Photo Credit to Brad Zesinger
Spring Cleaning
From Lola Mendez, National Geographic
As the Northern Hemisphere ushers in the new season, a contagious urge to dust off cobwebs and toss out clutter emerges. Spring cleaning, a deep cleanse of one’s home, is a tradition ingrained in societies worldwide, with roots tracing back to ancient times.
It also holds symbolic significance. Viewed as a fresh start, the tradition symbolizes the transition from the dormant winter season to the vibrant growth of spring. By purging the home of accumulated debris and organizing its contents, individuals create a cleaner living environment and a sense of mental clarity and freshness.
“With each sweep of the broom and polish of the surface, we honor a tradition that transcends time, uniting us with generations past in a shared pursuit of renewal and rejuvenation,” says Danielle Patten, director of creative programs and collections at the Museum of the Home in London.
Benefits of spring cleaning
Human behavior is greatly influenced by the cycles of nature. In the colder months, we have less energy to spare for chores such as deep cleaning. We’re not being lazy; limited daylight triggers the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy.
“When we’re cleaning, we often have to be present to the task at hand, and this can bring us into the present moment causing us to feel more aware, engaged and observant. The repetitive nature can also be soothing,” Skinner says.
“Melatonin causes us to feel less inclined to refresh our space. When the seasons start to shift, feelings of sluggishness reduce, and we regain energy and feel inspired to deep clean our living environments,” says author and psychotherapist Eloise Skinner. “When we refresh our environments, we can feel a sense of new beginning, or a renewed sense of drive and ambition.”
Studies have also shown that cleaning can be therapeutic, as seen by the new generation of “cleanfluencers” taking social media by storm. Millions of people watch them scour filthy homes and dole out cleaning hacks.
“When we’re cleaning, we often have to be present to the task at hand, and this can bring us into the present moment causing us to feel more aware, engaged and observant. The repetitive nature can also be soothing,” Skinner says.
Religious and cultural origins
One of the earliest known references to spring cleaning is found in the Jewish tradition of Passover, which is observed annually in March or April. People remove all traces of chametz or leavened bread, which is prohibited leading up to the holiday. Its removal symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, unable to wait for their bread to rise before their journey to freedom.
Similarly, Catholics clean altars in churches on Maundy Thursday ahead of Good Friday, which is held annually in the spring in March or April. Nowruz, celebrated around the vernal equinox in March, involves the tradition called khāne-takānī or “shaking down the house.” People wash clothes, blankets, and textiles in preparation for this approximately 3,000-year-old holiday—which can be traced back to Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s first monotheistic religions.
Before the Lunar New Year, it’s common to cleanse the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as “sweeping the dust,” cleaning makes way for the new year’s good luck and prosperity, says Patten. Cleaning must be done before the holiday, typically in January or February, since sweeping after the festivities is seen as removing good luck. In Thailand, during Songkran in April, it’s customary to deep clean homes, schools, and public spaces to purify them ahead of the Thai New Year. People toss water at each other in the streets to wash away the previous year’s bad luck and over statues of Buddha to ensure luck for the year to come.
While the concept of spring cleaning predates modern technology, advancements such as electricity and household appliances have influenced its practice. For example, before electric lights, people relied on fire from burning coal, oil, and wood to light and heat homes, which would leave behind a substantial amount of soot. Windows were kept securely closed to prevent a deadly draft from entering.
Come spring, it was pragmatic to open the windows to air out stuffy homes, remove grime, and repair any damages that occurred during the winter months. Inventions such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning agents have made the process more efficient and convenient, allowing for deeper and more thorough cleaning of living spaces.
Commodore’s Comments
Hello neighbors and friends,
Spring is here! April showers bring May flowers. The weather changes dramatically from day to day. We have highs in the 70s and lows in the 20s. One day we’re wearing winter coats and the next day we’re wearing short sleeve shirts! In a couple months, those warm and enjoyable days will eventually become the norm.
As our temperatures elevate, outdoor activities are more enjoyable. I have a couple fun ideas for an individual or for a family outing:
- There are numerous South Bend Cubs home games starting in April for baseball fans. Go Cubs! Kids especially love the bounce houses.
- The Potawatomi Zoo will be displaying “Zoo Luminate” through May 25. There are over 60 large, spectacular lit up lanterns throughout the zoo. They are in the shape of animals, trees, and plants. They look beautiful!
It is that time of year to start getting our piers, boat lifts, and boats back in the lake. I can’t wait to start pontoon cruising the lake with family and friends.
Just a reminder to all, the May Spring Dinner tickets are on sale on the Birch Barker website. Event details are available to review. Hotel Elkhart is a wonderful place to kick off our first BLYC event of the year! I am looking forward to gathering with great neighbors from Birch Lake.
