There are three words that come to mind when I think of this year..mosquitos and speed walking. The only way there was any relief from those blood-sucking buggers was to walk as fast as you could with no loitering, lounging or lingering. We know there were at least four Green Heron nests around the ponds but if we stopped to search the trees we would be swarmed by those little nasties. I donned head netting and the least toxic repellants possible just to work in the garden. But I have to say, I only had to water the garden twice this year. I’m never going to brag again about how "I never have any problems with deer in my garden" because this year it became a smorgasbord for any passing deer, rabbit or woodchuck. For what good they did, I had some great looking scarecrows. We have about 400,000 new residents on the farm..14 honeybee hives. I have always wanted to have a couple of hives to harvest our own honey and wax. An opportunity to have hives from M.S.U. came up and we grabbed it. Working with the handlers from the university has been the perfect way to get hands-on experience. They moved in in April and will over-wintering here as well. Hopefully Dr. Huang will decide to house them at Hazel Ridge for another year. In addition to everything I learned, I was given sixty pounds of our own honey. When they are moved to another location, that will be my cue to get my own bees. Super! (pun intended). We shared the farm with many kids and educators this year. Our scheduled eco-tours have been the highlight of children and adults, alike. It is our passion and our goal to expose as many folks as possible to the wonders of nature. Nick spent every free day he had working in the back. He compares it to working on a painting, "It’s like working on a blank canvas and seeing it grow. The nice thing is that with each season, the color palette changes. It is a continual work in progress." He is very proud of his new prairie. After nurturing large stretches of land, native flowers and grasses are finally filling in and looking glorious. It is a sight to see during peek blooming. Now that the chill is back, I am back using my sauna again. I can’t say it enough: it is the best present I ever got! Nothing like a good sweat lodge to meditate in. I have found a niche in yoga and would recommend it to anyone for total health and wellness. Mind, body and spirit.

Kelly, Nick and I camped at Quetico Provincial Park in Canada this past summer. For seven days we roughed it with a group of 8 people on our own island. There was canoeing, fishing, bird watching, loon ecology and learning about wild and edible plants. My perfect vacation. I would recommend this Naturalist Trip guided by Denny Olson to anyone, in a heartbeat. The girls are doing great. Kelly is in her junior year at Grand Valley working towards an English major with a minor in Elementary Education. She is very excited about studying abroad in the Netherlands in May 2007. Heather and Ahmed have settled in nicely in Bangor. She is successfully designing her own line of jewelry and they have their "feelers" out to open a small boutique for a unique line of clothing.

Because there were three books published this year, we had a lot of book signing gigs. Some good and some slow..but that’s just the way it goes. We attended numerous conferences in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois; groups ranging from librarians and outdoor educators to principals and k –12 educators. We also presented at numerous Young Authors Conferences. These conferences are jam-packed with kids of like mind sharing their enthusiasm for creating their own books. Their energy is contagious and we leave feeling just as energized as the kids. Nick presented at the Mazza Institute in Findlay, Ohio. The Mazza Museum International Art from Picture Books is the world's first and largest teaching museum devoted to literacy and the art of children's picture books. He entertained a packed house. Our annual show at the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Festival was fun and busy as usual. We couldn’t have done it (and remained sane) without Kelly’s help. Nick was the featured artist at the Kirtland Warbler Festival in Roscommon. This unique area is prime habitat for this protected bird. Check out their web site for upcoming events. http://warbler.kirtland.edu/Default.htm

The day prior to the festival, he conducted a painting workshop, sharing painting and sketching techniques. It was very well attended and folks left energized and inspired to get back to their paints and palettes.

The Bonifas Art Center, in Escanaba will be hosting the Northern Exposure XIII art exhibit through the end of November. Nick will be judging the entries and conducting an art painting workshop on November 10. For more information, click on http://www.bonifasarts.org/ . Nick’s last workshop on the 2006 calendar will be his annual art demonstration and Q & A. session at O’Leary’s Paint in Lansing, Saturday, December 2 from 10 a.m. – noon For more information contact Dennis at dennisc@olearypaint.com