Fall fun
Section B
Saturday, October 10, 2015
The Daily News
Ryan Schlehuber • Daily News features editor • scoop@staffordgroup.com • (616) 548-8279
Fall photography
A how-to guide for capturing good seasonal scenes
Courtesy photo
A repurposed door can make an excellent fallthemed home decoration, such as this one in Greenville resident Kathy Jo Schmidt’s home.
Incorporating fall home decor
D
ecorating for the fall season does not always mean decorating just for Halloween. There are plenty of ways to bring the colors of the season into the home without skeletons, ghouls and goblins. With the widespread use of social sites like Pinterest for decoration ideas, it has never been easier. Kathy Jo Schmidt, a Greenville resident, makes it a point to incorporate fall colors into the interior design of her home all year round. She focuses on the use of warm, earthy colors and tones. During the fall season, she tries to make the overall theme a bit more noticeable. Sometimes, decorating can be as simple as adding some garland or By Emilee Andrews flowers to a gourd or pumpkin and Daily News correspondent putting it out for display. “There are different kinds of sunflowers [I like] to use in the fall,” Schmidt said. “Pumpkins, gourds, acorns, corn, burlap and mums can all be integral parts in decorating for fall.” Schmidt does not limit herself to putting some decorated pumpkins out to commemorate her favorite season. She has done some reclaiming and repurposing of larger items to add to her home décor, as well. One of the pieces she has given a second life to is a large, heavy wooden door she found while thrift shopping. “I think it’s very therapeutic,” Schmidt said of refinishing a piece to fit in with the theme of her décor. She has also refinished and painted some columns, a ladder, a small table, dining chairs and a pedestal to go along with her home color scheme. Sometimes it is just as easy as putting a different color paint on something to make it fit in, she said. Leaves, scarecrows, pumpkins and candles are heavily featured in Schmidt’s fall decorating themes, as well. If making decorations from scratch sounds like too big a project, there are plenty of ways to express the love of fall colors into an indoor décor theme. West 57 Design in Greenville is a great resource for those who want to decorate in fall colors but who might be intimidated by do-it-yourself projects. “We have a wide selection of silks in stock,” said Bobbi Calkins, owner of West 57 Design. They use them to make flowers as well as ribbons for decoration or to tie in with flower arrangements, she said. All of these are options for adding a little something to existing décor or to use as a focal point for decoration. The store carries a selection of Halloween-themed decorations but does not limit it to Halloween décor. “We have these beautiful mercury glass pumpkins that are really cool,” Calkins said. “And we have some neat galvanized signs that light up from the inside.” The shop also carries several types of flowers to accent any existing fall décor in a home. Calkins sees mums, asters and sunflowers used in arrangements during the season. Some people come to the shop to buy decorations for their home, and others come to buy pieces of their own décor to put something of their own together. “We do wreath classes to be part of the whole DIY. We sell ribbons by the yard or by the bolt. We sell to the DIY’er and we sell to the people who just want it done up,” she said. Some other fall touches available at the shop are bags of acorns that can be used as decoration or added to candle holders for a decorative touch.
Daily News | Cory Smith
I
n an effort to share my love for fall photography in Michigan, here are some tips that can go a long way, no matter what camera or lenses you are using.
Location
In Michigan, this is seldom an issue, as we are surrounded by wonderful elements in nature, from waterfalls to bountiful and colorful forests. Having said that, you may need to step outside the boundaries of Greenville and Montcalm County if you want to photograph something By Cory Smith that will set your Daily News staff writer photo apart from the work of others. Luckily for us, the area of the northern Lower Peninsula and nearly all of the Upper Peninsula is considered one of the best regions in the country for autumn photography. It’s one thing to take a photo of trees turning red and orange in your backyard, but it’s another thing entirely to have a backdrop that features Lake Michigan or the thunderous Tahquamenon falls. But if you don’t have the time or resources to travel, I recommend finding a heavily wooded area that sits along a river or lake (more on that later).
Lighting
Just because the sun is out, doesn’t mean you’re in a great position for a spectacular photo. In the autumn months, the sunlight you are looking for in your photos is ideal during early morning hours or just before dusk, also known as the “magic hour.” This time period varies, but it usually occurs about one hour before sunset, which would currently be anytime from about 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Based on the angle of light from the sun on the horizon, you receive essential side-lighting. If it’s cloudy, that can sometimes turn out to be a better scenario, as you can shoot all day long and the light tends to be soft and even. Having clouds blocking the sun can result in capturing cloud formations, as opposed to an overexposed, blank, white sky.
