DAVE SALERNO AT HIS CANAAN ORCHARD IN CLIMAX
AN APPLE A DAY... ~ PG. 10
Expert Advice
Roofing
Justin Reynolds Manager
Q: I hear that Sherriff Goslin Roofing uses their own unique shingle. Can you tell me more about this shingle?
A: The Art Loc shingle is SherriffGoslin’s original patented shingle. It can be used as a re-roofing shingle over another layer of existing shingles, or as a primary shingle over roof sheathing. It assures a smooth, windproof and watertight job. The Art Loc shingle provides a unique appearance and lends character with distinction to any home.
Today’s Art Loc shingle has been modified to include an ingredient known as an SBS (Styrene-ButadieneStyrene) polymer, which is used to alter the properties of asphalt, making the asphalt tougher and more flexible. This polymer dramatically slows down the aging process of the asphalt, providing superior waterproofing, low temperature flexibility, impact resistance, high wind endurance and extended life expectancy. Call us at (269) 342-0153 or visit us at worryfreeroof. com today to learn more.
Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co. Since 1906 342-0153 800-950-1906
Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo
Breast Cancer Screening
Health Food
Mark Sawall Owner
Q: What can I find at Sawall’s deli?
A: You can find a wide selection of salads, risottos, prepared meats, Panini, Tamales, Quesadillas, Lasagne, Hummus and much more at our DELI! All our food is prepared in-house with all natural ingredients. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.
We also offer authentic Artisanal Italian Gelato & certified vegan Sorbets, Frappe’s and Sorbet Drinks.
Enjoy our Coffee Bar! Indulge in a variety of aromatic and finest quality coffee beverages from authentic Espressos to Lattes, Cappuccinos, Hot Teas, and Ice Teas. All organic freshly brewed coffees!
Deli Hours:
Mon-Sat: 10:30 am - 9:00 pm Sun: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sawall Health Foods
Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com
Financial Services
Funeral Services
Kyle Kutlik
Q: I prepaid for my funeral and I would like to move it to a different funeral home? Can I move it?
A: Yes! Your prepaid funeral is transferable. We can work with your current preneed arrangements and move them to one of our three locations. We will honor the same arrangements you have or, if you would like to make any changes, we will do that too.
You can get acquainted with our staff, ask any questions and we’ll create your funeral according to your wishes.
Compassionate care, meaningful memories
Adams - Redmond Funeral Homes & Cremation Services and Adams Funeral Homes & Cremation Services
3 locations to serve you 269.343.6156 Kalamazoo
269.349.7735 Parchment
269.657.6347 Paw Paw www.adamsredmond.com www.adamspawpaw.com
Transitions
Q: Who should be screened for breast cancer and when?
A: Most women should begin annual mammograms at age 40. Early detection saves lives, and screening helps catch cancer early when it’s most treatable. If you have a family history, genetic risk or dense breast tissue, you may need to start earlier or consider additional tests. At Bronson, we offer options for every person including 3D mammography, breast ultrasound and FAST MRI – a quick, low-cost scan for those with dense breast tissue. By age 30, we recommend a risk assessment to help guide your personalized screening plan. Our team is here to support you every step of the way, ensuring you get the right care at the right time. Contact your primary care provider to get started
Q: Do life insurance companies only sell life insurance products?
A: No. Life insurance companies usually offer a diverse set of products. Some companies do offer just life insurance products, but many offer products that can generate lifetime income for retirement (annuities) and investment options that are not exposed to the volatility of the stock/ bond markets (fixed products).
If you are not familiar with these options, please give us a call to discuss if life insurance products would be appropriate for you.
Q: What is the timeframe for move-in for an independent living apartment or cottage in a senior community?
A: A move to a community may include a visit to your physician, a medical interview from a qualified health professional, financial qualification and proof of assets, as well as the renovations or building of your new home. This process may take 30 days to a year or more depending on your specific circumstance.
Friendship Village
“Where Connections Matter” 1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing
Dr. Niveditha
Chuck Henrich President & Owner
I Wonder
In 1970, Detroit Musician Sixto Rodriguiz released his song, “I Wonder.”
It was not a hit but Rodriguiz and his music saw a resurgence when a 2012 movie, “Searching for Sugarman,“ about his interesting life, won the Academy Award for best documentary. The song asks questions about things he wonders about.
I spend a lot of time in my car delivering this publication, which gives me lots of time to think and wonder. Here are a few things I wonder about:
Drinking Fountains.
Ever since I was young, I have always enjoyed drinking out of public drinking fountains. For the last several years, I have noticed that many don’t work, barely dribble out or you are hit with a blast of water, most of which ends up on the wall or floor next to the drinking fountain.
There are a handful that I regularly use that have been this way for a few years. The stores appear to have simply given up on fixing them and just leave a wet towel and one of those big yellow plastic “Caution, Wet Floor” things next to the fountain.
The faulty fountains must be complicated to fix or take some hard-to-find, drinking fountain plumber.
Gas Prices.
Many times I have thought about filling up on my way home, only to wait until the next morning and find that gas prices have shot up 25 cents or more.
How is it that all gas stations raise their prices at once and to similar amounts? Is there some secret “Bat Phone” that alerts all gas station clerks to jack their prices up at the same time.
In working with many groups and organizations, one of our biggest challenges is always getting the word out on a big event.
We need to find out how gas stations do it.
Storage Units
When I was a kid, I don’t think storage units even existed. We just jammed stuff up in the attic of the garage or down by the furnace in the basement.
Today , it seems like there is a new group of storage units going up on every corner. There are several thousand individual storage unit garage doors in Kalamazoo County.
What is in all of them ? Are everyone’s garages and basements already full with stuff we don’t need?
Giant Moons
At dusk recently, I have been in awe of the giant orange moons on the horizon. They are many times larger than the normal moon we see at night.
In looking it up, the basic explanation states that, “The appearance of a giant full moon at dusk is caused by the Moon Illusion, an optical phenomenon rooted in how our brain processes visual information. The moon’s actual physical size and distance from Earth do not change significantly enough to cause this effect. When you see a “giant” moon, it’s a trick of perception, not a physical change. “ This still makes no sense to me.
Bird Nests
I love watching birds (usually the female) building their nest.
