Friday, 8/21

You know what I haven't done recently?

I haven't re-purposed anything recently.

You may remember one of our favorite words around here, "re-purpose" It's when you take something originally produced for another reason--like a newspaper article or a video--and and stick it in something else (like a blog) to save yourself from having to write said blog.

That's "re-purposing" something.

Because I've been creating so much content these days, and because time is running out to legitimately re-purpose some of it, I'm going to share a teaser video I made with my pal Emily at the Marquette Regional History Center for my bar tour coming up Wednesday night. We've been doing this kind of thing for the past five or six tours--I stand up & babble, she shoots me doing it, and then works her magic to make it presentable. If she's inspired, she'll even re-purpose it herself into something like the Tik Tok video she made of me a few years ago that garnered over six million views (and counting).

So with that in mind, here's today re-purposed piece of content. Have a great weekend; hopefully, you don't get rained on too much. And remember, if you're not doing anything this upcoming Wednesday night...

Maybe the video will tempt you to join us!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/20

Above all, I really admire his determination.

I think I've mentioned before how working where I do--in the heart of downtown Marquette--allows me to observe people as they pass by up & down Frost Street. It's especially interesting this time of the year, when you can watch the tourists with their heads on a swivel or buried in Google maps. But you also develop a sense of the "regulars", the people who live & work in the area and make their way here and there on a daily basis.

Like the elderly gentleman who passes by each morning with the walker.

Now, I have no idea who this individual is. I'm guessing he probably lives at Pine Ridge, and that he heads out every single day on a journey downtown. Whether it's for exercise or for chores, I have no idea. All I know is that I'll see his slowly make his way down the hill with his walker, and then an hour or so later he'll be back going up the hill, oftentimes moving a little slower than on his journey down, but he makes it.

That is one bad-ass dude.

As you may recall, we've had some nasty weather this summer. And even on the days when it's been 95 degrees or there's been smoke so thick you couldn't see four blocks away, he was out there, making his way up & down Front Street. I was glad to see that on the smokiest of days he was wearing an N-95 mask, but he was still out there.

And that was impressive.

Like I said, I don't know who he is; in fact, the closest I've come to talking to him has been the several tines we exchanged greetings as I was standing outside the station eating and he was coming up the hill with his walker. But that doesn't stop my admiration for what he's doing. He's obviously had some health issues in his life recently, yet he's doing his darnedest to to get out there and continue enjoying life. Whether his walk is for rehab or just for fun. I think it's something that we should all emulate, at least if we're ever in a situation like that.

Maybe one of these days I'll run out while he's shuffling by, and let him know how much I admire what he's doing. But he's working hard when he's out there, and I don't know if I want to interrupt him. I guess in the end it doesn't matter; as long as he keeps doing what he's doing, we can put him on the list of one the reasons why it's so great to work in downtown Marquette--

To see people like this gentleman (and his walker) setting an example for the rest of us.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/19

I wonder which side of the story is actually true?

As you may recall, I'm giving an updated version of my "Happy Hour: The Legendary Bars of Marquette" tour coming up one week from today, August 26th. Last year's version was maybe the most successful I've ever done, with around 300 people following me though an evening of Canadian fire haze (Social District drinks in hand) to learn all about the wild episodes of debauchery that have occurred in Marquette bars & taverns over the past 177 years.

It was a blast.

One of the things I mentioned, though, caused a bit of confusion amongst not only me, but several people in the tour. Just as an aside, when we passed the law office on Spring Street that used to be the home of an old bar called Antler's, I repeated a story that several people have told me--namely, Antler's was Marquette's last brothel, even up and including the 70s. When I mentioned that fact--shared to me at various times by a lawyer, a cab driver, and the person who bought the building after the bar closed--someone in the crowd said I was wrong.

If only because his grandparents owned Antlers.

So one of the things I'm working on for this tour is to determine, once and for all, which version (if any) is actually true. And in the year since, you know what kind of concrete evidence I've found for any of the stories?

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I mean, I've come across some great tales of prostitution during the 1880s and 1890s. Heck, I've even found out that area women would host (and get arrested for) paying gentlemen from the then-KI Sawyer Air Force Base into the 1960s. But do you think I could find anything that, one way or another, could establish what the story of Antlers (or the building it was located in) was?

Nope.

One of the issues I've run into is conflicting timelines; in other words, when people said certain things happened don't match up with the time the bar was in existence. I'm still checking, though, and who knows...maybe someday I'll actually uncover the truth about the bar and what may--or may not--have happened there.

Because no matter which side of the tale you believe may have happened, the truth is actually a big part of Marquette history.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/18

You know...I don't even remember the last time I was at the UP State Fair.

I mention that because it's State Fair week in Escanaba, when (seemingly) half the UP heads down to check everything out and eat their weight in fried food. Because it's such a big deal, I even did my TV spot about it last night, and while I was in the middle of doing it the thought crept into my head--

When was the last time I was there for the Fair?

As a kid, I was down there quite a bit. In the 90s I was there on an almost yearly basis, because we would sponsor some of the concerts (like Eddie Money and Robert Palmer, among others). But in the 20-plus since then?

Nope.

I suppose that one of these years I SHOULD go down there, if only to see how much it's changed since the 90s, and so I have a new frame of reference when talking about it. But going down to Escanaba and then going to the fair takes time, and what do I NOT have a lot of these days?

That, of course, would be time.

So I just have to add “fair” to the list of eleventy-thousand things for which I need to find the time. After all, it IS an iconic UP event, and I guess it's kind of hard to consider yourself a Yooper if you haven't checked it out at least once this century, right?

8-)

Here's the TV bit from last night--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/17

I would like to introduce you to my summer friend--

Okay; right about now I'm sure you're wondering why I posted a picture of the 100 west block of Bluff Street in Marquette, a street populated mostly by parking lots and parking decks. Well, as you know, it's been a hectic summer, and as it's slowly coming to an end I wanted to give credit to one of the things that has kept me sane this season.

And that would be the 100 west block of Bluff Street in Marquette.

Let me explain. On those days when I had 8,000 things to do and just needed to escape them for a few minutes I would leave the station, walk around the corner, and come upon the 100 west block of Bluff Street. Because it's mostly a parking area I could walk up & down the street and not be bothered by much other than sunshine and the occasional glances of people who were returning to their cars. If it was a particularly sunny and/or hectic day I'd take a cup of tea (usually one from Germany) and sit for a few minutes at the picnic table someone had thoughtfully placed in the grassy area at the end of the parking deck.

