It is magical!

 I said I wasn't going to write to you again until I got back to New York in September.  But, I couldn't do it.  It's too long a time to not touch base.

I am excited for my friends Jim and Ann at are also traveling this summer.  They have made their way from Florida up through California and into Oregon.  They are spending time in each lovely place and enjoying the views.  We reach out to each other once in a while and send a couple pictures.

Then I think of my friends that are working their way through health challenges and I send them love and Tinkerbell sparkles.

Last I wrote to you I was near Niagra Falls in New York.  I was about to cut through Canada to arrive back in the USA north of Detroit.  I was worried about the crossing and my dog spray (pepper spray).  Well, as usual with worry, it was wasted energy.  I went early in the morning and they asked me if I had any weapons. Rather than explain my kitchen knives and pepper spray, I said, "Nope!"  Is that a lie?  

My first stop was a little city campground where the whole campground is gravel and campers are lined up awning to awning.

I went to meet up with my new friends, Debbie and Jim.  They are a real cool couple that were in a situation very similar to Steve's and mine.  Jim was recently widowed and Debbie was on her own and not ever expecting or even wanting to get in a relationship again.  But then a friendship evolved and sparks flew.  They are fun to be with and we can talk politics without offending anyone, which is a  big deal these days.

A storm passed through just before we met up and the power went out in the area where we were going to dine.  Someone who also stopped at the brewery and discovered the place was closed, told Debbie and Jim about another brewery just five miles away.  Jim drove us to that place, the White Horse Inn.  

The sinks in the place were interesting, a long trough in a common hall between the men's and women's bathrooms.  The bars on the side of each automatic faucet shot out a thin blast of air to dry the hands.  

It was lovely and the food and service top notch.  Jim insisted on paying!  Thank you.  

Debbie and Jim are Steve's neighbors down in Florida.  We are going with them and neighbors Christie and Mark next January to St. Croix.  St. Croix is an island near Puerto Rico.  And like Puerto Rico, it is also a US territory. Which I hate to admit, I didn't know anything about it before Christie asked if Steve and I would like to join them.  Always learning, no matter what the age.

I had one more one-night stop at St. Ignace which is just across the Mackinaw Bridge between mainland Michigan and the Upper Penninsula (UP).  The ride across the bridge was stop and go, which gave me plenty of time to enjoy the long, high bridge.  There is a toll booth on the north end of the bridge that seems to slow people down.  

I arrived early enough at the state park, I was able to go for a bicycle ride.  There is another view of the bridge from the beach.

Down in the city of St. Ignace was a nice park and marina.

My neigbor at the campground was interested in LILAC.  She had a small E-pro, I think.  We talked for a while about many things.  Then later I saw her reading, so I signed one of my books and took it to her.  Later she said she was already on page 35 and loving it.  Yay!  An ego boost is a good thing for lifting the mood.

Finally I arrived in Rhinelander, set up my camper and headed to my sister's house.

I have a wonderful time enjoying her home and yard full of wildflowers, but especially enjoying being with Mary.  We hiked, we talked over coffee, and a couple times she and her husband Dave came to the campground.

It was a very full week.  My Ex-sister-in-law, Sue and her husband, Cal stayed at the campground too.  And my nephews and their partners also came.  If you have been reading this blog for over a year, you might remember me meeting up with Tom and Sara, Jack and Mike near Tampa, Florida.  It was a very cold and blustery vacation for them.  This one was warm and comfortable.  I am honored that they planned a visit when their time-off from work is limited.  Thank you "kids".  And thanks, Sue and Cal, it was good, good, good.

On the day after the extended family arrived, my friends from when I lived in Waukesha, WI for 25+ years arrived to camp at the campground.  John and Sandy came to visit me too!  I felt honored and I was glad that it worked out that I could spend time with all of them.

Below is the extended family relaxing on the beach at the campground.

Most mornings I was up before the crowd got moving.  I would go to the gym or hike with Mary.  One day I walked to a Little Free Library and donated The Journey Continues, Alzheimer's Trippin' with George.

I had been having trouble shifting into low gear climbing hills on my bicycle.  I took it to Mel's Sporting Goods in downtown Rhinelander.  I told them I wanted new shifters and cables and a good look over because I was going to be touring twice later this summer/fall.  

I was very pleased with the results.  Two new maraton plus tires, and they washed the bike too!  It was dirty dirty dirty.

