Girls' Day Out

Cousins, a beautiful peninsula, perfect weather, a little wine tasting....what could be better?  Shelly and Laurie show California Amy the peninsula, the light house, and a couple of wineries.

Shelly and Amy

All three great cousins :)

GenFest 2014

The Peanut Gallery

All of Barb and Jim's grandchildren

Barb and Jim's entire family

Sharon and John's entire family

First, the Cherry Royale Parade :)

Our guys are parade ready :)

The best part of the whole parade - Dick walking with the Visitor Center folks.

At the cottage - kayaking to the island and back.

Tom and Deanna kayaked to the island too.

Tom and Deanna riverside :)

Thank you Sharon, John and all for another fantastic GenFest.

Tomson Dickery

Tom flew in this morning for Gen Fest.  Of course we were all happy to see him, but Dylan was especially excited.  Tom was able to catch a few winks on the "red eye", but he was able to take a nice nap this afternoon.

For dinner we had crock pot pork loin, and it was so good!

Tom's latest girlfriend Deanna didn't arrive until 10 p.m., so Dick and I decided to go to bed and meet her in the morning.

Arrival From the South!

Our Florida family pulled up in the big white pickup before 4:30 p.m.  They made really good time, and they said that their trip was an easy one this year.

I made a big pot of chili for dinner, so we were ready no matter what time they arrived.  The chili was yummy, and it was wonderful to have them all here again this summer.

Their beds are all ready, and for the first time, Dylan is sleeping on the sofa bed in the "playroom".  I'm so glad we have the room to do that.

A Lemony Day

First we dropped in on Ed.  It was good to see him - he has retired now, and seems relaxed and happy with his life.  We left some Don and Dawn memorabilia for him.  He may come to the cottage for GenFest, but made no guarantees.  He says that Ruth is now living in Arcadia, and they don't get together very often anymore.

Max's service came out, replaced the timer on the dryer, and it still wouldn't work. so the dryer has been officially declared a lemon.  Let me rephrase that - the dryer has been officially declared a LEMON!!!!  Our service man advised that the next step will be to deal with Home Depot to get the dryer replaced.

We went to do errands - East Bay Township to inform them that our river property has been sold and they need to adjust our summer taxes and bill the new owner, ORV permits for Chip and Dylan, and Home Depot.  I was not feeling particularly chipper, so I waited in the car all those times.  While I was waiting at home depot, one of the side effects of Nexavar struck with a vengeance - cramping.  Hands, arms, and back of thighs seemed to be the main targets.  I did manage to get out of the car - no fun - and then just remained standing and trying to relax while the cramping traveled around at will.
Now my body is a LEMON too !

On the bright side, Dick arranged for a new dryer to be delivered Wednesday, and they will pick up the lemony one.  Now we have to order the correct propane conversion kit, have someone come out and convert it, and install the dryer. Then maybe we'll be back in business.  We are not exactly dancing with glee at this time because we know several things can go wrong from now on, based on past experience.

By the time we got home the cramping had subsided a bit.  Today is Brooke's birthday, and we had been invited to dinner at the cottage at 6 p.m.  I didn't trust that cramping to stay subsided, so I opted out of all the fun, and convinced Dick that he should go anyway, which he reluctantly did.  And I'm glad, because he brought back a delicious cupcake for me.  Happy Birthday Brooke, and thanks for the cupcake!

We Visit NorthPorch

I wanted to go out for breakfast in a non-touristy environment.  Alas, Sparky's was full (Jerry and Lydia were there),  and Randy's was closed.  We went to Round's, and I have never seen it so crowded!  Unbelievable!  We actually sat on bar stools for breakfast!  But, as usual, the breakfast was worth both the long wait and the bar stool.

In the afternoon we went out to the cottage to see everybody.  Melissa, Autumn, Blake, Shelly, Chris and Drew were there, too, so we had a mini-reunion.  It's always great to see everybody.  It's especially fun to watch the littlest cousins enjoy each other so much.  It's a great group if I do say so myself.

Blue Angels !

John and Sharon have moved in to their rental on Long Lake.  Kevin, Amy, Maya and Ella are with them.  By the end of the week the entire Washington clan will be there together on Long Lake.  Their cottage is named NorthPorch.   And, most of the Steiger clan will be here together at the river.  That's how you can tell that it's almost GenFest time :)

This afternoon we went to watch the Blue Angels, albeit from afar!  We didn't want to battle the congestion and crowds, so we watched from our favorite ridge west of town.  We got good views of much of it, except for the low level aerobatics.  They flew right over our heads around eight times during the show, so we got to see them up close and personal.  Hearing the thunderous roar is half of the fun!