It allowed me to enjoy a few extra minutes of summer weather the past few months. And that's something that everyone deserves.

It's also one of the few places in downtown Marquette where there hasn't bee a lot of construction this season. Between hotels going up and streets torn apart and parking lots left and right being redone, there's a LOT going on here this summer. But aside from work on a building on the corner of Bluff & Washington, it's been (relatively) quiet in my little “sanctuary”. And these days, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

So just let me say “thanks” to the 100 west block of Bluff Street in downtown Marquette. I know our friendship was unusual, but I'm sorry it'll be coming to an end. You made this summer just a little bit better than it could have been.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/14

Wow. It really is almost over.

Sunday is the 16^th of August, and noon on Sunday marks the exact halfway point of the month. If you consider “summer” to be the months of June, July, and August (which I think most of us do) that means we are now about to enter the final half of the final month of summer.

Summer is 5/6ths (or 84%) of the way over, and it doesn't even seem like it's started yet.

I know I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but where the heck has the season gone? Just those few weeks ago (or so it seems) we were dealing with increasing hours of the day and (slightly) increasing temperatures to go along with it. Now it's dark at 9 pm and, in some places in the UP next week, the possibility exists that a few overnight lows could get down into the 30s.

The 30s. Summer, we hardly knew ye.

When I was young, my grandfather told me many things. I, being young, didn't think he knew what he was talking about, and promptly forgot most of them. But two things he did say stuck with me, for whatever reason. One was that sardines out of a can were delicious. The other was that as you get older, time goes by more and more rapidly. Being a kid, I didn't believe him, but as it turns out he was 100% correct. And that's why, even to this day, when I'm speaking with someone who's much younger than I (like a couple of days ago, with two young people who I know from “High School Bowl”) I always preface my “wisdom” by saying “you may think I don't know what I'm talking about, but in a few years you'll get it”.

Just like I now realize my grandfather was right, at least about how time flies as you get older. I'm still pretty sure he was way off base about the sardines.

Hopefully you were able to get something out of summer, and not have had it (like for some of us) slip by in the wink of an eye. And if you didn't? Well, there's still 16 percent of it left, and hopefully, some of it will still be summer-like.

So enjoy it with all the gusto you can.

Have a great weekend,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/13

To me, the picture just seems like summer. But maybe that's just me.

I was going through pictures I've taken on my journeys the past few weeks, and one popped and just made me stare at it. I don't necessarily remember taking the exact picture, although I do remember walking along the South Beach bike path and snapping a shot here and there. But when I looked at it again last night, the first thought that popped into my head was that this image takes all that's good and right about summer and encapsulates it in one shot.

That picture?

Like I said, I don't remember shooting that particular image. But to see the flower, the bug upon the flower, the beach, the lake, the sun, and the sense of warmth that it all invokes; well, to me, at least, it's the perfect picture of a summer day.

And somehow, I was lucky enough to capture it.

That's the funny thing about photography; even if you have no skill at it, every so often you'll get lucky, be in the right place at the right time, and capture something unexpected. As I said, I don't remember taking the picture, and at the time didn't think much of it. I probably didn't notice the bug, or the shoreline, or anything other than the flower. Yet, some how, some way, it all came together in one shot.

Thankfully, it came together for me.

The both path along South Beach is one of my favorite places in Marquette, for several different reasons. However, until the past week or so, one of those reasons was NOT because you could take amazing pictures there.

However, after this shot, that reason is going on the list.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/12

I wonder how rich you have to be to afford a toy like this--

This is a mega-yacht that's berthed in Marquette's Lower Harbor this week, a leviathan that's been visiting various ports on the Great Lakes this summer.. I don't know who owns it (although there has been a LOT of conjecture on various social media sites), nor do I know why they're tooling around the lakes.

All I know is that it sure has people talking.

I know nothing about the construction of mega-yachts, aside from reading an article or two over the years in Vanity Fair, talking about rich people and their toys. Based on those articles, I would guess that the ship probably costs 8 figures. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if it hit 9 figures. Now, I could be wrong--like I said, I'm basing everything I know on magazine articles--but to have enough spare change to build something like that means you probably have a little too much spare change lying around.

If you know what I mean.

Let say, for the sake of argument, that it costs 80 million bucks. It's your money; you can do what you want with it. But is the world REALLY a better place by sticking a mega-yacht on the Great Lakes? Couldn't you feed, say, a million people for eighty days instead? Isn't THAT a better use of the money? Once again, it's that person's money. They can do what they want with it. All I know is that if I had 80 million bucks in spare change lying around, I sure wouldn't buy a yacht.

But then, that's just me.

I hope the yacht's owner enjoys their time in Marquette. Maybe they can look under the boat's cushions and find a couple of thousand extra dollars lying around to donate to Room at the Inn or some other organization that provides help for those who need it. Because I'm guessing that if you spend that much money on a yacht...

A donation like that is, to use the word I use to much, literally pocket change.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/11

Now, I get to see on which side of the issue everyone falls.

While my TV piece last night did, as always, contain a few jokes, it dealt with an issue that seems to bother a lot more people than I thought it would--the issue of dog owners letting their animals run unleashed.

A couple of weeks ago, on one of my half days, I took my bike and a soccer ball out to Kaufman to run around, and while I was there a car (a blue Subaru, if you're curious) pulled up right in front of a sign that says "no dogs allowed". The back door of the car opened, a dog ran out unleashed and unsupervised, bounded onto the pitch, squatted down, left a big fat calling card, and then ran back into the blue Subaru, after which the car drove away rather quickly.

I was stunned by what I saw; not just the violation of three city ordinances within 30 seconds, but also by the sheer braziness of the people in the car. I'm pretty sure they knew that what they were doing was wrong; after all, they hid in the car while all this was happening. So when I got home I put three hypothetical situations in which someone does something ignorant (like an unleashed dog) on social media, asked people which was the worst, and waited to see what would transpire.

Over 200 responses later, I had my answer.

And that's what led to yesterday's TV piece. Because I was doing that podcast last night I didn't get the chance to post it right away, so I'm gonna wait until later today and stick it up. I'll be curious to see if TV 19 fans are like the people I know on Facebook, or if they're of a different mindset. All I know is that the whole adventure has opened my eyes a little as to what people say is or is not acceptable, and it's nice to know that (for once) I happen to be in the mainstream of acceptability.

