An Old Adage

"Leaves of three-Let them be"

This adage only works when you are thinking about it.  As you can see from the picture above, they even crawl out from under the steps to get you if you are not looking.  I'm finally mostly clear of the poison ivy that got me when I wasn't looking while we were in Monticello, IL. It takes any where from 1 to 3 days to start feeling the itching.  Then over the next several days, as they continue to itch, they also start showing up as little water blisters.  Finally the itching starts to go away as the sores heal. I had spots on both legs and hands, as well as my right arm.  Our best guess is that when I got out of the car to get a close look at the soy beans, I steped in it.  Once you start looking, you find that it is everywhere in this area.  In Oregon, it is the poison oak, but the results are the same for me. 

We left Hartland, MI about 9:30 AM Sunday and arrived in White Cloud, MI after 1 PM.  This is a Western Horizons Resort, of which we are a member, and is our second time here.  The setting is on a small lake.  Barb and I walked around the lake first thing Monday morning, and then spent the next 5 hours touring around some of the small towns and dams in the area.  Check out our pictures for the day.

Last day in Hartland, Michigan

After getting in early Saturday morning from the concert, we slept in a little longer than usual. Since we were going to leave the park Sunday for White Cloud, we decided to take a last look around the park, so here is the link to some of the sights we saw.

Josh Turner Concert

While we were parked at Erie Island Resort near Port Clinton, Ohio, we run across an article that said Josh Turner would be putting on a concert in Tiffen, Ohio which was about 30 miles south of where we were.
Barb reminded me that we had not really did any thing for our anniversary in July, and that we should plan to attend.
We got on line and were able to get two tickets together in row "Z" of the center section.
Of course, the concert was happening after we left, so about 3:30 pm, we left for the 130 mile drive to Tiffin, Ohio, for the 7:30 concert.  All is history now, but you can click on this link to see some of the pictures that we took.

Time To Catch Up

It's been a few days since I updated the blog, so I will try and bring you up to date.

On Monday the 24th, we made a trip to the town of Fremont, which was about 10 miles from our campground.  It turns out this is where our son-in-law, Rob Coleman lived, untill he was in the 6th grade.  Since he had lots of memories that were fading, (that's what happens, after you hit 50), we took some pictures of the house he lived in as well as the school he attended.

See pictures of Hayes presendtial museum.

We then went to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presenditial Library and spent a few hours there touring the museum as well as the family home.

About 4 PM we took a trip into the Port Clinton post office to pick up our mail, that our daughter Carole had forwarded to us. We decided to drive along Lake Erie, to see if we could find a place to get onto the beach.  The lions didn't want to leave till they were able to see what it was like.

See Pictures of Lake Erie and the Lions.

Tuesday morning the 25th we packed up and moved on to Walden Woods Resort in Hartland, MI.  I really enjoyed seeing a working nuclear power plant. From various places you can see several in the distance with steam comming out.  The Michigan travel center was by far the nicest one that we have ever been at.

See more pictures of our travels today.

On Thursday the 27th, we made a day trip about 40 miles to Waterford MI, where we spent about 3 hours walking through the Drayton Plains Nature Center.  When we visited the Interpertive center, we met Jungle Joe Harman, who was very informative.  He even posed with our lions for us. Jungle Joe also advised us that we really needed to visit the Moose Preserve Restaurant where, if we ate the Road Kill Grill, we would get a bumper sticker. It consisted of a selection of roast venison, semi-boneless broiled quail, and wild boar sausage with Michigan game gravey.

See more pictures of our day's adventures.

Oliver H. Perry Peace Memorial

Today we went to the Oliver H. Perry Peace Memorial at Put In Bay on South Bass Island on Lake Erie.  Click here to see some of the sights that we seen.

Wild Barb

Free Movie

This is what happens when you give 55 and over seniors a free pass to the movies.