Long nap back at home, because we're going to Interlochen tonight.

The Capitol Steps performed at the Korson Auditorium.  We had excellent seats, and we laughed our heads off.  The performers are truly talented and versatile, and the whole thing was a real pleasure.

Summer Concerts: *JULY 2014 - Capitol Steps (8pm, Corson)

Location: Corson Auditorium

CAPITOL STEPSTaking a stab at anyone within reach of their verbal swords, these Washington insiders present sketches and parody songs based on current events – and the latest scandals from Capitol Hill – that will win everyone’s vote of approval.

Fourth of July

Cache, Munson, Futbol

Dick began his day with a fun walk and a challenging cache.  He really got his exercise!

07/01/2014	You found Candy Cane		Visit Log
When this cache popped up it was the closest to our home. I waited for someone to grab the FTF (another long story) and put it on the schedule. When we first retired, we walked these trails 2 - 3 times a week for anywhere from 2 - 4 miles. Sometimes we came together, sometimes I came solo. When we got into caching back in '03 it expanded our horizons and took us to other trail systems and places, some, that even as Traverse City natives, we had never before visited. As time passed and the hair got whiter, we find that caching is something that we do between Dr. appointments and for us to team up, the cache must be along a paved trail with a pick up spot within a quarter mile. Today's appointment is in the afternoon and so, leaving the better half curled up with her lap top, the Yellow Jeep and I drove up to get this cache. When I pulled into the parking lot, we were .3 of a mile from GZ. The morning's too nice, I need more of a walk than that! So The Jeep went on to the furthest lot, now we'll get in a good walk. Boy did I ever! Closed in to where the countdown was in feet, got down to 176 and then started back up. I realised that at the junction, I had taken the wrong path. No problem, I remembered that if I continued on toward the dam the trail the cache is on joins up with the one I was on and I wanted a good walk. I wound up a little over 1/2 mile past with a quarter mile climb up to level ground. Got to GZ and thanks to Churinga, spotted the location, signed the log and replaced as found. Thanks McPatt and Marebare for placing this cache and giving us another tale to tell. Hope to see you at one of our Meet and Greets. The next one CG57T9H is at another neat trail system with some fun caches.

In the afternoon we made another trip to Munson for the seventh paracentesis.  Could #7 be the lucky one?  That would be sweet!  Today the ultrasound techs were Cory and Jackie, and the doctor was Patrick Gartland.  He was excellent and did a marvelous job.  I actually didn't feel a thing - a totally pain free procedure.  Hooray!  My job was to try to relax - easier said than done!  5.2 liters.

Where shall we put the needle this time?

Now watching  FIFA - U.S. v Belgium.  Go Blue.  Oh wait....  wrong cheer :)

Last Day of June

If you had told me last October that by July 1, ground would still not be broken for our new condo, I might have just thrown in the towel and given up on it.  But, it hasn't, and I didn't.  And so we wait.  I think nothing will happen for two more weeks.  Don't hold your breath.

This afternoon I got my hair cut at BoTangles.  Christie is always so much fun to talk to - I really enjoyed it.  Then we dropped off the laundry at Eastfield - after all, it is Monday-Washday, and we still don't have a working dryer.

06/30/2014	You found Zillions of Fish at Kid's Creek Pond?		Visit Log
The better half of the BB team had an appointment at the beautiful shop this afternoon. So while she was getting trimmed and regaled with the latest drama in Christie's family life, I took the opportunity to wander down here and find this cache. This place has a lot of memories for us when we were kids. There was no highway here then. Division Street ended at 14th Street and this area was owned by the Oleson's. In this area there were ponds where they raised trout for their stores and where kids could sometime sneak in and catch some to take home. Enjoyed the walk, found the cache, signed the log, and put everything back where I found it. Thanks BirdsEye for placing and maintaining this cache.

Sunday in the Mall With Dick

Sunday in the Park With George
I don't know why.  It's just the way my mind works.

The weather today was totally unpredictable.  It would rain frogs for 10 minutes, and then the sun would come out.  And this happened two or three times!  So today our walk was in the mall.  I love walking in the mall.  The people watching is always great, and so is the window shopping.  And really, so is the real shopping!