Here's the TV piece, so you can judge for yourself--

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Monday, 8/10

I think today's going to be an interesting day.

I mean, it's actually been a couple of interesting weeks what with a bunch of events (like Ore to Shore this past weekend) adding to the chaos of every day life. But today, I have the feeling, is going to be one of those days when I say "my life is weird", because I have a full day of radio to start with, then a TV piece that I have the feeling may rub some people the wrong way, then the taping of a video podcast where I talk about the history of Marquette's harbor.

So yup. My life is weird.

I'll talk about the TV piece (and the story behind it) tomorrow, but I'm curious to see how the podcast turns out. It's being done by a local guy who's getting into the tour business, and one of the things he wants to emphasis on the tour is local history. For some bizarre reason, when you think of local history, my name seems to pop up (really??? 8-)) and so I'll be his next guest, following the esteemed Jack Deo by just a few weeks.

Once I get a link to the finished product, I'll be sure to share it.

I'm also sitting down with a couple of individuals over the next few days to hear bar stories from the 70s as part of my upcoming "Happy Hour II" tour. One would think that, after a while, I would have heard all there is about the bar scene in Marquette during that magical decade when the drinking age was 18, but you know what?

There seems to be no limit to the debauchery that occurred those mystical eight years. And you know what? I'm all the luckier for it.

So wish me luck. It's gonna be a hectic week but, I think, a very fruitful one. And don't be surprised if, over the next few days, you hear me uttering the fateful line that now seems to be my mantra--

My life is weird.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/7

Six stitches, a smashed finger, and a broken tooth.

In the UP, there are two ways to get those kinds of injuries. One would be after a really interesting night at Big Bon’s the opening day of deer season. The other?

If you’re a mountain biker.

This is the weekend over 2,000 mountain bikers descend upon Marquette County for the 27th annual Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic. It's the biggest mass start race in the state of Michigan, and you owe it to yourself to head to Negaunee Saturday morning and watch a non-stop stream of riders roll past you. Not only that, but if you head to the finish line in Marquette you can hear the announcer butchering the names of a whole bunch of riders.

That, by the way, would be me doing that.

In a way, the race–actually, the whole trend toward biking–is very emblematic of the way the UP has changed over the past 50 years. If you had told city leaders in the 1970s that people would be moving to Marquette just for the chance to ride their bike every day after work you would have been called crazy. But you know what?

There’s a reason Bike Magazine named Marquette County as one of the 5 best places to mountain bike in the entire United States. We have an amazing set of trail systems up here.

If you’re into mountain biking there’s the RAMBA trails or the north and south Noque trails. If you enjoy something a little more mellow, there’s the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. And if you just wanna ride to work every day or get your kids started on their bikes, the city of Marquette has a world class multi-use path system.

And it’s not just Marquette. You head to the Copper Country or Ontonagon or any place in the UP with hills, and you’ll find mountain bike trails. Summer or winter you can go for a ride, get as muddy or as icy as you want, and then join your friends for a beer, swapping stories about your ride and just which one of you has been banged up the most.

So if you see a lot of people on bikes this weekend, say “hey”. Ask which trail system is their favorite. And if you’re curious, find out just how banged up they’ve been. Because they’re mountain bikers. And they’re kinda proud of that.

By the way…those random injuries I mentioned at the beginning of this piece? So, I personally am up to six stitches, smashed finger, and a broken tooth. Keep your fingers crossed the count doesn't go higher.

8-)

Have a great Ore-to-Shore weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/6

It's nice to know that for once I (hopefully) chose wisely.

Because of my Ore to Shore commitments this weekend I've been trying to take a little time off this week. As you know, I try and take time off when it's supposed to be nice & sunny, and yesterday morning I was faced with a forecast that called for mostly sunny skies both Wednesday & Thursday.

I had to choose one, and (hopefully), I chose the correct day. After all, yesterday was NOT the day to take off when you wanted sun. Until, of course, around 2, when I would have had to come into work. Then the sun came out--

Perfect timing, huh?

This is happened to me before, and it usually goes like this—I wake up on a day that calls for sun, and when it's cloudy I'm concerned but not panicked. After all, the forecast still calls for sun. I go to work for a bit, and when I leave the clouds are still around, so I go running. When I finish running and take a shower, only to find that there was still a lot of haze in the sky, I start to have my doubts. I'll then usually stand at my apartment window, staring at and silently cursing the clouds until it's time to go back to work. And as I walk down Front Street to the station, the clouds finally break and the blue sky with its inviting sunshine pours out.

Oh, the irony of it all.

Now, I could whine like a six year old about the unfairness of days like that, but I'm gonna try & take the high road. After all, I am (theoretically) an adult. I should realize that Mother Nature doesn't do that just to get back at me for some perceived slight I might have accidentally unleashed upon the universe. I should think of it unselfishly; instead of how it affected my day, I should think about how the skies cleared just in time for everyone who was stuck inside of work all day to get out and enjoy the nice weather. I should instead revel and chuckle ruefully at the timing of the clouds leaving. I mean, how often does something like that occur at exactly the time it happened? Not often. And I should laugh at that instead of complain about it.

So that's what I'm going to do. Even if it kills me inside.

Now, the forecast for today calls for sunny skies and warm temperatures, and as I write this is looks okay. Will it hold out? Fingers crossed, especially that it doesn't turn out like it did yesterday, and like it has in the past--

With the finally sun coming out at 2, right as I walk into work.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/5

I have got to stop using the word “literally”.

Literally.

It’s funny; every so often, I’ll notice that I use a word WAAAAAAY too often, and this time around that word is “literally”. I seem to do it a lot when I give tours; especially while explaining some of Marquette’s wonders. If you listen long enough you'll notice that in each description of a building or a person I seen to use the “L” word, and have to mentally make myself stop doing it.

(I WAS going to say I had to “literally make myself stop”, but see? I’m getting better at it.)

I don’t know how I get into a word rut like that. I just know that it happens every so often, and I usually don’t notice it. I’ll have Loraine or someone come up to me or drop me a note and say something like “have you notice you say (fill in the blank) an awful lot?” To which my reply would probably something like “really? I literally say it that much?” And the vicious cycle starts all over again, as I stop saying the offending word and start saying “literally” (or whatever) again.

