One of my lifeguard colleagues and I were shooting the bull one evening, and discovered we have one bedrock belief in common: The best temperature is shorts-and-sweatshirts, i.e., when it’s warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough for a sweatshirt. Somewhere in the range from 65 to 72, say.
I’m in shorts-and-sweatshirts latitudes now. Heavenly.
Where, you ask? We had to cross a big bridge to get here:
There was fresh whitefish for dinner the first night:
The first day the weather was perfect:
The second day it was cool and breezy. So we went even farther north to look at the engineering structure that makes Great Lakes shipping possible:
Had a very mediocre lunch nearby. Atmosphere: 10-plus. Food: 4. Service: Also 4.
Finally, I want to buy this boat. I would not change the name:
That’s all for now. New comment thread!
Jeff Gill said on August 19, 2025 at 9:19 am
I’ve been at that restaurant at the Soo, but I can’t think of the name. Service hasn’t changed much in ten years, apparently.
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nancy said on August 19, 2025 at 9:24 am
The Antlers. Advertises itself as having “the best poutine in America.” Spoiler: It is not.
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Mark P said on August 19, 2025 at 10:20 am
It was 97 here in NW Georgia Monday. I have been fantasizing about building a small house near the little hamlet of Bailey, up in the mountains west of Denver. The high in Denver is supposed to be 92 today, but only 78 in Bailey. The lows are in the 50’s. Of course the average low in January is about 7F, and they get around 100 inches of snow a year. I think we could barely afford to buy some land and build a small house with what we could get for our house, but I have some work to do on our house before we could sell. And my wife doesn’t want to move. But then she never goes outside any more, so 97 is not a big deal for her.
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alex said on August 19, 2025 at 10:53 am
Even if it was the best poutine, looking at all that roadkill on the walls would have deleterious effects on my appetite.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to northern Michigan. This weekend we leave for a Vrbo vacay on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, where we’re sharing a beach house with friends flying in from North Carolina and Florida and driving over from Chicago. Should be a good time.
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Julie Robinson said on August 19, 2025 at 11:30 am
I’m with Alex re dead animals as decorations. And I dislike both french fries and gravy, so I guess I’m a grouch today.
Still trying to find a good Italian restaurant in Orlando. Last night’s was expensive but the food was only a cut above Stouffer’s or Costco frozen lasagna. The quest continues, as does the marriage, celebrating 46 years now. It’s going better than the Italian restaurants in Orlando.
Every news story I read just makes me mad, except that Newsmax has to pay defamation money to Dominion Voting. Don’t get me started on the orange one’s comments about mail-in voting.
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Dexter Friend said on August 19, 2025 at 1:21 pm
If you are interested in nance’s post, by all means watch the great Peter Santanello’s new video .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsoP0UXIPRM
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alex said on August 19, 2025 at 2:07 pm
I’d never heard of Peter Santanello before but he’s quite an engaging vlogger. I’m gonna have to leave this on pause in the middle to keep a haircut appointment but I look forward to returning. So much better than scrolling the news today about Trump walking back his empty promises to Zelenskyy and the Europeans.
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annie said on August 19, 2025 at 5:17 pm
ugh — who would put dead animals all over a restaurant?
I would give the atmosphere a minus 10.
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Peter said on August 19, 2025 at 5:25 pm
That second picture in the restaurant – is that a badger or a wolverine? Because it’s SO CUTE.
As for the locks – you really need to go on the Canadian side. It’s about 20 years ago now, but when we were there it was a much lower key operation – for pleasure craft – and they let my 10 year old operate the locks. It was quite a sight – he’d wave the boat in, catch the rope, kind of tie it up, hit some buttons, and in came the water. He enjoyed it as much as Disney World. Meanwhile the Parcs Canada guy went on a smoke break.
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nancy said on August 19, 2025 at 6:14 pm
Peter, I couldn’t tell, either. I suspect it’s a badger, and I also suspect it hasn’t been skillfully mounted. They’re supposed to be fearsome, not cuddly with ears poking out.
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kayak woman said on August 19, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Oh, you went to the Antlers. We go there very infrequently when we’re in town. It actually *can* be good but not reliably. The best time I’ve had there was once when we drove up through a blizzard on New Year’s Day (to attend a funeral). NOTHING else was open except Subway but after that blizzard, I needed alcohol. Finally called the Antlers and it was open, empty, and pretty darn good.
