The big change we made was offering the catalog online rather than printing it, and mailing the post card instead. Sales were strong so we know it was well-received, but I would welcome any feedback you have on the experience. Did any of you load the PDF to your iPad, for instance? Let me know.

Like everyone else, we are having a mild winter so far. The squirrels are really fat, and I took that as them needing to have extra for the tough winter ahead. Perhaps it’s just that they’ve been able to forage longer. While the snowfall has been dismal, all of our northern ski resorts have very large and high tech snowmaking operations, and with the modern groomers are able to keep 65-100% of their runs open, despite the lack of natural snowfall. Crystal Mountain is 90% open according to this morning’s report, and everyone skiing there has reported it to be excellent, not just good. So, don’t stay home…come north and ski!

I’m one of those who cross country ski, so it looks like I’m going to be renting and going downhill.

We are part of a group that put up an ice skating rink this winter, over on the basketball court by Northwoods Hardware. The mild temperatures have been unkind to it, but we think we’ll get some skating in this weekend. Mine are sharpened and have new laces! When you come north, bring your blades.

Chocolate Mistletoe Mint has been a huge hit since it’s introduction, and we’re pleased so many of you gave it a try, and have come back for more. If you ever think that there’s a flavor we should offer, let me know and I’ll run it by the research and development department.

See you on the slopes!

[Are you a Facebook Friend?  Join us to keep up-to-date and get special offers!]

The good news: We’ve relocated the rink to the basketball court, next to Northwoods Hardware.  The Township was very amenable to it, and is reported to have said that if there is any bacteria growing on the court, they’d like to kill it.  Here’s a photo from this morning.

New rink at the Township basketball court

With freezing temperatures returning Sunday night, we look forward to skating next week.  Mine are sharpened and have new laces!

Spearheaded by Lee Houtteman, “it will be a true family-style skating rink. We’ll have some lights and music, and just bring folks together for some fun,” says Lee.  “All ability levels are welcome, we will have milk crates on the ice to help the younger kids get started.” Ed Connolly, Lee Houtteman, Glen Arbor Athletic Club, Cherry Republic, and Leelanau Coffee Roasting are the lead donors, with several others helping out to pay for the site preparation, boards, and plastic liner.

Skating will occur from when the ice freezes until it melts in the spring.  Lights, music, and overall skating times will be developed as demand is recorded.  Stephanie & Bob Sutherland will keep an eye on the rink, and encourage folks to park on Pine Street and walk down the lane to the rink.

“Leelanau Coffee Roasting will try and adapt to the hours if there is demand–we usually close at 3 p.m. on Friday and Sunday,” says Michael Buhler.  “Coffee, hot chocolate, and the bathrooms will all be available, but we can’t have skates inside the cafe,” he adds.

If you’d like to submit feedback on skating and Cafe hours, you’re welcome to contact Mike in the Cafe, or via email: mike@coffeeguys.com

Ekobrew – Reusable Filter for Keurig

It’s hard to believe that December is upon us. It seems like it was just July. Or is that wishful thinking? The snow hasn’t arrived yet, but I think that’s because of two things: I bought a snow blower, and haven’t put my snow brush in the car yet. I’ll toss it in tonight!

Glen Arbor is still festive without the snow because all the businesses are lit up for the Holidays, and the tree at the Town Hall is properly decorated this year (the lights were a disaster last year). The cafe is all trimmed for Christmas (thanks, baristas), and everyone around here is in a very festive mood. We hope you are too

This year we tried something radically different, and did not mail out a catalog. Instead, we sent you a post card, and asked you to download it, saving paper, and hopefully cutting down on waste. The reaction has been positive, and we have printed and mailed a few dozen to those of you who requested them (and you may do so here). Most everyone is ordering online, and has broadband internet, so we hope you like this move. I would appreciate any feedback. Did anyone try it on an iPad?