She then must pick a safe spot. Not too high or too low. Tucked between branches, protected from the elements and predators, and camouflaged by leaves that fill in around the next as it’s being built.
She then must find the correct twigs and grasses, bits of mud, etc., all perfectly built to fit to her body shape with room for eggs. And this is all done with her beak.
Birds are born knowing how to do this and their brains are probably the size of a pea. Humans have much larger brains, but are born not knowing much of anything and even with many years under our belt and instructions, struggle to put the most basic children’s toys together.
Dave Salerno at his Canaan Orchard in Climax.
Photo by Steve Ellis
It’s always hunting season for 12-inch vinyl prey
Lee A. Dean screendoor @sbcglobal.net
If I were to rank a list of favorite things to do, shopping would not make the top 25. For the most part, going to a store, fighting the crowds, figuring out what to buy, and then standing in line is an experience better left to others.
Grocery shopping is done as quickly as possible. I have a list, know which aisle most things are in, and briskly grab what I need. Perhaps this workmanlike pace stems from my father’s dread about going shopping with my Grandma Dean.
“She has to stop and fondle every head of lettuce,” he would growl. “We’ll be there until next Tuesday.”
An even worse for me is shopping for clothes. If the occasion to buy clothes is formal, I make sure my wife, the Viking Goddess, accompanies me (or better said, she wants to go with me to prevent me from doing something stupid). When we bought clothes for my nephew’s wedding, she remarked on my decisiveness. I know what I like and, more importantly, what I don’t like.
Shoes? Black loafers, size 10 EEE. Black sport coat and slacks. Boom boom and
done. Then the VG made the first of two horrifying suggestions. “Nolan wants you to wear a pink shirt.” I love my nephew, but this is one fashion choice that goes beyond the pale. Then she hit me with something even worse: “He wants the men to wear bow ties.” This ol’ country boy does NOT wear bow ties. I’m not vain, but God forbid I ever appear in public looking like a young Tucker Carlson.
But there is one type of shopping I have thoroughly enjoyed since high school: venturing out with friends to buy LP vinyl albums and CDs. I approach the hunt for these treasures with the same careful preparation as a deer hunter. The deer hunter is after Boone and Crockett. I search for Simon and Garfunkel.
The best of those trips involved going shopping, or as we called it “hunting,” with my two best friends, Bob and Keith.
The routine went something like this: Bob’s mother would make shopping trips from our hometown of Bloomingdale to Kalamazoo. She graciously offered to take us along. Off we would go in her banana yellow Olds Cutlass. There was a Recordland store on the corner of Rose and West Michigan, where the Radisson stands now. She
would drop us off there, give us a time to reunite, and off we would go. At that point, it was game on. The good news was that the store was wellstocked with vinyl. The bad news was that we had a limited supply of time and money. We descended on that store like hungry dogs on a ham. First stop: the new releases bin, where, more often than not, a pleasant surprise awaited. We would then move to the other racks and each end up with a handful of albums.
Then came the hard part: we always grabbed more than we could afford. Some of those flat black fish had to be released back into Lake LP. But we were a team, and always loaned records back and forth. Only rarely did anyone buy an album another guy had purchased. I wonder if Dave Ramsey would have approved.
So many of those albums we bought have a memory attached. To this day, I cannot listen to “Rock On” by Humble Pie without immediately hearing Procol Harum’s “Broken Barricades” because Bob bought them on the same day. On other occasions, one of us would buy an album by a band the other two guys couldn’t stand. I caught plenty of grief for my support of English glam rockers Slade (whom I still love).
Most of my record-buying trips are done solo these days. But recently, my cousin Tim and I made a journey to a new used record store in Cassopolis. We are both big jazz fans, and the owner immediately dubbed us “the jazz guys.” Tim bought a few 78’s, and I found some treasures, including three Dave Brubeck records.
This is where two specific memories piggyback. My dad had a good collection of jazz albums that received heavy rotation when I was a kid, and every time I see one of those titles now, I snap it up. The latest; “The Oscar Peterson Trio with Swinging Brass.” I imagine Dad is in the room with me, keeping time in his unique way. He was not a toe tapper or a head bobber. Instead, he would form his right hand into a claw and bounce it off his knee.
Today, most of my music purchases take place without leaving home. Yes, Amazon is incredibly convenient, but there are no stories attached. What’s so social about going to the front porch, getting a package, and then opening it?
But record shopping with friends and family? That has been, and always will be, beautiful music to my ears – and my heart.
Mex House
By Richard Martinovich
Most Spark readers remember the Mike Douglas Show, a nationally syndicated variety show that ran from the early 1960’s until 1981. In one episode, a British guest was travelling America looking for the “perfect steak.” Mike ordered a steak on set from a local restaurant in Philadelphia where the show was produced. The man took a couple of bites, and exclaimed, “That’s very good!” But he wasn’t sure it was the best steak ever, so that ensured his journey for perfection would continue!
I’ve always wanted to scour the country looking for the best Mexican food. But we don’t have to travel far because new Mexican restaurants keep popping up in the Kalamazoo area. A real find is Mex House which opened in July in the space previously occupied by Colonial Kitchen in Portage.
Open 6am to 3pm, Mex House serves breakfast and lunch. Reviews have been fabulosa! Customer favorite breakfast is Chilaquiles –crispy tortilla chips on red or green salsa, with sour cream, onions, and egg. Huevos Divorciados has two fried eggs with red and green sauce, avocado, red onions, Queso Fresco and chips on top. The Mex
Omelet has chorizo, jalapenos and cheese!
There are American choices for breakfast and lunch. Combo plates include selections of eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, pancakes and toast. For lunch there are cheeseburgers, a club sandwich and Monte Cristo. But the main draw is the excellent Mexican cuisine.
The menu is vast and imaginative. The Sincronizadas features a flour tortilla with ham and Oaxaca cheese. Burritos include a Poblano Burrito, stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter, and deep fried! Quesa Barria -- slow-cooked tender beef with shredded cheese, and consome soup is succulent! On weekends there is Pozole and Menudo!
The interior of Mex House is unique. Modern, sleek walls decorated with cactus art; an-open air look that is charming, and beautifully done. There is a kids menu and a variety of beverages, including Horchata.