06/29/2014	You will attend July Cachers Meet and Greet		Visit Log
We are planning on being there and we will bring some cookies or brownies, something with chocolate in it. We will try to bring Zoroan and the Sharkie Crew with us.
06/29/2014	You found January 1st		Visit Log
Well, although the time has expired, we are glad that the cache has not been archived. If it had been shut down in April, we would never have had a chance for it being snowbirds. The concept is great, we are in the process of fashioning a similar puzzle either for here or Florida. (Or both). Solved the puzzle about a week ago but weren't in the area until today. Thanks for the fun Goldfinch, both in solving the puzzle and finding the cache. It's worth a fav to us.

Outsmarted on the TART

Today we walked on the TART Trail near five mile road by Doug Murdick's.  It was hot (92F) but there was a nice breeze and occasional shade.  There is a very cool wooden bridge and walkway there.  There's a cache there too, but you couldn't prove it by us!

Downtown, the splash pad was jam packed with toddlers and their families - it's such a popular addition to Clinch Park.  There are usually more people around the pad than on the beach.

Today we mailed our first rent check to Realo Estato.  Thank you, Casey.

I'm a Hoofer!

Hey!  This morning we went over to this great park in Kingsley.  It has ball diamonds, disc golf, tennis, a couple of great playgrounds, a bathroom, and a nice paved walking trail.  I walked a quarter of a mile with my walker.  Well, it's better than nothing!  Dick went around three times, with weights on his wrists, a sore throat, and a cough.  He's a trooper.

Now he's off running errands in town and I am luxuriating on our deck - it's such a beautiful day.

This is me watching ducks and kayakers and playing on the computer!

Max's called - they will be out next Wednesday with some more new parts.  Nothing moves quickly.

Lone Tree Condo Saga

This is the Wednesday that we have been waiting for!  Well, really it's the MEETING we have been waiting and waiting for.  Finally we had a meeting with the builder of our still to be built new condo, plus both of our real estate gurus, Beccy and Lynne. Dick wrote up a comprehensive report of  the meeting for the blog :

                                 ************************************

It's been more than 8 months since we decided that the Lone Tree condominium

development was the best place, with the best units, for us. On Wednesday we

finally had our condo meeting with Beccy,our agent, Lynne Moon, the seller's

agent and Brian Mohr, the builder. We were happy with Beccy's efforts to keep

the meeting on track and to see that our interests were met and our questions

were answered.

What we did not realize before is that Lynne and Brian are not the developers of

Lone Tree, they purchase the lots from the developer and then build the units.

There are three parts of the development. Lone Tree I faces Long Lake Rd and is

a commercial area. Lone Tree II is the area just north on both sides of Lone Pine

Drive, it is an area for 29 duplex condominium units. North of that is Lone Tree III

which is a large single family home subdivision.

Although all 26 of the units which Brian had previously constructed and sold had

been built east of Lone Tree Dr. with the duplex units parallel to the road or

Court, i.e. Hazelnut and Chestnut, apparently when the developer first submitted

plans to Garfield Township for Lone Pine II condominiums, the units west of Lone

Pine Drive were to be perpendicular to the road and facing each other across a

driveway. In fact, one such unit had been built by a different contractor before

Lynne and Brian became involved with Lone Tree.

Despite the fact that Calybr Homes, had already built 2 neighboring duplexes

parallel to and facing Lone Pine Drive, with their upper decks and walkout

basements overlooking the woods and a walking path, the township now insisted

that our unit, lots 45 and 46, as well as units on lots 43 and 44, be built facing

each other and perpendicular to the street with their decks and walkouts facing

each other about 50 feet away.

Lynne had an quite a tale of the meetings she had to attend, the paperwork she

had to fill out, and the folks she had arguments with to try to get permission to

build our unit the way we felt it had to be situated in order for us to proceed. She

indicated that many of the documents she filed required a payment of as much

as $500. Based upon our experiences with our East Bay Township offices, we

have learned that, for some people, the government folks at that level can be

extremely difficult to deal with.

Lynne told us that all permits should be issued next week. This includes not only

permission to build, but to excavate a lower level,to hook up to water and sewer,

as well as electricity. Once they have the permits and after they have time with

children and grandchildren at their somewhat primitive, no WiFi, no TV, lakeside

cottage over the 4th of July, ground will be broken and the building of our new

home will get underway. Brian has set a conservative move in date as the middle

of November. Of course this is extremely tentative depending upon the weather

and potential labor problems. 

One problem that we were unaware of is that when

the Great Recession hit the area and the market for new homes crashed here in

northern Michigan, a large number of the local construction workers left the area

for greener pastures and have not returned. Brian says that he has to set up

appointments for the various crews, plumbers, electricians etc. What do we do if

the place is not finished as November rolls around? That is a bridge that we hope

we will never have to cross. We’ll just have to stay tuned.