I roll my eyes every time I hear “Black Friday,” since it’s a contrived term, and seems so negative. Cyber Monday is okay (this year we quadrupled last year’s sales on that day—but why?). I like our little contribution to the shopping vernacular, Green Saturday. Next Saturday, December 10th, place your order online and type in the coupon code green for 10% off your gifts. It’s always been a hit with you (and good for us too), and just in time for any last-minute gifts. And since you, dear newsletter reader, are among our best customers, you clearly deserve the best deals we can offer.

Finally, I have a great new item for you: Ekobrew. It is a nifty little device that allows you to spoon in your favorite Leelanau Coffee (we recommend a finer, cone filter grind) and then brew it in a Keurig! This gives you the one-cup convenience you like, but with any Leelanau Coffee you like as well. You know how important fresh coffee is, so we’re able to deliver that, and cut down on waste and cost (K-cups cost twice as much as our coffees!). The packaging is great, too, making it perfect for a gift box of Leelanau Coffee.

Have a great Holiday, relax with some Leelanau Coffee, and we’ll hope to see a bunch of you up here for New Years. And don’t worry, I made a reminder to put my snow brush in the car.

Remember the contest? Marlene was the sole person to correctly guess that it would first hit 32° on October 28th (at about 4 a.m.). Some of you crazy folks chose early September dates (remember: Lake Michigan keeps us warm in the fall, cool in the spring), and several wishful guessers hoped for late in November. At this rate, snow on Thanksgiving is looking possible.

Ahh…Thanksgiving…time for our second craziest Glen Arbor tradition (the first being the Fourth of July Parade): The Pajama Party. Did you think I was going to write turkey? Nah, it’s the Friday after Thanksgiving that stalwart shoppers, insomniacs, and those who just like a good laugh come out from 5-7 a.m. in their pajamas to shop for some deals. Most businesses are open and have special savings or special treats for shoppers. You owe it to yourself to try it at least once. Folks will come up from Manistee, over from Kalkaska, and down from Elk Rapids just to check it out. So if you’re even closer, come on over! We’ll be here for you. Well, Heather will be.

We traditionally get our Holiday Catalog out to you in late November, and this year we’re going to try something different. You can view and download it online, but we’ll only mail it out on request (you can email me or call 800/424-5282). We will be sending out a reminder postcard, and I will also send along the link and the very popular discount code in another week. Ten years ago, almost all the orders were via telephone, with a few coming in via the Post Office, and just a smattering of internet orders. Today, it’s almost all internet, some phone calls, and a smattering of mailed-in orders. So we thought, why waste all that paper and effort to mail it out? Our surveys indicated you all are comfortable with browsing online, and ordering in your pajamas at your convenience. So, let’s give it a try!

Finally, we have a new seasonal coffee flavor: Chocolate Mint Mistletoe. Only, there is no actual mistletoe in the mix, just our wonderful, freshly roasted coffee, with hints of chocolate and peppermint. And, as always, no fat and no calories, but tons of great aroma and flavor. You can find it in the Holiday Coffee section of our website.

Have a terrific month, and watch for the link to the Holiday Catalog. Like Nordstrom, we don’t like to start the season too early.

Speaking of Halloween, the Glen Arbor merchants will once again have our party for the kids on Sunday, October 30th from 1-4. We love to see the kids parade around in their costumes, and Bad Sue at Riverfront Deli always pulls out all the stops to scare as many (formerly) brave souls as possible.

No freezing temperatures yet, and all the choice dates have been chosen, so as soon as it freezes we’ll have a contest winner.

Meanwhile, you all need an incentive & reward to stock up for the chilly weather. So, order three or more pounds of coffee online during October, and save 10%. Use the coupon code fall (yeah, fall, how original) at checkout.

Remember, plan your summer vacation early this year, and we know we’ll see a few of you in the coming weeks, and lots of you at Thanksgiving.

One thing that has kept us abuzz and warmed our hearts is the selection of the Sleeping Bear Dunes as “The Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America! During Monday’s 16th Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk over the Narrows Bridge, we shot this thank-you video for GMA. Hopefully they will run it on the show. And then TV 7&4 aired a small segment about Leelanau Coffee Roasting.