“Always Stick Together-A Family Legacy”- Augusta Wilcox
By Dale Abbott, Milestone Senior Services
Augusta Wilcox has lived in Kalamazoo for more than fifty years,but her story begins in rural Tennessee, where she grew up on a self-sustaining family farm with ten siblings.Every family member had a job as they raised their own food,yet Augusta’s fondest memories aren’t of chores,but of evenings when her mother gathered the children and read to them -or,even better,spun stories of her own.
Her parents never had the privilege of a full education, but they were self-taught and determined their children would have opportunities they did not. Her father became active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, working to ensure Black children had access to public schools. Augusta recalls how he paid a heavy price-losing friends,even within his own community, and ultimately the lease on the family farm. Still,he never backed down.His courage and perseverance remain a source of strength for her to this day.
Augusta carried those lessons into her own family life. She has one son and a granddaughter and,like her mother,loved reading to them as they grew. Education was always a priority,and she beams with pride knowing both benefitted from the opportunities her father once fought for.
Family togetherness remains central to Augusta’s life.She and her extended family gather as often as possible-sometimes for a picnic in South Haven,other times for a week at a rented house on the shore of Virginia Beach. These reunions are more than vacations. They are the family’s way of honoring her father’s dying
wish: Never stop fellowship with family; always stick together.·It’s a promise they’ve kept.
Walking is another constant in Augusta’s life. She began long walks in her early teens and still finds them both physically and mentally renewing. “When I come back
from a walk,my mind is always clear and refreshed,” she says.
Her work life was varied and meaningful. She spent nearly a decade at Upjohn before corporate buyouts and mergers reshaped the company. Before that,she worked as a paraprofessional in local schools,where she loved connecting with children. That desire for personal connection whether with family, friends,or neighbors-has always guided her.
As retirement approached, Augusta worried about finding ways to stay active and engaged. Then she saw a TV program about Milestone, its mission, and the need for volunteers. She called and soon became a Senior Companion Volunteer. Today she stays in touch with about ten homebound seniors each week-and she loves it.
Like many who serve, Augusta says the humbling part of volunteering is that it’s a two-way blessing: “It doesn’t just help those being served-it helps those providing the service.” A devout woman of faith,she often sees scripture lessons come alive through her work. Most of all, she’s grateful for all the people she’s met and the chance to keep learning new and fascinating things.
To learn more about the AmeriCorps Senior Companion or RSVP volunteer programs, contact Milestone’s Volunteer Services department at 269382-0515 or get started right away by applying on the Volunteer page of their website: www.MilestoneSeniorServies.org/Volunteer.
Set in May 2020, Ari Aster’s Eddington is the only film I have seen to date that comes close to accurately depicting the chaos, madness, and day to day uncertainty of that incredibly turbulent time. Essentially a contemporary western, the setting for this increasingly disturbing and wild ride of a film is the small town of Eddington, NM where existing tension between sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) is ratcheted up amidst the mask mandates, shutdowns, protests, and irresponsibly performative viral internet culture of the COVID-19 era. As Joe’s wife Louise (Emma Stone), an already troubled soul, fails to cope with the social upheaval, her mother distracts herself with the latest and greatest conspiracy theories and fringe medicine “news” which she prints and places throughout Joe & Louise’s home. When a run-in between Joe and Ted at the local grocery store over masks provides a catalyst for Joe to declare his candidacy for mayor, the narrative and tone of the film begin to morph into something far more insidious. An incredibly unique film, Eddington stands unflinchingly as a monument to some of the worst aspects of the human condition during the misinformation age. – Submitted by Patrick J.
Mississippi Masala (1991)
Not only a sexy love story between two people from very different cultural backgrounds, but a sensitive exploration of how traumatic experiences shape our sense of home and identity. When an Indian family is forced to emigrate from Uganda to a small town in Mississippi because of political upheaval, the family faces an entirely new and unfamiliar social and cultural landscape upon their arrival in the American South. Finding work at a local motel, the family’s mother (Kinnu) and father (Jay) go about their daily lives raising their daughter Mina around a small assortment of other immigrant families, while at the same time, Jay yearns to return to Uganda. His heartbreak from the
Movie Reviews
heavily on his heart. Much of his emotional energy is put toward filing a lawsuit against the Ugandan government for the theft of his abandoned property. Mina (Sarita Choudhury), on the other hand, is a much more acclimated, hyphenated American, and focuses her youthful drive for life experiences on a passionate relationship with a charming young local (Demetrius) played by a dazzling Denzel Washington. The budding relationship between Demetrius and Mina unleashes a series of protestations from family members and friends who view the couple’s young relationship through a tapered, prejudiced lens, whereas Mina and Demetrius want only the freedom to grapple with their hearts on their individual terms. This 1991 film, directed by Mira Nair, is a smart, probing work with impressive performances. – Submitted by Ryan G.
Documentary Now! (2015-)
Mockumentary series
Documentary Now! pulls a neat trick. Its faithful recreation of details found in fabled film documentaries will be noted and appreciated by viewers familiar with the sources, while those unfamiliar with the originals may delight in the absurdities playing in front of them. First appearing in 2015, helmed by Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, the series acts as a kind of primer on mid - to late 20th century documentary filmmaking. Anyone who hasn’t seen Grey Gardens, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, or Original Cast Album: Company might seek them out after viewing their parodies. From Armisen’s loopy take on Little Edie Beale, to Owen Wilson’s spacey riffing as a combination of cult leaders Father Yod and Osho, and on to John Mulaney’s spot-on impersonation of Stephen Sondheim, the actors know their subjects well. The cinematography is especially evocative of the original films’ camerawork, as if the filmmakers (and film stock) had traveled in time. Its first two seasons available on DVD for some years, the series’ final two seasons were recently made available as part of a complete series Blu-ray set. Regardless of it leading to views of the original documentaries later, time spent with Documentary Now! is worthy on its own. – Submitted by Karl K.
HEALTHY LIVING
So you’re just now retired (or it’s coming up on the near horizon!)
Congratulations! You have a new lifestyle to build, to plan, and enjoy.
You now have the opportunity to do the things you have hung up on the back burner for “that day” when leisure time, theoretically, should be more abundant and available.
Very often, I have conversations with older friends who are newly retired and there’s a prevalent comment that I hear when I ask “How’s retirement?”
