I don’t know about you, but I would rather sweat and swim than shiver and shovel. As each year passes, my tolerance for the latter gets less and less. Of course, I’m sure that it doesn’t have anything to do with the number of birthdays that have passed me by (yeah, right). Let’s hope next winter is kinder than what we just had. However, my chiropractor thought it was great because I think I made him a rich man.
We all are very fortunate to live on or near the lake and observe the amount and variety of wildlife it provides. This too is the case in other areas where there is water and climates to support it. We were lucky enough to get out of the cold for awhile this winter and spent some time with Mike and Janice Crofoot in Florida. The wildlife we observed was very diverse and plentiful. Did you know that armadillos are residents of Florida? I always thought that they were only in Texas and the southwest. Sadly to report, the only ones we saw were “road-kill”. These hapless prehistoric looking creatures have the propensity for being run over and are referred to as “hillbilly speed bumps”. Did you know that there are over 50 species of sea gulls? There is one in particular that specializes in trying to take sandwiches out of your hand as you are eating it! Ask Janice and she will verify that fact. The bird life was extraordinary and Mike will relate to that in an article later in this newsletter. We were able to view alligators warming themselves on sunny afternoons (which was about every day, no rain), spinner sharks leaping from the water (pretty cool, didn’t even know there was such a thing), saw a shark (couldn’t tell specie) reeled in from shore (didn’t go in the water that day!), pelicans diving for diner with more grace than an Olympic athlete, and birds feeding on fish that were feeding on smaller fish that were feeding on even smaller fish. The wonders of nature are there if we just take time to appreciate it all.
Even though it may not look like it today, soon we will be enjoying barbeques, bathing suits, and boating on the lake we love. How is it that birthdays come and go so fast and winters last so long? I’ll provide a cold drink this summer to someone who can give me a good answer.
Please join us for our monthly 7:00pm meetings the third Monday of every month except June and December at the Conservation Club.
Greg Buss - BLA President
Ultimate Migrations
Where ever I go on my travels I pay particular attention to the wild life in that region. This time was a first by spending several weeks in Florida away from the winter in Michigan and correlating it with the wild life we actually see here in the summer.
I was able to identify many of our migratory bird species that were wintering in the region. I saw Cowbirds, Grackles, Killdeer, Sandpipers, and several Sea Gull species that do summer migrate to the Michigan region.
American crows are all across the U.S., but even they migrate north into Canada during our summers. All along the eastern seaboard and Florida are crows that look like the American species, but are smaller and thinner billed. They make a short nasal “car-car” sound instead of the caw caw sound.
We saw Mallard ducks on the Florida ponds, by golf courses, along with the states many alligators. With the ice gone they are already migrating to their summer grounds around us.
Cormorants were quite plentiful in Florida this winter year and they too have been seen around our area as they summer here and North to Canada.
Turkey vultures, which I thought was the Michigan state bird, are heavy into Florida for the winter. The bird book shows they migrate here up North for the summer and clear out to Western states.
Florida has two of Michigan’s largest migrates that visit them during the winter months. I was privileged to have observed some Bald Eagles and several Ospreys in action. Fish is the primary food source of these birds. Florida is going through a drought again this winter so the bodies of water I was around were extra shallow, exposing larger fish to them.
The Great Blue Heron, many of which we all have observed around Baldwin Lake, is as common on saltwater as it is around fresh. They migrate to the southern coastal states in the winter. We saw a rather large one dogging a surf fisherman for his bait. We went walking the beach within 10 feet of this 4 foot tall bird that seemed tame, unlike the ones that migrate here.
Sand hill cranes were really plentiful where we were also. After reading upon their migratory habits it seems that Florida is their main winter destination. We have seen them in the fields around here but they have a range in the summer that goes to Alaska and Northern Canada. Not many birds in North America are this size with Sand hills having about a 7 foot wing span.
The ice is gone now, after a rather hard winter so spring can’t be far away. I’ll start to believe it when our migratory friends start to return to us.
Enjoy and observe all. See you out there.
Mike Crofoot
Boating Safety on Michigan Lakes
The above diagram of boating regulations is a guideline and not a substitute for Marine Safety Act (Act 303 of 1967 and amendments thereto), or your responsibility for knowing this Act.
Should any discrepancies exist, the Marine Safety Act takes precedent and MUST be followed.
Baldwin Lake Association hereby disclaims any responsibility or claims relative to your application or interpretation of the included diagram.
You are ultimately responsible for knowing the rules as they exist under the Marine Safety Act.
It is illegal to operate a PWC (jet skis, etc.) during the period beginning at sunset (the time determined by the National Weather Service) and ends at 8:00 am.
Judy's Jottings
Submitted by Judy Kankel
Hopefully spring has sprung by now and our thoughts can turn to gardening, yard work, cleaning those windows and closets, and finally updating the membership directory. Please take a few moments to make the following changes. If you are a member and haven’t received one, please contact me at 641-2335 and I will see that you get one. There are just a few left.
First of all, you might want to add the phone numbers of the two Post Offices we visit.
Union: 641-5180 and Edwardsburg: 800-275-8777.
Union Post office is opened Monday through Friday 9-5 (lunch is 12:30-1) and Saturday 9-12.
Changes in Porter Township Elected Officials are:
Supervisor: Dan Harvey,
Treasurer: Helen Croninger,
Trustees: Leard Wylie and Steve Northrup.
Marty Russell remains Clerk.
The Township office is opened Monday-Friday 10-12 and 1-4. Phone number is 641-2375.
