Springtime at Canyon Falls by L'anse, MI

Springtime at Canyon Falls by L'anse, MI

Saturday, December 25, 2010

the after Christmas-math

Christmas is over, the long awaited holiday, gone in a flash....in some ways I am happy, my husband can be quite the Scrooge...lol...Son made out like a bandit, receiving more Trucks, Trains, Tractors, Matchbox Cars, clothes, and underwear to last him at least til December 25, 2011, my awesome Daddy gave me seventy five dollars on an Auto Zone gift card to get some stuff for my 'new' truck, AAAAANNDDDD...$50 worth of Olive Garden gift cards too, my favorite restaurant, Hubby got some much needed new Cartharts (Jacket and Bib Coveralls), a neat little flashlight that sticks to your head (he's worn it all day and says it will be handy to level the camper in the dark, and work on cars)

Tomorrow the tree comes down, the lights will be darkened for another year, Christmas will be boxed up and put away....

NOW to get down to some serious planning....

planning for............

CAMPING

yes, I said it....camping....

we already have 2 trips and 1 weekend planned, well, decided...not planned....

the first weekend out will be the weekend before Memorial Day...to get the camper out, get it opened up, aired out, mice (and/or other critters) eradicated....as I never did get the peppermint oil in there....that will be just to Brighton Recreation Area Bishop Lake Campground....

the 1st of the two trips is our annual family vacation...I have mixed emotions about taking it in June....I love the UP in the Fall, but my son starts school this fall, kindergarten....sniff....his birthday is in June, and so is Soo Locks Engineer's day, so we are vacationing to the UP in June....we are camping a split vacation, as we will spend a week at Baraga State Park and then the rest of the time at Brimley State Park....hopefully I will get to meet one of my blogger buddies while at Baraga...ANYONE THAT HAS INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREA, AND ATTRACTIONS AROUND BARAGA OR THE KEWENAW PENINSULA SEND IT TO ME PLEASE!!!!!!

The 2nd trip in the works is in August, we are planning to try out Bay City Recreation Area for a weekend....

we will be staying at Brighton Rec off and on over the summer and on into the fall...hopefully we will make a Halloween weekend this year too....

Saturday, December 11, 2010

It's Christmas Time!!!!

It's Christmas!

I am currently (much to my husband's chagrin) watching White Christmas, you know, the Bing Crosby movie....it is never officially the Christmas season in my book until I have watched White Christmas.

Today, my Brother in law made dozens of batches of hard candy (it may be rock candy or stained glass candy to you), 4 double batches of chocolate fudge, 4 double batches of peanut butter fudge, a double batch of his Great Grandmother's peanut butter fudge (can we say LOADED with peanut butter), and 3 different kinds of truffles...all with my sister in law's and my help. (I am sure my english teacher would have something to say about the grammar in that last sentence)

everything turned out great until we tried to dip the truffles....needless to say the chocolate because over cooked and the moisture went out of it and it was no longer dippable...

I have most of my shopping done. just a few little things to get, mainly for Little Man's stocking...and hubby's gift....he'll probably get a lump of coal this year...

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving and next years camping

Happy Thanksgiving to all who stumble upon my blog......

I am already looking forward to next year's camping season. We have the first part figured out and working on the middle and end.....We are looking forward to camping in the Western UP in June as well as going to the Soo Locks Engineer's days, and getting to meet my blogger friend Joan from Retirement Chronicles....I am hoping to get a spot for Halloween weekends at Brighton Rec in October...we have missed it by one weekend the last two years....

Any suggestions, feel free to send them my way!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

end of the season, thinking ahead

Well, it's been a good summer for Camping....so far, we camped once in May, 3 times in June, 1 time in July, 1 time in August, took a 10 day vacation in September, and (cross your fingers) for 1 time in October....good friends came to call at the camper in June and July....My husband built us a Ladderball (Hillbilly Horseshoes) set, that brought him, my son, and one of our friends much enjoyment. August was nice. Vacation was a bit of a downer, had to stay local, rather than go up north, but good anyways. We had a furry creature that was a bit to friendly, met some nice people, my best friend from high school came out and spent the day with us and brought along her three year old twins who had never had a s'more before....let me tell you that situation was taken care of in short order.....Now we are at the and of summer, the end of camping season, but i am hopeful for one more weekend....the last hurrah of sorts....if not then we will be winterizing the camper next weekend instead of camping in it...and putting it into storage....

Thinking ahead to next year though, we are planning the first weekend out in May...and then taking vacation in June partly because my son's birthday is in June, and partly because (sniff, sniff) he starts kindergarten in the fall....our plan for our vacation next year is to go to Baraga State Park and spend a week there and then come back to Brimley State Park and spend a few days there and attend the Soo Locks Engineers Day....If anyone has any suggestions for day trips/things to do around Baraga, please leave me a comment with your suggestion and, if you have one, a website so that i can mapquest stuff.....