The answer goes something like: “I’m so busy that I don’t know how I got anything done while I was working!”
And this makes my heart happy – because it’s a sign that this newly retired person is filling their days with (hopefully) cool stuff that they had looked forward to doing: volunteering, pursuing a new hobby or revisiting an abandoned one
from years past, traveling, time with grand kids, tending to postponed house projects, etc.
“I’m so busy” is a great answer. Because it tells (me) that the couch hasn’t won them into sitting around all day. Not that there’s anything wrong with the couch – couch time has its place! -- but retiring into it as the hobby of all hobbies is on every level a most unhealthy decision.
And it is a decision.
DON’T BE THE POTATO: TV, Netflix and the latest new movie streaming applications, or video shorts like TicTok can suck your time like nothing else! Watch your screen time and allot your time in front of it. Managing your time on the couch is critical to avoid serious health consequences that inactivity often brings about.
USE IT OR LOSE IT: Our bodies are resilient, amazing complex systems that have a better chance at good health when we move around. Make sure when you start planning your days of retirement that every day includes some form of movement.
Every person has their limitation – this is not about entering the nearest Marathon race -- but rather, challenge yourselves every single day to reach goals you’ve set to keep your heart rate up, your muscles in motion, and your lungs strong and clear. Maybe you take a walk every day around the block? Maybe you buy an exercise bike and do “x” number of minutes on it every day. Maybe you join a gym? (There are many to choose from, I could make a recommendation.) There are a thousand things to choose from. Mix them up. Don’t let your muscle and mind meld
into the davenport.
FIND SOMETHING TO FIX OR CREATE: Speaking of minds -- keeping them sharp is also important during retirement. Anytime we can incorporate movement with problem solving we can get a little “two-fer” going! You can go to YouTube (just watch your screen time!) to learn just about anything under the sun and moon. In today’s information age, there are so many tutorials out there to learn and grow that there really is nothing you can’t learn do.
STAY UP ON YOUR DOCTOR VISITS:
No one likes the increasing number of health checks as we get older but keeping our appointments at the doctor’s suggested schedule will help to monitor, track, detect, and address issues that arise. Now more than ever, having a good doc and developing a strong relationship with them will be key to managing your health.
AND FINALLY, REMEMBER THE THREE F’s – FITNESS. FRIENDS. FUN. Regular exercise routines, people who make you feel good about yourself, and seeking out excitement will help to make retirement a time of great satisfaction.
Congratulations, again!
Now go and do something cool. (And stay off the couch!)
Submitted by Vicky Kettner, Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement at YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
Easy-Meaty Autumn!
By Laura Kurella
Out of curiosity, I decided to look up the history of ground meat and was surprised to learn that it can be traced all the way back to the Romans. Done for the same reasons it’s still done to this day, because it’s an efficient and effective way to use all the God-given parts animals have, while this may not sound appetizing, this practice actually gave birth to some of our most favorite foods like sausages, bologna and deli meats, hot dogs, pate, liverwurst, and hamburgers!
Grinding and or chopping meat does improve its texture, especially for tougher cuts, which helps make it far easier to chew and being able to both tenderize and combine other ingredients helps us to elevate both flavor and texture in ways that plain, un-ground meat never could.
Growing up in the 1960s, ground meats (beef, pork, and sometimes veal) were a constant on our plate, especially since the poultry industry had yet to fly into the mass production. Chicken was so rare (because of high cost) that it was usually a special occasion when it landed on our plates!
Mom tended to cook with ground meats because not only did they bend in any flavor direction she wanted, but also (and more importantly) were
able to be stretched to feed her seven hungry children with the simple addition of complimentary ingredients.
Mom would stretch meat out by adding oats and breadcrumbs to make meatloaf, or rice and stuffing peppers or cabbage. She’d add beans for chili, loads of noodles and marinara for spaghetti, and we’d even get to eat tacos on occasion, too. Mom would occasionally use the assistance of canned mushroom gravy or canned French onion soup to help elevate the flavor of her burgers, which she’d plate in a special way that made them taste nothing like a burger, too. She’d place a slice of toast on a plate then cover it with a ladle full of concocted gravy then crown it with a burger and more gravy before handing us the dish. When we asked her what it was, she said it was an openfaced Salisbury steak sandwich!
To celebrate the marvel that is ground meat (no matter what source you prefer), here now is a recipe that celebrates the old-fashioned flavor Mom used to serve in a faster and slightly more flavorful way. Enjoy!
PS: Look for Mom’s Salsbury Steak recipe on Spark’s FB page!
Laura Kurella is an award-winning home cook who loves to share recipes from her Michigan kitchen. She welcomes comments at laurakurella@ yahoo.com.
Pleasing Stuffed Peppers
Prep time:15 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes; Total time:1 hour. Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons favorite fat
1 yellow onion, diced
1 pound ground meat (your favorite)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced (or pressed)
1 cup chicken broth (or water)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (helps flavors bloom)
16 ounces tomato sauce, divided use
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika (reg or smoked)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon unrefined (colored) sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 large bell peppers (favorite color)
6 ounces (brick) of Colby, Monterey, or Pepper Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment, if desired, and set aside.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, add onion and brown for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pan to help them caramelize. Add meat and continue to cook, using spatula to crumble meat into chunks, for 5 minutes.
Add minced (or pressed) garlic. Let cook for 1 minute, then add chicken broth (or water), vinegar, and half (8 ounces) of the tomato sauce. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper, and beans. Blend with spatula then let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare bell peppers by scrubbing with dish soap and water and rinsing well. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems if desired, then remove any excess membranes, cores, and seeds. For extra tender peppers, place peppers cut side down in the prepared pan and place in a preheated oven to par cook for 10 minutes. For a crisper pepper, omit this step.
