Late Summer 2018

The Firemen’s Parade and Picnic is a fundraiser for our local volunteer fire department which is held in early August. The parade goes up Main Street for about 3 blocks, which is how long Main Street is.

People from on top of the fire trucks were throwing candy to the kids.

We were a little concerned about the veterans leading the march up the hill. It was a hot day and many of them are elderly.

The Legion never misses an opportunity to promote Sunday night bingo. Barb and I have gone a couple times and it's lots of fun. They typically have over 100 people. These are serious bingo players. It takes both of us to keep up with one set of bingo cards and many of them play 3-4 cards simultaneously. 

Pretty much anyone who wants to parade is welcome and they can parade in whatever fashion they like. 

There is only one road in Presque Isle so the parade creates havoc for cars trying to pass through town. 

I'm not sure how the Sno Bunnies' snowmobile trail groomer got in the Firemen's Parade.

The Sno Bunnies sell FEAR THE BUNNY hats and T shirts that are very popular.

People were sitting along the parade route on the tail gates of their pickups or on lawn chairs.

After the parade there was lunch at the fire station where you could get BBQ pulled pork, hot dogs, brats, roasted corn, chips, soda, beer, and an ice cream sandwich for whatever you want to contribute. It was a very fun family-oriented day. 

The only thing that could have made this scene more perfect would have been if Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz had started singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.   

At one time there were over 40 covered bridges in Wisconsin. Today only 6 remain.

This one is Smith Rapids covered bridge located in the Chequamegon National Forest. It is the newest of the covered bridges, built in 1991. These bridges really make you feel nostalgia for a bygone era.  

The view from inside the bridge is very scenic.

We've been doubly blessed with baby loons this year. The loons at Pipke Park and the pair on Mermaid Lake both had chicks.

This momma racoon certainly has her hands full with 5 babies. They were falling all over each other. Momma would leave and they wouldn’t realize she was gone and then they would be in a panic trying to find where she went.  

This momma deer and her baby stop by our house almost every evening. When the baby gets startled it jumps straight up in the air. 

Agate Falls is near the town of Bruce Crossing. This is the upper section.

This bridge spans Agate Falls. It was built in 1929 and is still in excellent condition and is still open to traffic. In 1997, it was designated a Michigan historic civil engineering landmark. 

I couldn't find a way to get to the bottom of the falls so this picture of the lower part of Agate Falls was taken from an old railroad bridge. I’m not fond of heights so this was no easy task looking down. Still makes me queasy.

Bond Falls is one of our favorite places to take visitors.  It is right on the road to Agate Falls so we stopped on our way home.

This fisherman was fly fishing for brook trout at the base of Bond Falls. That's something I've never tried but it looks like fun. 

The only problem with summer in the north woods is that it is to short. But maybe that's part of what makes it so special, it always leaves us wanting more.