According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,532 square miles (6,557.8 km²), of which 348 square miles (901.3 km²) is land and 2,184 square miles (5,656.5 km²) (86.24%) is water. The county has the second-highest proportion of water area of any county in the United States, behind only Keweenaw County, Michigan. Lake Leelanau is the county's largest body of inland water...

Seems like something we should be spreading around!

To see some of this water, check out the Water slideshow from the Leelanau (dot com) group on Flickr.

Photo Credit: i'll be on the water by todd richter

Leelanau County continues to fall behind with regards to to adequate Broadband internet access, due to unserved, and under-served areas. Geographically, Leelanau County has been bypassed by affordable and accessible middle mile infrastructure upon which last-mile services can be built. As education, emergency management, telecommuting, and commerce are more and more dependent upon adequate internet access, We hereby request your acceptance of the need and necessity, and demonstrate interest and show of support as the elected representatives of the People of Leelanau County.

We, the undersigned, request the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners to support and solicit through the "Request for Proposal" for the development of a middle mile broadband open access network.

Click here to view and sign the petition!

It's easy to join in - just pick up one or more of the wines we are tasting at your local wine shop, at the winery tasting room, or at LMawby.com and then log on to Twitter on Tuesday. You can learn more about the event on Facebook and check out this great video for the complete low down on how it works:

Photo Credit: the best by n.elle

The event will feature winemaker Lee Lutes and the winery's social media director Coryn Briggs and will last approximately 1 hour with a half hour to discuss each wine via twitter. Both wines will be for sale for $12.50 at all three Black Star Farms' locations and when both wines are purchased for the tasting a 20% discount will be applied. Wines can also be shipped around the state of Michigan as well as to various other states from their online store.

For more information contact, Coryn at 231.944.1311 or cbriggs@blackstarfarms.com.

Had enough wine?? by pipefiddle

Next Tuesday (April 13, 2010) at 8 PM EST you can join Michigan by the Bottle for their Tweet & Taste with Shady Lane winemaker Adam Satchwell, a master sommelier and several Michigan wine bloggers to explore a select group of wines from Shady Lane Cellars and share tasting notes and impressions on Twitter. To participate, all you need to do is pick up the three wines (Shady Lane Cellars 2008 Dry Riesling, 2008 Blue Franc, 2007 Pinot Noir) at your local wine shop or online at Shady Lane Cellars (1 cent shipping through April 13) and then log on to Twitter Tuesday night and share your impressions using the #ttmi hash tag.

If you're in the Leelanau area, you can also join Leelanau.com beginning at 7 PM on Tuesday at our new offices at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons for our "tweet-in" with winemaker Adam Satchwell! We're located right next to Salon de Capelli in Building 50 (we promise Google will have us mapped soon) and you can call us at 231-421-1172 if you get lost!

If you're in Traverse City tomorrow night (Friday, Apr 9) from 6-9, Michigan by the Bottle will be doing a podcast taping and interview (see Facebook for the details) with owner/wine-maker Bryan Ulbrich. There will be some tasty food for snacking along with $3 pints of Cinnamon Girl Hard Cider and $3 glasses of new release Riesling MD from the big tank in their tasting room. The Wurlitzer will be on free play all night and who knows - you might become a star in the Michigan by the Bottle taping!

Lively, witty and hilarious conversation about Love, Lust and Bad Manners!

NATIONAL WRITERS SERIES, Traverse City's year-round book festival, KICKS OFF ITS SECOND SEASON FEATURING AMERICA'S BEST STORY TELLERS AND WRITERS.

Following on the heels of the National Writers Series' evening with Elmore Leonard and Peter Leonard last Fall, Amy Alkon leads the 2010 season with an evening on the Opera House stage, February 11, 2010. Doors open at 6 p.m., Event begins at 7 p.m.

Amy will answer, in her famous light-hearted way, questions from the love-lorn, love-struck, and loveless in a lively dinner party format at Traverse City's downtown City Opera House. Don't be shy! You won't have to say anything at all to have fun.

In addition to the great conversation, the evening's guests will enjoy chocolates, Indian music, free tarot card reading, and delicious Indian food compliments of Wellington Street Market (and included in the ticket price). The night's festivities are capped off with a reception (cash bar will be offered by Stella Trattoria) and personal book signing with Amy. Amy's books will also be for sale at the Opera House.