Once filling has finished simmering, divide filling among pepper halves. Spoon the remaining 8 ounces of tomato sauce evenly over the peppers then shred or slice cheese and divide it evenly among peppers.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Kalamazoo Public Library’s First Librarian
Mary Jane “Jennie” Wolcott was born 10 June 1836 in Adrian, Michigan. By the time she was a teenager, the Wolcott family had moved to Kalamazoo, where Jennie evidently became a teacher after being elected to the State Teacher’s Association. In 1860, Jennie’s sister, Charlotte, graduated from Kalamazoo Col lege and was most likely preparing to become a teacher herself. But Charlotte’s plans changed when she met and married a prominent Kalamazoo carpenter and homebuilder named James Anderson Kent. Kent built a fine Italian Revival “villa” style home at the intersection of Douglas and West Kalamazoo Avenue (now 331 Douglas Avenue), where the couple raised a son and three daughters. The home still stands at the west end of Kalamazoo Avenue. Charlotte Kent passed away from consumption (tuberculosis) in May 1871 at the age of 28, leaving James on his own to care for their four young children. Jennie immediately stepped in to assist with her sister’s estate and to help care for the Kent children. Meanwhile, Jennie had become a member of the Ladies Library Association and was more than likely working in the library there. During the summer of 1872, Jennie suggested to the school board that the school library would be more useful if it was available to all members of the school district. Books were expensive at the time and hard to come by, so there was much concern that they would become lost or
by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
damaged. Still, the library committee gave its consent, and Jennie Wolcott was appointed librarian with a salary of $100 per year. The school library collection was
made available to residents of the school district one day each week, beginning on Saturday, 12 October 1872, the date since recognized as the birth of the Kalamazoo Public Library.
During Jennie’s three-year tenure, some 102,719 books were checked out and close to 1,500 were added to the collection, nearly doubling the library to 4,268 volumes. The collection was inventoried and catalogued, and printed catalogs were made available to district residents.
In 1875, Jennie Wolcott married James Anderson Kent and assumed full care of the four Kent children. After three years of library service, Jennie resigned in July 1875, stating that she would no longer be able to give her complete time and attention to the library as she had done in the past. Jennie gave birth to a son on Christmas Day in 1877.
Following her husband’s death in 1915, Jennie sold the home on Douglas Avenue and moved to Los Angeles, where her sons Charles and Frank were living. By the end of 1919, Jennie had moved on to Preble, Wisconsin (part of Green Bay), where she passed away on 5 February 1920 at the age of 83. Both Jennie and James were laid to rest in Kalamazoo’s Mountain Home Cemetery.
More at kpl.gov
U-PICK ‘EM AND THEN YOU ENJOY ‘EM STRAIGHT FROM THE APPLE ORCHARD
By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
Going to an apple orchard these days often presents visitors with an opportunity for games, hayrides, cider and donuts, possibly a corn maze, and maybe even shopping in a store or other enclosed structure, which is especially convenient when the weather is bad.
Not so at Canaan Orchard in Climax.
“This place has no draw other than picking apples, so on a wet, rainy day, no one comes out,” says Dave Salerno, who runs the 4-acre, u-pick orchard at 14810 Roof Drive.
But on nice days, look out. The orchard has plenty of regular customers who enjoy bantering with Salerno as much as picking the apples.
It’s a short drive down a cornfield-lined gravel road to get to Canaan’s “Info Booth,” a rudimentary farm stand where you can check the board to find out what apples are ripe on a particular day, grab a half-bushel bag that you can fill with low-
hanging apples from the orchard’s dwarf and semi-dwarf trees for $23, or purchase a peck of pre-picked apples for $15.
The info booth also has a container where you can put your cash or check, the only two payment options, and includes
information on the taste and use of each apple variety.
If they’re handy, you also can engage in conversation with Salerno as well as his brother, Dominic, who helps him out, and Brad Roof, who owns the property and as-
sists Salerno in maintaining the orchard.
From the Thursday after Labor Day until mid- to late October, the orchard is open for u-pick from 1 to about 6 p.m. seven days a week, though apple seekers who come earlier or later in the day won’t be turned away, according to the easy-going Salerno, who has managed the orchard since the late 1990s.
Canaan Orchard has 21 varieties of apples, some of which are ready to pick in early September, others that aren’t ripe until near the end of the orchard’s six- to sevenweek season in October, and the rest in between.
If you have a favorite variety, you have to be there when they are ripe.
“I have no cold storage,” Salerno says. The dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees in the orchard have low-hanging fruit, accommodating u-pick customers who harvest 95 percent of the apples.
“The others I sell at the stand or donate to a food bank,” Salerno says. He prefers the dwarf and semi-dwarf trees
over standard apple trees.
“They’re a little easier to trim around, spray and pick,” he says.
Salerno is always adding new trees to the orchard. He starts by buying the root systems and lower trunks — known as rootstock — from a nursery in Oregon and then grafts on branches from the existing trees in the orchard, enabling him to choose whatever varieties he desires.
As the grafted branches begin to grow, he keeps them in a fenced-in area to keep the deer away until they are hardy enough to be moved to the orchard.
“I just started doing this in the last five years,” he says of the process that gives him more control over the development of his trees.
In addition to caring for the trees at Canaan, Salerno takes his tree-trimming talents to Gull Meadow Farms in Richland where he prunes trees from December through the middle of April.
Salerno’s brother Dan blogged before his death in 2023 that his brother’s personality was largely responsible for the success of Canaan Orchard.
“Dave is one of the most patient, hardworking people I know, and the proof is in the Canaan Orchard,” he wrote. in addition to the orchard, Salerno, 75, of Battle Creek, lends his talents to his church and community, singing in the choir at St. Philip Catholic Church and serving on the city’s Neighborhood Planning Council.
His career, however, has revolved around maintaining apple orchards.
“I’ve had my thumb in the business since the ‘70s,” he says.
Salerno, who grew up in Battle Creek, went to Michigan State University with plans to study science, but after experiencing the confinement and smells of a chemistry lab he decided he was better suited for an outdoor job.
After graduation, he signed on to a tree-trimming crew that pruned its way through the orchards of New Hampshire before he returned to his roots and worked for several years as a tree trimmer at Hillcrest Orchards in Augusta.
In addition, he did some trimming at Canaan Orchard, which had 26 acres of apple trees back then, including managing it for Roof for a period in the 1980s.
“I also did landscaping, so that kept me busy,” Salerno says.
According to Roof, whose family has
owned the farm upon which the orchard is located since 1860, his great-aunt planted the orchard in 1938 and gave it the biblical name Canaan.
“That’s what my aunt called it, from the land of milk and honey,” he says.