Water
Streams, creeks, ponds and rivers can become a magical mirror in the fall. Water provides reflections, contrast, and with long exposures, texture that is otherwise difficult to find. I tend to shoot photos involving water from an angle that otherwise wouldn’t be thought of. Nobody is going to lay down and look out just inches above the water, so a photograph from that perspective will offer a view that will come as a pleasant surprise to many viewers.
Combined with a glossy reflection of bright fall colors, in contrast to the blue of the sky, and you’ll have more color than you ever expected to deal with in a photo. As a bonus, you’ll never know when a flock of geese or family of ducks will come floating down the river, adding the element of living nature to your photo.
Try, try again
I have been shooting professionally for a little more than four years, and I myself learn something more about my photography skills on a daily basis. The key, in my opinion, to creating spectacular photography, is to get out there and learn by doing. I have traveled north of Lakeview at 2 a.m. and set myself in the middle of a cornfield in a failed attempt to capture the northern lights. I have been detained and searched at the international border in Detroit after attempting to take sunset photos in Canada. The point is, even if your attempt to get that “perfect” shot doesn’t work out, that doesn’t mean the next opportunity isn’t right around the corner. Since those failures, I have had many success, and only learned what not to do the next time during those failed attempts. Learn from your mistakes and you will find that your work will improve over time, whether you realize it or not. csmith@staffordgroup.com (616) 548-8277
Not valid with any other offer. Good October 31, 2015 ONLY
DN
Daily News correspondent Emilee Andrews is a Greenville resident.
StaRtING at
59.00
$
◆ KNIfe CUt aND VaCUUM SealeD
WE GUARANTEE YOUR OWN MEAT BACK (except for smoked meats)
GERMAN BOLOGNA (1 lb. rings)
SALAMI (average weight per stick 4 lbs)
JERKY-
BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
Regular or Mild ..................................................... lb $4.00 w/Cheese-Cheddar or Jalapeno ............................ lb $4.50 DRY WEIGHT (Example: it takes 10 lbs. of steak meat to make 5 lbs of jerky)
Teriyaki, Regular, BBQ or Jalapeno ...................... lb
HUNTERSTICK (2 lb minimum pkg)
$7.99
$4.50 VENISON BACON ...................................... lb $4.00
BBQ, Pepper, Mild, Teriyaki, Jalapen or Spicy...... lb
Mild ........................................................................ea $10.00 w/Cheese or Jalapeno, Hot, Hot Pepper Cheese ....ea $12.50
$2.99 BRATS .............................................................. lb $4.00 CUBING ................................................flat fee $10.00 CAPE MOUNT .................................................. $25.00
w/CHEESE ............................................................... lb
We BUY DeeR HIDeS at MaRKet ValUe PICK UP OR DROP OFF TIMES..........7AM-8PM
GRINDS
Just Grinds/Not Vacuumed Sealed........................ lb 50¢ Vacuumed Sealed .................................................. lb 90¢ Pork Added ............................................................ lb $2.00 Beef Added ............................................................ lb $3.00 Bacon Added ......................................................... lb $3.00 Suet Added ............................................................ lb $1.50
222507
2B
Daily News • Saturday, October 10, 2015
“This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption. Let us give praise to our maker and glory to his bounty by learning about beer.” — Friar Tuck, “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” movie (1991)
Fall Fun
Home brewing A ‘cool’ idea for fall
A
s the temperatures drop, so too does the number of enjoyable outdoor activities. However, there is one unique, fun, yet (at times) frustrating outdoor hobby one can enjoy during fall and winter— brewing beer.
that built-up from last year. Yes, that’s right, LAST year. Please, none of you home brewers out there give me any guff for not brewing in a year. It has been a long, arduous year, to say the least! Once the dust settled — literally — I scrubbed down my brew kettle along with my carboys, wort chiller, my mash paddle, thermometers, airlocks and my myriad other brewing accessories, using the tried-andtrue Io-STAR, or an iodinebased sanitizer, plus soap. Never, ever, EVER use bleach as it has a tendency to stick to your brewing equipment, which can — and has — ruined manya-batch of beer.
