A Blast from our Past, Nov 6, 2011

Today we drove about 30 minutes to Burke VA to visit some friends, Barb and Munther. They were from our former lives when we both lived in California. So much to share and so little time, but we did our best. It was great to see them again. Friendship does bridge the gaps of time.

Shopping, cleaning, and special friends, Nov 5, 2011

This morning we did a shopping trip to a nearby Trader Joes. These brussel sprouts looked good, but we passed, as Bob likes his sprouts on the smaller side.

Today was a cleaning day, it has been awhile. The reason for cleaning, well other than it needed it, we are meeting some blog friends, Paul and Marti tonight, and wanted the coach to be in tip top shape. They will be joining the full-time RV lifestyle in just about two weeks when the sale on their house closes. Their soon to be not their house is close to the park we are in. Even better, they are picking us up and taking us to dinner.

After dinner we came back to the coach for chocolate zucchini cake, ice cream, and some great conversation! Yes, Paul and Marti, we will see you down the road (in Q). Safe travels!!

Another driveway deal, Oct 2, 2011

About three months ago we had received an email from a blog reader inviting us to come for a visit and stay in their driveway. So now the timing was right and we stopped for a visit.

We really enjoyed visiting with Pat and Sharon, their house was for sale and had been for three years. You see, when their house sells they will going to be heading out to start the full time lifestyle. We had a great time visiting with them.

Since I am writing this over a week after our visit, I can tell you now their house has sold, the day after we left. The buyer also wanted their Class C motorhome plus all the yard tractors and tools. And they are picking up their newly purchased 40’ motorhome this week in Kentucky. Pat and Sharon, we wish you best with your new endeavor!

Getting repairs done in Elkhart, Sept 12-13, 2011

Well, our time in Copper Harbor, MI was cut short by a not cold Norcold.  Our frig died, red light on the recall sensor and the yellow stray of ammonia smelling stuff at the back of the unit.  So we took off, after icing down what we could, on Sat and Sun (10th and 11th) driving 643 miles to Elkhart IN, the RV mecca of America. 

If you want more detail of our wonderful time in Copper Harbor, check our Bob’s blog.  He also talks more about our very timely Norcold frig replaced cooling unit.  We sure lucked out with this one.

We are currently parked at Duncan RV in Elkhart getting some items taken care of:  slide weather stripping replaced, slide topper repaired, front door glitch with opening fixed, slide adjusted, MCD blind adjustment, and generator cover adjusted.

After running  some errands this morning and early afternoon, we headed back to the lounge at Duncan RV to wait until our RV was ready.  Soon a lady came in and spoke to me, called me Linda, hummm, who does that.  Well it was a fellow blog reader Marie.  She and her husband were in the area getting some work done also and she tracked us down.

We had a great visit, left with plans to meet for breakfast on Thursday morning.  Gotta love the world of blogging.

Sites around Iron Mountain, Aug 14, 2011

This is Pine Mountain Ski Jump, the highest artificially created ski jump in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John and Bob at the bottom of the wooden ramp, and what a skier sees as he is approaching the point of becoming airborne.  When I see this jump I think back to the Wide World of Sports video from years ago, “The agony of defeat or the thrill of victory.”

Speaking of being airborne, our next stop today was to the Glider Museum.  This is a CG-4A World War II cargo glider.

Peeking inside looking out.

The front lifted up and cargo would be loaded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plans had been made for us to drive about 20 minutes to Chris’ home, my sister-in-law’s kid sister.  Her husband, Don, was our captain today.  Really nice boat!  Plus wine and homemade smoked salmon spread.

Chris has trained the local hummingbirds to come when she calls, and come they did.  These hummers know when their feeder is empty, they come to her kitchen window and let her know.

Another feathered friend  we spotted on our boat ride.  This is the first  Loon I have seen.

Dinner on their deck, and then a sunset cruise.  Thanks Chris and Don for a wonderful afternoon and evening.

Surprise, Iron Mountain, MI Aug 13, 2011

We  received a surprise email that our friends, John and Judy, were traveling nearby Iron Mountain on their way to Portland, with a side meander to Copper Harbor and wanted to stop and see us.   So I knew I had a cake to bake,  the same Apple Cake I had made about a week ago and had been our evening desert ever since.  I tried to make it a little diet friendly, using sugar substitute for part of the sugar and whole wheat pastry flour.   I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg which just goes with apples.

A great time was had by all, including their dog Mollie.  Here she is being very attentive waiting for her taste of the whipped cream topping.  She knows the sound of it being squirted (in this case on the Apple Cake)  and comes running to get her taste.

