So, while we were at the cottage, we took one last trip down to the Lake Michigan / Ludington lakeshore. It was the roughest water outside of winter that we had ever seen.
There was actually surf! In fact, there were two guys with surfboards and they were out there fully surfing - standing up! It was pretty neat to watch.This picture is of one of the lighthouses at the Ludington Harbor. Even inside the harbor the surf was strong. I am including some more photos, just click here.
Just finished these… too cute! Little Grace better watch out cuz Aunt Lynn has new pattern books!
So we took a day and drove north up the coast. We have a few favorite places we like to stop and look around. There are some great shops in Manistee and in Frankfort. I can always find some unique gifts for Christmas presents.
This is a picture of Jay on one of the overlooks over Lake MI. It was really windy that day. His jacket puffed out like a puffy coat Katie used to have!
So I found some great gifts for Christmas, and a great gift for Connie and Mike for the second wedding. It was a wedding set of ornaments that are very old world style - with each symbolizing something about making a home and a family - all elegantly packaged in a bridal set with satin lining. They were so beautiful, that I couldn’t reisit. Never seen anything quite like it. That was at the Christmas store in Manistee. I love that place.
We didn’t make it to Frankfort, as we spent too much time in Manistee. Oh well, next year. There is only one place in Frankfort that I really like anyway.
Then we made it over to Traverse City to meet Jay’s cousins at the Little Ceasars. They had their anual reunion the previous Sat. and we were at the wedding, so we met up with them Tuesday. Great visit.
Aunt Mae showed up looking spry as ever, and so did all the other cousins. Click here for more photos of the evening.
Wed we stopped over at Donna and Jims place to check out their paint job and to see if they were still planning on meeting us at Michael’s for dinner on Thursday. They were painting their little hearts out in the cold and rain. The place sure looks good! I am including photos for you to see too.
So, we arrive in town on Thursday night. Friday we spent the day with Caleb and Amber. We had lunch, hung out, took Amber’s car in to get the mirror fixed that broke in the carwash, then met Mom and Dad for dinner at Carinos. Yummmmmmmm.
After dinner we all went back to Mom and Dad’s house for a visit. It was good. It was great to see Caleb and Amber together. They both seem Soooooo happy together. Caleb seems happier than I EVER remember. I’m very thankful for that.
Saturday was Lauren LeFevre’s wedding. It was really beautiful. Lauren cried delivering her vows - how sweet. I mean she CRIED. It was nice. There were 3 hours between the ceremony and the reception, so Jim and Donna and Jay and I all went to Applebees near the reception hall and ordered appetizers and drinks. It was nice to be able to spend some time and REALLY catch up. We haven’t done that since we moved - it was good.
We left for the cottage from the wedding, because we figured we were right off I75 so might as well head up. That would give us an extra day up north. We got to the cottage at about 1:00 AM. Joe and Sharon and Joey had been up to the Duell reunion and rather than get a hotel, went to the cottage afterward. Sharon was gracious enough (THANK YOU) to have our bed made so when we got in we could just crash.
They also stopped and picked up a few groceries so we could have breakfast in the AM without having to shop first. (THANK YOU) Then they let us know that Joe took an extra day off work so they could stay until Monday. That was fun! The guys got the docks out which was good because we thought Jay would have to do them by himself later in the week. We just parked the boat at the neighbors dock until the marina came and took the boat out for us on Thursday. Worked out great (THANK YOU)
So that’s the first part of our trip in a nutshell. Will continue with the rest tomorrow!
Wow, it was a great 10 day trip to MI, but we’re home now. 2 weddings and no funeral - thank goodness! Anyway, great weddings, great visits lots to tell, lots of photos, lots of good times. We squeezed an awful lot into this trip, I AM EXAUSTED! I will start writing tomorrow about the great times. In the meantime, here is a photo of our trip to Traverse City to the Little Ceasars with Jays cousins.
Right now it’s a bit too warm to enjoy coffee on the back patio, so we typically have our morning cup of Joe in the house watching Good Morning America. When the weather is a little cooler, we like to sip out back and often let Missy join us because she never leaves the patio and she enjoys exploring.
This morning we were happy we were sitting inside for our morning ritual because a long strolled a coyote as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I ran for the camera, but I was too slow. He just meandored right through the yard as if he owned the joint (I guess you could say he actually did). When he got to the other end of the yard, he jumped to the top of the wall which is 6′ high. I am including this photo just for perspective of the height of the wall. He stood at the top for a time, and then off he went. Now, part of the problem in this area is that many people are trying to fight the coyote.
People complain because they leave their dogs or cats outside and wonder why they disappear. They’re on the news all the time as public outcry throughout the valley to do something about the problem.
I say the problem isn’t the coyote at all. It’s the stupid pet owners who don’t know enough not to let their animals hang out in the yard unattended. The coyote was here long before we were, this is their home, we are the squatters here.
I was at the local petsmart one weekend and they were doing their cat adoption. They had a cat that looked just like Pinky and was the same age. The woman told me that the cat was a stray and was litterally rescued from the mouth of a coyote. So apparently it doesn’t matter if people are around. They don’t feel threatend by us. The authorities say that one of the problems is that people try to ignore the coyote when they cross paths - just quietly going about their business as if they aren’t there. The coyotes have gotten used to us being around. They say that when you see one, you should shout and wave your arms around, clang pots and pans, anything to frighten them.
I do know one thing, we won’t be letting Missy outside with us anytime soon.
