Traverse City Record-Eagle Life 2013-05-19T12:34:11-04:00 urn:uuid:2bcc1537-9811-48ba-a420-90d6a904500a Leelanau Birding Festival runs May 29-June 2 BY MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS urn:newsml:TRAV869250:s 2013-05-19T07:14:59-04:00 Robert Parsons has traveled to Texas, Arizona, Florida and even Costa Rica to seek out unusual birds. Now Parsons is adding Michigan to that list. Sand in his veins: Mountz has 38 years at Sleeping Bear BY LORAINE ANDERSON landerson@record-eagle.com urn:newsml:TRAV241479:s 2013-05-19T07:14:58-04:00 Tom Mountz is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s longest-serving employee. He can’t think of one other place in the world he would rather work. Kathy Gibbons: Time to say goodbye — once again BY KATHY GIBBONS urn:newsml:TRAV916938:s 2013-05-19T07:14:57-04:00 <p> It&#8217;s been three years since I&#8217;ve actually lived here full-time in the summer. This year will mark the fourth.</p> Terry Wooten: One poem leads to another — and friendship BY TERRY WOOTEN urn:newsml:TRAV896992:s 2013-05-19T07:14:55-04:00 <p> I was watching my own kids ride a miniature tilt-a-whirl, when I heard this old man yell, &#8220;MIMI SIT DOWN!&#8221; I looked around to see who Mimi was, and there was this little carney girl slouched on a plastic chair on a merry-go-round.</p> Births: 05/19/2013 urn:newsml:TRAV868647:s 2013-05-19T07:14:53-04:00 MILLER — A son, Elijah Thomas, to Tom and Amy (McNeil) Miller of Lake Ann, March 28. Travel in Brief: 05/19/2013 urn:newsml:TRAV896040:s 2013-05-19T07:14:52-04:00 Agritourism listings; New exhibit; Disney at Palace. (Plus more) Community in Brief: 05/19/2013 urn:newsml:TRAV701129:s 2013-05-19T07:14:51-04:00 Beekeepers meeting; Korean War story; Swirl in Petoskey; and more. Priest uses big rig to make special deliveries BY LORAINE ANDERSON urn:newsml:TRAV914268:s 2013-05-18T07:14:59-04:00 Father Ray Cotter delivers more than sermons. Two weeks ago, the former truck truck driver turned priest drove a semi-tractor-trailer rig to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., to pick up 1,164 free military computers for use in Michigan Catholic schools in the dioceses of Lansing, Saginaw, Gaylord and Marquette. Mental Wellness: Dealing with difficult people BY JOSEPH SANOK urn:newsml:TRAV897324:s 2013-05-18T07:14:58-04:00 <p> There was a time when I really enjoyed conflict. I don&#8217;t mean between people, but I felt like social change almost always happened when people stood up for their beliefs. This also was during a period in my life when my hair was dyed like a leopard.</p> Body & Soul in Brief: 05/18/2013 urn:newsml:TRAV619256:s 2013-05-18T07:14:57-04:00 Lupus meeting; cancer survivor picnic; Lyme disease support group; and more.