The Treasurer is there every Wednesday, but also on Tuesday and Friday during tax times.
Porter Township Plan Commission: Members are: Lisa Dudeck Don Henke, Keith Kankel, Rick Russworm, Tom Robbins, Laura Shaffer and Phil Yoder.
Porter Township Board of Review: Members are: Max Brown, Bill Eustice, John Penkala and alternate, Vickie Hall.
Porter Township Board of Appeals: Members are: Lisa Dudeck, DeDe Fisher, John Heckman, Steve Northrup, Robert Temple, John Vandermass, and alternate, Hank Yeomans.
Porter Township Sewer Board: Members are Dave Nagy, Carl Klappauf, Herman Kruggel, Gert Temple and Leard Wylie.
Baldwin Lake Association Officers: President: Greg Buss; Vice-Presidents, Mike Crofoot and Phil Yoder; Secretary, Carolyn Stevenson; and Treasurer, Keith Kankel.
Baldwin Lake Committee Chairpersons: Remain the same except Keith Kankel will be the Community Affairs contact.
From Henry Ford: If you think you can…or you think you can’t….you are right.
Here’s another family favorite recipe…..careful choosing peanut butter, though!
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
1 baked or graham cracker pie shell (9”)
½ Cup Peanut Butter
¾ Cup Powdered Sugar
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding, prepared
Cool Whip or Whipped Cream for topping
Mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until crumbly. Put ¾ of the crumbs into the pie shell. Prepare pudding mix and spoon into shell on top of crumbs. Top with Cool Whip and remaining crumbs.
PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES (PFD's)
All vessels must be equipped with a personal flotation device for each person on board.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requires that all vessels have at least one Type I, II , or III personal flotation device that is USCG-approved, wearable, and of the proper size for each person on board. Sizing for PFDs is based on body weight and chest size.
Michigan’s PFD law permits a vessel that is less than 16 feet long, or is a canoe or kayak, to choose to have either a wearable PFD (Type I, II, or III) or a throwable PFD (Type IV) for each person on board.
In addition to the above requirements, one Type IV USCG-approved PFD must be on board vessels 16 feet or longer and readily accessible. (Throwable cushion or ring on a rope)
Michigan law requires all children under 6 years of age to WEAR a USCG-approved Type I or II PFD when riding on the open deck of any vessel.
Each person riding on or towed behind a PWC must WEAR a USCG-approved Type I, II, or III personal flotation device. Inflatable PFDs are not allowed on PWCs.
All PFDs must be in good and serviceable condition and must be readily accessible.
Random thoughts for the over 30 crowd:
Remember when adults used to bore you with diatribes about how hard things were….walking 25 miles to school every morning...uphill…barefoot…BOTH ways, etc..
Now that we are older we can’t help but notice the youth of today. They have it so easy! When I was a kid, we didn’t have the internet. If I wanted to know something I went to the library and looked it up in the card catalogue. There was no e-mail. We had to actually write somebody a letter with a pen. Then you had to walk across the street, put it in the mailbox and it would take a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents or less. Child Protective Services didn’t care if our parents spanked us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to spank us. There were no MP3’s or Napsters. If you wanted to steal music, you walked to the music store and shoplifted it. Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would talk over the beginning and mess it all up. There were no CD players. We had tape decks in the car. We didn’t have Call Waiting. If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal. We didn’t have Caller ID either. When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was. You had to pick it up and take your chances. You had to use a little book called TV Guide to find out was on TV. You couldn’t channel-surf. You had to get up off the couch and change the channel by hand. There was no cartoon channel. They were only on on Saturday mornings. We had to wait all week for them. We didn’t have microwaves. We heated things up on the stove. So many things have changed, but are they all really for the better?
Membership Directory/Individual Listings:
Baldwin Landing: Add: Baldwin Landing, LLC
Phone: 269-699-9505
e/mail: pdelano@cgoinv.com
Bradford: Add e-mail eltaandscott@verizon.net
Buss: New address is 70275 Hilltop and phone remains the same
Henke, Ron & Darlene: Add e/mail: rhenke1213@comcast.net
Herendeen: Add: Herendeen, Herbert and Mary Ann
70305 Hilltop Dr.
Phone: 574-272-3030
e/mail: herb@hearthandhome-sb.com
Winter: 710 Washington St. --
South Bend, IN 46601
Henke, Ron & Darlene: add e/mail rhenke1213@comcast.net
Leslie, Georgia is deceased.
Miller, Randy & Valorie: Address change: 69751 Hilltop
Miller Tom & Kenlynn: e/mail tlm069@concentric.net
Miller, Willard is deceased.
Munro: Remove the winter address in Lansing, IL.
Rhind, Carol & Bill : change e/mail to bccc56@sbcglobal.net
Roberts, Steve & Karen: Add another e-mail: steven92000@yahoo.com
Yeoman, Bob & Laura: Change address to 13619 and add e/mail
robertryeoman@att.net
Zabona has moved.
Sorry this is so lengthy, but I want it as accurate as possible. If any of these changes are not current, please let me know and I will correct it next time.
A beauty tip: If you have rough cuticles and don’t want to spend the money for expensive cuticle cream, try using chapstick or any lip balm. It really works!
If you have a sewing machine that embroiders or want to do appliqué on small items, an inexpensive stabilizer is a coffee filter. It tears away easier than the expensive product.
Membership Dues to July 2010 are $25 Mail to: BLA P.O. Box 311 Union, MI 49130
President’s Corner
