — or a special spot where morels love to grow. Shhh…. In this case, it’s a small pond somewhere in Calhoun or Eaton County where a family of trumpeter swans […]
By Mary Sharry Sun contributor One winter night, when the snow was deep, the deer moved into the village to forage at the bird feeders. I stood at the front window and played my violin. Drawing the bow over taut strings, I was intent on producing a sweet tone. For a beginner this was not […]