Road Trip Week 1

I thought I would tell you about our trip and our days this way. If you want you can peruse it.😏 

We arrived at Cedar Campus last Saturday evening just in time for supper. We had spent the night in a miscellaneous motel in the Pittsburgh Minroeville area. Lots of memories of trips to Pgh. To see Grammy. It was pretty cool/cold and overcast or rainy the first three days there. But most of the folks there are return campers for whom Cedar Campus is their "special place." So they don't seem to notice the rain and cold. The campers were faculty and families from Midwestern universities plus some Intervarsity staff folks. It was fun to be there with Kevin, Amy, and David. They were in the cabin next door to ours. The facilities, as you might remember, are simple but very adequate. They've done a lot to keep it up and develop it, so somehow they've maintained a financial base that Bear Trap was not able to. There's a swimming pool now--very nice and heated, but it was just being heated up and cleaned at the beginning of the week. Towards the end of the week it was open but only at 64 degrees, which was warmer than the lake water though by a good bit. My memory of our cabin is that it was sort of alone in a wooded spot. I couldn't pick it out there though. I think perhaps other cabins have been built around it now.

Dad spoke three times--Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. He did a wonderful job with "Vocation as scholar" and of course was busy with talking with folks all the time. The alternate program times they had faculty couples speaking about aspects of their lives. Those were really great presentations too. People were really vulnerable about their experiences in the university and personally, which was encouraging and inspiring. There were a bunch of children participating in the kids' program as well. That made me remember when we were there 22 years ago. I think some of you and Dad did the swim test in order to do the sail boats. Amazing! It must've been freezing!

In the afternoons I did several hikes none of which are very long or strenuous but pretty along the water or in the woods, including the Narnia Trail which some of you remember. Twice we went on "The Bear" which is the larger pontoon boat for the sunset cruise which didn't happen until 9:30 pm. Dad and I went kayaking one afternoon. We headed out towards the sort of point beyond which is the main body of Lake Huron. We heard a motor boat coming fast towards us when we'd almost reached the point. They pulled up alongside and yelled, "did they tell you the boundaries for Kayaking?" We said no...but we were way beyond them, so we had to head back. 

On Tuesday was an afternoon and evening off so we went to Saud St. Marie (pronounced "Soo") where there are some major locks to allow ships to pass between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. We got to see two 600 foot long cargo ships pass through. It's an amazing feat of engineering. Lake H. Is 21 feet lower than Lake Superior so you see the ship come into the lock and then be lowered 21 feet before it goes out again. I don't know why we didn't take the family there in 1993. It's also a quaint town and right on the Canadian border. Whitefish is the big locally caught fish there, so we had a bowl of whitefish chowder before going back to camp where Dad was doing a book signing along with some other authors at camp.

We left there Friday morning and headed 40 minutes south to catch the ferry to Mackinac Island.

Lady slippers were everywhere!

Looking out from the meeting house at Cedar Campus.

Narnia Trail's end--the lamp post

Sunset from our cabin window--@9:30 PM each evening

A goose family

Sunset from the swimming beach at Cedar Campus

The weather turned beautiful the last couple of days with temps around 70 in the day and lots of sunshine. There are no cars at all or motorbikes (excepting one ambulance) allowed on Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island. Everything is either by bike or horse drawn conveyance or horseback. That makes it a pretty unique place. We parked our car and most of our stuff on the main land and headed over via a breezy, chilly ferry ride. It's been gorgeous weather so far. We're staying two nights in two different Victorian bed and breakfasts. The island is a town full of gorgeous Victorian era homes and The Grand Hotel where the movie "Somewhere in Time" was filmed. There's also a wilderness area and a very resorty town full of fudge shops which are famous (even though fudge shops are at every resort town!)