Recently, though, I've been catching it myself, which means that maybe, just maybe, I’m becoming aware of my verbal faults. Maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to realize my dependence on certain words or certain phrases. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll end up as an erudite aging (even if he doesn't want to admit it) but still young man who no longer uses certain words as crutches and who no longer drives certain phrases into the ground.

And, while we’re at it, maybe I can get my own spaceship, too? That’s probably more likely than me ever dropping all of my verbal faults.

Literally!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/4

Sometimes I put the jokes in just for me. I hope you're okay with that.

My TV piece last night was one of those gag-filled bits I stick together every so often, prompted by “Jimothy”, a raccoon with a deformed spine that seems to have captured the fancy of half the people on the Internet. In response, I came up with five “Wild Creatures of the UP”, starting with real ones and slowly devolving into the land of the absurd. And as a bonus, aside from the gags I verbally delivered, there were also little ones written in the graphics I put together.

I wonder if anyone even noticed?

The gags were in the form of the scientific names of the creatures. The first, for a monarch butterfly, was scientifically accurate, while the rest were just figments of my twisted mind. They were, in a way, connected to the picture on the screen, but were not grounded in reality at all. While I was coming up with them I realized that were actually a play on the fake scientific names that Chuck Jones would always stick in Road Runner cartoons.

And if you're gonna rip off someone, you rip off a master of the form, right?

So check 'em out for yourself. While I don't think they approach Chuck Jones-levels of madness, just consider them extra bonus gags in a piece already filled with bunch of stupid gags to begin with.

And you get them with no extra charge!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/3

Who said it could be August already? No one asked MY permission.

I’m astounded at the speed with which this summer is passing. It seems like it was just a week or so ago that I was getting ready for Loraine's dad to visit over the Memorial Day weekend; it seems like it was just a couple of days ago that I was sitting on the street watching the Marquette Fourth of July parades. Now, it’s August. By the time I wake up tomorrow (or so it’ll seem) kids’ll be back in school, I’ll be back from downstate visiting Loraine's dad, and Labor Day will have come and gone. Then, we have nothing but falling leaves, cold temperatures, and 7 straight months of snow staring us in the face.

Can’t anyone do anything about that? Please?

8-)

The more ancient I get, the more I’m amazed by how much “older people” actually knew when I was a kid. They’d tell me things like, oh, time speeds up the older you get, but I didn’t listen. I didn’t think it mattered. After all, they were “older people’. What did they know, right?

As it turns out, old people know quite a bit. Now, I find myself trying to pass wisdom along to my nieces or the students I get to know on “High School Bowl”. But I always add this caveat—I always tell them that they’re not gonna believe me when I tell them something now, but in 10 or 20 or 30 years, they may find remember some obscure fact or piece of wisdom that crazy old uncle Jim passed along and realize that maybe, just maybe, he knew what he was talking about.

After all, I never believed what I was told until I actually got old myself.

So, anyway, where were we? Oh yeah. . .the fact that that it’s August already. Can anyone please make the summer slow down, even if just a little? Please?? I’ll give you a lollipop and a puppy if you can. Really, I will!!

Thanks in advance,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/31

Downtown Marquette's a busy place these days.

Think I'm kidding? Well, I'm not. You see, between road construction projects--

and major building projects--

It can sometimes feel almost impossible to get around this part of the city. And that'll be exacerbated today when the annual Blueberry Festival closes not one, not two, not three, but FOUR blocks of streets, and an estimated 9,000 people will flood into the area. So if you think it's been bad the last few days...

Just wait.

Because of everything going on, especially with the detours and traffic stoppages this week, I've noticed, while looking out the studio window or standing on the sidewalk sipping my tea and listening to car horns bleating non-stop, that drivers are starting to get impatient. And I get that; after all, you want to get where you're going. But realize this—even with the detours and the stops and the long wait at lights, you're only adding a minute or minute and a half to your journey. It's not like you're stuck in a never-ending traffic jam, or it's not like you're barely moving in the gridlock of a large city.

You're in Marquette. You'll get where you're going in six minutes instead of five.

Or you could think of it this way—you're driving through an area that people WANT to drive through. That's why there's so much traffic. Think of all the places in the UP that would kill to have the kind of traffic count that's making your five minute drive a six minute drive. We're just lucky enough to be in a place that people want to be.

And that's much better than the alternative.

Thankfully, after the Blueberry Fest today, street construction and closures will mostly end, detours will be lifted, and aside from closed sidewalks thanks to all the construction and renovation going on around here, things should return to normal, and your five minute drive will once again be a five minute drive.

And that's when your patience will pay off.

****

If you're going, enjoy the Blueberry Festival today. And whether or not you are attending that particular event, make sure you have yourself a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/30

This is among my favorite blogs to write all year.

I'm actually writing this yesterday afternoon, sitting in the sun at one of Marquette's crown jewels--Lower Harbor Park--and just watching the world go by me. There are groups of tourists and locals walking around the park, a lunch hour yoga class taking place under the shade of a big tree, and a group of kids who just jumped off their bikes and are now running through one of the sprinklers the city has going in an attempt to keep the park grass green.

If you were ask for a definition of a perfect summer scene on a perfect summer day, this might approach it.

I often get people who, knowing my loathing of snow and cold, ask why I live here. I usually give them two reasons--July and August. And while that answer is often given in jest there is a (big) kernel of truth behind it. I get through the cold & snowy months by telling myself that there will be better days, and a day like yesterday (and the one we're promised today) was one of those better days. I mean, here I am, sitting in the 80 degree sunshine 40 feet from the greatest of lakes, watching sailboats go by in the harbor and a gaggle of bicyclists and runners make there way to or fro along the bike path

Could you actually ask for much more than that?

I try to take advantage of days like these, if only because I know they're few in number and fleeting in nature. After all, here we are, already heading into the last few days of July of a summer that has been all over the map. The way time is flying these days it'll be Labor Day next week, Thanksgiving the week after that, and before we know it we'll be huddled en masse indoors in a vain attempt to stay warm during yet another January cold snap.

That's why I treasure writing a blog like this on a day like yesterday. The opportunities to do it are few in nature, and when I get the opportunity to do it, I cherish it with all the appreciation I can muster.

The view from my writing studio yesterday?

See? Can't ask for much more than that, can you?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/29

Is it any wonder I can never relax?