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Icarus said on August 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
I’m not a fan of cheese curds; therefore, poutine was not something I was interested in on our trip to Toronto last Fall.
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alex said on August 19, 2025 at 7:40 pm
That vlogger checked out the two Soos but now I’m curious to explore the two Niagaras. I’m only familiar with the Canadian side. I’ve heard the U.S. side is tacky, but the same could be said of a lot of what I’ve seen on the other.
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David C said on August 20, 2025 at 5:58 am
I’ve been to both Niagaras, but it’s been twenty years. I’d say the Canadian side was tacky and the US side was shabby. I can’t imagine that either has improved as nothing else has.
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Dorothy said on August 20, 2025 at 9:35 am
I feel like the majority of women I know with the name pronounced like the boat’s name spell it as “Debbie” instead of with the Y. (I worded that sentence poorly so I’m hoping you all understand what I mean) That reason alone is sufficient for justifying keeping the boat named thusly.
It’s been a sucky week. I won’t bring down the room by sharing too many details but we got rotten news after Mike’s surgery on Monday. The growth was bigger than a grape – closer to a walnut size the surgeon said; we’ll know more about the cancer after the next pathology report comes back. But it was so big the doc sent a tissue sample out in the midst of removing it and that doc said it’s almost definitely cancer. We’ll be seeing surgeons at The James next; no idea who, but already we’re networking with friends and have excellent recommendations and encouragement that this is a very treatable kind of cancer (on his left vocal cord). This is the fourth time he’s heard a cancer diagnosis. It definitely does not get any easier – just the opposite.
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jcburns said on August 20, 2025 at 10:31 am
Yeah, we’ve been to Antlers. Not impressive, and the animals on the wall are, well, animals…on the wall!
What about the boat in the background of your photo–‘Seagull’? Or do you just want ‘Debby’ for the name? What would Deb say?
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Deborah said on August 20, 2025 at 11:32 am
Dorothy, sorry to hear that. Cancer seems so much more treatable than it used to be. Sending good vibes your way.
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Deborah said on August 20, 2025 at 11:38 am
My birth certificate says Deborah, I went by Debby when I was very young, then changed that to Debbie somewhere along the way. When I turned 30 we had moved to a different state so I thought it would be a good time to start using Deborah, so people from then on called me Deborah or Deb, it was hard to get family to use Deborah instead of Debbie. I’m not crazy about my name, my sister’s name is Rosalind, I always thought that was the coolest name, she goes by Roz.
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Peter said on August 20, 2025 at 11:46 am
Dorothy, I am sorry to hear about the bad news. Deborah’s right – these days tumors are more treatable and controllable. Bodily ones, that is. The tumor in DC, no treatment in sight.
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tajalli said on August 20, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis, Dorothy. The treatment processes and options are better worked out now, so less uncertainty in that regard, but still unhappy news.
That was not a badger – badgers have boldly black and white striped faces. Wolverine images I found show a much larger animal with darker fur. Maybe some villain shot a baby (!!).
Thoroughly enjoyed the video, visual soul food.
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Julie Robinson said on August 20, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Dorothy, I’m so sorry about Mike. It may not be easier emotionally, but you are more prepared because of all your experience. I’d be at sea with a cancer diagnosis and wouldn’t know the next step. Whatever happens, you’ll face it together in love, and that also puts you head and shoulders above most people. As Aslan said to Lucy, courage, dear heart.
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Jeff Gill said on August 20, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Dorothy, sorry for the news, and I don’t think you (or anyone) ever needs to worry about bringing down the room; after all, we have to talk about tumor on the Oval Office often enough…
But glad you have a good connection with the James folks. For any who don’t know, while the Ohio State medical center has a highly problematic primary donor name now stuck to it (but for how much longer?), their cancer center named for a much less worrisome honoree who was born Giangiacomo on the banks of the Ohio to an Italian shopkeeping family, who worked his way into medicine and cancer treatment — and today’s James Center does spectacular work.
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Dorothy said on August 20, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Thanks friends. You all are such fabulous people. I’ve learned so much from hanging out here for decades and I’m so glad to ‘know’ you all!