I took everything out of the back of the truck.  My last day in Rhinelander I was going to park LILAC at a friend's home and head out for a couple weeks traveling in Steve's camper with Steve.  I had to figure out all the stuff I would need, and put all the stuff I didn't need for that part of the trip into Lilac.

I hope I didn't forget anything important.

One night there was free music at Hodag park in Rhinelander.  The whole gang met there for music and fun. Sandy was quick to say yes, when I asked her to dance.  

Her husband who was nursing an injured foot, even came out after a while and danced.  Then Mary joined us.

Sandy and I at the beach.

It rained the last night that Sandy and John were there.  I went in their camper and we dined together there and then they cleaned off the table and we played Trifecta.  Where a player draws a card but doesn't look and another player reads three things.  The player needs to name what those three things have in common.

For example:  The Hill, The Rainbow, My Dead Body

I will let you think on that one a while.

After my friends departed I had a few more days to be with Mary and Dave in Rhinelander.  Dave is living with dementia symptoms.  Most of the time he has a great attitude.  About 1/2 of the time he is aware of his illness.  At other times, he talks about how he might get it someday because his dad had it.

I don't remind him, I just agree that is a concern.  Though it is not as clearly inheritable as early onset Alzheimer's,  there is a higher probability of getting it if your parent or siblings had it. Alz.org 

Early-onset is those diagnosed by age 65 and is very hereditary.

My last day, I packed up LILAC and parked her at my friend's.  I spent the last night at my sister's home.  I tried on the dresses I was thinking about for a wedding in Washington State that Steve and I are attending.  Steve got a new suit for the occasion that looks really nice.  The invitation says, "Formal".  

I haven't had dresses for years, but since Steve and I became a couple I have gathered five dresses!  I keep picking out dresses at thrift stores, but I don't like any of them enough to wear them to the wedding.  Arg!

Mary said to take pictures of myself in them.  She told me she had a full-length mirror.  I sent the pictures to some friends.  "Which one do you vote for," I asked.

Mary loved this one.

My highschool friend, Bev, liked this one.

Two others voted for this one.

 But one person said, "Absolutly not the pink flowery one."

I think I will shop today after writing to you, if I have time.  I would like to find something blue and curvy.  We'll see.  Lol, it has been a long time since I fussed over such a silly thing as a dress.

The wedding is in early September.  I will share pictures of Steve and I.  The suit looks great on him.  I love the tie... it matches his new hiking shoes which he got permission to wear.  

Meeting up with Steve

While I was visiting family I was also following his journey west from his home in New York.  Most evenings we would talk if possible.

Debbie and others have commented that when the conversation moves to Steve, my face lights up.  Such is the way of early love.  I can't imagine any gal not being thrilled to be chosen by such a nice, postitive, energetic, smart, talented, and romantic man. This still seems magical.

The night before I drove to Michigan to meet up with Steve, I thought I would be too excited to sleep.  

I did sleep, and pretty well.  I was awake at 4:44 pumped with energy.  I had said my goodbyes to Mary and Dave the night before.  I would be seeing them in a couple weeks when Steve and I return to the area together.

I got an early start, my first stop being Escanaba, Michigan, where I worked out and showered at the Anytime Fitness there.  

We were meeting at Wilderness Park Campground about 11 miles from Mackinaw City in Michigan.  It is huge with dark sky areas and 26 miles of Lake Michigan coastline!

When I was going over the Mackinaw Bridge, Steve called to let me know he couldn't get in until 3:00 check-in time.  No problem, I would dilly dally and give him time to get parked before I arrived.

I stopped at a beach and sent him a picture of my feet chilling in the water.  Right away he sent me a picture of his feet doing the same thing at the same time.  

We really are two peas in a pod.  It is magical.

We have had a lovely time here in Michigan so far.  Incredible!  He is so appreciative of the work I do do find the places to camp and travel.

We still delight in sitting side by side and rubbing shoulders.  And besides enjoying his embraces and thrilled by his touch (Gosh, can I say that at 70!), we enjoy so much of the same activities.

Our first day here we rode our bikes to Mackinaw City.  There we got on the ferry to Mackinac Island (Why the two different spellings?  Not sure.) He bought me lunch at Millies, and then we rode around the island and up to the Arch.

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet in the straights here.  We put our feet in Lake Heron. 

Soon we will be by Lake Superior and we will dip into there too.

The trail around Mackinac Island was very busy with bicyclists, many families we children.  We had to remain alert.  

We pulled off at a lot of the kiosks explaining the history of the island, including the thousand-plus years when it was a popular spot with Native Americans.