Most people (i.e. normal people), given a free hour on a Tuesday night, might use that time to relax, to get ahead on work, or just to enjoy a fairly nice evening. But do you think I can EVER do anything like a normal person? No. . .that would be waaaaaaaay too easy.

Case in point--instead of spending the free hour I had last night vegging out or doing run-through of my “Happy Hour Pt 2” tour coming up in a few weeks, I instead spent some of that precious time trying to solve a mystery as unsolvable as any an Ellery Queen or Nancy Drew may have solved in their prime--

I spent my precious free hour trying to figure out why I had a pen that said “Escanaba Senior Center” on it.

It’s a very good pen; it’s bright orange, has a nice “feel” to it, and writes quite well. But because maybe I AM closer to zero on the Jim Stir-Crazy Clock than I thought, I started to wonder where I’d actually picked up the pen, instead of just using it and then ignoring it (you know, like a normal person). I haven’t been to Escanaba recently. While I AM getting older, I’m nowhere near Senior status yet. And as far as I can remember, I didn’t even know Escanaba HAD a center like that.

So just where did I get the pen?

This much I know--it was in my back pack as of last week. I know that because I needed a pen to write down a note while walking to work, and I was lucky enough to find it there. But the questions started to pile up. When did it go into my back pack? I have no idea. How did it get into my back pack? Once again, I’m clueless (in case THAT wasn’t painfully obvious). I’m thinking I must’ve picked it up somewhere, but where? Who do I know (or where did I go) that would have a pen from the Escanaba Senior Center? And, most importantly. . .

Why was I spending so much time thinking about this?

It was about that time that I realized I even the few minutes I’d spent pondering the question were a few minutes too many. I realized I should use the time for more worthwhile pursuits, like writing a TV bit or working on the tour or pestering Loraine. Much like the question of who built Stonehenge or why do people like black licorice, I realized that this was one of those mysteries that can never be answered. The pen was in my back pack; it ended up there somehow, and it’s quite possible that that “somehow” was lost to the mists of time. Maybe I was never meant to know how it got there. After all, it’s only a pen. It’s not one of the mysteries of the universe.

Unlike, say, why people like black licorice.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), owner of a pen from the Escanaba Senior Center

Tuesday, 7/28

The number was down. And I can't say I'm surprised.

The 25^th annual “Great License Plate” count is over, and I've drawn a couple of inferences from it. As you recall, every week leading up to Art on the Rocks I see how many plates from different states and Canadian provinces I come across. Well, after going through all the chicken scratchings on the note pad I've been carrying around, I can officially report that the total number was lower than usual.

But as I mentioned, I'm not surprised.

I saw a total of 35 different states and provinces this year, down from a long-term average of 43 or so (25 years of doing this allows you a baseline, you see). 35 is in no way a bad number, although it IS one of the lower I've ever recorded. In fact, except for 2020 (Covid) and 2008 (the depths of the Great Recession), it might be the lowest. But when you consider that gas is $22 a gallon and the world is (literally) on fire, maybe we should be glad the number was a high as it is.

Right?

It's funny; while the state count was down, I think the overall count wasn't as bad. And that's because of the states I did see, I saw a LOT of them. In fact, I'm guessing half the population of Wisconsin, a third of Minnesota and Ohio, and (perhaps) a quarter of the people Texas (and I have no idea why) were visiting Marquette last week. So maybe that made up for people not visiting from New England, or the Deep South, or the Plains states. I also didn't see one from Hawai'i, but until they build a big bridge from that state to to the mainland, I think we'll give them a pass.

8-)

That's my report for this year. We'll see if the lower number of states I saw translates into some kind of economic predictor. I mean, I'm hoping not, but you never know.

*****

Speaking of my little count, I also dealt with it on TV last night--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/27

You should know that it has a real name, if only to honor the person who gave it to us.

Loraine and I did a lot this weekend, including (but not limited to) checking out all the outdoor art shows in Marquette. One of them was the Outback Art Fair, and while we were there I overheard two artists discussing how “Picnic Rocks Park” is such a great setting for the show. There's just one problem with that, though--

There is no such thing as “Picnic Rocks Park” in Marquette.

As evidence, I present the following picture--

There is a park on the land called Shiras Park. There are rocks in the water called Picnic Rocks. There is, however, nothing at all in the city called Picnic Rocks Park, despite what people think. In fact, when my lovely wife actually had to call the police about something a year or two ago, the officer on the other end of the phone had no idea where Shiras Park was. However, when she said “the park by Picnic Rocks”, he knew exactly of what she was speaking.

Now, I realize people don't pay attention to things. I realize that every single person in Marquette knows about Picnic Rocks, and knows there's a park on land right near those rocks. I also realize people tend to do the easiest thing possible; hence, calling the park by Picnic Rocks “Picnic Rocks Park”. But that does a disservice to an amazing individual who helped make Marquette the place it is today, this guy--

George Shiras the Third, the guy who invented nighttime wildlife photography and hung out with friends like Teddy Roosevelt, did an incredible amount for the city of Marquette, even though he only lived here a few months out of the year. His foundation gave us things like Shiras Planetarium, and he himself donated the land upon which Shiras Park now sits. Back in those days, there was actually a sand bar that allowed people to walk out and bring a picnic lunch out to Picnic Rocks—that's how they got their name—and Mr. Shiras decided that it's be nice if the community had a park near there where people could play and enjoy the lake. So he bought the land and gave it to the city free of charge, where residents have enjoyed it ever since.

That's why the park is called Shiras Park, and not Picnic Rocks Park. I realize it may sound like I'm splitting hairs here, but there wouldn't be a park at Picnic Rocks at all if it wasn't for George Shiras. Maybe it's just the history nerd in me, but I think people should call it by its correct name.

I mean, I'm smart enough to know they won't, but a boy can dream, right?

(jim@wmqt.com), once again tilting at obscure windmills.

Thursday, 7/23

This is my favorite time of the year.

I mean, sure, I love it for the sun, the heat, the days off (more on that tomorrow), and the general sense of well-bring that summer provides. But I also love because I can take my camera out and instead of seeing nothing but white or brown or just plain dull, I get to see colors.

Lots and lots of colors.

Want proof? I went for a little stroll—no more than three blocks—Monday, just to see what I could see, and this is what I saw.

I saw colors like purple--

I saw yellow--

I saw pink--

I saw orange--

I saw magenta--

And I saw a combination of almost all of the colors mentioned above--

And that was just within a three block jaunt from where I live. I can just imagine what kind of pictures I'd get from the rest of Marquette—or you might get in whichever city you live. It truly is (with apologies to lovers of a certain holiday) the most wonderful time of the year!