I wish to extend a warm welcome to any resident that has not attended a BLYC event. After we moved in our home in August of 2019, we attended the Fall Dinner. This was our first BLYC event. In December, we also attended the Christmas parties that included 3 homes on Birch Road. Everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming! We have continued to enjoy participating in many more fun social events at Birch Lake.
Many of us will be celebrating Easter with our loved ones. It is a spiritual time of prayer, reflection, and renewal. People of faith, commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, there are Easter Bunny activities that are magical and fun, especially for the young and young at heart. Easter egg hunts are always a big hit! We wouldn’t want to forget to put out the Easter baskets!
We all have our own personal Easter experiences to remember and treasure.
Some of those memories go way back and some will be new. Family Easter traditions get passed from generation to generation. They become very special to us. May love, peace, and joy fill the hearts of each one of you during this blessed Easter season!
We come from many different places, but we are in the same boat, we love Birch Lake!
~Commodore Julie
Fleet Captain’s Corner
Spring has sprung and the ice has melted and subsided. No more ice boat sailing but am looking forward to soft water sailing. ‘Tis the season to start getting your piers in and the summer toys out on the lake. Have started to see a few piers go in this past week and even have seen a few motor boats on the lake.
I’m in the process of preparing for and planning out the upcoming season. If anyone has any ideas to improve sailing on our lake and or are interested in helping out by setting marks or serving on the committee boat please don’t hesitate to contact me. Many hands make light work.
On another note, in the last Online Barker I noted that Eagle Lake is hosting the Eagle Lake Open MC Regatta event on Saturday, June 7. In addition to this, the Gull Lake Club is going to host the Gull Lake Michigan Invitational the next day, Sunday, June 8, on Eagle Lake, meaning there will be two separate MC Regattas at the same lake on the same weekend! Sounds like a fun weekend and if anyone is interested in taking their MCs down the road let me know, I’d be happy to help.
~ F.C. Bob
Homeowner’s Association
The Birch Lake Homeowner’s association shared the following information, which was originally published in a March email shared by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
As ice and snow cover melt on Michigan lakes this spring, you may see dead fish or other aquatic animals. Given the return to a more “normal” Michigan winter this year — with more cold days and near-average snowfall across the state — you may notice more dead fish than you have in the past few years. While such sights can be startling, the Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that it is normal for winter conditions to cause some mortality of fish and other creatures such as turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish.
“Winterkill is the most common type of fish kill,” said Aaron Switzer, DNR Fish Production Program manager. “It can be particularly common in shallow lakes, ponds, streams and canals during seasonal changes. It’s a natural phenomenon, and these kills are localized. They typically do not affect the overall health of fish populations or fishing quality.”
Shallow lakes with a large amount of aquatic vegetation and soft bottoms are more prone to winterkill, particularly when a deep snowpack reduces sunlight for the plants. Canals in urban areas also are quite susceptible, due to the large amounts of nutrient runoff and pollution from roads, lawns and septic systems that flow into these areas, especially after large storm events.
Fish also may be affected by rapid changes in water temperature due to unseasonably warm or rapidly warming temperatures, leading to stress and, sometimes, mortality. Fish can become easily stressed in winter due to low energy reserves because feeding is at a minimum in winter. They are then less able to handle low oxygen and temperature swings. That could be the case this year with the record or near-record cold temperatures and large snowfalls Michigan experienced, and potential rapid warming in the coming months.
Fish and all forms of aquatic life need dissolved oxygen to survive. When ice and snow cover reduce the daylight that reaches the water depths, aquatic plants stop producing oxygen, and many die. Bacteria use the remaining oxygen in the water to decompose the dead plants and other organic materials on the lake bottom. With available oxygen reduced, more aquatic animals die and start to break down, speeding up the rate that oxygen is used for decomposition. This further decreases dissolved oxygen levels in the water, creating a cycle of increased winterkill.
Fish and other aquatic life that die in late winter may not be noticed until well after the ice leaves lakes, as the cold water may temporarily preserve them.
“If you see dead fish as a result of winterkill, the fish may appear fuzzy. This is because of secondary infection by fungus, but the fungus was not the cause of death,” said Switzer. “The fish actually suffocated from a lack of dissolved oxygen from decaying plants and dead aquatic animals under the ice.”
Visit the DNR website for more information on fish kills in Michigan. You can report fish kills at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField; these reports are valuable to the DNR’s management of aquatic resources in Michigan. If you suspect a fish kill is due to non-natural causes, call the nearest DNR office or Michigan’s Pollution Emergency Alert System at 800-292-4706.
Public Service Announcements
Thank you, Phil and Sandy!