After his great aunt and uncle died in the 1970s, the orchard went uncared for until Roof took over and used the apples to make cider, selling about 10,000 gallons there and at local stores each season until new laws requiring pasteurization drove away his customers.
Around 2000, Roof says, he leveled the orchard, except for the four acres which he turned over to Salerno.
And, for that, a generation of Climax-area apple pickers is sincerely grateful.
Stuart Historic Homes Tour
Stuart Historic Homes Tour Sat., Oct. 4 and Sun., Oct. 5
12-5 each day
Woodward Elementary School, 606 Stuart Ave
Step back into the 1890’s and experience Victorian Kalamazoo as you enter historic homes maintaining the finest of Gilded Age architecture.
Ticket Information:
Early Bird Tickets = $25 (purchased by October 3rd)
General Tickets = $30 (purchased on October 4 - 5th)
Tickets are valid for both days of the tour.
SHNA is using the Eventbrite platform to sell tickets online for this event. Go to stuartneighborhood.org/historic-homes-tour to purchase tickets online an for more information.
Tour attendees will be able to purchase tickets with cash or check on the day of the event at the Tour Headquarters.
The Tour Headquarters located at Woodward Elementary School is the official starting location of the Stuart Historic Homes Tour. All tour attendees must check-in at Woodward Elementary School to begin the homes tour.
It’s late evening on August 22, and it’s been a glorious day for any frog, turtle or water beetle that makes Trout Run its home. For hours, steady sheets of cool rain pattered on their parched shells and porous skin like fat drops on a steel roof. This, after weeks of drought had shrunk and warmed the stream into a state of late-summer lethargy. What the rain-sated creatures didn’t see coming was an impending upheaval that would shake their small world like a mini version of the Johnstown Flood.
After Deluge, New Life for Trout Run
For at least a decade there had been a sizable beaver dam upstream, some 6 feet high and 75 feet across. It was built in sturdy fashion from wrist-sized limbs and gnawed tree trunks, all mortared together with scoops of mud that beavers apply with their strong, clever paws. Sturdy yes, but permanent no. As the pond behind it swelled with rain runoff, the dam began to bow, as befits the elastic genius of its design. Until finally, the dam burst open with a mighty gush that swept torrents of water, mud and woody debris down Trout Run and overflowed its banks. Two weeks later, when I hiked the
By Tom Springer, Vice President for Development
Green Heron trail to take a look, the 1/2 -acre pond had drained away to half its former size. It left behind a bathtub ring of silt and gravel that rose 20 feet up a wooded slope to where the shore once stood. Based on the trees’ high-water marks, it looked like the pond may have once been six to eight feet deep.
As with any natural calamity, the aftermath looked raw and ugly; mounds of the dam’s soggy offal lay reeking in the sun. But where humans see an unholy mess, nature sees a clean slate. And it
wasn’t the eye, but the human ear that detected a hopeful turn in the stream’s future. Already, the unstoppable force of gravity and water had incised a new course along the bank.
A clear, braided stream fell gurgling in rills over the dam’s remnants. It looked fresh and healthy, ready to write the next chapter in Trout Run history.
“One of the coolest things that beaver dams do is fail,” says Rebekah Levine, a University of Montana professor, as quoted in “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They
Matter,” by Ben Goldfarb. “These structures are actually effecting sediment transport and channel movement and creating dynamism within these systems.”
You could see that dynamism at work a half mile down Trout Run, where it leaves the fen and enters the leafy seclusion of a beech maple forest.
In the fen, the flood waters had flattened tall stalks of goldenrod and Joe Pye weed a good five feet back from the banks. In the beech woods, the flood deepened undercuts along the stream bank, sculpting new spaces where trout can hide and rest. Elsewhere, the stream’s edge bore a filagree of fresh silt. Something will grow here; some seed washed ashore in a fertile new land.
In the mainstream itself, where the current runs swift, the rocks shone clean and bright, red and green quartz jewels scoured by nature’s own rock tumbler. Replenished. Repaired. A pulse of energy at once brutish and beautiful had restored Trout Run anew.
Tom Springer is vice president for Development at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the author “Looking for Hickories,” and “The Star in the Sycamore.”
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review
OCTOBER 11, 2025 - JANUARY 25, 2026
The biennial Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review showcases why KNAS faculty members are among some of the leading artists in Southwest Michigan. Featuring new directions in the work of more than 50 professional artist-educators, this dynamic display not only showcases their artistic achievements but also highlights the creative processes that drive them. Visitors will encounter a wide range of media and approaches—ceramics, sculpture, painting, jewelry, photography, fiber, and more—while gaining insight into the techniques, experimentation, and methods at the heart of each practice.
MUSEUM AND GALLERY SHOP HOURS
Wednesday: 11am – 5pm
Thursday: 11am – 8pm
Friday-Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Sunday: Noon – 4pm Museum closed Mondays & Tuesdays.
314 S. Park (269) 349-7775
Something big is going on . . . not the launch of a new app, we’re talking Fall Bird Migration!
While us humans were having late-summer barbecues, birds were busy prepping for their southward journeys. Finished with raising families, they could focus on molting their worn-out feathers and sprouting fresh earth-tone plumage to safely hide them in the foliage. While the new feathers grew in, songbirds stuffed their tiny faces with much-needed calories in the form of caterpillars, bugs, and berries to prepare for the journey ahead.
FALL BIRD MIGRATION
Some birds, like robins, just skip down the road to slightly warmer weather. Others, such as warblers, thrushes, tanagers, orioles, and hummingbirds make epic treks that are thousands of miles long to reach their winter homes in Central and South America. How do they know where to go?
Some birds follow landmarks like rivers or reckon by the sun’s position in the sky. Research shows that many migrate by night, navigating by the stars. Other studies reveal that songbirds use Earth’s magnetic fields to keep themselves on track.
Migration is a dangerous undertaking. Weak birds that have been injured or couldn’t fatten up enough won’t make it. Some birds get lost in storms. Outdoor lights make it hard to see the stars and, sadly, many birds smash into windows when they mistake glass for clear airspace. Pesticides kill mosquitoes and other insects, leaving birds with little to eat.
Cats and other predators snatch up birds when they’re tired and looking for food near the ground. Natural areas where birds might rest get turned into parking lots and buildings. But it’s better than staying behind to freeze or starve to death.