Amy Alkon is nationally syndicated advice columnist, author, journalist, and blogger with a wild wit. She is well-known to Northern Michigan through her popular weekly column in Northern Express in which she talks straight about love and lust. Her advice column runs in more than 100 other newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. Her New York Daily News series won a first place award in the Southern California Journalism Awards. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, NPR, CNN, MTV, Entertainment Tonight, Dennis Miller, Politically Incorrect, and Biography Channel, where she was featured in "The Advice Minute, with Amy Alkon."

The evening will culminate with a special auction of treats only the energetic and witty Amy can provide. In fact, auction items include Amy herself-- so to speak. Winners will be delighted with their prizes, including attending a sumptuous brunch (February 12) with Amy.

The prize of the evening, however, may be Amy's offer to record a special voice mail greeting on your phone. Feeling bullish with callers? Amy can oblige. Want to sound like Scarlett O'Hara? Amy can do that.

New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton will share the stage with Alkon, as Amy talks romance, manners, humor, and the writer's life. Amy's new book is I See Rude People, One Woman’s Battle to Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society. She also co-authored Free Advice -- The Advice Ladies on Love, Dating, Sex, and Relationships.

This is the first event in the new season of the National Writers Series. The Series, now in its second season, will bring best-selling authors, journalists, and storytellers to Traverse City in 2010. Founded in 2009 by Doug Stanton, New York Times best-selling author, Traverse City attorney Grant Parsons, and Northern Express writer Anne Stanton, the Series hopes to raise $50,000 in five years for aspiring writers to pursue writing in college.

The mission of National Writers Series is to support young writers through college scholarships, and inspire writers of all ages.

Net proceeds will be donated to a National Writers Series scholarship fund benefiting college-bound writing and arts students that attend Grand Traverse Region schools. Winners will be published in the Midwest's best literary review, The Dunes Review, and receive their awards at a special reading multi-day gala event also featuring nationally prominent writers.

The evening event is supported and/or sponsored by FIM Group, Beia Family, Copy Queenz, Courage Project, Crema, Debbie Sparks, Horizon Books, IRONKEEP, Lakehouse Publishing, Oryana, Porterhouse Productions, Realtor Marsha Minervini, Stella Trattoria, and Wellington Street Market.

Advance tickets* are $15, Seniors $10, Students $5. Tickets at the door are $20.

TICKETS ON SALE at the Traverse City Opera House box office at 106 East Front Street, or online at: www.treatickets.com or www.cityoperahouse.org.

* Advance ticket price does not reflect outlet or on-line handling fees.

For more information: www.nationalwritersseries.org

(Traverse City, Michigan) January 7, 2010 – The Northwest Michigan Community Media Center/LIAA will launch a new “Speaker Series” focusing on community video/film production. The series will debut next Thursday, January 14th from 6:30-8PM at LIAA (324 Munson Avenue, Traverse City).

Laurie Cirivello, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, will present Citizen Journalism: A Confluence of Traditional and New Media. At a time when traditional local news sources are facing challenges, citizen journalism is coming into its own in progressive communities. Ms. Cirivello will discuss how the Grand Rapids Community Media Center is establishing a network of news bureaus that give citizen reporters the tools, structure and medium by which to gather, write and report on local news and events.

The Speaker Series is open to the public and admission is free. No reservation is required. For more information please contact the Northwest Michigan Community Media Center/LIAA at (231) 929-3696 or visit upnorthmedia.org.

Participants may register for all 3 days, or for individual days. Student discounts will be offered. The Homestead Resort is offering a special price for event participants. For more information, visit the 2009 NANPA Fall Regional Event website.

Photo: Sun Dog by michiganartisan

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

You can tune into to listen to a diverse panel that includes folks including Timothy Young, President & Chef of Food For Thought and Mimi Wheeler, Owner & Chocolatier of Grocer's Daughter Chocolate. If you'd like to call in, the number is (914) 338-1784.

Photo: Wild Leeks (as in Wild Leek Relish) from Food for Thought

I'm ranging a little afield for today's feature from photographer David McGowan. It's a beautifully photographed feature on the process of parting with your memories in these tough economic times that I think we can all relate to.

I really hope you can take the time to check out David McGowan - Garage Sale Culture from the photography magazine Burn. You won't be sorry.