Monday Away

Kim & Mike, Adam and Jake after lunch at the Tuscan Grille in Manistee. Everybody seems the same as ever, and the boys are still fun, polite and interesting :) Kim looks great, and is in good health - hooray!








Found it 8/18/2008 You found US 31 Bikepath (Traditional Cache)
We came down to Manistee today to have lunch with friends and give a presentation about Medicare assistance at the Senior Center. The lunch at the Tuscan Grill was fantastic if a little on the pricey side. The Calzone's were outstanding. The presentation took about an hour and then we headed up 22 to grab some caches.

This was a quick grab, unfortunately we left our cache bag in the other car so we just signed the log, left our pencil, and picked up some beverages for the ride. Thanks for the fun and the smilie.

Found it 8/18/2008 You found Art Decko (Traditional Cache)

This is a neat spot that we would have never found - - yada, yada, yada. How often we add that to our log. It's why we have so much fun with this activity. We peeked at the art,(We are inept dilettantes when presented with art. "It obviously took skill to create but what is it?")and tried to find a place to sign the log book. It is totally, absolutely, positively, completely full. We would have added a micro book but we left our cache bag in the other car. Sorry.

Found it 8/18/2008 You found Landing At The Point (Traditional Cache)

The launch site was totally dead today, only one car in the parking lot. We retrieved the cache and took it to the cachemobile for signing when a motorcycle pulled up behind us and sat there watching. and watching, and watching. What? He's never seen cachers before?
At last he cruised the lot and left. We replaced the cache and followed.

Found it 8/18/2008 You found Memorial to Blanche (Traditional Cache)

This was the most memorable stop on our trip home. First, how do you find the park? We could have driven closer because there was a gravel road that was crossed after about 250 feet of cedar swamp bushwhacking. Anyway we didn't find either the park or that road because I spotted a trail like path that was going in the right direction just north of the boat launch and - -.
What the heck, the cache was found. She who refuses to plow through the brush stayed with the car. Then the fun began, at the cache site, just as the container was returned to it's proper location, voices were heard approaching on the true path. Attempting to quickly return to the car through the brush, the noise of snapping branches caused the woman on the path to shriek. I turned and observed a couple whose eyes were as large as saucers. I said "Sorry, it's just a bear" and pushed on into the brush.
Meanwhile, back at the car, she was reading when she looked up and saw an old guy peering in through the windshield. It seems that I had pulled in onto private property. Mrs Basswood explained what we were doing there and the elderly gentleman understood. "I have a son-in-law that does that stuff down in Lansing". We profusely apologized and as quickly as we could, drove away.
Once again, Geocaching has taken us to a place which we otherwise would never have ventured. Thanks for the fun.

Found it 8/18/2008 You found Spirit Series #2 (Traditional Cache)
On our way home from our Manistee excursion, we were running out of time and decided that we could only grab a couple more "quickie's". This one was successfully retrieved by the "Micro Maven" shortly after 4 while I was searching for something somewhere else. (When you know where the cache is, why bother with a GPS?")
Thanks for the smilie.

Found it 8/18/2008 You found Spirit Series #3 (Traditional Cache)
Our last find on a perfect day. It is a shame that days like this can not be bottled up and saved for some time in February. The temperature was a perfect 77 with a nice breeze off the lake. Unfortunately, time was running out on us and we had to get back home to Traverse City. A quick visit to the grave of Henry Starke and we were back on the road again. Thanks for the caches cobbie et al, we will catch some others on the next trip.

Gens Park

We got a call from Florida and so we all had a chance to talk to Laurie and Dylan - it was great to hear from them, and it was a lo-o-o-ong conversation.

Last night was Meet the Teacher at PCE. Dylan's 5th grade teacher will be Mrs. Carr, who team teaches with Mr. Hawkins. He says that they both seemed nice, but he was a little nervous meeting them. He also went to visit all of his previous teachers, for which he was not nervous. We discussed school, the Game (World of Warcraft), the guinea pigs, and a dream he had. We cover all of the bases!