Migration is risky but us humans can help by turning off outdoor lights, keeping cats indoors, taking steps to reduce window crashes, not using pesticides, growing native plants for insects (bird food), and supporting organizations like Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) that protect and restore vital habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Look up in the autumn sky. Do you see them? Probably not – but they’re there: thousands of tiny pilgrims on their way home.
Support conservation close to home: www.swmlc.org
Explore an interactive migration map: www.explorer. audubon.org/en/home
Discover more about birds, migration and window strikes: www.allaboutbirds.org.
KBAC Birthday Celebration
Cue the confetti! Join us for fun evening of art, food & drinks, live music, demonstrations, raffle prizes, birthday cake & more!
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center & Saniwax Gallery
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
If you love books—in any form—we have something for you: events and exhibits, classes for all ages and abilities, presentations, guest and resident artists, a book arts store, library, and regular celebrations of the book.
1326 W Kalamazoo Ave, # 103A, Kalamazoo
Tickets: $10 - Kids Under 16 are Free!
Upcoming Travel Talk! 10 Days in Scotland
by Planes, Ferries, and Automobiles
Presented by: Steve Ellis
Wednesday, October 29, 2 – 4 PM
Portage Zhang Senior Center
203 East Centre, Portage
$3 Members/$5 Non-Members
Join Spark Magazine publisher Steve Ellis as he shares highlights from his recent 12-day adventure through the breathtaking backroads of Scotland. This lively photographic presentation features stunning imagery and stories from Edinburgh, Inverness, the remote beauty of the Outer Hebrides Islands and more.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or dreaming of your first trip to Scotland, this visual journey is sure to inspire your next adventure.
Please call (269) 329-4555 to register.
Celebrities that came to Kalamazoo
Cowboy Star, Gene Autry, Comes to Kalamazoo!
During the 1940’s and 1950’s, Gene Autry was one of the biggest entertainers in America.
Autry gained fame by singing in a crooning style on radio, in films, and on television. He personified the straightshooting hero—honest, brave, and true. Autry appeared in 93 motion pictures and between 1950 and 1956, hosted the Gene Autry Show television series.
Autry was also one of the most important figures in the history of country music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre’s development after Jimmie Rodgers.
His films were the first media vehicle to carry Western music to a nationwide audience.
Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by himself. His records sold more than 100 million copies and he has more than a dozen gold and platinum records, including the first record ever certified gold.
His his signature song was “Back in the Saddle Again.” Today’s listeners associate Gene Autry with Christmas songs, which are still played during each holiday season. These include “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”, his own composition, “Here Comes Santa Claus”, “Frosty the
Snowman”, “Up on the Housetop”, and his biggest hit, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
During World War II, Autry enlisted in the United States Army in 1942, and became a tech sergeant in the United States Army Air Corps.
Gene Autry came to Kalamazoo on April 12 and 13, 1944 to help the Kalamazoo Women’s Army Corps (WAC) recruiting office.
Autry’s visit began with a reception by civic leaders at the Park Club.
and guests at the YMCA Men’s ladies night dinner and program.
Autry told of his recording career and “moving picture making.”
After the program, members and guests headed to the Central High School Auditorium (now Chenery Auditorium) to join a capacity crowd, eagerly awaiting Autry’s appearance.
Gene Autry wore a neatly tailored army uniform with the chevron of technical sergeant on his sleeve rather than his well known cowboy attire and wide brimmed hat. He sang his familiar songs and cowboy ballads. He swung in his easy Texas drawl from “I’m Back in the Saddle Again,” into “Mexicali Rose,” and “South of the Border.”
The first notes of his well-known tunes were drowned out with applause and several thousand admirers, young and old, co-operated beautifully when the lights were dimmed and he urged then to join him in “Home on the Range.”
Wednesday night, Autry spoke before 70 members
Several military folks spoke of the need for women in (WAC) and the specialized training they would receiver.
Gene Autry spent the rest of his time in Kalamazoo at school assemblies and local colleges and helping interview recruits.
Book Reviews
Book Reviews
by
the Portage District Library staff
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Are you an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan? Then, you won’t be disappointed in his new book. A mixture of straight talk, pep talk, and Arnold’s brand of philosophy, this book provides practical suggestions on how to dream a goal, set it in focus, and bring it to fruition. Lest you think this book is for folks starting out in life, Arnold emphasizes that giving back, being grateful, and making yourself useful are lifelong activities.
Katabasis
R. F. Kuang
The main character, Alice Law, has a singular focus on being one of the best magicians in the field, and she has dedicated everything to that cause. All of her sacrifices have led to working under Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world, and her key to promised success. However, he dies in a magical accident (that could possibly have been her fault) and is sent to Hell. She needs his recommendation for future success, and so, she follows him with
the hopes of bringing him back. Her rival, Peter, has come to the same conclusion and followed her. A dark academia setting, a very unique look at the Seven Circles of Hell, and even a touch of romance fill out this bold and detailed new work from Kuang.
Zomromcom
Olivia Dade
Zomromcom is a an aptly-named book that blends a zombie apocalypse with a romantic comedy. Dade presents readers with a fresh take on the zombie outbreak narrative while still leaning heavily into more traditional romantic comedy tropes. Zombies aren’t the only paranormal beings in the book, as readers find out rather quickly after Edie tries to save her neighbor, who doesn’t need saving. And while he would prefer she stay safe in his underground bunker, she is unwilling to leave her neighbors in danger. As he follows her through their neighborhood on a mission to alert others, they come across a lot of lovable characters and a conspiracy that will stretch beyond this first book in the series. Perfect for fans of incredibly cheesy jokes on repeat and not too terribly gore-filled, Zomromcom is a unique blending of different genres that’s just as fun as it sounds.
DeutscheMarques Oktoberfest, Color Tour & Market
Saturday, October 11, 9am-4pm
Gilmore Car Museum
A fun fall gathering for the entire family!
Beer Hall, Costume Contest, German Car Color Tour, Oktoberfest Market – Craft, Antique & Swap Meet!
There will be German food, German beer and the ever popular DeutscheMarques Oom-Pah band. And – of course – your beautiful German cars. You’re encouraged to dress the part as well! There will be trophies for the best traditional-dressed, child, couple, gentleman and lady. Fun for the entire family!