Once the permits are ready, we will sit down with Lynne and purchase our lot.

This way, the builder will be dealing with us and not the township. Brian has

agreed that the unit will be built to be handicap accessible and the stairs to the

lower level will be designed to accept a stair lift. I was disappointed to learn that

we could not have a door/slider to a deck off the dining room/kitchen for grilling.

The neighbor's dining room is just through the fire wall. We can modify the lower

level to have an enlarged patio area and have a second slider off the larger of the

lower bedrooms.
                                        *******************
And of course, no day is complete without:

Found it 06/26/2014    You found Traditional Cache TC P&G         Visit Log
There were no muggles parked here today. As usual I made the search much more difficult than it needed to be but made the find, signed the log and replaced the container where we found it. TFTC

Found it 06/26/2014    You found Traditional Cache T.C. PARK AND GRAB SOUTH         Visit Log
We are not sure whether we should get one smiley or two for this find. After scoring a DNF, we talked to the owner at his M&G who said that after reading our DNF log, he had replaced the container, we dashed right back to make the find. (two weeks later) We opened the cache, grabbed the baggie, signed the log and as we placed the log back into the replacement container, (we knew it was because we were the first to sign the fresh log) we found the original cache. What to do? What the heck! We signed that one too. Thanks Peggy for putting the bison tube back. Thanks F&F for the chuckle.

Our Day

Dental side effects are a bother, so we're off to see the dentist.  I have a new dentist since Dr. Kevin retired.  Her name is Christina Mazzola, and I think she is Dr. Kevin's niece.  She was very helpful and compassionate, and she gave me a lot of treatment options, and free samples.  (Note to self: PreviDent toothpaste, Rincinol mouth rinse, soft bristle brush).  She explained that the chemo attacks fast growing cells. Mouth tissues are fast growing, and that's why there is sensitivity.

While Dick was waiting for me in the waiting room, an older gentleman came in and took a seat.  Turned out it was Gov. Milliken!  We've seen him around town a couple of other times.  Our other local sightings include Michael Moore and Gordie Howe :)

We went to Eastfield and picked up our laundry.  That's our new routine!

Max's serviceman came out this afternoon to try replacing another switch.  Do I have to tell you what happened?  Just let me say that we'll be visiting Eastfield Laundromat again next Monday.  The repairman said he has talked to GE Tech, and they know about our dryer.  He'll be talking to them again to see what to try next.  One thing that's being tried is our patience.

A little grocery shopping, and that's been our day.

Goodbye DNFs

Dropped off our laundry.  Makes for an easy wash day.  (Expensive)

Also, Casey came out with a lady and a dog named Pericles :)  He wants to borrow the log splitter - he has some trees down on some property or other.  Since nobody else wanted the log splitter, Dick told Casey he could have it.  He'll be back later with a trailer to haul it away.

06/23/2014	You found  Harold's Sista		Visit Log
We managed to erase two DNF's today. Given the data that the cords are about 60ft off, we searched on each side without success and were about to give up when the better 1/2 pointed out what might be a clue in the description. It was. Made the find, signed the log and put it back in the tree. Took 3 sets of cords and our Garmin 62s showed the location to be - 40.154 and 29.958
06/23/2014	You found  Going to the DOGS		Visit Log
Well it turns out that our math was correct and the cords were right on. We learned that seeking this cache on a sunny weekend afternoon is not the best choice. There are times when this is muggle heaven. Today was much better, it was raining and the sprinklers were on so we had the place to ourselves. Signed the log and replaced as found. We had a TB that we had hoped to drop off but it just visited.

57

57

Brunch and yellow roses, Schelde's and flowers - we have this anniversary thing down pat :)

I told Dick that we should buy some ketchup today - it would be cosmic because we were married in 1957, and that was 57 years ago, and Heinz ... well, you know :)

After brunch we went to Family Fare.  Got groceries, but no ketchup

Welcome Summer

First day of summer, but I'm still wearing long sleeves and a jacket.  We went for a drive toward Fife Lake, and then Manton.  Nice day for caching, but we did have a bunch of DNFs.  Too bad, so sad.

 On one country road we saw a farm with its name painted on the bright red barn - Monroe Achers !  It's the second cutest farm name I've seen.  The cutest was  Jones Ranch - The Cheaper Spread.