We'll see them Labor Day weekend - they are coming to the University of Michigan/Utah football game in Ann Arbor on Aug. 30th. It will be Dylan's first visit to Michigan Stadium. We're all going to stay with the Sniders.

Jana wanted to go wading in East Bay at Gens Park. We got ready to go, and voila! The Subaru had a flat tire! Dick couldn't budge the lugnuts to change the tire. So we took the Ford and planned to call AAA later.

In the old days, when Gens Park was Mother Gen's property, the water in the bay was much higher, and there was more of a beach. Now the bay is really really low, and there's a hike to go out and get your feet wet!

It's a great little park, with boardwalks and a picnic table and a bathroom. Dick and Jana could walk out very far, and it was the perfect day for it. There was a lot of activity on the water - boats, kayaks, jet skis, parasailing, and swimmers. D and J waded around for about 40 minutes, and then hiked back to the car.

Jana wanted to eat lunch at Don's Drive-in, but it was very crowded with quite a long wait for lunch. We bailed out and ate on the deck at the North Peak. It's one of my favorite summer things to do and we haven't been there all summer for some reason. It was wonderful - again, it was the perfect day - nice moderate temperature and terrific breeze.

AAA came around 4 o'clock and changed the tire - prompt, friendly service, and we certainly do appreciate it!

A Fine Week

Monday Jana and I went walking along the TART from the West End Beach to the Open Space.

Tuesday we went to the gym and out to breakfast and ran the usual errands. In the afternoon, Jana and I went to the movies just for fun. We saw Hellboy II - we knew it would be silly - it certainly isn't for my age group! ;) We enjoyed it anyway - there was lots of action and there were good special effects.

Wednesday Jana and I went shopping at Oryana and had a sandwich. Their remodeled store is really nice and their selection is remarkable - but their prices are out of sight! Then we went to Catherine's and bought Jana some great outfits for interviewing. She really had good luck! Then we went walking around the Open Space and took a good look at the big yacht that is moored in the marina. It's a C V 9 named Bikini, registered in the Marshall Islands. What a magnificent boat!

Thursday we did gym in the morning, followed by a Doctor appointment for Dick (clean bill of health!). In the afternoon we had fun touring the property in the golf cart. That is so much fun! There were people and dogs over on our island, but our cart tour scared them away. Jana went wading in the river and went over to the island to see what it's like now. There's a fire ring, and some fire wood, and logs arranged as seats. We have no idea who's using it. We don't really care - they're not disturbing us and they're not making a mess. Later we went to town so Jana could order fudge from Murdick's to be sent to some of her friends.

Friday Dick worked at the Visitor Center then dropped off the Subaru at the dealer to fix the sunroof. We all ate lunch at Bubba's and Jana bought some books at Horizon. Then we went home and we all read books until it was time to pick up the car.

Peninsula Geocaching

Back out on Old Mission Peninsula for still more geocaching today! Jana wasn't with us the last time, so today it's her turn. We found three caches altogether, and they were all fun, especially the one at the park where there was a family reunion in progress. We were greeted by some of them as if we were part of the family - I think this one lady thought that we were!

But very best one of all was Get Your Yia Yia's Out - it was at the elusive and mysterious Lakeside Cemetery out in the inaccessible middle of nowhere! What a strange place. The gravesites are spread out far apart from each other. There is a path, but otherwise things are pretty much overgrown. Such headstones as there are can be deciphered, but many of the sites are just marked with a stake or a white cross. Fascinating, interesting, unusual, and a little creepy. We loved the experience!

8/10/2008 You found Chicknkid Hole In One (Traditional Cache)
We came out today to grab the last 3 caches we haven't found out here. This one is new since our last excursion. We spotted the location from back a ways but stealth was required because of a rather large family picnic being organized in the pavilion. No problem, I'm sure they see grey haired folks playing on the merry-go-round all the time. We took nothing, just signed the log and left our card and a glass heart. Thanks for the fun.