Some good news: I registered for QuiltCon this morning (it’s in Februry in Raleigh) and unbelievably I was able to grab one of the workshops! THey sell out amazingly fast and I consider myself very lucky to have gotten into one. And I got into 3 lectures which never sell out because they’re in a huge room at the convention center. If Mike is undergoing treatment during that time frame, his cousin is going to come help out at the house. He would have been angry me if I didn’t go. He knows how much fun I have there. And maybe in December I’ll celebrate again if my one and only quilt submission gets accepted into the show.
Did I mention I got a quilt accepted into a show that’s going to hang in the Cleveland Botanical Gardens for two months?? The grand openign is a week from Friday and we’re driving up. This was a big deal for me. It’s a SAQA show – Studio Art Quilt Associates. My first art quilt and first acceptance. I hope my head doesn’t grow too big to fit in the door. Funny story about the SAQA org. I joined in December; started getting their newsletters emailed to me. I caught mistakes (grammar, spelling, wrong dates) in 2 or 3 of the first newsletters. Then I got an email from the Ohio regional rep asking if I would think about being the new newsletter editor cuz the prior one wanted to stop doing it. This is the punishment I got for opening my big mouth and finding fault in the emails. Oh well. I’m having fun being the newsletter editor!
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Jeff Borden said on August 20, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Dorothy,
I don’t know what kind of cancer your husband has, but there are some amazingly effective treatments that didn’t exist even a few years ago. Three friends–all male– have survived leukemia, though the treatments were rough. All are thriving now. Hope and a positive attitude are critical. So is the support of family and friends.
On a lighter note, the Three Douchebags of the Apocalypse–JD Vance. Plastered Pete Hegseth and Goebbels wannabe Stephen Miller– were booed when trying to visit a Shake Shack in Union Station. Miller claimed they were aging white hippies from out of town because residents of D.C. are thrilled with the military occupation.
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Dorothy said on August 20, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Deborah (and Little Bird) my cousin Ruth Anne recently moved to Albuquerque. Do you know where Carlisle Blvd is? She’s renting a house there. She decided to leave her second husband where she had lived the last 15 years in northeast Ohio. I don’t know this cousin very well but we’ve had two lovely visits the last two years, the most recent one when she stayed overnight (when our A/C was broken and it was 87 inside our house) on her way to New Mexico. A detail she slipped into conversation? Her soon-to-be ex only had a dorm size refrigerator in his farmhouse. She also said at least three times how unkind he had become. I felt so sad for her. Leaving was her choice and he was surprised, she said. She’s much better off without him.
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Suzanne said on August 20, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Dorothy, sorry to hear of the cancer diagnosis. It’s scary but many types are much more treatable than years ago. I am typing this out, almost 3 years to the day of finishing my leukemia treatment which would have been a death sentence not that many years ago. But it is a tough thing to face no matter what kind because it takes over your life for a time. Best to your husband and you!
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Jeff Gill said on August 20, 2025 at 6:59 pm
Here’s what Nancy wants for her mantlepiece:
https://thetaxidermystore.com/american-badger-life-size-taxidermy-mount-for-sale-22836.html
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Deborah said on August 20, 2025 at 8:01 pm
When I went to the Lutheran college in Nebraska, there was a bar in the main downtown, across from the Seward county courthouse. the bar was called Huemanns, I have no idea if that’s the correct spelling, it was pronounced Hoy-mans, at least that’s how our generation of students referred to it. There were dead animal heads all around it, above the perimeter tables, it also had a fabulous back bar with a giant mirror and complicated woodwork. One time a fellow student from the Netherlands was sitting at a booth in the joint when a moose head part fell off of the taxidermy above from where he was seated, the lost ear fell right into the beer of the student as he sat at the table. It was forever after that a legendary experience for that bar.
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tajalli said on August 20, 2025 at 9:48 pm
Looking at that taxidermy picture again, I notice that there are stripes, just really faded out. Badger it is. Maybe leucistic instead of faded, which would make it rare.
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diane said on August 20, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Dorothy, I am very sorry about your husband’s diagnosis. But as others have said, there have been so many advances in cancer treatment and I hope that your husband’s cancer is one of those are able to be treated effectively.