*****

Because it's a corporate holiday tomorrow I'm off, so there won't be a new one of these. I'll be back Monday with the results of my dorky little license plate count for the year. Have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/22

I think I owe the people of a century ago an apology.

I've been taking a lot of pictures recently (you'll see some of them tomorrow), and for some reason, I have a whole batch of the statue of Jacques Marquette in Lakeside Park like this one, from back during lilac season--

Over the years, I've always lamented the fact that the statue is placed (facing north-northwest) so that Father Marquette's face is never lit by the sun. No matter what time of the year, no matter where you stand, you can never get a shot of his face lit by the sun. The photographer side of me has always silently (and jokingly) cursed the people who moved the statue from its original location 115 or so years ago and placed it so that it's never front-lit by the sun. Why did they put it that way? Didn't they know that a century later photographers wouldn't be able to shoot it exactly the way they wanted?

Didn't they think of ME when they put it up?

(That's a joke, by the way).

Then as I was walking up Front Street this past weekend, looking at the statue and once again lamenting the fact that the sun never fully hits the face just so as to be able to take a perfect picture, something dawned on me. It's something so simple and so basic that I'm kinda shocked I hadn't noticed it before, and all of a sudden, the placement of the statue makes perfect sense.

The Father Marquette statue is placed that way because he's overlooking downtown. He's keeping watch over the city that shares his name. And I am an idiot for A). not noticing it and 2) silently (and jokingly) cursing the people who placed it the way they placed it.

To them, I apologize. I'm just sorry I can't break a few laws of physics and send my apology back one century in time.

You guys are obviously much smarter than me, and you may have figured out long ago why the statue is placed the way it is. Or you guys are just much smarter than me in that you know it's only a statue, and it really doesn't matter if it was placed without an optimal photography angle in mind. Either way, I'm sure you never devoted the amount of thought to the subject that I did, and I'm sure your lives are much better for it, especially when you consider that I was born here and have lived a large chunk of my life here and never once in that life realized that the statue of Father Marquette was placed the way it was placed for a reason.

I think History Jim is the most embarrassed. After all, think of the time I've devoted to researching that part of the city (the south part of Downtown, perhaps my favorite) and the countless hours I've spent rummaging around the park, the statue, and (especially) the lilac trees. Yet do you think that even once I might have considered the placement of the statue, and noticed why it is the way it is? Nope; all I did was whine because the sun could never light up Jacques Marquette's face.

Sometimes, I amaze even myself. And usually not in a good way. So this may be 115 years late, and it may go to show the depths of my stupidity, but to the people who moved the statue to Lakeside Park a century ago, just let me say one thing--

You nailed it. Good job. And I'll stop my whining now.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/20

 Yup. I'm doing it again.

For the (gasp) 25^th year in a row, I have embarked on a project. That project? Finding out how many different state and provincial license plates I see during “Art on the Rocks” week here in Marquette. It's one of the dorkiest things I do, and I can now say I've done it for a quarter century.

One of these days, I really need to become an adult

You know, I now have no idea how this started; I'm guessing I was just curious as to how many visitors Marquette hosted during one of the busiest weeks of the summer. Since then, it's evolved into this “thing” that I use to measure everything from Marquette's popularity to the state of the national economy. I suppose that one of these years I could actually NOT do it, but I have the feeling that if I were to do that I'd miss something bizarre and/or the world would stop spinning on its axis.

And these days, we should really not tempt fate.

Nothing ever really comes out of the count, other than a piece of paper on which I write the states, a blog, and this year, maybe a TV bit. All I know is that I've been doing it for a quarter century now, and I see no reason to stop. So if you happen to see me walking down the street, craning my neck in an attempt to see if a car's from Michigan or not, just remember it's only me being a dork.

As I have for a quarter-century now.

*****

Speaking of TV bits, here's last night's. Hopefully you're not too freaked out by the sight of bugs, like some of us are.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/20

Hopefully--HOPEFULLY--this is a little more normal of a week than last week.

Fingers crossed, at least.

There are a couple of things I'm looking forward to this week, including my annual dorky license plate count (more on that tomorrow).  First, though, I'm focusing on a mystery.  Let's just call it “The Case of the Mysteriously Appearing Beer Can”.

Three times now in the past two weeks, three times since the 4^th of July, I have noticed something very strange, something quite out of the ordinary. Three times in the past two weeks I've been walking down a Marquette street, and I have come upon an unopened can of Busch Light beer just sitting somewhere. On the 4^th it was sitting on top of a trash container on Third Street.  A week or so later it was on my walk to work. And yesterday it was in the street-side garden of my next to next door neighbor.

Every single time, it's been an unopened can of Busch Light. When I first saw a can I laughed, figuring that some underage person was soon to become a very happy underage person. But when I started seeing the cans over and over again; well, that's when I started to wonder what the heck is going on.

Lest you think I'm just seeing things, I'm not. Loraine was with me on the 4^th when I first saw it, and she was with me again yesterday when I took the picture above. And neither of us understands what's going on. Is it just a drunk person losing cans as they're making their way to and from the store? Is it a performance artist trying to make a statement? Is the Easter Bunny getting tired of eggs and leaving cans of Busch Light instead?

I don't know. But I'd be curious to find out.

I highly doubt this will happen, but if you happen to see an unopened can of Busch Light beer on your journeys in and around Marquette, please let me know. Part of me, after all, just thinks it's one strange and bizarre coincidence. But then another part of me, the part that knows the talented, creative, and/or just plain weird kind of people who live in Marquette, wonders if there's something a little more to the whole situation.

Either that, or Busch Light has developed the strangest marketing campaign in history. These days, nothing would surprise me.

So while I'm investigating this whole thing, just call me Encyclopedia Koski. And just call this whole thing “The Case of the Mysteriously Appearing Beer Can”.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/17

Geez. It's not over yet, is it?

The literally unprecedented (as I kept referring to it yesterday) bout of fire haze continues unabated, leaving businesses and events closed, apartments and homes smelling like a campfire, and scenes like this every way you turn your head--

That's from yesterday, and I took it because, if you look at the top of the picture, you see the sun trying to fight through the haze.

Needless to say, the sun lost.

