As the snow falls and trees become bare, the activity of our bird population is still active in Door County.  Door County attracts many visitors throughout the year, but also attracts many varieties of birds as well.  

There are many bird species found in Door County, such as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Great Blue Herons, Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks just to name a few.

I have recently seen a variety of sparrows, Goldfinch, Blue Jays, House Finches, Pileated Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Sapsuckers, Hairy Woodpecker, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and Cardinals.  It has been an amazing winter so far watching our feathered friends.  It’s very calming, especially through the trying times of 2020.

I look forward to seeing many new species this year!  My first of 2021, a Bald Eagle!  That seems to me a very good sign of what’s to happen in 2021.

Courtesy:  wpr.org

Happy Bird Watching!

If you want to make a resolution and haven’t figure out what it should be, here’s a few off the wall considerations for you.

• Get your photo taken in five interesting places.
• Break a record of some kind.
• Make a new friend each month.
• Do something nice each day for someone.
• Learn something new that you never learned as a kid – ukulele lessons?
• Don’t engage with goofy people on social media.
• Eat tacos every Tuesday.
• Put on a full outfit for your Zoom calls.
• Try a new food once a month.
• Delete Facebook.
• Buy as many 2020 calendars and burn them.
• Schedule monthly day trips.
• Unfriend people that are too political.
• Book the Egg Harbor Lodge in the spring, summer and fall.  (not so “off the wall”) 🙂
• Stop making resolutions!

Happy New Year!

Sarah, Mark and staff

Posted by:  Jill

Good news, the Teresa K. Highlander Community Ice Rink in Sister Bay is now open.

The rink is expected to be open every day.  The warming house, skate and equipment rentals, and concessions will be available Monday – Thursday, 4-8 pm; Friday, 4-8 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 8 pm; and Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm.

There might not be a polar bear plunge this season, but at least you can get outside and experience the ice in a different way!

Posted by:  Jill

We have a better appreciation for teachers and healthcare workers!

Drive In Movie Theaters saw a comeback.

Expanded outdoor eating for restaurants.

SpaceX’s Crew-1 successfully made it to the International Space Station.

The tallest building in Door County was completed – Maritime Museum.

Zoom brought us together, plus we got a peek inside homes.

Restaurants are sharing their recipes.

Chiefs beat the 49ers 31 – 20 in The Superbowl.

Companies are determining employees can work at home and be productive.

Our world is alot cleaner from subways to airplanes to businesses.

Pet adoptions and foster homes were way up this year.

We rediscovered our love for old hobbies like cooking and gardening.  Who doesn’t love “sourdough bread”?

More room on airplanes, and less expensive.

The government actually gave us money!  

Puzzles and board games became cool again and offered a much-needed break from our screens.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an all time high of 30395.06 in December of 2020.  

We came up with creative ways to celebrate big milestones like drive by birthdays and zoom celebrations.

Like it or not, the Coronavirus Pandemic brought families back together. 

Scientists discovered Coronavirus vaccines.

The good news, it’s almost over.

Here’s to a fantastic 2021! 

Posted by:  Jill

As Christmas approaches, you see candy canes in wreaths and trees, one of the most popular treat this time of year.   The U.S. produces approximate 1.76 billion candy canes each year with 90% of them sold in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Peppermint and candy sticks date back to at least the 17th century in Europe. Candy canes made their way to the U.S. in the 1800s.  In 1847, a German-Swedish immigrant August Imgard decorated a blue spruce tree with candy canes. Candy canes likely spread during that time as a popular tree ornament.  After that, people wanted to put the candy canes on their trees as ornaments.  The “hook” really helped.  The candy stick became the candy cane.  

The history of the candy cane is and always will be mired in folklore.   One legend suggests that an Indiana-based candymaker shaped the peppermint stick into a “J” shape to represent Jesus, with the white stripe symbolizing the purity of his birth and the red stripe later added to acknowledge the blood he shed on the cross.  

Another tale explaining the origin story of the candy cane says a 1600s German choirmaster made peppermint candy sticks, in the shape of a cane to quiet down rowdy choir boys — the cane shape was intended to represent a shepherd’s staff.   

No matter what the tale, we all enjoy candy canes!

Merry Christmas to all!

Sarah, Mark and Staff

Posted by:  Jill