"Moo...ving" Along

It has been nearly three months since I last updated my blog. The last time I wrote I was trapped in a campground in Montana, surrounded by curious cows. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I escaped the cows. Since then, there have been a lot of changes in my life, including a move to Austin, Texas and a new grandson! Before I write about my move and the new direction I plan to go with my blog, let me bring you up to date on my travels.

After leaving the cow camp, I headed west to Glacier National Park. When I left Michigan I had a lot of Canadian coins with me and since there was zero chance of spending them in Texas, I decided to drive north through the park, cross into Canada and do a little shopping. Along the way the skies, full of smoke from wildfires in Idaho, produced some eerie and surprisingly beautiful views. 

Cows In Camp

Now, my grandfather was a farmer; along with other animals, he raised cattle. So, I'm familiar with cattle and normally I wouldn't feel compelled to write about them. Today though, I had a unique bovine experience. I had just set up my camp next to a lovely lake in the Nelson Reservoir Recreation Area, in Montana. I was admiring the view when suddenly the campground was invaded by cattle. They seemed to be in high spirits as though out on an adventure. (I was going to say they were on a "field" trip, but I think that's something they do every day.) The most amazing sight was watching them stand patiently in line at the outhouse. A fine example of "cowoperation".

A Little Help From Van

One of the features I really like about Van is that when the top is up, I can unzip the windows and screens, and shoot pictures from inside, using Van as my mobile photography blind. It's especially helpful when I'm in camp and an animal wanders by. If I went outside to shoot, usually the animal runs off. When I'm inside, I'm protected by the gift of temporary invisibility.

Other times, the extra height I get from shooting inside Van, gives me a better angle, allowing me to remove unwanted clutter from the scene, as I did while shooting these pictures from my campsite at Badlands National Monument.

Pictured Rocks

I've lived most of my life in Michigan and because my mother's family lives in the Upper Peninsula, a large percentage of my life has been in the U.P. Most of my visits included camping and much of that camping was along Lake Superior and at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Until recently, I thought I'd seen just about all there was to see at the park, but now I know, I'd seen nothing. 

I had never seen the lakeshore from the water. This trip I did what  I should have done on my first visit---take a cruise. The two and a half hour sunset trip showed me examples of the awe inspiring beauty and power which made Pictured Rocks worthy of its National Park status .

Lake Michigan Campgrounds

I continued driving along Lake Huron's shore until I crossed over the Straits of Mackinac into the Upper Peninsula. Once in the U.P. I changed my allegiance to Lake Michigan's shoreline. I camped at two state forest campgrounds along Lake Michigan. The first was near Little Brevort Lake along Highway 2. It was a bit noisy since it's so near the highway, but the beautiful, sandy beach  with its clear, cold water made it worthwhile. The water was so wonderful, I went for a long swim in the evening, then a shorter one again in the morning, before I left.

The second campground was in the Big Knob Recreation Area, south of Engadine. Big Knob was the opposite of Little Brevort Lake, with the sounds of birds and wind, instead of trucks going down the highway, with walks along a boardwalk replacing long swims in the lake, since Big Knob was located in a forested area surrounded by marshes. Both parks are special in their own ways and I'd gladly return to either one.

Not Fruitful But Rewarding

I camped at Hoeft State Park last fall and had such fun walking the dunes and picking berries, that I thought I'd do it again. Unfortunately, this year, probably because of the early spring, unexpected freezes and extended summer drought, I couldn't find a single berry.

I left the dunes and continued walking along the shore until I reached a little stream that borders the park. I worked my way up the stream to a shallow, marshy area where I met three unexpected friends. Now, those of you who know me are already guessing that I'm not talking about human friends. I tend to run into more "cool characters" as in the cold-blooded, amphibian type. (It must be the princess in me.) I met three little frogs that let me sit within two feet of them, giving me the perfect opportunity to show off more froggie photos to my long suffering warm-blooded friends.

Lake Huron Shore

My first night out I had planned on staying at Port Crescent State Park, but because of my late start and the busy end of summer weekend, it was full. I checked in at three other campgrounds, but the results were the same---No Vacancy! I didn't really mind; I had a backup plan. 

I stopped just down the road at a great little roadside park and enjoyed a picnic dinner. Sitting at my lakeside table, I watched the sunset while a young couple walked along the shore. After it was dark, I drove onto the expressway and spent a peaceful night at a quiet rest stop just up the road.

