Gnome and His Home Missing in Ironwood

The Ironwood Carnegie Library is a little bit less fun and whimsical today. Tom Acorn (that is the gnome's name) had dropped by the library to reside in his home (a hollow stump) a little over a week ago. He stated in a note that "I have moved here from the north to get warm." There was a place for people to leave Tom Acorn notes just below his home. Only one note was left and it was dated June 29. The gnome and his home were discovered missing on Monday, July 3, when Elaine Erickson, library director, went outside.

No ransom note has been sent by the kidnappers and it has been over 48 hours since the gnome's disappearance. Everyone knows (from watching police television shows) that the first 48 hours after a disappearance are the most crucial if the missing person (or gnome) is expected to be found. Hopefully the gnome is merely on a whimsical vacation and we will soon see photos of him at Mt. Rushmore or the Arch in St. Louis.

Perhaps the gnome, Tom Acorn, is a cousin to that wacky Travelocity gnome and the two are shooting new commercials based on Michigan vacation destinations.

You know what? That just might be a capital idea. Instead of the Pure Michigan ad campaign we could have a gnome highlighting Michigan's great travel and tourism destinations. There you go, Governor Granholm, some free marketing advice that did not cost Michigan taxpayers one thin dime. Shoot, maybe I will buy a gnome, grab our video camera, and shoot my own Michigan tourism ads.

Anyone with information regarding the missing gnome should call the library director, Elaine Erickson, at 906-932-0203. She will take the gnome back with no questions asked.

Read the Ironwood Daily Globe for all of the information regarding the missing gnome.

Mysterious Egg Found in U.P. Explodes in Vehicle

The truth, it is said, is stranger than fiction. This is one of those true stories. In May, Mary and Elmer Irish discovered a rather large egg in the woods. The egg weighed around 3 pounds and measured 19.5 inches on the long side by 15.5 inches around the middle. Based upon photographs and the measurements that the Irishes provided, an expert from the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History determined it to be an ostrich egg.

The mystery is if it really is an ostrich egg, how did it come to be in a remote woods in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. No one has come forward to say they are raising ostrich's in the area. Ostrich's are native to Africa. Is this merely a prank? Will this go down as one more of the legends and lore of our lovely Upper Peninsula?

Well, as Paul Harvey says, now it is time for the rest of the story. Elmer was traveling in Michigan's southern peninsula with the egg recently. On one of our hot days he had left the egg on the backseat in his truck. 95 degree temperatures plus one huge egg equals one huge mess.

The egg had exploded in Elmer's truck. When he went to hop in, he quickly hopped back out. Rotten egg had blown itself all over the truck's interior.

Note to self, when traveling with a mysterious ostrich egg in the summer do not leave it in the full sun on the back seat of your vehicle. It will explode and leave you with a rather large cleaning bill unless you don't mind the aromatic scent of rotten egg.

You can read the article here in The Mining Journal.

Huge Auction of Old Farm Equipment and Tools in Buckley

Elmer Pavlis was a farmer who embraced any and all equipment that helped him do his job better and easier. He hated to see any tools or equipment go to waste and over the years collected around 6,000 different pieces. The tools and equipment became a museum, This Ole Farm Museum, in Buckley. Elmer passed away last fall at the age of 86 and his only living child, Jeanie English, decided the best route would be an "auction to end all auctions." The auction will being run by Humphrey's Auction Service June 15-17. There will be an open house to preview items June 10 from 4-7 pm and on June 11 from 1-4 pm with a $10 charge.

Check out the items on the web at www.humphreysauctionservice.com.

Via the Detroit Free Press

Ronald McDonald, Han Solo, and Stormtroopers

A headline like that reminds me of the Carnac the Magnificent bit that Johnny Carson used to do. Let's look into the envelope now *drum roll* . . . The question - Who are three people Governor Granholm would rather face in the November election instead of Dick DeVos?

Just kidding folks. Ronald McDonald, Han Solo (an impersonator), and a handful of Stormtroopers were caught in a photo at the Ronald McDonald House of Mid Michigan Fun Run/Walk on May 17. I am not a big fan of clowns, but it doesn't get much creepier than seeing Ronald McDonald hanging out with some of the crew from the Star Wars movies.

Apparently, the group of Star Wars impersonators are actually part of the Michigan Squad that teams up with Wisconsin, and Illinois to form the Midwest Garrison that pledges to "continue to serve the empire." I am not joking. Check out their website www.mi501st.com.

Smoke or Clouds? Nope, Just Swarms of Bugs

Recently, residents of Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula have been spotting what appears to be black smoke or dark rain clouds. These "clouds" are made up of billions of Midges, a flying insect that hatches from water. Clouds of Midges will be seen throughout the summer, but the spring seems to be when the largest and most noticeable swarms occur. Thankfully, Midges do not have the ability to bite and draw blood like mosquitoes. The biggest problem with them is that when they die, their carcasses tend to pile up and smell like dead fish.

Check out the full article in today's Mining Journal.

How Not to Cross the Mackinac Bridge

Some more trivia tidbits from my library copy of the Michillaneous book containing all sorts of strange facts about Michigan. Today I bring a list of some strange ways people have crossed the Mackinac Bridge as well as how not to cross the Mighty Mac. June 1973 An Amish family was traveling from Maine to Colorado and crossed the bridge in a horse-drawn buggy. The Bridge Authority closed one lane of the five-mile span for the one-hour crossing.

Labor Day, 1978 Farmers, in protest of government policy on beef import quotas and standards, blocked the one open traffic lane and backed up traffic for several miles as the annual Labor Day bridge walk took place.

In 1980 we have the following statistics -

• One out of 10,000 had to have their cars driven across for them because they were too afraid to drive themselves.
• One out of 27,000 ran out of gas.
• One out of 45,000 had a flat tire.
• Patrol cars stopped one out of 25,000 for not paying the toll.