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Ann said on August 20, 2025 at 11:46 pm
I’m so sorry,Dorothy. I’m sure repetition doesn’t make it an iota easier.
I knew the restaurant before I saw the photos. Mediocre is too kind.
Last time I was in the Soo I had two decent meals. One was at a food truck and the other was at an Indian restaurant in the Canadian Soo. In fact I stayed on that side of the river because I knew that’s where the better food would be.
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Brandon said on August 21, 2025 at 4:31 am
Re: the taxidermy.
I like the bear sporting sunglasses.
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ROGirl said on August 21, 2025 at 5:01 am
Dorothy, sorry about your husband’s diagnosis.
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Dave said on August 21, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Dorothy, may I also add my most positive thoughts to the group here that your husband may be treatable and healthy and live a long life.
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basset said on August 21, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Mrs. B and I offer our support as well, when he gets better we’ll go back to that converted firehouse place for dinner.
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Heather said on August 22, 2025 at 9:55 am
Just popping in to send my thoughts are with you and your husband, Dorothy. Sending strength and healing energy your way.
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Deborah said on August 22, 2025 at 10:22 am
After news of Jon Bolton’s house being raided by the FBI this morning, I’m conflicted. I always thought Bolton was a twit until he became a never Trumper (this of course after serving on Trump’s cabinet) and started revealing incompetences that Trump was involved in, only then did Bolton acquire some redeeming qualities in my mind. So is he still a Twit or what? The fact that so many of those guys didn’t say a word while the incompetencies were happening until they were fired, is not a great look.
Being raided by the current corrupt FBI is probably going to be a recurring event in the news from now on out. Who’s next?
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Sherri said on August 22, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Even twits should not have their homes raided by a politicized FBI. Maybe John Bolton really has done something worthy of a Federal investigation, but likely he is simply the target of Trump’s ire. Trump using the DOJ and the FBI to go after his enemies is unacceptable, no matter who those enemies are.
Dorothy, adding my good thoughts for your husband.
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Dexter Friend said on August 22, 2025 at 2:52 pm
That goddam Kash Patel promised “no retribution!”
Lying fucker! I knew he was lying then, you knew it…Republicans surely knew it…so they supported his nomination + appointment to follow C. Wray.
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Mark P said on August 22, 2025 at 4:35 pm
The rationalization for the raid on Bolton’s house was that he might have been mishandling classified information. And we have a new winner in the Most Ironic Thing category. We might have to retire the trophy.
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jim said on August 22, 2025 at 5:18 pm
Mark P: add to that that Patel and Bondi were both quoted as saying no one is above the law.
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Sherri said on August 22, 2025 at 6:19 pm
“The law” to Republicans only applies to their enemies. The law is there to protect them, and attack their enemies.
Democratic leadership needs to wake up and realize that Republicans don’t regard them as colleagues, or even as the opposition. They regard them as the enemy. That’s why they talk about sending in the National Guard and the Marines to “liberate” cities governed by Democrats. They don’t regard Democrats as legitimate winners of elections, and they’ll destroy democracy to make sure it doesn’t happen.
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Deborah said on August 22, 2025 at 10:39 pm
What in the hell is this Intel shit with Trump? I’m too tired today to understand.
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tajalli said on August 23, 2025 at 10:54 am
Deborah, Intel has agreed to give the US government a 10% stake (in stock shares) in its business in exchange for funding from the CHIPS Act.How that actually works is beyond me. Doesn’t seem to me that a stake in their business was meant to be a prerequisite for funding, but we’re dealing with the orange okole here.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has been under attack along with academic research by the Rethuglicans, so holding tech research hostage is no surprise to me.
https://www.nsf.gov/chips
“On August 9, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.” The act authorizes historic investments in curiosity-driven, exploratory research and use-inspired, translational research. These investments will advance the most innovative ideas across all areas of science and engineering — accelerating their translation to solutions for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s — at speed and scale.”