A New Adventure

There are some huge changes arriving in my life, most are wonderful and exciting, but some are quite sad. I won't tell you everything right now, because all of the changes won't be happening at the same time. Instead, I will tell you the first item on my agenda is also one of my favorite activities---a road trip! This won't be just any ordinary road trip, it will be as my sister, Kay, calls them, "a Julie Trip". Julie Trips are crazy, outrageous, illogical trips which make no sense to the average traveler. If you just want to get where you're going as quickly as you can you wouldn't want to travel with me. On my road trips I sit behind the steering wheel and let Van make all the decisions. If he notices an interesting road we haven't explored, that seems to be close to the direction we're traveling, I think, 'Why not!' and off we go. If we see a pretty little campsite hours away from where we had planned to stay for the night, we stop. Almost always, after I've set up camp and had time to explore, I've found that these unplanned stops contain unexpected treasures---treasures only found by those who are willing to take the time to explore.

***The picture above, showing me as I check Van's tire pressure, was taken by my sister, Kay, during one of our shared road trips.

Animal Quacker And Friends

It's not unusual to see a lot of animals while traveling the PALM. There are always dogs riding in bike baskets or following behind in trailers. Then there are the little town parks where you'll find ducks and squirrels. In the evenings you might see a raccoon wandering the neighborhoods looking for an easy meal. Seeing fish are always a possibility with all the lakes and rivers we have in Michigan. But never did it occur to me that I'd see sturgeon, or even more surprising, giraffes!

 When I drive the PALM, I like to do a little exploring so I don't arrive at the campsite before the bikes. After leaving Paw Paw, on the way to Battle creek, I stopped at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. They have a great visitor center where you can hike on trails, feed the fish and tour the hatchery. It was on the hatchery tour that I saw the sturgeon. Sturgeon are an awesome fish, from the age of dinosaurs. They can live as long as 150 years and grow up to nine feet long. Once abundant in Michigan's waters, they were nearly wiped out in the early 1900's due to over-fishing, pollution and habitat loss. The Wolf Lake Hatchery is working to increase the sturgeon's population, possibly to their previous levels.

 
Now, how did I get to meet a giraffe on the back roads of Michigan? Last night we stayed at Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek. The high school's next door neighbor is the Binder Park Zoo! After leaving camp this morning, I decided to take a little safari to the zoo's African Exhibit. The exhibit is seen while walking on a mile long, mostly elevated wooden deck trail. There are no cages, so the animals move freely within large enclosures. Visitors are allowed to feed the giraffes special giraffe chow or greens from elevated decks. The giraffe I met was a young one, as interested in his visitors as we were in him.

Pedal Power

     My sister and I have hit the road again, along with over eight hundred other bicyclists and assorted drivers. We're on the PALM (Pedal Across Lower Michigan), an annual bike trip, from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, across Michigan's lower peninsula. My sister, Kay, is the cyclist and I'm her "SAG" driver. I provide her transportation to and from the ride, a place to sleep inside Van at night, as well as a ready glass of iced tea at the end of her long ride each day. While she's pedaling up and down the hills, I'm exploring the countryside or lounging inside Van.
We camp at high schools and middle schools at night.

Kay starting her sixth PALM.

PALM neighbors Brittany, Dan and Charlotte.

     Today was the first segment of our trip--- from St. Joseph on Michigan's west coast to Paw Paw, about 43 miles. Even though this is just out first day, we've already met a lot of friendly people and enjoyed the comradery of our traveling troop .

Prisoners Of The Pirate King

I was part of a daring rescue mission at P.J.Hoffmaster State Park last week. I was wading in a shallow creek that ran parallel to the shore of Lake Michigan, when I discovered dozens of little babies imprisoned inside of the abandoned castle of an evil pirate king. The little tadpole babies searched frantically for a way to escape, but alas, they were trapped. Despite the extreme danger of becoming a prisoner, myself, I was able to breach the walls of the castle and return the captives to their home in the creek. As I was leaving I heard the familiar twanging call of a Green Frog, thanking me for my effort.

Along The Boardwalk

For the last few days, I've been in Spring Lake, Michigan celebrating my nephew's wedding. In between wedding related activities, I also had the chance to do a little exploring. My hotel was just steps away from the West End Community Boardwalk, along a channel which leads into Lake Michigan. (Yes, I said hotel. Van was rather disappointed with me, but I parked him near the marina, next to a rather large cruiser, so he'd have someone to keep him company.)

On the last morning  of my stay, I walked along the docks and the boardwalk, watching the sunrise as the boats headed out into the lake.

Storm Tree

I spent many hours resting beneath the shelter of this great tree, near Proud Lake State Park. Imagine my shock when I saw it after an absence of several years. Even in death it retains its majesty.

Click here for a larger view.

Mother's Day Bouquet

My parents are still very much in love. My father regularly tells my mother, "The day I met you was the luckiest day of my life." My mother replies, "You made me laugh." She laughed and kissed him when she received these roses from him on Mother's Day.

Eat Here Get Gas

I had a good laugh when I saw this sign along an Indiana highway yesterday. For one mad moment I considered stopping there for lunch. It was no surprise that they were out of business.

