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Some other links of recent interest to Pasty Cam watchers:
• Ancestors 2007   • New Arrivals 2007
• The Hut Inn Re-opens Eight years ago on the Pasty Cam: 05/25/99 ^{Printed on Recycled Internet}

Ahh.. the bridge to the Tabernacle at Gitche Gumee. It reminds me how a lot of Eagle River old-timers used to refer to the Camp itself as "The Tabernacle". The shot-'o-the-day in 1999.

Good Morning, Everyone! Happy Friday!

Mornin'

Life in nature;

http://www.kruger2canyons.com/index.htm

Good morning! TGIF.

Good morning and Happy Friday!

Good morning everybody! You're really quite the early bird today Marianne!!!!

Good morning, most wonderful PastyCammers this fine Friday!! :-)

So, any big plans for the weekend?? I believe the Dr. and I are staying in and saving some green for our trip to the Keweenaw in July.....

Happy Holiday weekend all! I will be helping my daughter get the house she just bought ready for move in. We will be sanding and painting and cleaning. She was lamenting a month ago when she was purchasing the house that she is 25 and has done nothing with her life. I told her she's crazy...she has a BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan (top of her class in her senior year), a job in her field and has just bought a house in her own name. When I was 25 that was EVERYTHING!! Kids!!

Heading north to the Copper Country tomorrow. Will spend the long weekend checking out the various favorite places----lake and food.
How about Jim and Johnnie's???? Grandkids, when they were very little, thought that was the real name of Geminani's.

Cindy: there seems to be that malaise among the young adults in this generation. Is it unrealistic expectations via the media? Too easy a life so no struggle to achieve 'little' goals? There doesn't seem to be a value on cherishing what we have. And I could be wrong, but it seems there is a general discontent in our materialistic society. It's always the next thing you 'need' and a seeking for the 'easy way' to get it.

Part of the philosophical appeal of Pasty.com is it clearly represents another perspective on life!

The thing I have come to enjoy most about this site is the rapport and sincere good will among people with a common love who we will call friends even though many of us have never laid eyes on each other. I find myself thinking about and praying for the health and welfare of people I've never met, but for whom I feel a great kinship. I hope we can all meet some day.

I'm heading up to Mackinaw Island for my grandniece's wedding on Sunday. I've been looking at the weather for Sunday since it first appeared on the 10-day forecast and it still says rain! L Now I'm just hoping it's not a total washout.

In the old testament the tabernacle & holy of holies was forbiden to all but the high priest with death to anyone else who entered. today the Jews dont have this setup as far as I know. I wonder about the tabernacle of today & is this concept only for the ancient believers??

Martha:
I've been to two weddings on the Island. It will be a
wonderful day regardless of the weather. Have a good
time!

GOOD MORNING FROM LITTLE BETSY! Great to be U.P., beautiful day, lake level is way down, looking at sand stone and rocks that are not wet that Ive never seen before, very strange! Well, Marty, Grampa Norm, and myself are off to enjoy the Keweenaw, have a great weekend everyone!

Good Morning! Have a good and safe holiday weekend!

The good news is that in spite of what the Detroit newspapers say, our local gas prices here in mid-Michgan are now down to $3.51 per gallon (from $3.65 per gallon earlier this week). It's sad when I'm happy that the prices are DOWN to $3.51 per gallon, but I do believe their story that Michigan gas prices are now the highest in the nation. And, that can't be based on refineries, because much of our gas comes from Ohio. This is something going on here at the state level. Maybe it's time for our state Attorney General to take a look? It's also interesting that gas prices up in Houghton are cheaper than down here in mid-Michigan, as they have been all week.

Anyway, with gas prices down a little, at least I can think about making my annual trek flower shopping here in mid-Michigan this long weekend. I need to be able to add a "splash of color" to my yard for the summer. :-) I'm running late in buying them this year, but then the frosts have been running late this year, too.

I hope you all have a great long weekend! (Thanks, Deb--I was up quite early this morning, at least for me.)

Hello all, the weather has thwarted my local camping plans. I am not a masochist so T-storms in a tent are not appealing to me. My sons cubscout pack is in the parade on Monday, he was very upset when he saw the weather this morning. I practiced a parenting skill (the one of not laughing hysterically at the wrong moment) when my son came to me in tears this morning and said "It is going to rain on my parade!" I think we will have a good time anyway, I need the long weekend off work or i will snap!

Brooke, at Cub Scout age, you might even be able to get away with camping in your backyard. We did a few times with our sons. Then, you can go inside when it storms. :-)

My youngest son is high-step/dance step marching with the high school band, while my husband (Asst Scoutmaster) & middle son (Life Scout) will also be in our town's Memorial Day Parade. Since this is a required activity for the high school band or they get their grades cut by two letters, we could not go out of town if we wanted to. :-) I am just so thankful that it's not going to be really hot here this year, like it was last year.

As it stands, at least in mid-Michigan, the only really stormy weather sounds like it will be from tomorrow night through Sunday noon, or so. So maybe you could camp out tonight & Sunday night?