Yesterday we rode bikes around the periphery of the whole island (only 8 miles) in the evening. It was really beautiful and pleasant except for some bugs which are definitely a factor up here in the north woods.today we hope to bike in the mid-level of the Island where we hear there are lots of nice paved trails as well as a historic fort. One of the most interesting encounters was with a summer resident whose cabin is right on the water about 3 miles from town. She and her husband let us see in their two little one-room cabins/shacks which he inherited from 4 generations back. They spend 5 months there a year with various extended family. They have to haul everything up by bike cart, do all their shopping that way. They can hire a horse drawn taxi for the heaviest stuff. The horses are all really beautiful and seem so well trained but maybe that's just being used everyday in real jobs.

Today was another beautiful day on the island. We relaxed with reading and writing in the morning. In the afternoon we rented bikes again and this time went to the interior of the island. We had to walk up a big hill to get to the level of a lot of bike paths, the carriage house, cemeteries, and a residential neighborhood for permanent residents. Three hours later brought us back down by the Grand Hotel and a bunch of amazing Victorian mansions that sit on a bluff overlooking the lake. We watched the professional for a wedding on the porch of the Grand Hotel and then saw about 4-5 other wedding parties going around the island in fancy carriages.

Dad at the bottom of Arch Rock.

A view on the water from the path circumnavigating the island.

Goose family with Mackinac Bridge in the background.

Beginning to be sunset over the bridge.

So many lilacs here blooming that the island air is scented with them in places.

A team I thought was really pretty

Our yesterday's B & B

More sunset

B&B backyard

Island circumference road 

Going back now to Saud St. Marie...the Army Corps of Engineers building at the locks 

First cargo ship approaching the lock

Entering the lock

Fully in and back gate closed as water begins lowering

Arch Rock from above looking down at the stone beach and the lake

Pano lake view

A huge and beautiful carriage horse with the day off--in the carriage stable

Some of the gorgeous houses on the bluff

View out the hallway window of our B&B

A week's passing

It's hard not to fall behind, so many of these pictures--most--are from the last week in March.

Old snow...new snow drops on the way to Lake Acotink

So fresh -- snow drops

Scenes from story time with 2nd graders
The little girl in the front row with the lighter pink dress is named Talia.  She's a twin of Isaac (different class) and has always reminded me of Lena a little in looks. So she's one of my faves!

Fourth graders doing some research on databases

I started the 2013 taxes.  I knew this day was coming, but it is still rather poignant, even sad, to think that we can claim no dependents any more.  Plus it means paying a lot more taxes! Ugh!

Actually, now two Sundays ago, Steve and I decided to go to the National Gallery after worship (March 23).  We had gone to the later worship service in order to see a young friend confirmed, at his invitation.  He had been a fellow at McLean Presbyterian a few years ago and one of Steve's students.  His name is Garrett, and he is the young man whose uncle owns Noah's Ark, the river rafting business in Buena Vista, Colorado.  Last summer he took us on a half day of rafting as a treat.  It was so much fun!

Anyway, there were probably close to 70 people being confirmed, which makes the service long.  However, the bishop of our diocese (even though I still have a hard time with the idea of "bishops" and all) lays his hands on the head of each one and prays:

Strengthen, O Lord, your servant Garrett with your Holy Spirit;

empower him for your service; and sustain him by your grace 

all the days of his life. Amen

I love that prayer and felt I needed it for myself with each time he laid hands on another confirmant (I think they're called).  

After the service we headed to the National Gallery, first to the cafeteria for a cup of tea and a salad.

Wall of water!

Garden Area

Thank you, Vincent Van Gogh!

Azaeleas in the main rotunda

There was an interesting, though very small, exhibit of the real artifacts of the Monument Men.  This is a horrible picture.  It was under glass and then I made myself a shadow over it taking the picture!  In my mind I contrasted this with the amazing museum quality pictures Becca takes and posts on her blog :/.

Since some of the family were in Florence at the time I took this picture, I thought it was interesting.  This is a booklet given to servicemen to help them in their search for information about valuable art that needs to be protected or "liberated."