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Deborah said on August 23, 2025 at 10:56 am
We’ve been waiting for this real estate listing https://www.santafeproperties.com/listing/202503889-215-alto-d-santa-fe-nm-87501/. This is for the unit in our condo building that’s for sale. The place looks pretty good, some work was done inside, new floors, they did replastering on walls that were stained from roof leaking, the owner had put in sky lights years ago and they leak like sieves. The roof is being redone sometime soon, we thought it would be done by now but it had gotten held up in permitting, first by the historical district and now by just construction permitting.
The owner is asking $399,000 for it, which is crazy if you ask me. It’s on the upper floor, with rickety sounding metal stairs outside. They aren’t actually rickety, I mean they’re structurally sound, we had them repaired recently and inspected for safety. It’s hot as hell up there in the summer and there’s no air conditioning, of course someone could put in window units.
Everything you see in the photos that shows outside patios and yards, was done by LB and me. We worked our butts off over the last 13 years of summers. There was nothing there, I mean nothing, there was a siberian elm tree and dirt, Not kidding, we planted everything. There are a couple of patios not shown, because they were messy at the time the photographer came, because work was currently going on. None of the work is that great, we did it on a shoestring and the strengths of our own backs, a lot of guess work and a LOT of mistakes. And we paid for all of the raw materials and plants.
They included a shot of the ugly parking lot with lots of weeds which is surprising to me. That parking lot has been the bane of my existence in the winter especially, no way to shovel snow off of the gravel. And the ugly gate is in a photo, which was supposed to be replaced this summer but hasn’t been done yet.
The building was restuccoed recently and new windows, it looks a lot better.
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Julie Robinson said on August 23, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Wow, Deborah, that’s a crazy price, especially since your outdoor work is clearly the best part of the place. The outdoor stairs and no AC would be a no for me. The green kitchen cabinets are a…choice, as are the clashing shades of flooring. Looks like all the improvements were made on the cheap. It’ll be interesting to see what it goes for.
Just for fun I looked up our old houses in Fort Wayne and couldn’t believe what they’re supposedly worth. Here it’s all tear-downs and ugly behemoths going up. One around the corner is listed at 1.3 million, though I notice it’s already been reduced by 17K.
Anyway, we finally bought a car, a Kia EV9, and are getting a charger installed next week. There’ll be a learning curve on all the technology since our CRV is from before that era. I can tell I’m going to appreciate the large screen for maps, and you can program in locations for each of two drivers, as well as preferences for seats/mirrors, etc. This is probably old hat for many of you but we are still in the amazement phase.
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Dexter Friend said on August 23, 2025 at 1:43 pm
Big protest in council at Toledo, as Palestinians and other Muslims + a large contingent of Toledo residents demanded a sell-off of a bond bought to fund Israel. It matures in 2026 but the protesters demand it be liquated now. If kept, at maturity it will profit city funds by 806,000 dollars. This is as far as the powerbrokers will go. They care fuck all about genocide in Gaza and The West Bank. Genocide funding is the issue. THE issue.
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Brandon said on August 23, 2025 at 4:27 pm
Bushtok
There’s a new Gen Z “it boy” on the block. And this time, Gen Z is looking further afield than A24 films, HBO shows and indie bands.
They’re looking so far back in fact, that they’ve reached the presidency of George W. Bush, and have anointed the former president as the new it boy du jour, with #BushTok and #BushCore having exploded all over Gen Z’s digital watering hole, TikTok.
As nostalgia for the Bush presidency sweeps the internet, Newsweek spoke to the experts about why Gen Z is falling in love with Bush.
…
Gen Z’s fondness for Bush takes different forms. Many videos of him are humorous, with Gen Zers sharing edits of Bush as some kind of inadvertent comedy icon.
…
In other edits, Bush is positioned with fondness as a sort of lovable grandpa. Other TikToks though, have taken to fully romanticizing the former president.
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susan said on August 23, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Brandon — Oy. Better term: GenDim. Maybe GenLethe. Or GenNescience. GenDense.
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Little Bird said on August 24, 2025 at 10:21 am
To be completely fair, there were two Bradford pear trees in the front of the building (still there) when we got here. I refuse to take “credit” for those. The best way to prune a Bradford pear is a single horizontal cut, near the ground. But then we’d have to replace them with something nearly as big and that would be ungodly expensive.
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susan said on August 24, 2025 at 10:34 am
LB, turns out Bradford pear trees are an an environmental nightmare.
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