WATERY WEDNESDAY

Wednesday is a Watery day and so I am posting my entry for this week. I took this last year at Lake Mi. This is the Badger that makes a round trip run from Ludington to Wisconsin once a day during the summers. The sun was shining on the side of it and you can just barely see the people standing on the upper deck as it comes into port. 

Locals use this boat to get back and forth to work and tourists use it for day trips to Wisconsin.  You can see that underneath holds LARGE semi's as well as regular cars .

It was fun watching it come in and it blows it's horn on departing and arriving so the whole town knows when it comes in. 

To enter a photo for Watery Wednesday CLICK HERE.

                                

BARN CHARM TUESDAY

BARN CHARM TUESDAY

While traveling a two lane road to Manistee last year I took this photo of an old run down barn that was on it's way out. I noticed another smaller one in just about  as bad a shape. I loved the shape of the smaller one. The large one had a tin roof. The roof will outlast the building despite the bad winters they have there. 

On the way back home I spotted this one..

It was used as advertising and for their farm. Place was pretty busy. I never stopped but here is the LINK so you can see what they sell. I must check it out if I get back in that area. 

For here.. we are looking at another storm to come through..this time maybe 4-6 inches of new white stuff. Me.. I will wait and see they keep changing the forecast several times a day.

REMINISCING....

 I came across a

box I had stored all my many journals in recently. I have mentioned here before

that I have kept them since 1976. I found that one book was missing and was

heart broken, it led me into a panic trying to find it. A whole day later 

I remembered that that particular one had vanished in a move from Ca.

to Michigan. Number Two chapter started in 1979!!

In opening the second chapter,

I notice that my handwriting was pretty good. Better than it is now. I type so

much now that my actual handwriting has really suffered a lot.I was taking tests at college and going on interviews and at a loss for what direction to take. Wondering if I should make a move back to Michigan. "Looking for work is harder than working" I wrote, so true even more today.

There really are 28 chapters..28 is not yet finished) probably never will be as

I have taken to putting everything on computer now. The way of the handwritten journal is fading for me at least. I blog and keep track of things that way, and only write in the journals really significant things that happen in my life. 

In one chapter I wrote...

"Little did I know that because I WASN’T working, I would be able to make

a trip to Santa Barbara where SUE lived. Friends from  my hometown came by on

their vacation and offered me a ride there with them. I literally had

minutes to throw a suitcase together and be on my way. I had no idea

what would happen, but I knew it would be an adventure! I always

am up for one of those because you haven’t planned and don’t know

how they will go."

 I spent 12 days in Santa Barbara according to this chapter.

“It was never my intention to stay more than a week. So much had happened

and so much was packed into those days that they really just flew by.”

The memories of those warm summer days and

the sneezing from the kitten that SUE had then, will always be with

me. Cool foggy mornings near the Pacific were so strange compared

to the valley where I had been staying. The larger city and the

whole culture shock of a seaside town was so different than

anything I had ever experienced.

Ours is not to question why things happen the way they do. I was there for a

reason that I just did not know about. If you believe in fate at all,

it sure came to pass in those 12 days. On my way home on the bus I had

plenty of time to think about how my life was going to go on from there.

Job opportunities were there in Santa Barbara, but back then hard to find

something in such a short timespan. Less than a month later I was

winging my way back to Michigan for a visit, and developed Bronchitis

two days after getting there.. a few days later it went to full blown

pneumonia. Why the heck did I leave Ca. so fast kept

running through my mind?  
More later....

ALL GOOD THINGS....

All good things must eventually come to an end or so they say..our week long visit in St. Croix ends and we return home to cold stateside.  I dread the shovel we might have to use or the heavy coats we have to haul out to wear. Maybe it's time to think about being a snow bird. "SNOWBIRD" meaning..

A snowbird is someone from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, Pacific Northwest, or Canada who spends a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona,Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean. Well we can dream anyway..most cannot afford to have two residences to care for. If I were a snowbird where would I go for winter?? Hmmm any suggestions welcome here.            

