As we grow older there comes an age when our arms are not long enough to focus on small letters, bluntly, we can’t see clearly without the aid of glasses. For this writer, conservation worker, active hunter and target shooter, it was at the age of 40 when I went to read the back of the toothpaste tube when brushing my teeth. I called out to my wife that they had messed up the printing. It was blurry to unreadable. She took a fast look and told me there was nothing wrong with the printing. My eyes changed that fast from 20/20.

Off to the optometrist for my first set of glasses and yes, I needed bifocals. I remember stepping off the curb after putting them on the first time and feeling like I had stepped off the edge of the earth. The doctor told me the first change most likely would be the most significant. It was, not to mention a new learning process.

I operate tractors, bulldozers and about every other kind of equipment there is on the farm, even my truck was hard to see the dashboard display at times with the glasses. Conclusion, even with the new specs I could not see clearly in some circumstances. It was not until the VA took over my eye care that a great doctor told me the mystic secrets of eye ware. I learned there are adjustments that can be made to glasses when made. To me that is improving my quality of life.

What is your focal point? All glasses are made to a standard focal point that was set when people did not work on monitors and held books to read at a standard approximately 16 inches. That will not cut it when operating machinery or monitors that are 24 inches or more from your eyes. Measure the distance from your eye to the monitor for example and see what it is. Mine are about 24 inches to 28 inches (second monitor), not 16. Measure the distance from your eye to the dashboard display of your truck or car and you will find it is even farther. If your glasses are made to the 16-inch focal point, it will be hard to see especially at night. Have your new glasses set or made to your focal point, it does not cost more. Read more

Whether you’re an outdoors newbie building up your recreational skills or an experienced veteran searching for a fresh hobby, the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy has a class for you!

Starting this month, the academy will offer classes at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon. The RAM Center recently opened for individuals, families or small groups to “Lodge and Learn,” a chance to stay amid Michigan’s northern woods while building outdoor recreation know-how.

Check out these upcoming classes:

• Walleye Fishing Clinic, June 19 – Pro walleye tournament angler Dan Miller will cover walleye fishing from A to Z.
• Bush Craft, Wild Mushroom and Wild Edibles Clinic, Oct. 8-10 – Instruction on wilderness safety, bush craft (surviving and thriving in the natural world), wild edibles and how to find, identify and handle a variety of Michigan’s edible wild mushrooms.
• Ice Fishing for Beginners, Jan. 8, 2022 – How to set up equipment and how, where and when to fish, electronics, ice safety, and rules and regulations.
• Advanced Hard Water School, Feb. 25-27, 2022 – Learn from the ice fishing pros. Each student will pick a topic of interest and be assigned a pro fisherman.

The RAM Center isn’t the only place to catch one of these invaluable classes. The new North Woods Survival Skills Clinic will be at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac Aug. 14. The class will cover skills needed in an outdoor survival situation, including navigation; wilderness first aid; and how to safely prepare water for drinking, safely start a fire without matches, make cordage (rope from plants), make a log stove and identify animal tracks and scat. Participants also will learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. Read more

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee is re-opening to the public on Wednesday, June 2! Summer hours are Wednesday through Sundays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Located eight miles west of the city of Marquette in the forested ravines of the Marquette Iron Range, the museum overlooks the Carp River and the site of the first iron manufactory in the Lake Superior region. The Jackson Iron Company and others manufactured wrought iron from local ore at this site from 1848-1855.

The museum tells the stories of Michigan’s three iron ranges and the people who worked them, through dramatic exhibits, audio-visual programs and outdoor interpretive trails.

This summer, visitors will also see a special temporary exhibit that explores the history of Fayette Historic State Park through archaeology. Called “Mining for the Past: Archaeology at Fayette,” the exhibit includes the objects generations of Anishinaabek, iron smelter company workers, and tourists left behind.

The museum is also pleased to debut refreshed Iron Industry Heritage Plaques, which honor the extraordinary individuals whose strength, ingenuity and hard work built Michigan’s iron ranges. Photo and name plaques are displayed in the museum’s commons as a tribute to miners and their families. Read more

Here are five safety suggestions from the BoatUS Foundation for Safety and Clean Water. They appropriately enough were entitled “5 Things You Can Do to Take ‘Search’ Out of Search and Rescue”

1. File a float plan. Tell family members where you’re going, how long you expect to be out, and when you plan to return. If you’re leaving a vehicle/trailer at the boat ramp, you might want to leave a note on your vehicle’s dash with the same information. Either -or both – let people start looking for you if you fail to return by your appointed time.
2. Have a VHF radio aboard – but not just any VHF radio. Have a radio with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) – it does all the things a “regular” VHF radio does, plus it has a one-button “Mayday” feature that gives rescuers your boat’s location. The handheld DSC VHF units are great for small boats. And I know from experience they can save a lot of time when you have a problem.
3. Label your SUP, canoe or kayak…might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. Adding your contact information with a waterproof marker could help the Coast Guard or first responders spend less time chasing false alarms. Marking your paddle craft, FYI, might also mean you get it back when it blows down the lake. If/when that happens, you also need to let authorities know your paddlcraft has gone missing.
4. Do not leave shore without a fully-charged phone. Smartphones are integral parts of our lives. But they’re not much use to a boater if the battery’s dead or there’s no cell signal. And for most phones, water is not a friend. If you are using a personal watercraft, put your phone in a waterproof pouch or case. That’s also not a bad idea for larger craft. And here’s a bit of insight for both -if you have a lanyard, attach it to something on your craft. Otherwise, it will be the last thing you see as your phone- safe in its waterproof case- descends into the inky depths.
5. Register your EPRIB or PLB. Having either an Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon (EPRIB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a great idea, but the Coast Guard receives hundreds of false alerts from them each year. You need to register your device and if you haven’t the highlighted link will take you where you can.

June 12-13, residents and out-of-state visitors can fish, ride Michigan’s off-road trails or visit state parks and state-managed boating access sites – all for free.
Grab your fishing rod and cast a line! Twice a year, you can enjoy two days of fishing without a license. All other regulations still apply.

Ride 3,800 miles of designated routes and trails and the state’s six scramble areas without purchasing an ORV license or trail permit.

Make state parks and boating access sites the background for your fishing trip. The Recreation Passport requirement is waived.

DNR COVID-19 RESPONSE: For details on affected DNR facilities and services, visit this webpage. Follow state actions and guidelines at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers assisted in a multi-agency search and rescue that concluded Tuesday for an angler who was reported missing Monday.

Conservation Officer Cole VanOosten received a call from the Chippewa, Luce and Mackinac Counties Central Dispatch at 9:40 p.m., Monday, reporting a 64-year-old angler, from Free Soil, located near Manistee failed to meet up with his fishing partner earlier in the day.

The man, who is not being identified by the DNR, was reported missing at 8 p.m. by his fishing partner.

VanOosten and Conservation Officer Colton Gelinas reported to the Luce County Sheriff’s Office Incident Command Post that was established near the angler’s last known location, near the intersection of Luce County Road 421 and the Tahquamenon River.

VanOosten and Gelinas kayaked the river until the search was postponed at 1 a.m. Tuesday. At 7:30 a.m., Conservation Officers Mark Zitnik and Cpl. Kevin Postma, Luce County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol agents joined VanOosten and Gelinas to continue searching the river. Read more