I hope it don't rain on any of your Parade's.Unless you are in a drought and need it.
Just have fun, be safe and come here on tuesday and tell us about it.I will be in Gatlinburg at that place where Dolly has all them rides ect.My son,the lg.company he works for in K-Town,one who deals in CAT equipment puts in on each year.Just have to wear the T shirt they give you.Glad it's not red like the first yr.Too hot!Hope I don't p my pants on the Rollercoaster.If so I will go on one of the water rides eh.Sons kids are now 2 & 3 that will the most fun, us grandparents watching our next generation having a blast.Thank's to all Vet's who were willing to give their life so we today can do want we are doing this weekend.And remember those who did give them.If we don't fight them over there,then we will have to fight them here.This country is only 250 some years old.Others are thousands,but we feed the world.Why? All in the name of FREEDOM

In re gas: instead of coming out of Ohio, how about gas coming out of Europe? One of the reasons for current high gas prices (holidays aside): US-american aquisitions in Rotterdam due to the well known lack of refining capacity stateside. Result: 98 octane as high as 1.51 € per litre.
Maybe you're selling food to most of this world, but as of right now, we're refueling you! :)

Danbury, you guys have really high octane gas over there! Wow! Here in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, if I remember right, our so-called "premium grade" is only 93 octane. And, if you get very much west of St Ignace (like about 25 miles or something), gas labeled with the same name, "premium", the octane rating drops to something like 91 octane! And, the gas prices quoted are not for premium grade, but the bottom grade of our three grades, regular. So, this is clearly an apples to oranges comparison.

Why are we short of refining capacity here in the US? That's a sore point. The environmentalists have managed to block the building of new refineries wherever they might be proposed. What they don't realize is that with today's environmental standards, new refineries will give off less emissions to the environment, than leaving land as pasture land, for cattle or dairy cows, or whatever, with their methane gas emissions. Personally, I support a proposal of the current administration to take some of the mothballed military bases, which are already considered to be contaminated sites, and convert them into refineries.

But, regardless, there is no excuse for Michigan's having the highest gas prices in the country, even higher than those in California & Chicago, etc, with their high gas taxes, etc. That is criminal. And, it is strange that our gas prices are so high here in mid-Michigan, even higher than those in the UP.

Also, I believe if you break it down, your gas prices in Europe are extremely high because of your extremely high gas taxes.

Marianne, you're right to a certain extent, but american purchase is one of the reasons of the current high prices, another being Whitsuntide. Taxes vary depending on country, but they're high in Germany.
98 octane is called "Super plus", with Super being 95 and Regular 91 octane, the latter not available in all countries, and currently selling here (southwestern Germany) for around 1,40€/l, or ca. 7.10 $/g.
That's some expensive apples.
(Sidenote: you can get 100 octane gas if you want to.)
Taxes aside, and also heightened demand from overseas, holidays and other influences, it is rumoured that companies make about thrice as much profit per liter sold than some years ago. That's be an international rumour, doesn't apply to Germany, or Europe, only, but the source is not necessarily reliable (press).

tom,
that's funny. jim and johnnie's -> geminani's.
enjoy the long weekend.

Be glad you don't live in Wisconsin which has a minimum markup law. Stations must mark their gas up about 9.5% above wholesale. That is an old law from the 1930s that no one seems to care about. Except the big oil companies. What you won't see here in Wisconsin hardly at all is an independent gas station. All BP, Shell, Mobil, etc. I was in Tenn last week and bought gas for $3.059 and the cheapest was in Kentucky at $2.999. We have $3.429 now.
That minimum markup law costs the consumer in this state over $80 million. No competition.
Such fun. Gas is a separate a commidity from oil and while influenced by oil prices it reacts to it's own demand/supplyconditions primarily.
The shortage of refineries is also due to nimby.
Not in my back yard.

Tom, even with your minimum markup law in Wisconsin, your gas is cheaper at $3.429, than we are paying here in mid-Michigan, with prices ranging from $3.499 for independents, up to $3.559 for the name brands (all for regular gas, self-serve). Something is really messed up in our neck of the woods, for reasons as yet unknown. :-)

Marianne, congrats on the early bird. You were up very early.
I found this searching for state gas taxes.
http://www.api.org/statistics/fueltaxes/
I agree with you Tom on that nimby thing.
Have a great weekend, everyone. And hopefully we all take some time to remember that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service

Thank you, Thumbgardner. I was up early for me.

Thanks for the fuel tax link, too. It would be interesting to know how they came up with their data. Michigan has two flat taxes on gas, in addition to the standard 6% sales tax figured in. Thus, Michigan gas taxe goes up when the base gas price goes up. I guess I'm curious what they used for a base price for that particular table. I'm surprised that they neglected to mention the variable tax, as the state gains when gas prices increase. :-) When gas prices were high in the past, there were proposals to suspend the sales tax, to protect the consumer, but I have not heard any this time around.

I know my family will be taking time to honor those who died in our nation's service. In addition to marching in the big parade, my son's high school band will be playing in a concert after the parade as part of the commemoration service at the park after the parade. And, Kosk, please thank your son for me for his service!

Marianne, I remember when there was talk of doing something about the taxes when the gas got up to a certain price. I was wondering what ever happened to that.
I hope you have good weather for the parade and concert.

On Wed. we filled up at Covington. The price for no lead reg. was $3.69! HOLY WAH!!

Thanks, Marianne. I will pass on the word to him.