The Park is reporting a surge in visitors, and we have seen them around these past few weeks. Many new vacationers are calling in and making reservations for next summer, so I urge you now: if you always count on a particular place to stay, or a particular week, make your reservations now. We don’t want our loyal supporters to be disappointed.

Thank you for your support of the famine in Somalia by purchasing African coffees. We have donated 50¢ of each pound sold online in August to the Red Cross to help these desperate victims. I have personally donated, and encourage you to do the same. Unless, of course, your home has been ravaged by a hurricane or wildfire, in which case our hearts go out to you, and you have larger issues right at your doorstep. Thankfully, I’ve not heard of any of you being affected.

With Fall on it’s way, and the harvesting almost finished, and the mums ready to bloom, it seems time for a seasonal contest. Go here and guess the date you feel we will first hit 32° (or less). The first person to guess the closest date wins a $25 internet gift certificate for use in our online store. We measure the temperature here, and the analytical among you might research past data. Good Luck!

It’s a slower pace now during color season, and soon the leaves will be turning. Inns and restaurants are still open, and it’s a relaxing time to take a week or weekend Up North. Do come see us.

Although it was sprinkling on and off yesterday—and is the first rain in about three weeks—the wet spring seems a long way off. July was splendidly warm and sunny, and at least around my yard rather mosquito-free, making this a terrific summer.

Glen Arbor has been packed with people, and I even heard of some tourists who showed up at The Homestead, did not have a reservation, and could not get a room. That is busy! The warm weather has us all out and about, and often on the water, whether kayaking the Crystal River or taking a dip in Sleeping Bear Bay. I even took mom down the Crystal in a kayak. By the late afternoon, though, folks flow back into town, and we see them in our garden sipping iced coffee or licking an ice cream cone. Best of all, we’ve had no one sitting all day in the cafe, hunched over a laptop.

You have probably heard about the famine that has struck Somalia, and starving families are fleeing that dysfunctional country. They are taking refuge in neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, who are barely able to handle the onslaught. I have personally donated to the Red Cross, and to call your attention to the plight, Leelanau Coffee Roasting will donate 50¢ to the Red Cross for every pound of African coffee sold online in August. If we all pitch in we can help alleviate the desperation.

I’ve met dozens of you newsletter readers and Facebook fans this summer at the shop, and it is heartwarming to know that there are so many devoted coffee aficionados out there. We enjoy watching you sniff all the coffee casks on your first visit, as you check out the aromas of our various coffees to find just the right one. We look forward to meeting more of you this summer and fall, and sending you home with your favorite beans.

It’s so lovely when the sun is up high in a clear blue sky…and I’m in the dappled shade of oaks and pines, sipping iced coffee. I hope to be there right after I finish some yard work.

Is it age or activity that makes the days fly by? That was the fastest June I can ever recall, and we’re already eight days into July. And what a terrific July it has been! Every day has been warm and had at least some sunshine. The cool/downright cold breezes off Sleeping Bear Bay have evaporated, and the Dunes have never looked so green and lush (between the trails of sand, of course). Still, it seems like last Monday was Memorial Day, not Independence Day.

Glen Arbor is abustle with people and activity, and as usual, virtually everyone is in an easygoing and happy mood. (There is always the rare person who makes himself miserable—and tries to transfer that mood—but we easily resist.) At the cafe we can get really busy for a stretch, but our customers are wonderful, and focused on getting their respective treats. A small business in a vacation spot can always have some crazy moments, and all of us have in the past two weeks. Let’s just say that you can always spot the owner, because he’s the one carrying the plunger.

Life isn’t just work, however, and we’ve all been out and enjoying the woods, dunes, lakeshore, and rivers. We’re seeing lots of family and friends, and I feel as though I’ve never been to or hosted more cookouts. Life is good! Many of you have been through Glen Arbor so far, and we know that many more of you will be coming Up North in the coming weeks.

In coffee news, it appears that coffee prices have stabilized, which means that despite the big jump in prices, they are staying consistent with inflation, and just hadn’t caught up over the last several years. Let us hope that remains true.

Enjoy July, and share your coffee experiences with us on Facebook.