                                          

I lived in California for 20 years, and where I was there was little change in season. It was either green and lush or dry and brown. Rain and fog or hot and hotter. No trees changing colors or sight of snowflakes unless you went TO them. You could drive to the ocean,or the mountains in winter. Nice..but pretty expensive to live there. When I returned to Michigan I found that my blood must have thinned a lot because I was freezing and others were laughing at me wearing a sweatshirt in 70 degree weather. Took at least 4 or 5 years to get used to the cold temperatures. My first winter was TERRIBLE. I just could not get warm no matter what I did. Christmas was wonderful...all white and peaceful looking..until I had to snow blow the driveway. Ahhhh I realized why I had moved to warmer territory after all. 

Well I would have to think hard on where I would want to live, is there anywhere that has a happy medium? The climate being what it is and so many  global warming changes, we all may be in a more warm zone sooner than we think. 

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!! 

GONE SWIMMING...

WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR  VIRTUALTRIP...SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME ..I loved the water and the warmth. I found the driving on the left kind of strange but got used to it if someone else was doing the driving..that boat was really rocking at some times, but smooth sailing at others. This video is short and covers our trip just great. Someone left their goggles and flippers in the boat..that's a no no.. but looks like 

 

 Joe is ready for a swim!!

We must hurry back though and get ready for our Valentine's dinner on the beach.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL!!

YO HO HO..OFF WE GO!!

Today we are at Buck Island, St Croix.. it's so gorgeous here. We are going on a charter cruise and doing some snorkeling. Sounds like fun. Clicking the link above you can go on the one minute tour and see some of the special scenery. 

I am not telling on any one of us..but ONE person in our group got a pretty bad sunburn yesterday. OUCH!! Hmmm don't think they will go swimming today so we might end up in the Sunny Isle Shopping center. We will stop and get some lunch 

I truly could sit here all day and enjoy the scenery but the CASINO awaits us!!

It is so regal looking..the front entrance looks fantastic. I hope we have luck inside and maybe we can manage to stay a few more days on the islands!

REST UP.... TOMORROW IS ANOTHER GREAT DAY 

ON THE ISLAND!!

GONE FISHING!!

Anchors away blog family.. today we are taking that fishing trip

I know I will get some help from you all if I hook one

and can’t reel that sucker in. What fun!!

When we get back Sue will be playing tennis at the courts at

the hotel and we will cheer her on. By dinnertime we all will

have one of those sunset beach side buffets. 

with all we can eat. We have private chefs that will

make it the way we want it!!!

Tomorrow we will sail to BUCK ISLANDon a charter trip

and explore the island ..it has a wonderful protected reef

that is just beautiful. 

I can’t wait!!   Whoever lost these sunglassessee

me because I am keeping them safe until you retrieve them. LOL

We sure had a nice get away from all the cold.. don't know about you but think I will be staying on my beach a little while longer.. Anyone got extra suntan lotion??
Who knows what we can get into tomorrow??

WHAT SNOW?? WE ARE HAVING FUN!!!

We ARE in the U.S. Virgin Islands.. there are many

islands that make up the whole.

What Fun!!

Today we are taking a horseback ride on one of the many

tours they have.  Joe has ridden ahead of us, I would

know that hat and shorts anywhere! 

Cindy, Beth, Carole and I made plans to shop in the duty free stores

 

and some

went to visit the sugar plantation on St Croix and have dinner

at a place called the Harbormaster Beach Club.

 There is a beach

barbeque floor show that can’t be beat!  Ohhh the beat of

that steel band was wonderful too.

Word comes from the cold cold country that snow is really

piling up. A smile comes to your face as you sit and watch

the sunset over the beach after a wonderful warm day.

Long day.... tomorrow I hear someone is impatient to

get on the boat and go fishing.. wonder who that could

be?? LOL

What a view.... that can’t be beat.. See you tomorrow....

