Black's Cliff Birch Bark Blog

Excerpt: Today: A 50 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 46. East northeast wind between 7 and 9 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tonight: A chance of rain and snow before 10pm, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Northeast wind between 7 and... Read more

Excerpt: I had a correction on yesterdays blog entry. I never worked with my grandfather. My best memory was him putting up with me trying to put curlers in his hair and having me yell to the old indian across the lake who would yell back at me (his way of explaining to a 5 year old what an echo... Read more

Excerpt: I just had to share the lunch picture today. After snow 2 days ago, it was so nice to head out on the deck on a 60 degree day for a taste of summer. Before I get all sorts of comment about cheese and not sauerkraut with my brat, let me tell you I detest sauerkraut. My mother used... Read more

Excerpt: We have been enjoying the road less traveled the last few days enjoying some sights before we get locked in for the season at the resort. Always fun to find a road that is less traveled, there are many of those in the UP of Michigan We started out at the Presque Isle falls I showed a week ago... Read more

Excerpt: Most folks who read the blog have gotten to know some of the folks that share pictures with me of their travels in the Northwoods. John and Linda Wrobel are one of those couples, you might remember John from a recent picture with Cliff winning the ice out contest. John and Linda have discovered the treasure that is the... Read more

Excerpt: Reggie the bunny was hoping around the resort this weekend. He is 50 years old and follows the Jensen family where ever their Easter plans take them through the generations. This year it brought him to Muskie Lots of Easter resort fun as well with the Martin Family who had quite the egg hunt around the resort While on... Read more

Excerpt: Spring means time to do some dock repair, and this year it also means replacing a few worn out docks with new ones. We special order our docks from China... made in the USA? Ok we will have to admit to the truth... our docks are not made in China... but by good old sweat and American ingenuity. I... Read more

Excerpt: Quiet April morning at the lake. I kind of like this pic askew it makes you feel slightly sea sick looking at it View from very quiet "doggie beach" just down the trail from the main beach Cabins a bit of a ghost town, we do have one group here but you would never know it by the quiet... Read more

Excerpt: If you have been to the resort and not taken some time to walk down the road to our stream you have missed something. Besides the 10 or so acres the resort sits on and the 40 across the road from the resort we quietly purchased about 15 years ago a 40 down the road that has this stream... Read more

Excerpt: Something happened last night and I am not talking about it. Gonna have a talk with Mother Nature about the unfairness of 70 degree temps in March and then giving us this picture. Once it hits 70, this picture should not happen again for a long time, it messes with our minds It causes us to stay inside and... Read more

Excerpt: John Wrobel stopped in to collect his Ice Out 2012 winnings. Since Cliff was a little tied up in the basement drying out, his buddy Cleo presented John with the money. John's wife Linda who has won in the past was a bit jealous of Cleo's good looks but was happy to hear that she and John were going... Read more

Excerpt: March 21 6:30 pm Ben would like everyone to k now he was the first in the lake. I do not remember anyone jumping in the lake in March besides Cliff til now. Knocking the icicles off he said now he can wait til atleast Memorial Day weekend for his next swim... Read more

Excerpt: I had these interesting sequence of pictures sent to me by Rob Moore who took them 2 weekends ago when he was at the resort. I like the natural camo they show. Above I believe is a moth amongst the leaves Chickadee blending in to the Birchtree Thanks for sharing Rob!! see you in May... Read more

Excerpt: Last weekend Jim and Ellen Eberle watched the resort for us, so we could get together with our friends for a college reunion for UW River Falls where we both graduated from. Ellen snapped these great pics while enjoying a spring weekend in the Northwoods. They had to recover from the fact that Paul Bunyans is not open yet... Read more

Excerpt: Cliff getting closer and closer to the edge of the ice. Ice getting darker and darker Warm wind all day had the ice starting to break off in icebergs headed towards the shore Docks free of ice. But question is will they be smashed into by breaking away ice flows? Will Cliff survive tomorrow? I will post the ice... Read more

Excerpt: Bonnie and Dave Black welcomed Craig Jackson Black to the family yesterday. Dave and Bonnie are part of the Eastern Black family. It will be interesting to see little Craig grown up and see if he lives up to his name sake, Uncle Craig. Can't wait to meet him this summer along with his big sister... Read more

Excerpt: We went down to the beach this morning to find Cliff sunk into the ice. Warm winds and rain last night knocked him down from his perch. Here he is at a warm sunrise, I am sure the lake is quite chilly yet Sunrises don't get prettier than this O Officially in the lake on the earliest date yet... Read more

Excerpt: This blog entry is dedicated to John Thompson Jr. who was in the battle of his life this week with a brain aneurysm which he survived but is sitting in a hospital in Colorado recovering. John, may these pictures make your day in the hospital go a little faster and give you a reason to get out of bed... Read more

Excerpt: For now Cliff is hanging on but with temps in the mid 70's it may not be long til he takes the plung Ice receding fast from the edge. I took this picture at noon on Monday. Missing pic is the raft completely free of ice While blowing leaves we decided it was a great day to boil down... Read more

Excerpt: Mack would like to report that all is well at the resort and he has found the perfect shield to put between him and Lucy the cockopoo. He is having issues dealing with the interloping Cockapoo who is as big of a chicken as he is, so this is how he is choosing to deal with her By the... Read more