Mile 27306: You'll find two warm friends in Holland, MI.

Holland has a retirement home and hospice downtown called the Warm Friend. I rather like that name but can't imagine myself living in a brick building in Downtown Holland when my rambles are over. When I first saw the name The Warm Friend on the illuminated street map last November, I instantly drew the conclusion that named applied to a fireplace by the New Holland Brewing Company. The chimney is accompanied by comfortable if concrete seating. The flame burns propane and throws a cheering light and enough heat to take a nibble off a chill. As far as I know the chimney before Kilwin's Fudge & Ice Cream doesn't have an official name, so let's just call it the Warm Friend also. How bad can the economy in Michigan really be if a woman can slice logs of fudge into quarter pound servings in a lighted window by an outdoor fireplace? This is her show, an extravagant display of fudge and butter.

November has surprised me with its warm beginning, giving us sweather weather of 55 degrees. Softens the blow of nightfall at 6 in the evening when our temperature stays above freezing for an extended Indian Summer. I have yet to see the horrible disfigurement of pumpkins and tomatoes by a savage, final frost. We are blessed in Michigan with a gentler winter thanks to the Great Lakes and blessed again that the Lake Michigan snowbelt has many frost free days. Not the 200 frost free days of Mackinac Island, but enough frost free days to feel like magic, to feel as if we've been granted grace. Consider that even Mac Island has 165 frosty days and 180 overcast days, and a Sunday in November with benevolent warmth is a gift worth recording in words.

Pints of Sundog for a buck for the next half hour, but for New Holland Brewing Company Mug Club members only? I think mug club members have a cold friend at New Holland Brewing Company. I'm not a mug club member anywhere, so I am not taking advantage of the sale. I am taking full advantage of the Hired Hands. That's five guys singing American roots music with a man on an upright bass lending a hand. A songstress with a pony tail twirled my head and caught my attention but she sang only one tune.

The hard cider here doesn't need a mug club to push. It is pleasing to drink beer and hard cider in Ottawa County where once one could have a shot of whiskey but not a beer at bar on Sunday.

You have two warm friends in Holland Michigan:
http://holland.org/

New Holland Brewing Club shows their loudly cheering, pint lifting mug clubbers the love:
http://www.newhollandbrew.com/

As long as there's fudge in the window, we should count our blessings twice:
https://www.kilwins.com/

WanderingWilbo is written by Wilbo in response to his travels for business and pleasure.