'Nuther installment - 2 week trip

Clarinda, IA - 93º
    Und the saga continues............We drove north and got 6 miles into Michigan when we found an RV Park and it was getting late and I was getting tired.  When pulling the trailer I do all the driving while Phyllis directs traffic, or at least directs me.  We were on the road again by 9:30 Friday morning and drove through Ann Arbor, Flint, near Detroit.  One thing that can be said about Michigan; they have good tire salesmen!

On the main highways everywhere you look there are a whole series of tires under the trucks.  Can't imagine how they turn any corners and someone did mention to me that they are really rough on roads as far as turns.

We got caught up in a couple of traffic hangups, creeping along at about 10 miles an hour on the interstate going by a couple of the bigger cities, but we got to Bill & Darlene Winslow's place around 4:30 Friday afternoon.  This is near West Branch, MI east of Houghton Lake, MI.  At right is their house, but the best view is out their living room window -- the next two pictures.  Bill feeds the ducks some corn every morning and afternoon.  They have about 12 acres of water on this "little pond" and it is such a peaceful place.

Looking south out the dining room windows.

After visiting a while and eating supper with them we settled right down to eating some fresh red raspberry pie that had been picked in their garden.  We had tasted Darlene's pie made from frozen red raspberries that she had brought to Texas so had been looking forward to this!

 Bill always has flowers of all sorts at his house in Kenwood RV Park in Texas and his house in Michigan has flowers everywhere! as well as a good sized vegetable garden.  The lake had been treated for weeds and he could therefore not use any water out of it for irrigating.  The lake is his sole source of water for all those flowers and vegetables.  He was so hoping for a rain, but it didn't come while we were there.

 I didn't get pictures of all the flowers.  He spends so much time cultivating them, watering and weeding them.  Even his grass was green from his watering it several times a week, pumping the water out of the lake.  It was starting to fade a little.  The temperature was in the 90's the first day we got there.  They were not used to this, being as far north as they are they do not have air conditioning.  That Friday evening it cooled off, though, and the next two nights were really comfortable in the trailer.  We parked it in the driveway to his barn.

 

 The dirt is so black and fine in his garden, almost made me think of volcanic dirt.  Bill spends lots of time watering, and lots of time on the end of a hoe.

 Phyllis & Bill look over the tomatoes while Darlene is at the end of the garden.

On Saturday they showed us around the area.  We drove over to Houghton Lake and found place where Bill & Sue Martin lived and got a nice visit with them.  They also winter in Kenwood RV Park in La Feria, TX.

Sunday we went to church with them after touring the Iosco County Fairgrounds.  Bill & Darlene, along with several others in the area, created the fairgrounds in the 1980's and it is all maintained by volunteer help.  This is a huge park -- some 80 or so acres -- and is busy almost every week of the year with various entities renting the facilities.  They still put in a lot of time and work in the place.  Many buildings have been built.   In photo at left Bill is beside his granddaughter and his daughter is next to

Phyllis & Darlene

her.  After church we drove east to Lake Huron and looked around.   We ate lunch at Augie's On The Bay in Tawas City.  Spent time at Tawas Point State Park and looked at the lighthouse there. 

 We played Pegs & Jokers each evening and pie each night, either the Red Raspberry or squash pie fresh from the garden.  Here are some photos from the Iosco County Fairgrounds:

We had such a delightful time in Michigan and visiting with Bill & Darlene.  We will go back up there and pester them some more.  May try to be there to take part in their Iosco County Fair in August next year.

We left their place Monday morning and headed south, visiting some more people.  Will post another blog about that.  I just checked temperatures -- Clarinda, IA 92; West Branch, MI 81; and La Feria, TX 96 right now at 6:45 pm CDT.
Lynn