Wandering Indiana

I'm back on the road again, this time wandering Indiana. Van was in need of a check-up so I took him to see the friendly Sportsmobile dealer in Huntington. He had a defective propane gas detector which I swear was possessed. The detector would go off intermittently, but only during the middle of the night when I was sound asleep. I put up with it for several months until one night I couldn't take it any longer. In a crazed stupor, I took a pair of wire cutters and crawled on my belly under my bed in an attempt to stop the incessant beeping. The detector was mounted high enough, in the tiny space under my bed, that my bifocals were useless. I managed to stop the flashing light, but the evil alarm kept on beeping. It wasn't until morning and after I'd had my first cup of coffee, that I realized I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd just pulled its fuse out.

Van now has a new detector and the propane system was checked out and given the ok, so I hope to sleep soundly tonight. The day has been cold, windy and gray, but I'm staying in a state park with electricity, so the night should be warm and cozy...and quiet.

As I drove over the Salamonie Dam this afternoon I stopped to take a few pictures of the view--- a study in shades of brown.

420 Characters # 4---The temperatures were in the twenties

The temperatures were in the twenties, but the sun was warm. If it hadn't been February, I would have said that spring had arrived. I was out for a ramble at one of my favorite parks: Proud Lake Recreation Area, in Commerce Township, Michigan. My family and I camped here when I was a kid and as a 6th grader, I spent a snowy week here at science camp. Today, when I searched for signs of spring, I found pussy willows.

420 Characters #3---The Sweetest Valentine

The Sweetest Valentine, I Want To Be Your Cutie---She stuck the tiny stickers on endless mandarins, the same stickers she'd once cursed while sifting garden compost in the summer. Summer seemed far away from the refrigerated warehouse where she packaged produce twelve hours a day. Fresh fruit wasn't in her budget, but the kids didn't mind the canned seconds from Krogers. $7.20 an hour wasn't much but it beat welfare.

420 Characters #2---Rebecca Kneeled

Rebecca kneeled on the dusty floor of the storefront window, tightly rolling the cotton batting into a giant, snowy jellyroll that reminded her of the breakfast she'd skipped that morning. As she jammed it into the black storage bag, she hoped she'd be in Saskatchewan by next winter---she was sick of fake snow. She vacuumed the remaining cotton fuzz off of the floor and wondered if Tim Hortons still sold maple bars.

420 Characters---# 1

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know I love to travel. You may not know, though you've probably suspected, I love books as much as I love traveling. To me they're much the same, reading is just a different mode of travel, a more powerful mode. Books allow me to travel without leaving home, to places that may or may not really exist. I get to meet characters and hear tales, some which are real and others which can only be found in books.

I've been reading a special book for the last couple of months. I've renewed it so many times, if I don't return it soon, the librarians will suspend my card, placing me in library limbo. The book is, 420 Characters, by Lou Beach. It was published in 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I've never written about a book before, but this one is so unique and has given me such pleasure, I just have to talk about it before I return it to the public library. I expect a copy will soon be joining my home library.

420 Characters consists of illustrations by the author and miniature stories, each no longer than 420 characters, including letters, spaces and punctuation. I love these stories! Each one is detailed, engaging and complete on one page. Beach tells a better story in those few lines than many multi-chaptered books I've read. I've mulled on some of his stories for days.

His book has inspired me to improve my writing and stretch my imagination. Until I start physically traveling again, I'm going to travel in my mind, writing 420 character stories. Here goes # 1:

THE TALON-HONED MISSILE launched from the sky---death on feathered wings. She gained on the tiny bird until both predator and prey exploded kamikaze-like into the invisible panes, smudging the windows and leaving two feathered bodies littered on the damp sidewalk. A clerk scooped the bodies into a dust pan while women steered their carts around the obstruction, rechecking their lists and planning their evening meals.

Cold As Ice

Just last week I was complaining about the weather---it was too warm! I know, that sounds a lot like the rantings of a crazy woman, complaining about temperatures in the forties in January. But, I had a reason to complain. I was worried that it would be too warm for the ice festival. Every year, Plymouth, Michigan holds an ice festival in the heart of the city, Kellogg Park. And, almost every year, the warmest temperatures of the winter seem to occur during the festival. Some years it rains and visitors wander around the park, under their umbrellas, trying to identify the rapidly melting statues. Other years, the temperatures are so warm that the carvers seem to be making slush creations.

This year, with perfect timing, the weather turned icy cold, with temperatures falling into the single digits. I got up early this morning, dressing myself in multiple layers and driving downtown just in time to see the sun rise. Watching the first rays of sun shining through the ice carvings was worth the price of frozen fingers.

Happy New Year !

Here's to a joyful 2012 !

This year may you discover unexpected wonders and beauty.