This issue of the BLA newsletter is arriving later than normal. It is usually targeted to be delivered around the 1st of January, April, July, and October. This issue, tardiness is my fault. I have been waiting to attend the last township meeting to get the most up to date information on the boat ramp, the latest on the remedy for the run-off of the farmers field west of Hilltop, and finally, inspiration to write something that is worth your time reading.
As some of you may have noticed, there has been temporary asphalt patches made to the boat ramp to fill in the ruts and holes. As soon as the asphalt plant opens for the summer season (around May 1), a permanent surface will be applied from the street to the water line, which is badly needed and it should benefit us all. At this time, there aren’t any plans to do work from the water line into the lake. It is hoped that the hole will stay centered to the ramp where it should be for an easy boat launch. Our thanks to the Township board and Cass road commission for their help.
Our Water Resources Commissioner, Bruce Campbell, has been working with the Department of Agriculture, engineers, and the person who is farming the field to find the easiest and most cost effective solution to for the Hilltop problem. Various surveys have been made to determine flows, slopes, etc. As of right now, some different planting strategies will be incorporated in the attempt to change the flow of water. Continuing studies and methods will be explored to solve the problem on a permanent basis.
Last, we are making final plans for our first poker run to be held July 16th. We have the band booked to play for the event and I’m sure everyone will enjoy the music. This will be a great time to meet others from the lake, provide a fun days entertainment, and provide the chance of winning money and prizes ! ! More detailed information will be available in the near future. Look for the e mails, flyers and signs. We expect a large turn-out, don’t be left behind.
Greg Buss - BLA President
Nature Migrates
This article, in reference to the April 2009 news letter, is similar, with many more migratory bird species that we enjoy at Baldwin Lake and our own temporary migration again to Florida this year.
We were blessed to be able to spend quality time on vacation again with our good friends, Greg and Jessica, in Florida. This enabled us to see more types of plants and wild life than normally found in Michigan. Both states have similar species of birds and primarily the same migratory ones that are in this article.
One bird that stands out around here is the “Great Blue Heron”. They stand over 3 feet or more in Florida. Around the salt water in South Florida these “Herons” go through an all white phase that have them looking like the white bodied “Egrets”, with no blue or grey markings on them at all.
We noted several other types of “Herons” along our travels throughout these keys where we stayed. The “Little Blue Heron” stays in the South and doesn’t migrate to Michigan along with the next two we spotted. The “Green Heron” and “Black-Crowned Night-Heron” I have seen flying out of our own fresh water swamps towards evening, as they were doing around the tidal marshes and intercostals water ways noted in Florida this year.
We always enjoy going to the sandy beaches while there and this allows easy spotting of many species of Michigan birds wintering up. Some of the many shore birds were the “Sandpipers”, “Plovers”, “Cormorants”, “Terns” and various species of the “Gull” family that we identified being with us during the Michigan summers.
There was one water bird that really sticks out in Florida that migrates, but not to Michigan, It is the “American White Pelican”. It’s one of the largest birds in North America. They are larger and have a wider wingspan than our Bald Eagle and Mute Swans. Talk about saving our pier and boat canopies from these large fish eaters!
Besides watching its wild life, Florida has all the different varieties of plant life to see. We had the pleasure of going to some Botanical Gardens which had plant life from all over the world. We noticed several types there that we winter and transplant in the summer with our heated all season room. Nothing compared to the Orchid Garden room there, with all those wonderful flowers, which made us wish for summer here.
Mike Crofoot
Judy's Jottings
Submitted by Judy Kankel
EAGLE CAM: I found a very interesting site online. The Norfolk Botanical Garden has a cam set up where you can view an eagle’s nest that is about 90’ in the air in a loblolly pine tree. The pairs of eagles mate for life and usually return to the same nest. This pair is about 13 years old. I watched the female lay 3 eggs, one a day, and they hatched on three different days. You see the baseball-sized eggs hatch with downy eaglets and both parents sharing the task of sitting on the nest. The male has been bringing in fish to feed them. The nest is about 6’ wide and 4’ deep. There is also a running narrative during the day to keep everyone informed and answer questions.
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup melted butter
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
Mix Bisquick, milk, and cheese together until a soft ball forms. Beat for 30 seconds. Drop by balls onto ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Mix garlic salt and butter. Brush on top. (These are similar to those served at Red Lobster)
SOME CLEVER DEFINITIONS:
Marriage: An agreement wherein a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters
Compromise: The art of dividing a cake so that everyone thinks he got the biggest piece
Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight
Yawn: The only time some men get to open their mouth
Diplomat: A person who tells you to go to hell and you actually look forward to the trip
Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early
We had asked for articles from people for the newsletter and got one reply, from Allison Gerecke, 8-yr old granddaughter of Bill and Carol Rhind, who have a cottage on Treasure Island Road. This is what she wrote:
There are many things I do at the lake. At the lake I keep a swimsuit there so I can go swimming with my family, and my dog. While watching my two brothers Brian and Eric play a game of baseball.
Sometimes I go on the waverunner with my Dad. I also like to go tubing with my brother Eric, my Dad, my Mom and my Uncle Mike. Splash! Splash! Splash!
The meals are spontaneous! Like ribs, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, and more. But Essen House also has awesome meals. And I apsoulutely love playing cards and poker.
That’s my favorite things to eat and especially do at the lake.
Geocaching Fun
Are you looking for a fun outdoor game that involves skills, electronics and common sense? Are you ready for a modern-day hide and seek? Then Geocaching is the hobby for you. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to hide and seek containers or caches anywhere in the world.
A cache in computer terms is information usually stored in memory to make it faster to retrieve, but the term is also used in hiking/camping as a hiding place for concealing and preserving provisions. What is usually in a cache? In its simplest form, a cache always contains a logbook. The logbook contains information from the owner of the cache, notes from visitors and can contain much valuable, rewarding, and entertaining information. In smaller caches, the size of a film canister, a log sheet and pencil stub may be found. Larger caches (think cool whip container) may contain a logbook and any number of more or less valuable items. These items turn the cache into a true treasure hunt. You never know what the owner or other visitors of the cache may have left there for you to enjoy. Remember, if you take something, it is only fair for you to leave something in return. It is recommended that items in a cache be individually packaged in a clear, zipped plastic bag to protect them from the elements. Quite often you may also find a trackable item. Groundspeak Trackables come in two types: Groundspeak Travel Bugs®, and official Geocoins.
I started geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) about 5 years ago when I was looking to combine my husbands favorite thing (driving his little roadster) with my favorite thing (spending time with him). Back then there were only about 3 caches within a 5 mile radius, so we often had a nice drive to get to our search area. Today, there are over 20 caches nearby!
Its easy to get started. Just download your co-ordinates at www.geocaching.com. Read the clue associated with the cache. Get in your car and you are off!
Patti Haynie
Baldwin Lake July 16, 2011 Poker Run
Using boats, every participant must visit five checkpoints on the lake, drawing a playing card(s) at each one. The object is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. The event will end at the location where it started with the cards turned in to form the hands and prizes awarded for the best hand in each category. Food will be available to purchase while we tabulate scores and you can socialize and enjoy the free entertainment.
Ticket amounts will be $5, $10, and $25, the higher the ticket value the larger the prize available. You can buy as many tickets for hands as you want.
We are looking for individuals who would like to submit articles of interest to our newsletter. These articles could be a one time submission or an ongoing feature. Do you have a favorite memory of the lake, a special hobby to tell about, little known facts of our area…? We would love to feature them!
President’s Corner