[mrsD]

The time is here... We are going upNorth to our summer retreat in the boreal forest of the UP of Michigan.

For the new members, this is a small family owned island with no electricity, no running water (pump in the kitchen), small generator for lights sometimes, tools, and recharging electronics. The house is nice though, but it can get cold some nights.

I have some photos in my profile album for anyone who is curious.

This year we have new iPhones which are our first smart phones. Previously Sprint was the only carrier up there, but last summer something happened to the roaming towers and we lost coverage for most of our vacation. It seems AT &T became the main carrier so since our son's iPhone 4S worked well, we sprang for an upgrade to that. We can use a free wifi in town, at the laundromat area, so when we do clothes, I can log on for a short time with our old laptop. (sometimes that means MS updates, which then can consume time.) Going to the laundromat is about a 4 hr deal, eats most of the day up and can only be done in good weather, since we boat in. This year the water levels are really down..the lowest in 100 yrs! So rough water is hard for us to navigate the huge rocks that are everywhere. I am a bit worried about this.

The upside is the air is very clean, and restorative, and we enjoy the nature and ambiance of a different lifestyle! Now that I am mostly recovered from my health scare with that drug reaction, I am hoping to get back into some art work this summer.

We will be leaving July 22 thru 26th or so..depending on hubby's job and the weather. We don't like arriving up there in the rain, so we will postpone, if rain is likely. With Weather.com, it is pretty accurate in this regard these days. We will return in 4-5 wks depending. Early if problems, later if things go well.

So I won't be responding everyday anymore. We will try out our new phones, but I am not really great on that little qwerty pad, and use a stylus in fact on it. I have carpal tunnel still in my hands, to some extent as well. We will just have to see how it goes.

For important questions, you can PM me. I will read PMs first when we have the chance to log on. Posting links will be tricky on the phone, since there are no extra "windows" on that venue.
I might have to use hubby's phone at the same time to do searches. We don't have large data monthly...but there should be enough for some internet use. We will use the iPhone mostly for weather checking or emergency purchasing needs.

[Marlene]

Enjoy your vacation.

We too just upgraded to iphones. And, at 1 AM, while we were sleeping, we got a weather alert. We both woke up startled, looking for the source of the alarm. Soon we discovered our iphones had a text message with news of the flood warning that was issued. Took a while to settle back down.

Have a safe and restful time.

[Wide-O]

Have a good one!

A good friend of mine's family owns an island in Canada. It's a little paradise, and I have passed on several invitations to go up there because of the PN.

Can't really use that as an excuse anymore so I'll probably take the long flight up there this year or the next.

Enjoy!

[mrsD]

We are very close to Canada.

Is your friend's island near Manatoulin? There are small islands in that area too. We are in the same N.Lake Huron area, but not
in Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoulin_Island

[Hopeless]

Have a great time. You will be missed but look forward to your return. Everyone deserves a break so ENJOY it. Thanks for letting us know. See you when you return.

[Stacy2012]

Ahh...MrsD it sounds like a slice of heaven! I pray many blessings, health, peace and joy for you on your get away. Enjoy all the details of every moment.

[Sallysblooms]

Have a great time!

[echoes long ago]

Have a great vacation! its good to get away once in a while. enjoy it.

[glenntaj]

--and try not to adopt too much wildlife or too many strays while you're there.

[Joano]

Yes, do have a wonderful vacation, a safe trip to your island and return, and get your batteries all re-charged for the coming year. We'll miss you in your absence, but look forward to your occasional messages when you're at the laundrymat!