Didn't realize there has been activity on this thread. Eric, I don't know the history of this land. I've been here 11 years and the house was built about 1950. It's about 1/4 mile from the St. Joseph River, so I'm sure this has been a populated area for centuries. I don't know if it's an older septic system. I guess there are many possibilities. And yes, Eric, I give peas a chance. ;o) Madspinner, the depression was too perfectly round to be a grave, I think. An abandoned well would be round though, wouldn't it? I don't have any septic system problems, so I don't think it's that. I filled and seeded it with grass and it's blended in with the remainder of the lawn now. But, I will continue to watch it. Lucky P, what's a karst region? And this is definitely not a new construction, so I don't think that's the problem. Interesting to think about what or who was here before.

If you like fish, then comparing the fish of the Midwest (Great Lakes walleye, Lake Perch, whitfish and trout, and little inland lake fish like perch) to the West Coast seafood would be fun. Produce and baked goods always fab. in both places. The north country usually offers good cinnamon buns or sticky buns in most diners for hungry hikers for breakfast. The pie is usually good in the Midwest, I haven't had any on the West coast so I can't compare. I used to have my own favorite pie place off I-80 but I'm not sure what route you're traveling. MI has Vernors ginger ale which you might try. Also we have Ruby Red Squirt which my east coast friend raved over. I don't know if they even sell it in MI anymore but might be worth a look. I can't drink any kind of soda pop anymore but Vernors really is unusual if you like ginger ale. It is unlike any of the other brands I've tasted, and I love gingerale.

Chris, I'm not surprised your library doesn't have any Giles books. It has been several years since she died, and I'm not sure how widely read she was anyway. She was certainly popular here, though, and her books are still in our libraries and some of them in state park gift shops, etc. I'm sure you can find them on line. Some of her books are better than others, of course. I read a literary criticism of her work once that quoted her as saying she always wanted to write like Willa Cather, and the reviewer said she had succeeded--beautiful writing but she forgot to tell a story. (Sorry, Cather fans.) Mrs. Giles was also quoted as saying she should have been qualified to write because she had read a book a day for years. Sounds like some of us could qualify on those terms, doesn't it? Another of her KY series dealing with different characters is set in the mountains: The Enduring Hills, Miss Willie, and Tara's Healing.

I live in MD by the Chesapeake Bay in what is fondly known in this area as "the bubble" b/c just north of us, the Baltimore area often gets snow while we just get rain as does the western side of Wash DC. We have had several "snow" days in my county when all we had was rain b/c the school system made one bad call this winter, starting school on time when every county around us had a delay due to an ice storm that arrived just when buses were headed out. We have had countless delays for a variety of "no show" predicted weather. Just over a week ago, we had a 2 hr delay b/c temps were in the single digits. That caused a huge debate. Then for school yesterday, another 2hr delay was announced Sunday night b/c temps were predicted to fall below freezing and cause black ice from melting snow. And yet temps did not fall below freezing until mid-day. One local FAcebook page had one woman all upset b/c there was ice on the school sidewalk which she thought was dangerous. The hilarious part was that she posted a picture of the sidewalk, 3/4 of which was heavily sanded for pedestrians. There were cones along the side to mark where people should walk. I was astounded that she was upset b/c the sidewalk was properly treated! Yet she wants schools closed b/c despite being heavily sanded, they were not cleared to pavement. I'd hate to be the decision maker b/c they can't win...they will never please everyone. I do agree that we are coddling our kids. The only ones complaining on Facebook around here are the ones whose kids have the means to be properly dressed, are dropped off at school or have a quick school bus ride. I'm sure the ones who can't afford proper winter clothing most likely *want* their kids to have school b/c they have jobs that either won't allow them to take time off or they can't afford to b/c it means they don't get paid. It also means their kids will have a meal/free lunch, something they might not get at home if there isn't much money. Funny thing is, my neighbor has discovered that on most of the local Facebook pages, the majority of people complaining that school should be delayed or closed are people who are employed by the school,system so it isn't an inconvenience to them like it is to other working parents.