Iron Mountain, MI adventures, Aug 11-12, 2011

Beautiful skies were our usher today from Ishpeming to Iron Mountain.  Found a nice campground north of Iron Mountain, Summer Breeze. 

Here I am standing by the 40’ flywheel of the Cornish Pump.  This pump was used to dewater three of the local iron mines, one of which was the Chapin Mine, one of the wettest iron mines to be worked.

This pump is HUGE!!  It is hard to get a good photo showing how big is it.

 

A little Cornish Pump trivia:  could pump 3,000 gallons of water every minute through the 28” diameter pipeline.  Flywheel 40’ in diameter and weighs 160 tons, had a average normal speed of ten revolutions per minute.  The engine’s boilers required 11,000 tons of coat to operate annually.

 

Any idea of what this is?  This was in the museum that also housed the Cornish Pump.  Overall height was about 12”.   The lady at the desk did not know, only said it had been there over 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to wonder what other purpose the makers of this sign was referring to?  Hummmm….

We then visited the Menominee Range Historical Foundation Museum.  This neat museum had lots of items I had not seen before.

Fractional Currency.  These bills are shown in the bottom row.

Check out the link above for more info.

Match holders, before lighters were invented.

A Mosley fold up bathtub, same concept of a murphy bed. (1895)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was particularly interested in #22.  Do you know what it is?

It is a yoke to keep cattle from jumping a fence.

Edison’s replica of his  light bulb.

This was hanging in the old school class room.  Words we all could live by.

Now, here are strict  guidelines for teachers, don’t know the time frame, but would think in the late 1800’s.

Like I said earlier, this museum had so many unique items, I loved it.

We needed to get back to the coach today because a visitor was coming.  Fifty years ago we both attended a wedding, her sister and my brother.  My family was living in SE Ohio and Chris’ in NW Indiana, so when my brother and his new wife came to visit in SE Ohio, they would sometimes bring his wife’s kid sister.  So us ‘kid sisters’ had a great time exploring the farm we lived on.   It was through Facebook that we reconnected again and eventually were able to meet here in Iron Mountain where she lives.

Chris brought me these lovely white roses.  Thanks Chris for making the time in your busy schedule for a visit.

Catching Up Quickly, Part 1, June 22-July14, 2011

It has been a month since I last posted, boy do I have some catching up to do. 

June 22-July 5, 2011 – We spent two refreshing relaxing weeks with John and Judy at Hidden Ridge RV Resort near Hopkins MI, about 20 miles south of Grand Rapids.  It was a beautiful place.

We even got to meet their good friends and business partners, Stan and Kathleen.  Loved their new home and lake out back with some pet ducks.

It’s “what’s for dinner tonight”, the day we (Judy, Bob and I) picked our own strawberries.  They were so sweet and delicious!

New battery for the Explorer, just too many non starts.

Also new tires for the towed.  We are set for our journey to the Yooper!

Fixed some authentic Cassoulet to share with John and Judy-tasted almost as good as we had eaten in France two years ago.

Enjoyed the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

Fourth of July weekend water fun at the RV Resort .  No that is not Bob up on top, our water hose would not reach that far.

Since we both had enjoyed The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky (separately), we pooled our favorites and had a tasting.  The winner was not easy to determine, but Woodford Reserve won!

Bob installed some blue lights on our steps, they are bright!

July 6-8, 2011 – Spent three nights at Whispering Pines CG, Mancelona MI.

To our delight, the Cherry Festival was still in full swing, so we drove over and enjoyed all the cherries.

Wonderful tasting room and fresh cherries!

The beginnings of Cherry Liqueur, cherries, crushed cherry pits and vodka, wait two months, strain out cherries and then let age 6-8+ months.  Yum!

 

 

 

 

July 9-14, 2011 – St Ignace, Michigan, The Straits State Park.

Bob survived the drive over the Mackinaw Bridge and soon we were parked in our long pull thru site at the Straits SP.

Toe dipping in Lake Huron, it was colder than I expected.

Enjoyed lunch with some RV blog readers, Peggy and David.

Also visited with our Retama Village neighbors, Roger and Dianne.  By reading each other’s blogs, it was determined we were going to be close while in the Upper Peninsula,  so plans were made to meet at the Straits SP.

Another adult beverage tasting, this time with boxed Merlot.

The winner was Bota Box, but as Dianne writes on her ballot, we all were “under the influence”.

 

 

 

 

A visit to  Fort Michilimackinac.  It was very easy to spend all day at the fort with many living history events going on and great displays in the fort buildings.

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed our day over on Mackinac Island.

Visited Fort Mackinac and saw some living history programs. Nicely done.

Walked to Arch Rock.

Then we found a cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then came the highlight of our visit.  A horse drawn street sweeper. LOL

We are official Yoopers!