Michigan!

Song of S 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
My truly home state – I was born in this state. When you say “Michigan” immediately 4 images come to mind; making apple butter in the great copper kettle outside every fall with the relatives, going through the trees and watching the tapping for maple syrup, the Mackinac Bridge, and wading along the shores of Lake Michigan. Since Mom came from the UP (upper peninsula) and Dad came from the lower – we crossed the bridge every time we visited relatives. It’s one of the longer suspension bridges in the world at 4.9 miles. I was 17 the first time I drove across it, and boy I was nervous. When it’s windy you can feel the shake. So many times there’s construction; then you have to move into the center lanes with the green grooves that whine as you drive and make you feel like the tires are wobbling and going to fall off. I still get a bit nervous every time I do it, but there are some people who have to use the “courtesy driver” – a transport system you pay to have a staff member drive you across. So that makes me feel good that I can still do it under my own power. However, I nearly lost it a year ago when I made the mistake of crossing on July 4th weekend!!! NEVER do that! The 5 minute drive took 45 minutes! I could only inch along and as I kept my foot on the brake and looked way WAY down I was able to come up with about 4 different novels in my head in every genre about a person stuck on the Mackinac Bridge as it gave way due to the bumper to bumper congestion! Sheesh!
Dad liked to return to Michigan either in the spring or fall; if fall, we got to help with making apple butter as a family weekend. It may have been work to the adults, but it was great fun for us cousins. The big copper kettle out in the yard with the fire underneath needing to be fed with wood periodically; hauling in the wagonload of apples to dump in turn into the bubbling cauldron – with everyone in a big family helping it was a fun weekend. If we went in the early spring, we could help with tapping the maple trees or lugging buckets before they put in a pipeline system. Such good childhood memories to have!
Michigan is a beautiful state to be in with the fall leaves, and varied nature in so many forms – Mom lived just a couple miles from Lake Michigan, so we always enjoy the boardwalk and lighthouse as well as wading in the water. It’s so clear you can see to the bottom some days. Quite scary-impressive when there’s a storm raging! I’m proud to be able to say, “I’m from Michigan.”

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