For decades the first Birch Lake Yacht Club event of spring was a communal trash pickup. The Commodore would organize teams of “pickers” to walk our roads and bag trash which would later be collected by the County. It was an all day affair. Now? The Vitales do it. Every. Day. Thanks Phil and Sandy for your meritorious service! ~Chrys A. Lis
Hazardous Waste Collection
Sponsored by the Cass County Board of Commissioners, the Cass County Used Passenger Tire and Household Hazardous Waste Collection events return to Cass County from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the Cass County Road Commission, 340 N. O’Keefe St., Cassopolis. With proof of residence in Cass County, people may drop off used tires from cars and pickup trucks, as well as a myriad of solid waste materials ranging from chemicals to electronics. More information here.
2025 Yacht Club Dues
It’s never too early to pay your BLYC dues for next summer! You can pay online here or mail a check payable to BLYC to:
Deb Spratt, Treasurer
18100 Farmington Hills Dr.
South Bend, IN 46637
Update Your Email Preferences
You can choose which emails you want to receive from the Birch Barker! Please click here to update your email preferences.
BLYC Directory
Corrections and updates to the new directory? Send any updates to birchbarker1@gmail.com and we’ll publish them here for folks to update their directories.
Events
2025 BLYC Board Meetings
Board meetings take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings at the Yacht Club, and are open to all lake residents. Board meetings will take place on the following dates:
- May 24
- June 21
- July 19
- August 16
- September 20
Upcoming Events
- May 17, 2025 – Spring Dinner at Hotel Elkhart, 5pm
- June TBA – Trivia Night
- June TBA – Commodore / Vice Commodore Party + Stock the Bar
- June TBA – Spaghetti Dinner
- July 5, 2025 – Boat Parade
- July 5, 2025 – Fireworks
- July 6, 2025 – Pancake Breakfast
- July 18, 2025 – Ladies’ Golf Outing
- July 25, 2025 – Men’s Golf Outing
- July TBA – Family Picnic
- August 2, 2025 – Corn & Sausage Roast
- August TBA – Fall Dinner
- September TBA – Fall Frolic
- October TBA – Bad Patty Crockpot Challenge
Kids of the Month
Great Kid of the Month submissions this month! Keep them coming!
Bud Hall and Marc Caenepeel spent a great day on the golf course in North Carolina mid-March while Debbie and Lynn shopped. Submitted by Deb Hall.
Amber and Avery Grundy spent 5 days at the Buckeye Leadership Workshop in Ashley, Ohio. The workshop is an annual event, and this was Avery’s first year attending.
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
Please share your own kids (or pets or whatever!) to be featured in an upcoming issue. You can email them to birchbarker1@gmail.com.
Classifieds
Cottage for Rent: West side, weekly rentals, Friday to Friday. Please email patriciajzoller@gmail.com or call 773-230-4521. Please see website for photos and information.
Sailboats and sailboat stuff: 1990-vintage AMF Sunfish previously owned and raced by Tom Howard here on Birch Lake is for sale. Brand new sail (still in plastic), brand new tiller and extension, 3 daggerboards, two complete mast/boom set-ups with sails, 2 rudder assemblies, plus misc. extra parts. Everything is in good to great shape. Make an offer (minimum offer $500) and take it all (or will sell parts individually).
I am willing to GIVE AWAY the famed “Whale Boat,” Melges MC that was previously owned and sailed by world-champion sailor Earl Troeger — FREE to good owner. Trailer included. Hull, decking and most components and parts are in good working order, but this will be something of a “project” boat; it needs a mast, and some parts will need to be repaired or replaced. I’d love to see it stay on the lake. If you have the desire, time and aptitude, this boat would love to sail here again!
Come see both/any/all on the south side, contact Tammy at tkhanstine@yahoo.com
For Sale: Leather sofa and love seat. Ashley furniture. Good condition. Set $375 obo.
Contact Angie at 574-304-1502
For Sale: Futon with pillows. $175 obo.
Contact Angie at 574-304-1502
Wanted to Buy: My large extended family has owned a cottage called “Chaos” (Cove) for 60 years. Our place will stay in the family… but our own individual needs have expanded and we are looking for more room so our grandkids can stay during the summer and make memories here, too. We are looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom place on the lake. If you are thinking about selling, please email Ann Nyberg at ann.nyberg@gmail.com.
Wanted to Buy: Bill and Sherry Holleman are looking to get back on to Birch Lake part-time or full-time. If you are thinking about selling, please email Sherry at dakotalynn01@aol.com.
Services: I do sewing and mending at fair prices – zippers, hemming, small alterations; call Kathy at 269-476-9317.
Barker Funnies
(click on image to enlarge)
