Category Archives: adventure

Space

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Space Shuttle Endeavor lands for the final time. photo courtesy of NASA

I am bummed. I don’t know about you, but I am disappointed. I got up early this morning to watch the final shuttle landing. It was on a few channels, but I settled on Fox for the last ten minutes of flight. It was commercial free.

I am a space baby. No, I wasn’t born in space; as far as I know, no one has. What I mean is that as long as I have been alive, the United States has been sending men into space and returning them to Earth safely, with only two accidents – Challenger and Columbia. This morning, it ended. I am sad. Continue reading Space →

Reading and more reading

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Saturday always feels like a Saturday at the cottage. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t following a schedule it still feels like a Saturday. It is time for a few chores and mostly time for recreation. It is also a busy time on the lake. There are more boats and jet skis zipping on the lake, more water skiers, and more noise. You run into more people on the lane, up for the weekend arriving Friday night and leaving, or planning to, on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading Reading and more reading →

Running

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Yesterday morning, I roused the kids for a run. A group of kids had organized a ‘cottage running club’ and they wanted to go along. Up here, at the cottage, they probably don’t need it with all of the activity packed into their day; swimming, skiing, boating, and just being outside playing. They are far more active here than at home. Nevertheless, I got them up and thirty or so minutes after they left, they tracked back in from their run. They had plenty of time and physical activity ahead in their day. Continue reading Running →

Driving games

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William's view in the sideview mirror

Wednesday was a travel day back to the cottage and the traffic and weather couldn’t have been better, clear and sunny all the way, all 350 plus miles. It was great going back to the cottage especially knowing Beth and Ivy would be leaving Versailles and travelling north to meet us.

We started later than I wanted because there were a few items I had forgotten when I went to Trader Joe’s, our family’s main grocery supply. While the storm had not affected our home two of the three closest TJ’s were powerless, sadly they were two of the 500,000 who had lost power in Monday’s storm. We have had two big storms blow through our area this summer packing winds of 60-70 mph both times and parts of Wheaton have lost power, but not us. Somehow, I think we are due. Continue reading Driving games →

The Arrow and the Spoon

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I am home this morning; I slept in my own bed for the first time in over two weeks. It is good to be home but our visit is short-lived, we’ll be heading back to the cottage tomorrow, leaving early in the morning. It is a long journey for a day but William and I had appointments and a meeting we needed to attend so we made the trip. Today is also the thirty-fifth day of my seventy-day summer break I am half way. I can look at it half-empty or half full, I choose half full as it has been a great summer and there is more to come and accomplish. Today is gonna be a great day. Continue reading The Arrow and the Spoon →

Queen of the Bluegill

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gluten-free cherry cobbler - campfire style!

Short of sounding like a crank, it has been busy! Even being at the lake can be tiring and regular household chores can quickly fall by the wayside piling up until such a point where I have to stop and catch up. Today is that day. It is a perfect day to catch up, or at least make a valiant attempt. It was windy and cloudy this morning as I watched clouds forming in South Bay come across the lake and sprinkle the lawn. Rain is in the forecast off and on all day and it is just the right weather for a day of catching up. Continue reading Queen of the Bluegill →

Summer foods

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BBQ chicken on the deck, what could be better?

I am really blessed. Growing up, summer vacation meant staying at home and maybe a trip, but mostly it was time spent at home swimming in the lake, boating with the neighborhood kids, or at the swimming at the country club my parents belonged. Thirty-six years later, I have a place to go for the summer – the cottage in Michigan. It’s not mine, but it belongs to Beth’s family and has been in her family since the fifties. Continue reading Summer foods →

Friday’s slides and video

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Troop 35 retires the colors on Friday, July 1st

It was late Friday and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday have come and gone. I wanted to post pictures from Friday’s activities as well as post the link to the “Mountain Dew” song.

William, Olivia, and I are at the cottage and Beth and Ivy are back in Wheaton with grandma. I hope she gets better and is back at the cottage soon, it’s just is not summer without her and grandpa up here! Continue reading Friday’s slides and video →

Two days in one post

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The last two days have disappeared before I knew it. Saturday we broke camp at Camp Tesomas and departed summer camp; the troop drove south and home to Wheaton; William and I took another direction, east to Grayling, Michigan and Beth’s family cottage. On Sunday, William and I drove to Traverse City to pick up Olivia who flew up from Wheaton to join us and we spent time on errands before coming home. At times, I have been too busy to think about camp and writing, but it is early morning and quiet. The kids are sleeping upstairs and everything is still and calm – the perfect time to write. WARNING: This is a long post, read at your own risk. Continue reading Two days in one post →

Thursday news from camp

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Yesterday seems lost when I look back but it wasn’t, it was filled with the sights, sounds, and memories of scout camp. I busied myself with visiting a couple of program areas and checking off requirements for the Geezer merit badge, I swam a half-mile in the afternoon with William, and I took only six pictures. I have no idea how that happened. However, I did get a good night’s sleep and woke up rested this morning. Continue reading Thursday news from camp →