THE FIRST STEP — DECIDE ON A FLAVOR Last Sunday, with the cold, overcast skies spitting drizzling rain down on the ground, I made myself a batch of homebrewed beer in my garage. Specifically, I set out to create an All-American IPA, or an India Pale Ale for you less beer-enlightened folks. Actually, what I made is yet to be determined. Any STEP THREE experienced home brewer — BREW TIME will tell you with a straight Once the cleaning was face that what done, I was ready your recipe says to brew. It all and what you starts with hot actually get in water. your bottle are Now, heating often two sepaup about 6 galrate things. lons of mash By Brad Klosner Nonetheless, I Daily News staff writer water sounds was making an like an easy proAll-American IPA from a cess, but it is a study in recipe I gleaned and patience. It takes a long tweaked from the Internet time to get 60 degree machine. I decided to dub water heated up to 150 my beer the “Po’ Folks IPA.” degrees. This is the temThe recipe was simple, perature I needed to actione of which I figured vate the beta amylase would be easy to brew all enzyme (as opposed to the while photographing the alpha amylase, that and writing about for a converts using slightly column (ingenious, I higher temperatures) know!). There is a proverb which would act as the which says something agent to convert highly about “the best laid plans,” fermentable sugars out of which comes to mind. my grain bed in my sinFor my grain bill, I used gle-infusion mash process 8 pounds and 4 ounces of for the IPA style I desired. two-row pale malt and 4 Phew. That was a pounds of American crys- mouthful. tal 20L malt. I decided I About an hour and half would use a combination later, the water was heatof Cascade and Centennial ed up to 160 degrees (in hops for my bittering order to account for the agents. drop in temperature due I wanted to create a cit- to the actual temperature rusy, crisp beer of which of the grain when I put it Cascade and Centennial into the water) and I could hops are famous for. get to mashing. The For my yeast, I went out “mash” is basically the on a limb and tried a yeast grains soaking in water and brand I was not famil- heated to a certain temiar with — White Labs perature in order to effecCalifornia Ale WLP001. tively break down starch into fermentable sugars. THE SECOND STEP — However, the grains CLEANING dropped my temperature Once you’ve decided down to about 140 on what to make, the next degrees, which is accept— and perhaps the most able for the type of sugar— important step in home conversion I was seeking, brewing is cleaning. Ask but lower than I desired. any brewer — master or So I kicked my turkey fryer amateur — and they will (not Friar) into gear and tell you brewing beer is got the temperature back 90 percent cleaning and up to about 150 degrees. 10 percent brewing. That is the short verCleanliness is next to god- sion. The long version liness, a saying with consists of checking with which I am sure Friar Tuck a separate thermometer would agree. Especially that was 12 degrees off, when it comes to beer. adding ice cubes, dealing Cleaning is easier said with a temperamental turthen done, however. As I key fryer, cussing a lot pulled out my beer equip- and, ultimately, getting to ment from storage, I inad- the desired temperature. vertently started a dust Did I mention cussing? storm, an accumulation There was a lot.
Keeping a solid mash temperature in a stainless steel kettle is difficult, at best. I think I need to construct a mash tun out of a cooler rather than use my kettle. A mash tun (pronounced mash “ton”) is the vessel in which the grains are mashing. Many people use specially converted Igloo coolers for this process as they maintain a steady temperature for the hour or so grains need to mash. Bump the flame of the propane burner too high, and you activate a different enzyme (the infamous alpha amylase), which is not the worst. Or the sugars can stop converting altogether, which is the worst. Go too low and the sugar conversion also stops. I was trying to keep it at that 150 mark using a combination of three beach towels wrapped around the kettle as well as the occasional heat blast. Well, I got there, but it also involved the use of a lot of cuss words. As it turns out, cussing may or may not be a staple in home brewing (OK, I’ll admit it, it is). So, I moved my mash to the bottling bucket, hastily cleaned out my grain from the kettle and prepared for the boil. I put the extracted liquid back into the kettle, and in that moment, the mash became the wort. Brewers have great terminology. (On a side note, I gave the used grain to my chickens who ate high on the hog on Sunday and Monday. Buk, buk.) Now the boil is important because it not only sanitizes the wort but, in combination with hops, acts as the bittering process. This “balances” the beer by offsetting the sweetness of the grains’ sugars. Bringing the liquid up from about 130 degrees to the boiling temp of 212 degrees does not take as long, but it does take some significant time. Once I got it boiling, I dropped in 1 ounce of Cascade hops for 60 minutes, 1 ounce of Centennial hops for 30 minutes, which was followed by another ounce of Centennial for 15 minutes. LAST STEP — ADDING THE YEAST AND FERMENTING Brewing is all about temperatures. Once that boil is complete, the brewer is ready to “pitch the yeast,” or putting yeast in the hoppedup wort. However, yeast needs a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees to live in and the wort temperature has to be dropped quickly … or else. Post-boil, what you have is a multi-gallon vat of sugar water, which is highly susceptible to bacterial growth.