WHERE THE HECK ARE WE???

We are in a great place, ready for new adventures.

We are definitely on an island.. just look at that
view Ahhhhhhhhh it looks great!! I almost
thought we wouldn’t make it because someone
left their ID and we had to go back for it. ( Not saying
who, but the mind has been elsewhere lately..)
Anyway.. boy that heat feels good!! We got a ton of beaches

and neat places to eat and explore. Not a lot of tourists

to deal with so we can have the place to ourselves.

 

I rename this place BLOGGERS  BEACH.. LOL It is NOT

Hawaii, or Florida, or Ca. Can you guess where???

We can take a  break from the tanning process and wave watching and

walk over to that white building. It’s a CASINO!! Let’s try our luck and

see who can win the most with the least amount of money wagered! 

Just checked the weather here it is a balmy 74 degrees and wonderful.

Beats the snow reports back home.. I know we will love it!! 

Hey what happened to Sherry??.. I heard she got lucky at the crap table!!.

ACKkk 

who the heck is parasailing over my beach?? Oh.. maybe that is JOE

he said he wanted an adventure.. watch out Joe, the landing can be a

doozy!! 

Wonder what is on the agenda for tomorrow…oh well it is better than

home that is for sure…

HAVE FUN!!

CABIN FEVER..

Literally been days since I have been out and about and so I think I have come down with "cabin fever" defined as "Noun....

Irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the winter." The sun has only been out briefly in over ten days and a snow storm is approaching. Makes me want to  G E T  A W A Y.... time for my virtual vacation. I used to do this at Spaces and it was pretty popular so here we go...

Ahhhhhhh  the smell of the ocean and the roar of the waves.. my kind of vacation..

wondering what tomorrow will bring...stay tuned.....

HELL HOUSE 2013

HELL HOUSE ..that's what I used to call the house next door to us where I used to live. What with drug dealers and critters living in it after it was abandoned there was plenty of reason to call it that. The whole neighborhood was on a rampage to have the house torn down or remodeled. While I  still lived there some nice folks bought it and re-modeled it and moved in. The neighborhood was saved UNTIL..mom passed away and we had to give up the old house. It took me months to clean it out and leave that old place. It had been in our family 60 plus years. 

NOW there is another HELL HOUSE..it's OUR old house. The house sat until someone finally bought it for a very reduced price. Neighbors were happy UNTIL....they found out that our house was being used for a loud rock band to play in the garage and the people who bought it were not so very nice. Our old house needed a new roof and many repairs.  The roof was repaired, but a whole lot of the house was left to go unattended. Neighbors called the police numerous times over the noise and had lots of run-ins over this and that. This is how the house looks now..quite the difference

They took out the bushes in the front and trimmed the old pine tree up, tore up the backyard and park cars in it and the yard. New owners are entitled to do as they please I tell everyone who tells me things. It's THEIR house now.  It's sad that the place has to be a problem for others though. I tell them things could be worse at least it is occupied. Life goes on, but inside that old house the spirit of my parents and all the hard work they put into it still lingers. The floors still creak and the doors open and shut on their own, lights flicker and noises are heard once in awhile. I hope the new owner is used to them by now. 

SPRING BARN

 OH MY I'm so very grateful and happy to see so many new comments on my Summer Barn photo. Thanks a million.. I thought I would post another view of it since so much of it was cut out.  The second or third roof on it is just now sagging with time.About half of it is still used for storage and as a garage. These were taken in June before the vines started turning color as in the  previous post. We thought the vines were poison ivy but turned out they weren't. Glad to know it because they grew all over it as you can see by the picture below. We haven't had a lot of snow yet this winter and I am still waiting to take a WINTER picture of it. 

                                           

MY SUMMER BARN

I added a photo of my summer barn here. There are some really nice photos of all kind of Charming Barns.  