Life in the Park

You probably wonder what we could possibly do to keep us busy while parking in an RV Resort. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Forth Cousins Eat Clams

Terry and Sharon Rensberger - Dick and Terry

Bordens & Rensbergers

Terry gets acquainted with the lions.

On Saturday, my fourth cousin Terry Rensberger, and his wife Sharon, drove down to Monticello, where we are parked, and enjoyed some fried Oregon razor clams with us.

We met for the first time on Friday, when we drove up to Lakeville to spend the day with them as our tour guides.

Terry had a chance to meet some of my lions first hand.

We Meet Third and Fourth Cousins

Dale (my third cousin) and Debi Parrott

We arrived midday at the Western Horizons Resort just South of Monticello, IN, on Thursday. Then on Friday morning, we left about 7 AM, to travel 90 miles North to Lakeville, IN to meet my 4th cousin Terry and his wife Sharon for breakfast.

Through my ancestry research, we have been communicating for several months, but this is the first time that we have met in person.

After breakfast we spent the day going to cemeteries and visiting locations, that our ancestors had lived in the Goshen, IN area.

Sharon had the whole day planned out for us, which made it really nice, and Terry did the driving, while we enjoyed getting acquainted as we traveled.

We are in the midst of Amish country, and every few miles, we would meet a carriage or see work going on in the fields. Click here to see some photos of our adventures.

About 4:30, Dale Parrott and his wife Debi, met us for dinner, at the Essenhaus Restaurant, which is a must if you are in the area. This was also our first meeting with Dale and he is my third cousin.

After dinner, we took a tour of the Notre Dame campus, and arrived back at the campground a little after 11 PM

We Check Out The Area

We take a tour of one of the locations that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.



We then take a tour of Niagara Cave.

We Ride the La Crosse Queen

On Saturday, we met one of Barb's class mates, David and his wife Val, and took a cruise on the La Cross Queen, on the Mississippi River. The Cruise was about an hour and a half long. We then drove to Winona, MN, where David took us through the Merchants bank, where he works.
After we had a sandwich for lunch, we toured the Minnesota Marine Museum.
Here are the pictures that we took on Saturday.

A Trip to Camp Jim

Today we went for a ride out to Camp Jim on Hardy Lake, where I spent many years of my life when my parents were caretaker there. Please enjoy some of the pictures that I took.

We Move to My Cousins Marilyn's Place

Monday morning we picked up Averil Koranda and went to breakfast in Wadena. While picking up Ave, we stopped and took a picture of the house that we stayed in just after we were married, and while I was going to the Wadena Area Technical Institute.

After breakfast we packed up and moved 40 miles east to my cousin Marilyn's place near Pillager, where I graduated from high school. We will be here till Thursday morning.

Don was in the process of cleaning up from all the damage to trees and property from the wind storm on the 14Th of July.

Tuesday afternoon, Gerry and Lavern Mondt drove down from Bemidji and spent a few hours with us. I stayed with Gerry and Lavern during my senior year of high school in Brainerd, and commuted to Pillager with one of my teachers.

Sunday Potluck With Friends and Family

If you click on the slide show while it is playing, it will open up another window with full size pictures, that you can advance at your leasure.

This morning Barb and I went to the store to get a few groceries, and there was a farmers market just across the street. Barb picked up a few onions, green beans, onions and potatoes before going into the store. I mean while rescued another lion, so my pride has now grown to 16.

Barb cooked up some of the razor clams that we dug in Oregon before we left into clam chowder for the family/friends pot luck, just across the street from the trailer park. We spent most of the afternoon visiting and taking pictures and had a great time.

Tomorrow we will head to my cousin's place in Pillager 50 miles East of here.

Sunbonnet Days in Verndale

Today before the parade, we took a trip to Barb's old homestead to snap a few pictures for her dad. Here is the link if you care to take a look.

Then it was off to drop Penny and Barb at the high school so that they could ride the float in the parade.

Then in the evening it was off to Aldrich, MN to dinner with all the other classes and meet some old and new friends.