July | 2015 | Raincharm's Weblog

Archive for July, 2015

This and that and louder

July 29, 2015

So we have been back home, rather briefly in fact. But a few notes on interesting bits along the way.

Do you know that when you fly out of the Chippewa County International Airport you have to remove your fudge from your carry-on baggage for inspection. Like it was your computer, or C-pap machine, or shoes. Even as a TSA pre-check I had to dig through all of the stuff above the fudge in the backpack to pull it out. And yes, many, many people at this airport would be carrying fudge back home. [This is the Chippewa County Airport of, “Boarding at Gate 1,” fame.

Voting – there is an election on Tuesday, we have to vote by Friday. I have all but one figured out. I like these early preliminary races because it lets you read the statements of the less than likely to be elected. Goodspaceguy has been in several races over the years. And yes, I believe he legally changed his name.

Work has been excessively busy. A side effect of taking a few weeks off. And today I learned that there is apparently an, “Appropriate amount of crap.” Being in the sewer business, I have now been tasked with determining what that amount might be.

The Mariners can’t win consistently – still. They won two games in a row a few games ago and that was news! But that doesn’t mean they can’t put on a good show. (WAIT FOR THE END)

Camera phones – can’t ever get it quite straight.

That’s the Blue Angels if you couldn’t figure it out.

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My What a Grand Porch You Have

July 12, 2015

THE GRAND HOTEL

Approximately 30 years ago Carl & I spent a night in this wondrous place. Slightly to the right of the center portico, on the 2nd or 3rd floor, in the Honeymoon Suite. It was glorious.

I could try to describe this place, but I will let their sign do the basic work. (To see the hotel in action, watch the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeves.

It has the longest porch in the world – and some rocking chairs to enjoy while relaxing and taking in the scenery.

We did take in the scenery. There is a small airport on the island, but almost everybody arrives by boat.
Pooh & Mark took a boat that was included with their bicycle tour – along with their bikes.

Ready to Ride

Carl & I took the slow boat named the Huron to Mackinac Island. It really did seem to just sort of putter along. Not un-enjoyable, as we were not in any particular hurry. Just slow.

On the island we continued in the slow vein, by walking. No bicycles and no horses or carriages.
[For any that do not know, this island does not use motorized vehicles. Except maybe the ambulance and fire engine.]
We met Pooh and Mark for lunch, including an appropriate beverage.

All-in-all we probably did 3 miles, including a Seattlesque hill and over 200 stairs back down to lake level.

Since we are in the recovery mode right now we decided that was probably quite enough, and quite probably more than should have been attempted. [We see the doctor again on Tuesday and will find out what level of tongue lashing we will receive.]

The boat we took on the return voyage was the Mackinac Strait II. This boat seemed much faster than the first, and included a tour guide of sorts. One of the tidbits of information provided was that their other boat (the Huron) was an ice-breaker. So perhaps this was part of the reason for the slow and steady ride over, sans ice.

We also learned a bit about the Mackinac Bridge. 5 miles of the safest freeway in America. (Longer than the Golden Gate)
[A Yugo went off once, but other than that a really good safety record.]
The towers do not hold up the road. They hold up the cables. The cables hold the road, which can move as much as 15 feet side to side within the towers. The road can also stretch and move as much as 40 feet vertically if heavily loaded. Back when the bridge was built (after I was born, but before Carl) a semi-truck weighed about 15,000 pounds. Now they weigh 80,000. This is why their speed is limited to 25 mph, and their spacing is at least 200 feet apart. A lake freighter did hit one of the towers once, and did about $20,000 damage to the bridge. Fixing the boat cost $250,000. [The bridge crosses the Straits of Mackinac, which is where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet – just so you know. In case you did not.]

Back at the cabin for dinner, tired after a full day.

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Boats afloat – and a beach day!

July 11, 2015

Last night’s sunset (and a boat)

Today’s calm waters (and a boat).

Today was basically a lazy beach day. Almost too hot on the beach. Calm waters. Kayaks wandering by, and walks down to Doelle’s in the water. Saw 3 or 4 frogs in the creek at one end of the beach, and a dead crayfish and small fish (not a minnow) at the other end. More seagulls that just will not stop talking, and a few ravens yelling in the woods. One sounded so human that I was starting to wonder if it was one raven and a harasser. In the end I decided it was too buggy in the woods for anyone to be playing this game. Made some progress in my book and Carl continued to write postcards.

Played a new game called Paperback tonight.
It involves making words out of letter cards with points, fame points, wild cards, and took a while to get started. There are several different types of cards and set-ups, and not all types of cards are used if you play the easier version. A cross between Scrabble and Dominion. As usual my brain would lock when trying to think up words that would work with my letters. Rey and Mark were more on the tactical side of drawing and gaining points. Pooh had some words that were more wild cards than recognizable letters. Rey won. (I got second.) I am ready to play this game again. And maybe we will add in the advanced parts before the end of the summer (or next week – which is more or less the end of my summer vacation).

Tomorrow will be an early rising to get one party to the airport (2 flights a day – one at 6:30 AM), and two others (and their bikes) to St. Ignace for the start of an around the UP ride. (Upper Peninsula for any that don’t just know) Meanwhile, we will continue to laze around the beach.

Carl at the bat and on the mend.

Up to bat, leading off for the Birch Point Beach Bums …

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Vacation Blog – the first half

July 9, 2015

Baseball games and a birthday.

The vacation started with a few baseball games to celebrate Carl’s (FOY 14) birthday. We ended up seeing 9-1/18^th games, more or less. Depending on how you count. I am not even sure how the Toledo Mud Hens fared versus the Durham Bulls. [I could ask Rey, but he is currently in class.]

The Tiger’s game had some extremes. Some of the initially interesting, but really bad fans behind us for most of the game. Yet getting to spend time with relatives that rarely go to games, at a game. The Tigers lost, but did not drench us with rain. (That was so last year.)

The Cabin

The next day everyone headed north. Actually, a few waited a day or two, but the population between our cabin and the next blossomed from 1 to 16 in short order.

The Old Cabin housed – 10 then 12 then 10 to 8 currently, slated next to go to 5 then 7 then 4 then 3 then 2. Ok you math geeks, what is the next number? And there are wild cards that can be played at any time.

12 pushes the sleeping capacity close to the maximum, although I think there was one more cot in the shed. It also pushed the bathroom to the edge. Jane declared that only 3 were allowed to use the indoor facilities, and the rest were to go to the outhouse. I am not sure how successful her admonitions were, but the outhouse has seen more visitors this week than it has for many years. On the positive side, it was great to see everyone – the entire family of my parents + a new arrival.

Ashlan & Allen

The plus one is Allen, Ashlan’s boyfriend. Imagine meeting almost the entire extended family at once. Brave soul.

Rey’s work plus more

The next day, I think, we accompanied Rey to one of his work places. Quite the gig if you can get it.

78 Steps – the top

After touring most of Whitefish Point, and killing our fill of mosquitos, we headed over to Tahquamenon Falls. First toured the lower falls by row-boat (thank you Allen).