We had lunch in Manton at the Merry Inn.  Dick said it should be in Marion.  Get it?  His favorite line overheard at the restaurant came from a very old gentleman in the next booth.  He commented that this thing (I don't know what thing)  costs $500.  "Why, you could buy a horse and buggy for that price!"

We drove home through Amish country,  Saw one very beautiful, very large Amish home.  Saw lots of horse tracks in the dirt roads, and also a lot of horse poop.  They need to use doggie bags for poop pick-up.

Our last cache of the day was CVCLUB. way down at the end of 10 Road.  While I was waiting for Dick I couldn't believe the number of insects that came crawling or flying past!  Mosquitoes, of course, beetles, little tiny flies, caterpillars, butterflies, big black things scurrying on the ground - crickets maybe?  Anyway, quite a collection in insect life.

Cache logs for today:

06/21/2014	You couldn't find CB SERIES #3 WOODSTOCK		Visit Log
We just were not Geocachers enough to scope this one out today. We gave it our best but we just weren't up to the challenge.
06/21/2014	You couldn't find Beer Can Alley		Visit Log
Things were going pretty well for us today but then the clouds darkened, the rains came and we collected a string of three DNF's
06/21/2014	You couldn't find Homage to The Past		Visit Log
We were blanked by this one today. We had to wonder after reading the hint if there was any connection to the broken solar light at GZ
06/21/2014	You found  TCO 8 Our "Up North" Cache		Visit Log
Today, the first day of summer, was supposed to be a sunny day in the mid 70's. We experienced some of that California liquid sunshine and a series of DNF's. Thanks for placing a cache we could find. Signed log and replaced the cache where we found it. Thanks for the fun.
06/21/2014	You found  CVCLUB		Visit Log
Boy this find was a bit of a challenge. Sure glad our RAV has 4 x 4. The cache is in extremely poor shape and needs to be replaced. The case is broken and the log is soaked. There was standing water in the container. Even though the log is wet, we signed it and replaced as found.
06/21/2014	You posted a note for  R.I.P. Liberty		Visit Log
We pulled into this little cemetery to seek a cache but were driven off by the mowing muggle trimming the grass near GZ
06/21/2014	You found  CB SERIES #4 LINUS		Visit Log
Driving south on 131 for lunch in Manton and this one popped up on the Nuvi. Pulled over and made the find. Signed log and replaced as found. TFTC
06/21/2014	You found  FLBP		Visit Log
We have found caches in this park before. After reading about their fates we were very careful today to not alarm the couple playing tennis. We were able to out wait them, they were about finished, and then made the find. Signed log and replaced as found. Thanks for placing and maintaining a cache here.
06/21/2014	You found  CB SERIES #2 LUCY		Visit Log
We set out to enjoy this first day of summer by driving some back roads and finding some caches which didn't require extensive hiking or bushwhacking. This one popped up first and we made the find. Thanks for the fun.

A "Plan" and a Parade of Homes

Max's called.  The serviceman apparently has a "plan" for our Hotpoint dryer made by GE (don't buy one).  Who knows what that could be.  They will call us next Tuesday.  Nothing happens quickly with them.  Have you noticed?

This morning Dick worked at the Visitor Center.   They dealt with over 50 visitors and eight phone calls in three hours.

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. we manned the table at one of the homes in the Parade of Homes.  We were representing the MEA retired teachers group.  That's one way that they earn money to give as scholarships.

Our house was big and beautiful - 4700 square feet - 6 bedrooms and 4.5 baths located in Incochee Farms.  It was very cold and rainy today.  We were set up in the garage, and it was very cold and damp.  We don't seem to have suffered any ill effects from sitting out there for 4 hours, so it's all good.  We really enjoyed the people who came to view the house - it was enjoyable talking to everyone.  By a lucky coincidence, the home builder is Brian Mohr of Calybr Homes.  He's the one who will supposedly be building our condo in Lone Tree.  I hope that seeing us reminded him that he has another job waiting.  He does beautiful work - everyone commented on how nice it was.

We had a late dinner at Harrington's.  It took me a while to warm up.  Hot tea is great - it warms the inside, and also warms the hands if you hug the cup!  It was a lovely dinner.  The restaurant was crowded and loud...and warm.  And, I might add, a bit over priced!

No Go

Our Hotpoint dryer is officially dead.  Don't buy one.  Max's serviceman came back this morning, worked on it for about an hour, and then signed the death certificate (well not really).  He says he will contact the GE tech department to discuss this dryer.  He thinks it might need a new motor.  Heavy sigh.  Max's will call soon to tell us the outcome.  In case you didn't already know, living without a dryer is a pain in the tush.