Recovery

OH BOY does my liver need a rest!  Charley and Steve came to visit and I think we hit up one to many breweries.  Then on top of that there was bourbon!!  Time to rehydrate and get ready for round two when the other two kids, their husbands and all the grand kids come next weekend. Why does one always drink more when family is around.  Is it my family or are all ya all like this??  Maybe my family drives me to drink.  NO, this certainly is not the case!  Just having fun and get carried away with all the fun!  So looking forward to another visit from family.  It is totally awesome that where ever we go they follow.

And now for something beautiful (not as beautiful as family) but some new flowers have been popping out and I just can not help myself.  Actually my camera just pops out of the pocket and takes pictures on its own.  Not sure why it doesn't want to take selfies.

Guest Blogger!

Guest blogger!!!

Hi y'all!! I'm Charley, Dick and Dawn's second daughter (out of 3)! Yes, I am from the south (Raleigh, which is the 'north' of the south so it almost doesn't count) so y'all is perfectly acceptable. We had a great day today. Not such an exciting start to the day.... but we went to the Sprint store, where Dad and I got new phones. So exciting for us but not very much for anyone else.

After that we headed to Grand Haven, Michigan. We stopped at Odd Sides Brewery first. Ordered some delicious sandwiches and gyros from surrounding restaurants. And the beer was delicious!

Next we headed to the Grand Haven State Park. Located on Lake Michigan. Dick and Steve (my husband) threw a zip chip around the beach for a bit, while Dawn and I watched some of the kite surfers doing their thing.  Then we took a short walk out to the lighthouse. 

Fantastic weather today (yes a bit breezy but wonderful).  We did hit up two Grand Rapids Breweries after (Greyline and the Mitten) but no associated pictures. They were most excellent though.  Oh and obligatory Dawn's "I almost died!" post is when were were walking out to the lighthouse. Some waves were cresting over the walkway and she was pretty sure she almost died...

Busy, busy

Hello fans,  We have begun our work camping job and thus far, we are having a blast.  How can this be not fun!! We have to spend 4 hours a weekend blowing a train whistle and watching kids bounce around in a metal barrel.  We lost only one kid thus far but after a few moment his head popped out of the barrel.  He is just the cutest smiley faced, red haired, blue eye, happy guy and I would have hated to lose him.  There are not many kids in the park so we get the same every time but they still have fun.  The faster we go the more whiplash they get and love it.  Roads here are all dusty and sandy, so the ride can be pretty hazardous to the eyeballs.  They don't care!!  Fun is being had by all!

Charly and Steve came to visit and as you can see, Dick was so excited.  NO really he was but this picture just shows a little different.  It was after all fathers day when she arrived so he was entitled to do what ever he wanted!! We are making our rounds to a bunch of breweries while they are visiting and some other adventures that are undecided but will maybe post about later.

Charley has request to be a guest blogger so you may hear from her sometime tonight or later this week.  Off to Grand Haven to drink beer and walk the boardwalk!!

Slacking

Well it's been a couple of days and I just don't want you all to miss us to much.  There have been some low flying plane lately.  Dick days they are crop dusters.  I say they are campground spies trying to catch a looksie at all the babes on the beach.  We have a great beach here but babes?? I hardly think so!  There are a couple of people staying here that tend the beach and do a great job. 

 

The Lake has all kinds of springs and lots of fish.  They love hanging out by the springs and it is cool to just sit and watch them.  If you check out the pictures you will see a big guy right by shore and a little fish in each of the circles where the springs are.  These fish also like to nip at your toe and fingers when you are floating around.  We just splash around a lot so they don't bother us!  Scares the crap out of you when they nip but since they are only baby sharks, their teeth have not developed yet!

I got the baking bug this week to.  I got to tell you baking in a convection microwave is still freaky!  Putting metal pan in there and hitting start and running to the door just in case it sparks and flame start shooting our is not relaxing but the outcome has been great,  Brownies, begals, parm biscuits and so much more.  I would consider baking a near death experience every time so I won't do it to often.

Lastly, our doing nothing at the campground has come to an end.  We are officially on the weekend schedule.  Dick had a driving lesson and I have to be his side kick and make sure that the train whistle gets blown and kids don't fall out with his crazy driving.  This is certainly an easy job for a free campsite and we begin this Friday so watch for some pictures of children all bloody and crying scattered all over the roads!!! Life is still good & trees are still pretty!!!

Friends

Another beautiful day!! I hope it always stays breezy. We have not turned on the AC and I hope we never have to.  If we get to hot we can just walk across the road and go jump in a lake!! PERFECT way to cool off.

We met some pretty cool people in the camp a couple of weeks ago and have had word/beers/wine/ and bourbon with them a few times and today they invited us to a local winery (GREAT WINE).  They are members and get a free glass a day or a free flight for 4 people.  What a deal.  I had a great dry flight and enjoyed all of them.  We came back to camp and went to their site for more wine.  We brought chees and crackers and they had homemade bagel bites and almond and some fabulous dates that they brought back from Arizona with them. Bill and Lisa are some awesome Michiganners who winter in AZ and thus far we have shared many stories.  Summer is looking up at the little camp by the highway!! 

Make some brownies, watch out for bears & peace be with you all!!