                

Table set for a friend coming to dinner.  She brought the daffodils below.

The hope of spring!  Pansies on the table and store-bought daffodils in a vase. Note the snow covering everything outside the window.
(Now our yard is absolutely filled with blooming daffodils, but two weeks ago it was not.)

Last snow...first daffodils

                 

On Friday, March 28, Steve spoke at the "Blue" conference put on by Fairfax Community Church.  It's called Blue because it's for the people in their congregation who sit in the "blue" theater seats in this auditorium week in and week out.  It was a conference on vocation and calling--the second annual.  It's amazing how we can live so close to this church and not have known much about it at all.  Yet it is large and vital and doing stuff like the Blue conference!  I went Friday evening and snapped this picture the evening with Amena Brown and DJ OPDiggy in a live poetry performance.

Birthday Week

There was some spring-like weather between snows that allowed me to get to the park and walk without kicking up a ton of mud.  Tomorrow is supposed to be another such day.  It's hard to remember now if that was the beginning of Steve's birthday week, but I think it was.














We don't have a lot of good pictures from Steve's childhood.  In fact, we have hardly any.  There are a very few tiny little snaps of great lack of clarity that picture him as an infant or even a toddler.  But some of his school pictures survived and are fun to look at, analyzing that pensive (or was it patronizing) smile he felt obligated to give the overly cheery school photographer or the good-natured grin of the ranch-loving, friendly, adventure-seeking boy.

Perhaps around 1962

'61-'63 range

                                  

March 12 itself was pretty ordinary.  Oh, there were lots of birthday greetings, but after a failed attempt to plan (very last minute) a dinner out with friends, we ended up just staying in.  Anna Deatherage, good friend and member of the Deatherage family who live near-by, baked these cupcakes that her dad Todd brought over later in the evening.

                                   

She and her good friend Georgia run a little neighborhood cupcake business after they were inspired to take a cake decorating course at the local craft store.  They are both eleven.  Please note the special one decorated in honor of his new book.

                                 

Steve and Todd with the precious baked goods

                                 

The real celebration was planned for Friday night when the DC area family came over for a traditional birthday dinner.  The occasion seemed worthy of Grammy's china and silver which we put to good use on a nice tablecloth.

                                 

The gang's all here, including Charlie's brother John who happened to be in town for the weekend from State College. From left: David, Erika, Jonathan, Steve, Charlie, John, Eden

Eden had fixed a delicious pork loin roast in the crock pot with wonderful gravy.  I added mashed potatoes and salad to it before cupcakes and ice cream for dessert.

Jessica returned from her amazing, awesome, and wonderful trip to Florence, Italy with the Greens and Elliott, Becca, Lena, and Gil.  BEAUTIFUL! But you'll have to get all the dope from her.  As a result of her being in town for a few days, there were some sibling and family get-togethers.  One of those was a walk along the Georgetown Canal on Sunday afternoon.  That was with David, Jessica, and Eden, me and Mia.  But a shady looking character with hood pulled low came up to us at the end of the afternoon, and it was Jonathan who had just been driving home from work.  So I was able to get the almost full group here.  This is the "nice" pose and below is when everyone is just not quite ready or were done.  They were all headed to worship at Church of the Advent 5:00 PM service, and I headed for home.

That night, as predicted, it began to snow and snowed throughout the night, giving us a St. Patrick Day snow day--our 10th or 11th, but who's keeping tract!  It was not unwelcome since it is one we don't have to make up.   Steve left for Portland and Seattle later in the afternoon for the rest of the week and was able to get out okay after his first flight was delayed, making him miss his Denver connection.  They put him on a straight through flight in first class, so he didn't complain.   The next morning was a two-hour delay, so another leisurely morning.

And finally, everyone--absolutely everyone--is enjoying Visions of Vocation!  Isn't it great!?!