And bacterial growth is the big “no-no” for beer brewing. Luckily, I previously made myself a wort chiller, which is basically a long length of copper tubing coiled around itself, which is then hooked to a normal garden hose. The copper tubing is inserted into the wort and the water turned on, which acts as a heat converter by absorbing the heat of the wort into the water and dispelling it. The fall temperatures help in this process by not only quickly reducing the temperature but also reducing the likelihood of bacterial infection. However, this is a crucial step, as any home brewer would agree, and it is met with a little anxiety while waiting for that thermometer to produce the right temperature. In the end, the temperature did drop when and where I needed it, and I was able to sploosh my finished wort into my carboy (fermentation vessel) and pitch my yeast into my concoction. As of today, my airlocks are happily bubbling away as the yeast happily gobbles up the sugars present in my expertly hopped wort. As the yeast lives, eats and, subsequently, dies, it creates alcohol and carbon dioxide. We’re talking ABV (alcohol by volume) and carbonation here, which is essential and crucial for any respectable IPA. The wort will sit in the carboy for seven days before I move it to my secondary fermentor and dryhop it (adding hops during the fermentation process) for 14 days. I will then bottle it, which is its own fun, yet frustrating, process. Once in the bottles, I will condition it for at least 14 days. Then it will transform from a hopped wort with yeast into “beer.” Once again, brewers and their terminology! So, in five weeks, I will cheers to you, dear reader, while I enjoy my debacle into an autumn home brewing cycle. Daily News staff writer Brad Klosner is a selftaught home brewer from Greenville. He has been home brewing since 2012. bklosner@staffordgroup.com (616) 548-8289
Beer brewing process 1.
2.
Make sure to have plenty of Io-STAR (or any iodine-based sanitizer) to sanitize all brewing equipment. NEVER use bleach as a sanitizer as it “sticks” to the equipment and is hard to rinse off.
Multiple ounces of your choice of hop variety to act as the bittering agent and balance to the sweetness of various grains needed for your home brew.
3
4.
The “mash” is the process in which grain is added to hot water, which converts fermentable sugars from the grain granules themselves.
Brewing all starts with heating up water to the desired mashing temperature, which falls between 140 and 160 degrees.
6.
5.
Part of the mashing process is maintaining a steady temperature in the mash tun (or heating vessel) for at least an hour and upwards of two.
When you remove the sugar-infused liquid from the grains during the mash, the liquid is then called the “wort.”
7. 8.
Once the wort is removed, it is then off to the boil where the hops are added to put a bit of “bitter” in the beer.
9.
Hops are essential to any beer, whether dark or light, to balance out the sweet sugars from the grains. These hops have been processed into pellets.
10.
Hops are essential to any beer, whether dark or light, to balance out the sweet sugars from the grains. These hops have been processed into pellets.
A finished brew needs a proper airlock (pictured on top) of the carboy to ensure no outside bacteria infects and ruins the brew.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH Greenville Expo Contact the Chamber at (616) 754-5697
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30TH Business Trick-or-Treating Contact the Chamber at (616) 754-5697
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31ST Neighborhood Trick-or-Treating Contact the Chamber at (616) 754-5697
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH Celebrate a Hometown Christmas Parade Santa Park Party • Tree Lighting Ceremony Contact the Chamber at (616) 754-5697
223045 223046
Happy Autumn! www.greenvillechamber.net
223039
NOW THRU NOV. 21, SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES BY HAVING FUN WITH GREENVILLE BUSINESS BINGO Here’s your chance to shop local, keep more of your hard earned money in our local community and win 100’s of Local Loot while doing it. Visit our website for more info.
Youth Hunt
Daily News • Saturday, October 10, 2015
3B
Michigan 2015 Youth Hunt Keaton Keeler
Keaton Keeler, 10, of Greenville, was a lucky and successful Youth Hunt participant this year, finding this buck along his path. “We were sitting in a blind and not seeing much so my mom and me walked around our property line. We snuck up on this and I shot it while it was running.”