Of course, it's not just us. Everywhere in the US east of us seems to be dealing with the smoke; many places, as well, are also dealing with the extreme heat we dealt with right before the haze appeared. So, I guess, if you wanna be thankful for small things, be thankful that the 100 degrees temps skedaddled right before the smoke showed up.

As of now (and we all know how quickly this can change) things look to get a little better today and tomorrow, if only because we could get a bunch of rain and a wind shift, both of which might help a changing jet stream pattern get rid of the severe smoke situation. Still, I get the nagging feeling that were might be in this for the long haul.

I mean, I'm hoping not, but with the way this week has gone nothing is off the table.

So with that in mind, enjoy your weekend. Stay safe. And keep your fingers crossed that the return of sunshine and warm temperatures we're promised for Sunday actually shows up!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 7/16

Talk about going from the frying pan to the fire--

This is a shot down Front Street in Marquette yesterday. And here's one from NMU's webcam on Mount Marquette, looking toward the city--

That's not fog you're looking at; that's smoke from fires around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota and Ontario. After two straight days of temperatures above 100, we're now in our second day of smoke so bad you can smell it in your house and small particles in the air that are 105 times what the World Health Organization recommends.

Not 105%. 105 TIMES. It's bad.

Really, really bad.

It's funny; 40 years ago, when scientists first started to raise the alarm about global climate change they said it would manifest itself as “extreme events”. I'm thinking that two days of temperatures above 105 followed by several days of smoke so heavy you can breathe qualifies as an “extreme event”.

Wouldn't you?

Of course, we're not the only ones dealing with this. Most of the US is suffocating under the heat & smoke, while Europe is broiling (and dealing with major drought), as well. It blows my mind that there are still people out there who deny climate change is happening. You'd think that walking outdoors or just trying to breathe would convince them otherwise.

But, apparently not.

For however long this keeps going, make sure you stay safe. Don't push yourself, and be aware of how this crud is affecting your lungs. Oh...

And keep your fingers crossed it ends some year soon.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/15

I don't know who's behind the project, but I highly approve of it.

Highly.

When I was walking to work yesterday afternoon I noticed someone had put painted rocks all along Front Street in Marquette, rocks that said things like –

Or this--

The rocks extended all the way down the street, including one that was set on the retaining wall outside of the station--

Like I said, I have no idea who put them there. I'm thinking it might have been a library project, because there were a LOT of those rocks near there, but I don't know for sure. All I know is that it was a nice thing to see, and something that most people may not have even noticed.

Why? Because people usually don't look down at the ground when they're walking. I mean, I usually don't at the ground myself, but for some reason the first rock caught my eye, and I soon began seeing them everywhere. I'm pretty sure that tourists—looking at all the the cool buildings—wouldn't notice them, and locals, tied up on their phones or caught up in their everyday lives, may not have realized they were there, either.

That's why I'm glad I managed to notice them. So to whomever decided to spread the rocks around downtown Marquette yesterday, kudos. I'm assuming you undertook the projects to make people's days brighter and, at least in my case, you succeeded.

Thanks!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/14

Yay. The weather forecast was actually right yesterday!

It's about time.

It also looks as if it'll be correct today, which means that it'll be hot and sunny, which means that I may not be going to work for a bit, So with that in mind, I'll just leave you with what I talked about on TV last night...

The weather. Because, you know, I don't talk about that enough.

8-)

I'm off to once again play in the sun and the heat!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 7/13

 This may have been one for the record books.

Now, before I go any farther, just let me say that I would not want to be a weather forecaster.  It's a science that's not always exact, and climate change is making it harder to do correctly.  Add to that the fact that you get blamed whenever the weather turns out poorly, and I'd much rather stick with the four jobs I currently have.

So there's that.

But still...you have days like yesterday.  The weather forecast called for sunny skies and temps around 90, and Loraine and I were looking forward to getting out, kicking around soccer balls, and getting some some.  However, as the morning progressed the cloud started to move in, and by the time we got to Kaufman it had started to rain.

By the time we made it home, it REALLY started to rain--

Several waves of thunderstorms moved through, and the day that was forecast to be sunny & 90 ended up being rainy and 67.  Like I said, I don't blame the forecasters; their job is hard enough as it is.  But I'm starting to think Mother Nature has it in for us, as evidence by the bottom picture here, the visible satellite picture of what was supposed to be a sunny & 90 degrees day--

The only part of the entire Great Lakes region covered by clouds and rain?  Well, that would be the lucky people in the central UP.  And don't think we don't appreciate it, Mother Nature.

8-(

Today and tomorrow call for hot & sunny conditions, and I'm hoping things turned out as planned, if for no other reason that I'm taking half days today and tomorrow to enjoy the heat.  However, I won't be too surprised if it turns out like it did Sunday.

Because, apparently, Mother Nature has it in for us.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 7/10

Oh great. I'm going to have to look at a dork all summer, aren't I?

As you know, I'm doing a bunch of walking tours for the History Center this summer, and instead of giving each one a poster, they decided to stick them all on one. I'm okay with that; after all, in a way it shows just how active the Center is. But for whatever reason my pal Emily, who put the posters together, also stuck my ugly mug on it. And since we have one of the posters stuck in the window at the door to the station, I get to see this every time I go into work--

There should be a law against something like that, you know?

8-)

I suppose I shouldn't complain too much. I've written in here before how you can take a shot of me from a video, freeze it, and I look either like I'm about to have an apoplectic fit or that I'm a moron of the highest degree (the latter of those, I suppose, is always a possibility). Emily, however, went through some of the stuff we've shot together and found an almost normal looking freeze of me, taken from a teaser video for my bar tour last year. I don't know if it's the exact shot I would have used for a poster, but because there were so many possibilities that were about 1,000 times worse, I'll happily accept what she did.

Even if I still have to look at it every single day when I walk into work.

I know...first world problem, right? I'll shut up now, except to say this—have a fantastic weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com), dork

Thursday, 7/9

There. I think I have my “brand”.

You may remember a week or so ago I was talking about how I seem to do too many things to give myself a “brand”, a 2-5 word statement that describes me and what I do. You know, like Loraine's “That World War II Lady”. Well, after talking to someone about several of the tours I've given recently, she said five words that, if they weren't so absurd and over-reaching, would be a perfect “branding” statement.

What did she say? She said, and I quote, “you're the funniest guy in history”.

