Indiana Ocean and Beluga Encounter

It was a dark and stormy night.....no not really...it was a humid and very hot afternoon!  We took off around 11:30 a.m. to start the day with lunch at Trader's Point Creamery.  YUM!

After our bellies were full with a $50+ lunch of very good sandwiches including a $6.50 milkshake, we were ready for the long, rugged road ahead of us.  (and miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep.)

As we headed up 65 through the cornfields of Indiana...(I think cornfields are beautiful...I don't care what the city folk say.)  The most interesting site was the addition of the windmills.  I couldn't decide if Indiana now resembles California or something off of the old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Total Recall.  You decide!  Either way it was kind of weird!

So, after long strenuous hours of driving we made it to northern Indiana and the famed Indiana Ocean...the Indiana Dunes!  We walked along the water's (cold, cold) edge and stuck our feet in the clear water.  Ahhhh!  Ocean!  :-)   I was quite shocked to see the pilfering that was going on along the beach...things have really degraded here!  Someone had left their beach blanket and belongings unattended to and thieves were there to pick off what they could. (See open bag of chips...tasty!) 

The beach looked like I remembered...close your eyes...open them again and you are transported to Florida or better yet California's water edge!  Sigh!

Onward ever! The next morning we took the Southshore train in to Chicago for our Beluga Encounter at Shedd Aquarium. It was awesome! We fed Bella and Peruji and interacted with them for 45 minutes+! Really cool experience.  (Especially being that the water was 55 degrees!)  That's me...head bumping with Bella!

Sunday morning we found a really neat place in Valparaiso, called Tall Tree Arboretum. We spent some time hiking it and checking out the wildlife. They have over 350 acres and lots of trails that wind between lakes, woods, and wildflowers.  If you are ever in the area, I recommend stopping to check it out.

And of course no trip would be complete without...Chocolate!  Pièce de résistance!

YAY!  Happy 19th Anniversary to us!

Memorial Day Weekend

A hot and humid Memorial Day weekend could not deter the expert campers!  Mom, Dad, Vince and I set out for the beautiful cabins at Crane Naval Base and the relaxing hum of the pontoon motor across Lake Greenwood.  This year we decided to only take necessary items to cut down the load on the shocks of the van...

Yes, all of this was very necessary!  Dad is the driver, Vince is in the passenger seat, Mom in the back and I am strapped to the roof as we are now officially out of space.  And so the trip begins....

We only got a few miles down the road...and in what was to be one of many successful wildlife rescues.... Dad stopped the van (in the middle of the highway) and Vince got out and guided a box turtle helplessly stranded in the road (certain death was imminent!) to the safety of the woods.  Whoohoo!  Wildlife Rescue I - SUCCESS!

On to Crane, the cabins and the lake looked exactly as we remembered....we busied ourselves putting away our few meager supplies for the weekend.  (We like to rough it, ya know!)

As I was working away, I heard a commotion on the cabin's front porch...sure that it was an intruder, I took my new karate defensive position...when what to my wandering eyes should appear?  Why it's Rocky Raccon, what a dear!

Isn't she the cutest ever?

She was attempting to pull items off the front porch...to decorate her own place I suspect. The liquid bleach to clean the showers sadly met with its untimely demise.

(See Rocky's teeth marks in the bottom of the bottle.)  Rocky soon became our campsite pet...more on that later!

Onward ever...first night was a campfire with delicious campfire pizzas:

 The next day dawned bright and sunny and we were out to catch a boatload of fish:

And catch we did!  Look at the whopper Mom hauled in!  :-)  (Ah, well, there is always the Amish Restaurant up the street...I think they serve fish!)

One evening Vince and I set off for a hike and once again saved endangered wildlife:

We came upon this ancient burial shrine....think "Lost" at it's best....the little frog knew that the smog monster would be there to get him soon and was trembling with fear.  Vince valiantly plucked the frog from his perch and placed him in an area of safety where neither Jacob nor the Man in Black could do harm.  Wildlife Rescue II - SUCCESS!

