Traverse City. Hubbard Lake. Alpena. Harrison. Cadillac. East Tawas. Roscommon. Manton. Mio. West Branch.
Lewiston. Onaway. Mancelona. Fife Lake. Wellston. Frankfort.
Manistee. Otter Lake. Mesick. Leland. Northport. Eckerman. Brimley. Dafter. Hessel.
De Tour Village. Deer Park. Au Train. Marquette.
Pictured Rocks. Ray’s Canoes. Shanty Creek. Drummond Island. Hartwick Pines. Tippy Dam. Au Sable River.
Presque Isle. Thunder Bay. Glennie. Rifle River. Standish. Coleman. Crystal Valley. Bear Lake. Cedar. Suttons Bay. Kalkaska.
Caseville. Harrisville. Kingsley. Indian River. Mackinac Island. Ryba’s Fudge. Arnold’s Ferry.
Sault Ste. Marie. Barbeau. Pellston. Vanderbilt. Houghton Lake. Omer. Oscoda. Grayling.
Clare. Bear Mountain. Harbor Springs. Torch Lake. Higgins Lake State Parks.
Camping. Swimming. Fishing. RVs. Mackinac Bridge. Grand Hotel. Lakeview Inn.
Zilwaukee Bridge. Prudenville. Crump. Fairview. St. Helen. Manistee Lake. Norwood.
Fletcher’s. H&H Bakery. Grindstone General Store. Pines Theater. Deer hunting. Tip-Up-Town.
Powell’s Restaurant. Turkey Roost. Zehnder’s. Al’s Pancake House. Maggie’s.
Petoskey. Gladwin. Cheboygan. Hoeft State Park. Mackinac Bridge Walk.
Almost everyone has an “up north” story. What is yours? Where is up north to you?
If you live in a state other than Michigan, does “up north” mean anything to you?
If you live in another country, do you have an “up north?”
I would love to read your up north story, no matter where you are. Can I include your up north story in “A Coffee State of Mind”? I won’t use your name, unless you don’t mind if I do. I’m pretty good at making up names. (Pete Terkinberry, Quintin O’Dillmotte, Shorty & Hannah Cloverton, Vee Burthrap, Smivvy Stepward, Larry Murfin, just to name a few.)
There is a space below where you can send me your story. Please include your email address. It won’t be published. I’m not selling anything. You won’t start getting a whole bunch of ads about homemade boxer shorts or fishing lures.
Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading your Up North Story!
A Coffee State of Mind 
I’ll play.
A mayfly landed upon the rim
Of my Tilley hat near the brink of the brim
And it rested there while I mowed the lawn
And it made me think of days, now gone
Of fly fishing, of the line and the flies
The anticipation of the hoped-for rise
Of a fish, of a trout, now the take and the tug
as I stand in the midst of the stream’s cool hug
between lush banks of the far north land
Where I stop to give thanks for the place where I stand
For the fish and the stream as clear as glass
Oh, I’d rather be there than mowing the grass.
And this….
Two weekends ago on a foot bridge over the East Branch of the AuSable I stood with my 5 year old grandson Michael as he held a split bamboo fly rod and let a small fly dangle downstream. A brook trout took the fly and Michael reeled it in, his very first trout ever. His second trout came a couple casts later.
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Hello Dave, this poem is amazing. It takes me right to the spot you wrote about. I’d like to repost it if it’s okay with you. Do you have others? Michael is obviously following in Grandpa’s footsteps.
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Yes, feel free to use it. And yes, I have a whole bunch of poems. They are for my unwritten not upcoming book titled, “Taken from actual events” not soon to be published, or ever, and unavailable for sale for $5.00 or for $10 I’ll come to your house and recite them in person. =-)
Have a great day! God Bless, I really enjoy your work.
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Hahahaha your marketing plan sounds familiar to mine. Thanks, I’ll post it on Coffee soon.
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I got the title wrong. It should have been “Based on actual events”… I think the amyloid. are getting to my brainSent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
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Hahahahaha
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Here’s one of my favs…
There are flowers in the meadow
that I go by-every day.
Sometimes I stop to pick some
And then go on my way.
And should my day be foul
Or even if it’s fair,
I can gaze upon the flowers
And know the meadow is still there.
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