Hmm. “The Funniest Guy in History”. Well, it DOES fall into the two to five five word limit for a branding statement. It IS pithy and memorable. And aside from the fact that it's wildly inaccurate and way too narcissistic for me, I suppose it could work.

In another universe.

First of all, she did not mean that I was the funniest person who ever lived...you know, the funniest person in all of history. I wouldn't even come in the top 500 million of that category. What she meant (and had to explain to me after she realized what she had said) was that I was the funniest person she's ever heard talking about history. You know, “history” as in an academic subject, and not “history”, as in “of all time”. In all honesty, I sure there have been many funnier people than I talking about historical subjects. But I do appreciate the thought.

I guess looking for the strange and the absurd in local history has paid off in at least one way.

So while I do appreciate the thought, I don't think “The funniest guy in history” will become my branding statement any time soon. I'm still trying to figure out how to combine Radio Jim and History Jim and TV Jim and Traveling Jim and just Plain Jim in to one pithy statement, but with no luck yet. Daily blog reader Carli of Marquette did have a suggestion after my original post a few weeks ago. She said I should just call myself “Jim Koski, Renaissance Man”, which I suppose could work if real renaissance people like Leonardo Da Vinci or Thomas Jefferson or Bono hadn't set the bar so high.

Ah well; it was just a thought experiment to begin with. Maybe I don't really need a “brand” to be who I am. Although, I have to admit, it probably WOULD be neat to hand out business cards that say “Jim Koski, the Funniest Guy in History”.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 7/8

You might wanna think twice before you do it. I'm just saying...

Working on Front Street in Marquette gives me a front row view to the world outside. It's often quite entertaining, especially during the summer, when there are a lot of visitors to the area. Every so often I'll see people stop and stare at our front window, reading the signs on it and realizing there's a radio station inside. On the rare occasion, I'll even actually see people put their face up to the glass and try to look in.

But that's nothing compared to the people who use the window as a mirror and don't realize that there's someone on the inside who can see them.

You'd be surprised by the amount of people who walk down the street, see a big window, and use it as a mirror to fix their hair, fix their clothes, or just check out their appearance. Because it's a bit of a tinted window, and because the sun's shining on it a good portion of the day, you can't really see inside (unless, like I said, you put your face right up to it). But even though you can't see inside, when I'm in my studio I can see outside.

Trust me on that.

Of course, my situation is nothing compared to Loraine's, who works across the street from me at Range Bank. Their windows are specialty windows designed to reflect the sun and keep out the heat, and you can't see into them. Loraine, however can see out of them just fine, and has regaled me with tales of people taking selfies in the window next to her desk, people using her window as a makeup mirror, people drawing on her window, and people passing by and using the window to uhm, adjust themselves.

When they're doing all this, they have no idea Loraine and her coworkers can see everything they do.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is this—next time you're in a downtown setting, be it in Marquette or another urbanized area, and you see a business with a big window that looks like a mirror, keep walking. Resist the urge to use the mirror-like window as a mirror. Because if you do, I can almost guarantee that there will be someone on the other side watching whatever you do. And if what you do could be considered embarrassing, impolite, or downright raunchy, trust me.

Those of us on the other side of the window will be chuckling about it the rest of the day.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 7/7

So...didja survive your holiday weekend?

I realize that most people weren't as lucky as I in getting a four-day weekend. Loraine, for instance, took part of Friday off but had to work yesterday. So I hope you had a neat weekend, in whatever form (or length) it took. I mean, considering everything that was going on--fireworks, parades, food festivals, and the like--you certainly weren't going to be bored.

At least I know I wasn't. In fact, I may need another weekend just to recover from my weekend, which i always consider a sign that I did things right.

So, I guess I did the weekend right.

*****

Actually, I DID work a little this weekend. I helped my friends at TV-19 with a special corporate-wide 4th of July newscast, and then I did put on real clothes for an hour or so yesterday to do my usual Monday night bit. This one was a piece that kinda sprung fully forth on the Fourth, as I was listening to people shoot off fireworks WAAAAAY past the time they were supposed to be doing so. How it actually ended up involving my dad and Sir Mix-a-Lot, I'm not quite sure, but it did, and this was the end result--

(jim@wmqt.com), still needing a weekend to recover from his weekend.

Thursday, 7/2

Which one would top YOUR list?

I took one of a half-days to go play out in the sun and the heat, and while I was walking along the beach, I started to think about smells that can only exist, at least the U.P., during the summer. I have no idea why or no idea how; when you walk along the beach and let your mind drift, strange things pop into it.

Or at least strange things pop into my brain. But that may be a discussion for another day.

Anyway, what smells DID pop into my brain? These ones—Jim’s list of the Top Five Smells Of Summer:

5. The smell of freshly cut grass. I don’t have to mow a lawn myself any more, but I always enjoy walking down a street when someone is in the middle of trimming the grass in their front yard. It instantly makes your mind think of summer, if only because it only smells that way DURING summer.

4. The smell of charcoal heating up a grill. This actually can be more than just a smell of summer; you can usually appreciate it first in late March or early April, on one of the first days above freezing, when NMU students seem celebrate the return of the sun by breaking out their grills. It’s one of the benefits of walking home from work on a day like that. . . trust me on that.

3. The smell of sunscreen and sweat. Oh, be quiet; it’s not as gross as you think. In fact, it’s the smell that prompted this whole blog, the smell that you get when you walk down a beach on a warm summer day. It just kind of lingers in the air, so if you’re a bit squeamish to call it the smell of sunscreen and sweat, call the smell of the beach. It’s the same thing.

2. The smell of sunshine. Okay, I know that “sunshine” has as much of a smell as the color purple, but you know that smell you get when you open your windows on a sunny day, and the sun somehow magically reacts with the air in your house to produce a smell that wasn’t there before? THAT’S the smell I’m talking about—the smell of sunshine I’m talking about.

Finally, here’s Jim’s number one smell of summer, a smell that, I will admit, is highly subjective—

1. The smell of all the rose bushes along the South Beach Bike Path in Marquette (the beach down which I was wandering). They don’t smell like summer for any reason other than the fact that they're only around for a short time, but when they are around they're heavenly. Don't believe me? Head down there and sniff for yourself.

There you go...an answer to a question you've never thought existed--what summer smells like for the short time it’s here in Marquette.

                                                *****

Because of corporate holidays I'm off for four (!) days. I'll be back Tuesday with something new. Have a great (and safe) 4^th of July weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)