A $35 donation (cash preferred) to the Gilmore Car Museum will be collected at the gate. That admits your German car, driver and first passenger – AND it includes full museum admission! Additional museum admissions are $25 each for adults. This event raises funds for the Gilmore Car Museum with a portion of the proceeds going to Fathers Against Distracted Driving. For more information, go to DeutscheMarquesShow@gmail.com.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary October Events
Owl Prowl
Thurs., Oct. 16, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Join a nighttime walk and listen to the sounds of the Sanctuary. Along the way calls will be made for owls and if lucky, they will call back.
This program will begin with a special visit from one of the Sanctuary’s ambassador owls.
Members
Adult: $6
Seniors/College Students: $5
Children (Age 2-17): $4
Children under two: Free
Non-Members
Adult: $8
Seniors/College Students: $7
Children (Age 2-17): $6
Children under two: Free Registration required and space is limited.
Behind the Scenes: Raptors
Sat., Oct. 11, 10 to 11 a.m.
Want to learn more about how we care for our resident raptors? Follow along with a Sanctuary avian caretaker as they feed and care for the eagles, hawks, and owls. Participants must be able to walk at least a 1/2 mile along our paved path which includes a hill.
Members:
$6/adults, $5 seniors and students, $4/children ages 2-17
Non-members:
$8/adults, $7/seniors and students, $6/children ages 2-17
No registration required
QUESTIONS?
Please call (269) 671-2510 or email birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu.
Last year, Jackie and I did a whirlwind trip through the U.K. We spent a few days in Edinburgh, Scotland for the Fringe Festival and Royal Tattoo but did not see much more of the Scotland countryside.
This past August, we flew into Edinburgh and spent 10 days exploring this fascinating country, including four days in the Outer Hebrides Islands, off of the west coast. Look for this feature in the November issue.
After landing in Edinburgh, we picked up our rental car and adjusted to the steering wheel on the right side and driving on the left side of the road.
Our first stop was the Blackness Castle in a 15th-century fortress noted for its ship-like form and views over the Firth of Forth. The castle is characterized as “the ship that never sailed.” In the small village of Blackness is a distillery and a cozy pub.
A castle guide, in period costume, showed us several weapons and utensils he had made at his blacksmith shop. Over the years the castle had many famous residents and was used as a state prison. The castle is one of many, used in the popular Outlander TV series. A traveler we met told us that we should visit the Midhope Castle, located just a few miles away.
Midhope Castle is located a few miles west of South Queensferry. It was built in the 1500’s and the grounds and exterior of the castle are very impressive and also featured prominently in Outlander. Unfortunately, the interior is not accessible to tourists.
We headed a half hour north to Perth, on the River Tay, to a wonderful bed and breakfast to spend the night. Our friendly hosts suggested a few places to grab a pint and dinner. We set out on foot, passing dozens of historic buildings along the way. We stopped for a pint at The Old Ship Inn, which originally opened in 1665. We dined on a large platter of fish and chips that was done to perfection at Kisa’s that was highly recommended by our hosts. The next morning, we were treated to a traditional Scottish breakfast and porridge with the other guests in the quaint breakfast room.
After breakfast, on our way out of town, we saw some signs for the Scone Palace that looked interesting and decided to take a slight detour. The original palace was built in the
Tales road FROM THE scotland - part I
By Steve Ellis
12th century and rebuilt in the early 1800’s.
Scone Abbey, on the grounds of the Palace for centuries, held the Stone of Scone upon which the early Kings of Scotland were crowned. A replica of the Stone and sword is a popular spot for pictures.
The large palace is decorated with classic furniture, ceramics, ivories and clocks and the surrounding grounds house several acres of exotic, plants, trees and mazes. Jackie loved the colorful peacocks wandering the grounds and the fresh baked scones in the café, especially the dark chocolate raspberry scone. The Earl
of Mansford and his family still live at the palace.
Another detour was to the fabulous town of St Andrews, on the coast of Fife. It was once the capital of Scotland and St Andrews Cathedral was
once the largest in Scotland, which is now in ruins. Walking through the ancient stone remains and cemetery was fascinating.
St Andrews is also known by many as the “home of golf,” with the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, a course founded in 1754. We were able to take a photo in front of the famous 18th green at this holy grail of golf courses.
We loved the large downtown area of St. Andrews, packed with tourists, great stores and restaurants. Our lunch was a tasty sandwich and bowl of soup at the Northpoint Café, the sign out front proclaimed: “Where Kate met Wills” (Kate Middleton & Prince William).
Our next stop was Kinguisse, where we stayed at the King of Gordon Hotel. We enjoyed a few miles of hiking on the Tom Baraidh Trail that winds along a stream and stone wall lined golf course and forest area. A sign along the stream proclaimed that Robert Louis Stevenson, of Treasure Island fame, spent time here in the woods, hiking and writing.” We also walked up the steep hill leading to the Ruthven Barracks, a large stone fortress built in 1709 after the Jacobite uprising.
We stopped for lunch in Kincraig at a small, bright red café that once housed the post office.
We ended our day in Inverness on the Moray Firth, a large body of water. We walked the streets and grabbed a pizza and a beer at the Black Isle Bar and Rooms.
After breakfast, we headed south to Loch Ness, along the gorgeous winding mountainous road to the Loch Ness Castle. The area was very crowded, so we opted for a quick picture and headed south along the Loch to Fort Augustus.
The Caledon Canal runs about 60 miles from Inverness to Ft William and contains various locks along the way. In Ft Augustus, a series of five locks (built between 1803 and 1822) raise vessels from Loch Ness to the canal. The locks and town are now a picturesque and popular tourist town.
The next part of the trip was spent on the Outer Hebrides Islands and in towns heading back to Edinburgh, which will be featured in the November issue of Spark.
The 14th Arts and Eats Tour
October 18th & 19th
The 14th Arts and Eats Tour comes to Southwest Michigan the third weekend in October. Featuring…
41 artist stops
9 restaurant stops
4 farms
3 central venues and 10 Instagram-worthy public art stops!
Free, self-guided tour of fall in Southwest Michigan Go to https://thornapplearts.org/artsandeats for venue and artist list and more information.