Titus Bretzke Dakota Abbey
Titus Maximus Bretzke, 12, of Greenville bagged an 8-point buck this hunting season. “I hunted real hard for two days and didn’t think I was going to get one and then, with 15 minutes left in the 2015 youth hunt, I shot this 8-point! Its rack was 19 inches wide and weighed almost 200 pounds. I shot it with a .243 from 140 yards.”
Dakota Abbey, 9, of Howard City, bagged her first buck during the Youth Hunt event, an 8-pointer.
Mattie Anderson
Valori Vinton
Nick Albert Mattie Anderson, 13, a Montcalm County resident, bagged this doe during Michigan’s Youth Hunt.
Valori Vinton, 15, a Montcalm County resident, bagged her first buck during Michigan’s Youth Hunt event. 221901
LillY Davis 221759
Nick Albert, 9, of Belding, took down a whopper, a 12-point buck, his first. He shot it from more than 100 yards with a muzzleloader.
Come see over 200 taxidermy displays! Deer, Bear, Turkey, Wolf and More “Free Tours”
Collin Galbraith All cut, wrapped, and frozen Walk-In Cooler All Boneless Meat
Guaranteed your own deer back We buy deer hides
anD taxiDermy
Family Owned & Operated for Over 30 Years
13-year-old Collin Galbraith of Greenville was a successful Youth Hunt participant, bagging a bear.
Lilly Davis, 9, of Grand Ledge, harvested an 8-point buck in Lakeview this hunting season. She enjoyed the experience with her father, Bryan Davis, and sister, Anna. This was Lilly’s first hunting experience.
LIVE BAIT
TACKLE
3160 W Howard City-Edmore Rd Six Lakes, MI 48886
221898
Parr’s Deer Processing
989-291-3776 CUSTOM FOOD PLOTS
989.365.9559 Jamey & Lori Sadler, Owners 221899
4B
Daily News • Saturday, October 10, 2015
Youth Hunt
Michigan 2015 Youth Hunt
Abbey Rowland
Hailey Miniard
Liam Jensen Abbey Rowland, 15, of Greenville, bagged her fourth deer, hunting on her grandparents’ farm in Morley.
Paris Almas Liam Jensen, 8, of Carson City, joined the “first deer club” during Michigan’s Youth Hunt, bagging this deer.
Hailey Miniard, 13, of Gratiot County, bagged this buck during Michigan’s Youth Hunt this year.
Devin Fike Gaje Glavan
Paris Almas, a sixth grade student from Greenville, outdid her father, Curtis, bagging a 10-point buck this year during Michigan’s Youth Hunt. They were hunting in the Stanton area.
Anthony Goodfellow Devin Fike, 16, of Greenville, bagged this 8-point, 125pound buck to make him officially a successful deer hunter during Michigan’s Youth Hunt this year.
A 9-year-old Gaje Glavan, left, from Orleans, bagged a doe during Michigan’s Youth Hunt. Next to him is his brother, Linkin, 6. “My grandpa took me and my little brother hunting at his house in Six Lakes. I shot a doe from 230 yards away. I had to gut it because my grandpa did it for me once last year and now I have to do it myself. We love hunting, we had a lof of fun.” Anthony Goodfellow of Greenville, pictured with his grandfather, Ron Thurston, bagged this buck during Michigan’s Youth Hunt this year.
Gavin Andres
Madison Wrisley
Tami Wright Gavin Andres, 8, of Belding, bagged this 9-point buck using his new rifle, which he practiced with all summer.
MaC ‘S Rustic Madison Wrisley, 11, of Edmore, downed her first deer this year, a 6-point buck with a 1/2-inch spread. She shot the buck from 300 yards.
sport shop
• ARCHERY • FISHING • GUNS • AMMO
• PROPANE • CAMPING • BEER • WINE
231-937-4372
221900
Tami Wright, 7, of Greenville, enjoyed a successful Youth Hunt. “I was on my iPad, looked up and saw the buck. I couldn’t get my saftey off, but after two minutes, I did, and got my buck at 7:43 a.m. My first hunt ever, I will always remember it.”
MAPLE RAPIDS LUMBER MILL
519 Ensley St. Howard City, MI 49329
STATE LICENSED
& INSPECTED
BUYERS OF STANDING TIMBER
Phone 989-682-4225 Evenings, call 989-875-4565
221835
www.maplerapidslumber.com 6366 N. Forest Hill Rd., St. Johns
Open for Youth Hunt from 10am-8pm both days. Visit yesdeerpro.com for October hours. 222024
WE BUY DEER HIDES