Communication Challenged

I suppose you wonder where we've been. We were in White Cloud in western Michigan. And the reason why you've not heard from us is no internet access. Our phones were on roam as well.

Because of the trees, Herb couldn't aim the satellite dish. So there we were. After glaring at each other for a time, we went on with things.

We went canoeing and hiking. Herb grilled over an open fire. We had a look at Lake Michigan, nearby. We visited some yard sales and fresh produce stands. Cherries and sweet corn are grown in the area--we feasted!

We'd like to return to the area next year, perhaps to work in the campground where we stayed. There's a lot to see, including woodlands, small lakes and farms of all sizes. Nice people, too. Now I have to lose this Michigan accent before I get back to the southwest!

Wow!

We had an exciting afternoon. As we were setting up camp at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Belleville, Michigan, a loud roar alerted us to the Blue Angels! The aerial acrobatics were amazing and performed at blinding speed. We watched, open-mouthed, for a long time, trying to catch some pictures. Herb was better at catching them at the right moment. Most of the other campers watched as well. It was really hot outside, but no one seemed to notice.

The experience was unforgettable. Such precision! I think we'll both probably have stiff necks in the morning.

This is the second time we've stayed at this fairgrounds. Last time, we just needed a place for the night and happened to be in the area. We were delighted to find the county fair in session. We explored the exhibits and Herb ate some disgusting hot dog conglomeration which included sauerkraut and, I think, chili! Truly an ecumenical meal.

This time, we chose to stay here because we're having repairs done to our coach just down the road, and it was convenient. I think we may come back again, just to find out what's going on!

Little Bit

Don's cat used to hunt birds--now she waits for them to show up. She spends a lot of time curled up on top of one of the stereo speakers on the side porch, waiting for someone to open the treat container. Not sure how old she is--she's pretty, except for her ears which look knawed upon.

This was our first visit back to the farm since Odie died. We missed her, but know that Don took good care of her. The farm really belonged to Odie--she just let us stay there. Now it seems to be Little Bit's place. And the birds aren't particularly afraid of anyone or anything at Don and Linda's--all those full feeders make sure they're welcome.

IMPORTANT--PLEASE READ

I once had a boss (and some of you know who it was) who never read more than the first sentence of an e-mail. In order to get his attention, I would begin an e-mail with something like, "The world will end tomorrow at 2 p.m. unless you read this entire e-mail." Notice I was specific. I've tried it with Herb--"You must listen to what I'm telling you or extra-terrestrials will arrive at 11 tonight"--no luck, however. But I'd appreciate your reading this entire post for some good information.

First of all, if blogging looks like something you'd like to try, I recommend Blogger. It's so easy even I can do it. You can use templates to set it up any way you like. I use a different template for Healthwords. You can see that blog at http://healthwords.blogspot.com/. The website for starting your own free blog is https://www.blogger.com/start. It's a step-by-step process.

The other issue is I'll be adding links to amazon.com to my blog. I may talk about a book I've read or recommend some travel book. There will be a link for you to go to amazon.com and buy it if you wish. For example, at the lower left, you'll see a link for a book titled, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. It's the Luke 10 story about two sisters. One sat at Jesus' feet while the other was in the kitchen rattling pots and pans. I'm afraid I'm a rattler. If you link to amazon.com from my blog and buy something, I will receive a small commission, up to 4%. Just wanted to be up front about the whole business.

Thank you for your kind attention. No extra-terrestrials at 11!

Unexpected Animal

There were many surprises attached to our church mission trip to West Virginia. Some involved the campground we'd chosen--Paradise Island of Christian. Not only was it located at the wide space in the road called Christian, WV, it was a Christian campground. Whatever we expected to see in West Virginia, it didn't include a llama!

We certainly wondered what we were in for on arrival. Priscella, one-half of the couple who owns it, introduced herself and gave us the lowdown. Some aging RVs are rented to homeless folk in exchange for working in the campground. Abused animals are taken in and cared for. The animals, treated very well, include several horses, a pony, a couple of frisky goats, and a llama, the biggest I've ever seen! Our 37-foot class A diesel motorhome, a bit battered though it may be, was the best looking RV in the place.

We arrived on Sunday and were told to pay for our stay on Monday--"We don't do business on Sunday." Priscella is a lady of faith but not to be messed with. Folks are not permitted to take advantage of her kindness. She expects them to do what they've agreed to do--if they don't, they're out. As Billy Sunday once said, "A sinner can repent but stupid is forever."

On Monday we came back late and went over to pay the bill. Priscella was playing the keyboard and singing, accompanied by a fellow with a guitar. She has a deep, beautiful voice.

If you'd like to have a look, here's a link: http://www.paradiseislandwv.homestead.com. We started out skeptical, but had a great experience after all.