More flowers & stuff

I know you all missed my nature pictures, so today we went on another hike! It was the weirdest place to pull into. We drove down a driveway, as per the directions and came upon a house.  A old guy came out and apparently I came up to him to quickly because he pulled a gun on me.  Just kidding!!  He did however put up his hands and said 6 feet please.  Well....I backed off and he told us where the trails were (no map).  I think maybe he just made this place and likes to have people wander around or someone to talk to on occasion. Probably a Michigan serial killer or maybe just a nice guy!   I think I will go with the later.  One can never be sure  though.  Anyhow it was totally cool.  Lots of wild flowers and tons of berries are going to pop out later this summer.  

There were no near death experiences on this hike but I do have to say that this is the 1st time in many many years we have experienced bugs that bite.  Spiders & flies & mosquitos OH MY!!! Enjoy the flowers and all the pretty stuff. I love that everything flowers and each flower is so unique and beautiful.  Dick kind of looks like a flower growing out of the ferns.  I have also started collecting feathers from our walks.  Today I found a really big pterodactyl feather that was amazingly huge!!   Just because it is considered a  reptile bird does not mean it does not have feathers!!! DAH!!!  How can it fly with out feathers and who can really say it is extinct??  I know some of you might say it is a turkey feather or some other bird of this world but I know better and you should know better than to question me!!

Up & Down

Man the weather has been crazy.  So many storms of late.  But guess what....we still had fun.  Fun is a smile on your face. This happens if you take a good shit or if you take a fabulous walk in the woods or if you playing cards in the rain  or or or. There are so many little thing in this world that make us smile and laugh. There are to many ups in this world to bring us down.

  

I do however have one opinion......THE MEDIA SUCKS!!!!  If everyone would just treat others as you would treat your family or yourself this world would not be in a state of self destruction!  Live happy and treat all with respect!! I really have numerous opinions as you all know and I will express them at will.

Don't hold that against me.

Summer has arrived!!!

Man it is hot out there.  I am so glad they decided to open up the beach today!!  We were the 1st ones out there floating around and cooling off!  We also went out and discovered another beach just in case the campgrounds was not up to snuff.  It was fabulous accept for the fishies that think my toes are worms.  Thank goodness for noodles. Floating on our little float chairs with our feet supported by noodles was awesome.  A little sunburn for Dick but all in all a good float.  

Bars, breweries and eateries are all open now so more exploring in the future. Dick participated in his 1st disc golf tourney a couple days ago and had a great time and said the course was fabulous.  I had a me day and didn't do a dam thing. Our days here in Michigan are just flying by and fun is still had every day. 

Oh for the ......

This is me smiling!!!!  Not because of the things that have transpired over the last couple of days, but because I am alive and happy and I have discovered a new favorite saying.  Dick and I have been playing a lot of cards as of late. OK We have always played a lot of cards but in the past I thought I had a fighting chance of winning!! What was I thinking???? Cards for him is like cooking for me. If he was cooking, his favorite saying would be the same.  Oh for the fuck sake!!!!!  Life is still good!!

Dark day!!

Today QuadGraphics  screwed Dick over royally!!  That is my opinion and mine only!! 36 years and no thank you, no good bye, no nothing!! March 31st he was to retire but the whole virus thing halted that.  He had 6 weeks of approved vacation and a month sabbatical taken away from him. He told them retirement was not an option with so much on the table and they agreed and put him on furlough and he collected a whopping 6 weeks of unemployment only to be told today that it is over and you get nothing more!!  No thank you, no recognition, no fabulous or not so fabulous parting gift,  none of the vacation or the sabbatical.  This is how a company works during the hard times to pay back the people who have put blood, sweat and tears into a company for 36 years. I am sure he has hard feeling about this but I can not express his feelings.  I know this has been done to many, and I also know this is not going to effect us financially. Mentally I would have never thought this company would fuck us over.  My Mother worked here, my Father worked here & I have had a number of siblings work here.  I worked here for years and met Dick here.  It was a different company and a different time.  I will not miss the long hours he has put into this place.   Vent  over!!

On to better things, better days and no stress!! More wood walks, & more gathering of nature things for me to me ridiculous things, more beer travels and most importantly....MORE FAMILY TIME!!

Into the woods

I can not think of a better way to spend the day than exploring the woods.  There have been some bear sightings in our area but we have yet to see any.  Thank goodness because Dick often remind that he would be ok because he is faster than the slowest person in the group and since our group is just us.....!

This is a picture of us in on the trail.  Can you see me way up there!  I look really good in this kind of picture.  I even look skinny next to this tree!!

The forest was full of vines!  I think Tarzan lived here at one time. I got up close and personal with a pine tree.  Pines are so pretty but so sappy ( kind of like Hallmark movies but not).

We are very fortunate to have ALL the time to explore.  The campground we are at is not running as usual.  They are not taking reservations for their cabin or their tent sites for the whole summer (at least that is the plan now).  This mean that all the workers they let stay here for free (I thing there are 3 other couples) have nothing to do.  We are on stand by in case they change their mind.  We believe this will be highly unlikely.  So we get to live for free & do what ever makes us happy.  Our plan is to do this for years to come but it usually would included volunteering 20 hours a week between the two of us in exchange for a free site/electric/laundry or what ever other perks the RV park would offer.  This is certainly a strange situation but we are enjoying it.  We have contacted the museum in Alaska and they await our arrival for 2021.  We still plan on going to Arizona/New Mexico for the fall and San Antonio for the winter.  We are also slated for two months at the CARE center in Livingston Texas for February and March of 2021 prior to our travel to Alaska.  Of course we know plans change and we are happy to go with the flow.

Life is good!