Found it 8/10/2008 You found Get your Yia Yia's Out (Traditional Cache)
We were out here a couple of weeks ago and tried to have our grandson help his Yia Yia find this one but we were too timid in our route selection. Back home we consulted the Topo and spotted the right road. Sadly, he had to go back to Florida before we could make a return trip. This is a GREAT cache location! It is now one of our all time favorites. We have explored the Peninsula many times over the years but had never found this spot before. We will show it to the Worlds Greatest Grandson next summer.
There is a story that goes with this spot. In 1997, Steven Lewis was visiting his father-in-law, local historian Walter Johnson who brought him to the cemetery. While showing him the monument to George Parmelee, told of a young 22 year old woman named Julia Curtis who, in the spring of 1895, was discovered dead in a hemlock swamp near East Bay. Woodruff Parmelee, George's son was tried and, despite having an alibi, was convicted of her murder. This story is the basis of Lewis's book "Murder on Old Mission". It is a fun read. Thank you for bringing us here, we never would have found it on our own.

Found it 8/10/2008 You found Farmer's Cache (Multi-cache)
We had enough time for a multi today and since this was the last unfound cache on the Peninsula for us we went for it. Some shortcuts were involved and considerable bushwacking so as to keep our foot travel to a minimum. We enjoyed the stops and the final location. The piece of equipment is a hay loader. After the hay was cut by a team pulling a sickle bar mower, the field was gone over a second time with a device that raked it up into windrows to dry. Once the hay was dry, yet a third trip was needed. The hay loader was attached to a wagon and the team pulled it down the row. The hay went up the loader and into the wagon where the farmer had to use a pitch fork to distribute the hay evenly until the wagon was full. At that point, the loader was unhitched and the wagon was taken to the barn where the farmer had to unload it by hand into the mows.
The tractor and bailer combined these jobs into one step so this piece of equipment was no longer needed. The fact that it is sitting here tells us that this was a farm field many years ago. We signed the log and left all that is left of some Happy Meal. Thanks Squidriggins for all the caches you have placed out here.

We had a great lunch at the Peninsula Grill - what a nice day. What a nice weekend!

Leelanau Wine and Food Festival

Monday Slideshow

The Monday After

The major hecticness is over, and now it's time to relax!

Over at the cottage, relaxation was the order of the day, as you can see.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dylan took some time to explain some of the mysteries of "World of Warcraft" to his Grandma - Zoroan to Nanzia :)

GenFest2008

What a weekend! Adam and Melanie's wedding yesterday, with the reception last night - and here comes GenFest starting at noon today!





It was an absolutely perfect day - everything was just right weather-wise. Sharon and John ordered up the best day ever. People seemed none the worse for wear after the big party last night. The food was great - I think that John and Chip were the cooks but I must admit I never really went over there to see who was cooking!




We did all of the usual GenFesty things - Chip was in charge of the tubing and canoeing, and I know he did a good job because we didn't lose anybody! The activity was painting birdhouses, and it was very entertaining for all ages! Sharon provided tons of crafty items to use, and some birdhouses were beautiful - some were cute - and some were just silly, like Tom's flaming Southern California birdhouse!





The golf cart rides were fun for the kids, and especially for me - I think we did the tour of the property 75 or 80 times - well....maybe not :)



As far as I know, everyone had a good time and lots to eat, and they all looked great in their GenFest T-shirts - what a cool group!





Baby Drew was naturally the most photographed attendee, and also the most photogenic!



Drew and Sharon - a couple of tired buckaroos!


All in all, it was a lovely day and we all enjoyed it immensely. Thanks, Sharon and John and your kids! The Lichtenbergs were unable to come, and Jim never made it out, but we did have 35 people here this year. Hooray for Gen's kids!

Adam and Melanie's Wedding Day

THE WEDDING







It was a beautiful day for a wedding - couldn't have been nicer. The service began at 1:30 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church across from Bryant Park. It was a beautiful ceremony - I especially liked the way that they included Lydia in all of it - I'm sure she'll remember this day forever.

Amy took some great pictures, and Kevin made it possible for me to share!












THE RECEPTION








The reception was so much fun. It was wonderful to see everyone, and to watch Adam and Melanie having such a good time. In fact, everyone had a good time, even the little ones. It was a terrific party - the food was yummy, the cake was out of this world delicious, and the dancing enjoyable to watch! Loved it all.