In town Steve bought a couple children's books for his daughter's third-grade classroom.  And, since the alligator head was such a big hit, he couldn't resist buying a huge tarantula preserved in a block of clear resin.

We then walked to the butterfly and bug house.

Later, when I was kissing him outside of our camper, he teased that there are children watching.  I said, "It isn't anything worse that what they can see in the Butterfly House."

We rode only 41 miles, but it was after 7:30 when we finally arrived back at camp.  We were both very very tired.

The next day we decided to take it easy.  

But that day too, got filled with wonderful times.

Steve made me one of his awesome omlettes.  I had told Mary about his omlettes.  She said she didn't much care for veggie omlettes, they seem kind of dry and bland to here.  Steve often adds some salsa and cheddar and fries them in butter.   Yummmm.

Then we drove to a place to kayak in Lake Michigan.

We got to a part of the shore with no one else around.  Another opportunity to skinny dip.  Again, the water was pretty chilly!  But I am grateful for the chill.  In other parts of the country and the world they have experienced world record heat.  In fact, the water off the coast of Miami or the Keys was 101 degrees recently!  

So I am very grateful to be mobile and out of most of the heat.

Steve and I sat for a long time on the shore drying off.  We studied the rocks.  Facinated that such a variety of colors should arrive on this shore.  The color of the water as it changed when it was in the sun versus when a cloud muted the sun was mesmerizing.  It was such a joy to see the blue sky for a change.  We had been under smoke haze for so long.  Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has obscured the sun and vistas.  Sometimes the sun had appeared as an orange globe giving the world a distopian, surreal feel, like we were living in a science fiction movie.  

We had hoped to gaze at stars and the Sturgeon Moon, but the haze hung over the area blocking out any twinkling starlight and even a glance at the moon.

While we sat on the beach, I saw a dark cloud coming from the west, and we heard thunder in the distance. Quickly we packed up and headed back to the truck.

Steve said he hoped the storm would blow the cloud cover over.  And it did!  We got blue sky for a possibility of viewing stars.  

It is about an eight mile drive to the International Dark Sky Park.  We decided to go there for our night of star gazing. 

As we arrived at the viewing area, the sun was just setting.  It was lovely.

We lay a long time waiting for the sky to get dark enough to see stars.  One, then three, then eight, then too many to count.  I saw two meteors.  One was significant enough that I heard some others in the crowd catch their breath and then cheer.

I looked at my phone, which I had turned red so as to not disturb other's viewing experience.  It was after 11 pm!

We were walking back to the truck when we turned a corner and I caught my breath and gave out another "Wow".

There was the Sturgeon Moon!   Huge, bright, distinct, with the face of the man of the moon easily visible.  Lovely.  

We stepped back from the walkway and stood watching a while.  It was fun to hear other people as they were passing the evergreens that were blocking their view and then coming into view of that huge, brilliant moon.  Their reactions were the same as ours. 

Another very long and full day.  

We are very happy.  

Mary asked me if I wear Steve out because she sees me as very high energy.  Ha ha.  I told her that he wears me out sometimes!  I think our excitement for life feeds off each other.  

Today our task is to relax, take care of business and laundry and groceries.  I drove to Cheboygan this morning and am spending hours at a little coffee shop.  I drink decaf now.  So if I sound hyper, it isn't the caffeine.

It might be excitement for these days and the days to come.

It might even be excitement for next year!  I am planning our 2024 travel route and making some reservations.  I can't wait to share them with Cindy and Regis in the hopes that somewhere along our travel routes we can meet up to ride and drink coffee and beer... not at the same time, of course.

Next year we will be traveling with one truck and one camper.  That should be interesting.  Steve is very accomodating, and I really try to be a nice person.  It seems like it will work out ok.  

Especially because Steve lets me know that if I need a day to myself, I can just take his truck and go.  I know I will need my gym stops.  Gotta keep stressing those muscles and bones or they will begin to leave me, and I need them!

Thanks for reaching out to me.  I love reading your comments, it is good to know where you are at if you are traveling, what you are up to, and that you are well (I hope).  But please reach out even if you aren't feeling so well, because I am good at sending love and Tinkerbell sparkles or what some of you call prayers. 

Well, Steve just texted me wondering if I had found some place with music for tonight.  Lol.  I better get going.  I still have groceries to get.  

Not much cell service in our campground, but you can text if you have my number.  

Oh, and the three things in common, The Hill, The Rainbow, My Dead Body.... They are preceded by the word "Over".