This barn belongs to my sister. I took a photo this summer of the vine that crept all over the side of it. I just love old barns..it always makes me wonder who built them and what they kept inside and how long it has been around. My Grandfather had a dairy farm in Tennessee and he took us out in the barn many times to help with the milking. I loved watching him work. My were those milk cans heavy when full. Ahhh the memories...

WHAT ME AGAIN!!

Wow two posts in a week..I must be dreaming!!. Back in the old days I could blog every single day. There must have been a ton of things to talk about. Not much these days. I sit here trying to keep warm in the frigid temps we have been having. I noticed this morning that all the frost we have had comes in different patterns each day. This morning I saw this one and it looked like little stars..Can't wait to see what is up for tomorrow morning now..

                                                   

Do any of you remember these things..  it sort of looked like this only it didn't have the hood. Anyway, I found one hanging in the closet the other day. It was made of fleece and looked cozy. Thank God it was one size fits all. It must have been hanging in there for at least 15 years!!! I washed it and dried it and put it on as soon as I could. BOY is it warm!! I loved it! Sis asked me.."Did you shovel snow in that?".. I snorted, "NO..but now I wish I had." It was below zero out and that thing would have been perfect. It doesn't look as snazzy as the one pictured here. I think I will look into one though as inside the house is pretty cold too right now. Sitting watching tv or whatever it really is a handy thing to have. Next question.. IS ONE ENOUGH??  LOL I have used those snuggie things. I have tried several things but this one is really nice. ONLY ONE draw back..  with mine you have to unzip and completely get out of  it to go to the bathroom, is that ever hard in a hurry.. Ackkk...  

WELL enough of my thoughts on that.. Hope you all have a great weekend...

                                               

WINTER?? 2013

People around these parts ask..winter?..where?? We have had just a little snow and only a few days of harsh cold weather. The ground is green much like last winter with a little ice to scrape. The winds came in last night though and with it a howl and a blast of arctic cold and maybe some snow. It all depends on where you live I guess. Bad for us because the ground needs to freeze up to kill all those bugs that come out in the summertime. Well I know it is winter,because they are playing HOCKEY on tv again and the Superbowl is right around the corner. January here was, for all the records, nice!! I predict the groundhog will see his shadow though and we will have 3 months of cool weather. Our spring will show up in late June. That suits me fine. 

In other news..Is it me or have the playoffs for the championships been really good this year? I am not an avidfootball fan but I watched one on the edge of my seat, as it went back and forth. I think the teams are evenly matched this year. I used to be a real 49er fan but that was back when the name Joe Montana was famous. I am holding off on picking a real favorite yet. I see that PEPSI will be sponsor at the half time show with Beyoncee and I have to say I bet it will be spectacular. 

                                           
American Idol is back for it's 12th season. I gotta say I kinda like last years judges better. The new ones are so vibrant they sort of out shine the contestants. Not naming names but one is really over the top. There is some real talent out there from what I have seen. Could make a really good season this year. Got to admit I didn't watch much of it last year at all. LIFE got in the way.      

                                           
I am looking forward to Nascar's DAYTONA in February..have to wait almost the whole month but it will be worth it. It always is. I don't watch a whole lot of sports but the fast cars are right up my alley. I do have a favorite there and that is Stewart-Hass racing. I am a big Tony Stewart fan and his team did well last year. 

                                            
I am really liking the SCRABBLE game at Facebook..you know that place where we all hang out now. Seems Facebook took over and blogs kinda went out of style for most people. I do admit I don't blog everyday like I used to, heck if I get three or four times a month it will be good. I know that isn't good but it is just not like it used to be back in SPACES days..Remember something called MYSPACE??  Something happened, I forget what, but now it is a thing of the past. I hope blogs never get that way..mine won't.. it will be around as long as I can type a word and get access to it. I PROMISE..

                                           

SO this was my first post of 2013, I tried to make it more like I used to post at Spaces. It was fun..maybe I will keep it up more in 2013.
  
 HOPE THE NEW YEAR HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU SO FAR!