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Balloonfest in Howell MI

Last night was the first launch of the Balloonfest XXVI. Got some awesome pics....check them out on my facebook page....

Monday, May 24, 2010

home again home again

What a weekend....it was great! really, until we came home and I decided to mow my grama's yard. We got 4 inches of rain on Friday night, floated my sis' in laws tent, so she had to sleep in the camper with us....Saturday was beautiful, we went to a powwow that the park was hosting...very interesting....Sunday we came home, got everything taken care of and I decided to mow Gram's lawn. It had needed it before we left, but I decided to wait until we go home...BAD IDEA....the mower acted up, so i called my hubby to come fix it. He decided that we needed to use the John Deere (much older mower with issues) and park the Craftsman. But the Deere wouldn't start, after much coaxing, it started but when told to back up....it jumped the belt drive (whatever that is)...so poor hubby started to fix it....about the time he got it fixed and signaled me to come jump the Deere again....the Air Compressor (which is at least 30 years old or more) exploded....knocking my three year old over and abrasing his feet and legs as he was less than 3 feet from it....needless to say we ended up in ER...Thank God he is okay other that scrapes and bruises....now i need another mini vacation to make up for the stress of coming home....

Thursday, May 20, 2010

first weekend of the season

Yay! It's Finally Here! a day early too I might add....Today we head for the campground for the first time this year. Little man wanted to sleep in the camper in the yard last night, but fell asleep in the house. Hopefully the rain stays away, cross your fingers for us. Brighton Recreation Area-Here we come!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

laughter

it is late, very late for me as i get up before the proverbial rooster. I am about dying of laughter from reading Retired one's post about the woman selling spirits emersed in Holy Water, and my 3 yr old comes up and starts ranting about how i need to leave his socks on because we have carpeting! (What!? Did i miss something?)

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Mini Vacation

We spent the weekend in Mackinaw. Awesome hotel, might I recommend it to anyone looking for a hotel in that expensive town, The Hamilton Inn Select, the staff are very friendly and helpful, the pool is warm, the hot tub is hot, the continental breakfast is the best I have eaten (not just toast, juice, and cereal, they have eggs, sausage and gravy, biscuits, bagels, several kinds of bread, milk, 3 different juices, and you can make your own waffles, to name a few things off their menu). We had a great time with some friends taking pictures and playing in the pool. I tried to talk my husband into staying another night....lol

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Where oh where to camp this year?

Brimley, Hoeft, or on the Lake Michigan side of the state?

Brimley we have been to many times. Love it. but we have done about all there is to do from that location and quite frankly I am ready for some new adventures. My husband wants to drive halfway, then spend the night beneath the Bridge, then drive the rest of the way to Brimley. I get it, it's a long drive, and once you have been driving for hours on end, he's tired, he wants to be fresh for the Bridge. But, once were over the Bridge, why can't we go to Muskallonge Lake, or Clementz North Country Campground, or Taqhemenon Falls? Really, what's the difference, give or take a few hours? and some slower speed limits, not that he can do 70 mph when he is towing the camper anyways...

Hoeft....Has anyone been there recently? Cause my mom and I camped there in our tents back around 2001 or so and we got sand fleas. Note: my mom and I are both highly allergic to fleas. I don't want to get them little buggers in my camper. How would I get rid of them in less than two weeks? (cause we will be home from vacation exactly two weeks and then we are going out for the Halloween thing at Brighton Rec.) Please, if anyone has been there, let me know. I love that State Park, and the surrounding area....but I strongly dislike fleas!

Lake Michigan side of state: Nothing wrong with it that we know of, which is the point...we don't know anything about those campgrounds. We are a people who like to check out a campground before we stay there, mainly because we have a huge camper which my husband isn't used to backing around and our son needs room to play. Also, sand fleas come to mind as well, Lake Michigan is known for Sand Dunes....no sand fleas allowed.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

from a tent to a camper

Until last year we have always camped in tents. We are the modern tenters as my one friend called us. We take along the microwave, the portable fridge, the TV and DVD player, etc... Last June, we camped for my son's birthday, and it stormed, our campsite was flooded as was every other site in the campground because of how fast the rain was coming down. Our tent had a channel of water running through it, it was floating. Now we had camped in tents before in storms, and they always leaked to some extent, but never like that. I looked at my husband and calmly said, NEVER AGAIN! we are getting a travel trailer or we aren't going. After we got home, we started looking for a trailer. We were told the sister of our neighbors had a trailer they were looking to get rid so we inquired about it and were able to purchase a 30 foot travel trailer for a nominal price and although we have had to put a little work into it, we have been extremely happy with it.

This new thing

So for a long time I have followed a few blogs, I have been thinking about how much fun it looks to be and how much fun others have stated they have blogging. I have seen that some use to chronicle what happens in their lives whether good or bad, while yet others use it to post awesome pictures that they have taken. So hence comes my blog. I want to try my hand at something new.