I am the Captain of My Fate!  (well, seaman first class of the pontoon, at least!)

Rocky the Raccon became a regular under our cabin.  She would be nowhere to be found until the food came out and then she mysteriously would appear.  She loved potato chips, frosted mini-wheats, hot dogs and peanuts.  Heeeeeerrrrrreeee's Rocky!

Well, sadly, all good things must end....well, actually they don't have to....but anyway.  Once again we are on our way ....this time headed home, but not before one final wildlife rescue....meet Boxy the Box Turtle.  Wildlife Rescue III - SUCCESS!

Camping at Crane on Memorial Day Weekend?  SUCCESS!

Spring in Indiana!

aahhh!  Spring in Indiana at last, at last!  We have all waited for so long.  Just a few months ago I was saying that the trees and ground that were bleak and gray soon would be green and colorful.  It came true!  These are pictures from our yard: 

Below is Spring across the street at the neighbor's house:

Spring means New Life:

And one of the best part's of all...the taste of Spring!

Would you really want to be anywhere else?

The Three F's: Friends, Fun and Food!

We're on our way!  Left after work Friday evening, April 16th with our wonderful friends Ann and Ty for a Thunder Over Louisville weekend!  What luck...we were really blessed with the most picture perfect beautiful blue skies Saturday and Sunday.  (Kind of reminded me of San Diego...Aahhhh...San Diego....oops, I digress...)    Before we could drive to Louisville, we had an important stop to make:

Yes, that's right food!  (one of the three F's, remember?)  Mmmm...good!  It was 8:00 pm and we were hungry!  Got to Louisville later that evening for a night's sleep before the all day event on Saturday.

Men at Work!                                   Women at Work!

We set up camp and gathered around for our annual ritual:

The eating of Gert's Famous Fried Chicken!  MMMMmmmm....Vince is in paradise.

The Airshow started about 3:00 and lasted into the evening.

With over 1/2 million in attendance the year before, the city of Louisville was hoppin'.  We played cards, walked, and laughed with great company.  Check out the coolest ballon guy ever....he was really awesome and made balloon animals for free for the kids.

As evening fell (and the air temperature as well) it was on to the biggest firework show in the country  (I guess that makes 4 F's.)

Below is my favorite fireworks shot...I call it my Star Trek Amoeba Photo.  Doesn't it look like some other galaxy with a supernova exploding??

After the fireworks, got back to Gert's house llllaaatttteeee!  Sometime in the middle of the night I guess    

and sacked out 'til morning.  Oh, I guess some of us sacked out prior to that! HA!

Next morning, after a breakfast of Gert's Famous Fried Chicken, we went to Fort Knox to see the General George Patton Museum.  (Vince loves all things military.)  Plus it was free!  :-)

Sigh...almost time to go home!  But we had one more stop to make to end a wonderful weekend:

Oh yeah, more food!  and FUN!

The Big Date

Good Friday was the day!  It had been on the calendar for months and she was getting so excited and anxious!  Couldn't wait!  The day dawned beautiful and sunny just like the previous week. 

She had her tires fixed, fuel line replaced, brakes replaced, etc.  She was primped and ready to go on her first outing to the Badlands in Attica, Indiana....Meet Quadetta!

She was at last on her first date with Quad and she was soooo in love!

What an awesome day!  Riding over the hills and through the sands dunes.  So much of it looked like somewhere in the middle East or Egypt.  Quadetta got stuck on a hill once and was scared, but learned that she could make it to the top on her own if she tried hard enough and kept thinking positive thoughts.  Her big, handsome date, Quad rode up a big, scary hill to impress her.  She was impressed!

(See Vince and Quad in the distance.)

By the end of the afternoon she was tired and muddy....but what a perfect day.  Now it was time to head home for a bath...and pizza and a movie!  YAY!  Happy day!