Camp Wathana's annual Cardboar...

HOLLY, Michigan – Nothing much compares to racing down a snowy slope on nothing more than cardboard and duct tape, but its part of what makes Camp Wathana’s popular “Cardboard Classic Sled Race” so much fun.

With four different age group competitions, teams of up to three racers will compete to see which sled made entirely of cardboard glides across the finish line the fastest. Duct tape may be used to hold the cardboard sleds together, but wood, plastic, hardware, string and staples are off limits due to safety concerns. Paint can be used for decorative purposes and only the bottom of sleds may be waxed.

It's a good idea to brush up o...

I have to admit – I was a little surprised and somewhat concerned to see so many ice shanties and ice fisherman out on Bush Lake today. With temps pushing into the 40s, it’s safe to say that we’re not exactly in an ice-making mode on our area lakes at the moment.

In fact, it was just a couple weeks ago when we learned the sad news that a local fisherman lost his life by going out onto Harwick Lake in Groveland Township before the ice was thick enough to hold his weight, and the weight of his gear.

Ice fishing safety experts agree – four inches of clear, solid ice is crucial before you head out. You need to also be wary of snow-covered ice. Snow not only insulates the ice, preventing it from solidifying, but it also hides crack and open water areas.

Beverly Rankin caught a glimps...

HOLLY, Michigan – Holly resident Beverly Rankin happened to be driving south on Broad Street Sunday morning when she caught a glimpse of something not many of us see in downtown Holly – a trophy buck munching on a resident’s front lawn near Holly’s historic WaterWorks building.

“It was 7 a.m. and I was headed out to pet-sit, driving toward Milford Road,” Rankin said. “The deer walked across the street slowly toward the white home there – when he saw me, I just stopped in the road and took a few pictures.”

Rankin said Mr. Big – every bit of a six-point, and maybe even an 8 – then turned and ambled back to the parking lot of WaterWorks Park.

“He was very calm,” Rankin said. “It was as if he knew he was protected in the village limits.”

A squirrel enjoys dining on an...

Now that Halloween is over and the decorations are already stowed, it’s time for me to figure out what to do with the pumpkins.

With our daughter well-entrenched in her teens, thankfully, she’s not emotionally tied to them like she was in years past. A self-proclaimed “softie,” I’d allow the pumpkins to stay on the porch well after their time, becoming mushy and fuzzy, and often attracting ladybugs and other fall critters. Not this year.

Even so, it’s way too late to consider using them for pumpkin bread or any other fall treat, so we’ll follow suit with what we normally do - haul ‘em up north and scatter them in the woods for the deer and other ground-dwelling animals to enjoy. It only takes them a day or two, and before you know it, they’re gone.