TIME FLYS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN

BOY, HAVE THINGS BEEN JUMPIN! GRAM CARROLL AND UNCLE DICK GOT BACK FROM MARCO ISLAND AND I HAVE HAD MORE TRIPS THAN I CAN REMEMBER. BUT I WILL GIVE IT A TRY.

FIRST OF ALL, HAD A LONG WALK BACK, ALMOST, TO HOLLAND CREEK. AND A PAIR OF COOPERS HAWKS, NOT LIKING US THERE AT ALL. THEY KEPT JUST OUT OF SIGHT AND WAS RAISING A RACKET, LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELEIVE. AFTER THEY HAD US FAR ENOUGH FROM THEIR NEST, THEY TOOK OFF BACK TO WHERE THEY FIRST CALLED US SEVERAL NASTY NAMES. I AM SURE THAT THEY CALLED US EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK, AS IT IS SAID.

THE OTHER THING WAS, THE SIGHTING OF ALL THE SPRING FLOWERS, WHICH MAKE THE LONG WALK WELL WORTH WHILE, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE EXERSIZE THAT WAS GOTTEN.

NOW THAT ALONE WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE DAY A GREAT ONE, BUT WHAT A WAITING FOR US WHEN WE RETURNED WAS JUST AS GREAT. MOM HAD MADE US VENISION MEAT LOAF WITH ALL THE NORMAL TRIMMINGS THAT SHE IS KNOWN FOR. AND OF COURSE I GOT RIGHT TO IT AND GRABBED THE END PIECE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, EVERYONE WAS STUFFED TO THE BRIM.

BIRTHDAY TIME FOR JOY, ALSO ARRIVED, AND A WHOLE LOT OF SPLISH-SPLASHING WAS GOING ON AT SPLASH VILLAGE IN FRANKENMUTH. AND THERE WAS ICE CREAM IN LITTLE COLORED BALLS. THERE WAS CHICKEN, NOODLES, DRESSING AND OF COURSE THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. BUT GRAMPS HIT THE DESERT BAR 3 TIMES. YES I ATE LIKE A HORSE AND LO AND BEHOLD WALKED OUT THE DOOR AND THERE WAS A HORSE, SO HOW ABOUT A NICE RIDE TO LET DINNER SETTLE? JOY SAID YES!!! AND AWAY WE WENT. THAN MORE SWIMING AND A WALK IN THE DARK, TO SEE ALL THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT BRONNERS.

THE NEXT DAY WAS MORE WATER PARK FOR THE GIRLS AND GRAMPS MISSED BREAKFAST AT THE CRACKER BARREL, JUST CAN'T GET MOVIN LIKE I USED TO. I CUT OUT A LITTLE EARLY AND HEADED TO BIRCH RUN TO DO SOME POWER SHOPPING. NEEDED SOME SMALL GLASSES, NEW SHOES(THE WALKING TYPE), CHECKED ON MINTS(NOPE DIDN'T HAVE THEM), SOME NEW PILLOW CASES, A COUPLE OF MOTHER DAYS PRESENTS, AND LOOKED FOR A NEW HAT, FOR THE SUNNY OR RAINY DAYS. AND COULDN'T GET OUT OF TOWN WITHOUT A 1/3 POUNDER HALO BURGER DELUXE WITH OLIVES. SURE GLAD I WENT TO THE DOCTOR LAST WEEK!!

THAN ON TO PETOSKEY, TO OFFICE MAX, AND A COUPLE OF BUSINESS STOPS. ALSO MET VERN TO PICK UP MY REGULAR VAN. THAN BACK ACROSS THE BRIDGE WITH A STOP AT MY OLD SECOND HOME.

THAN BACK TO EAT SOME OF THE BEEFSTEAKS THAT WE FOUND ON OUR FIRST WALK AND MORE TONIGHT, TO GO WITH THE GREAT FRIED CHICKEN DINNER LEFTOVERS.

WELL THAT IS A FRACTION OF THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS AND SINCE I AM NOT A WRITER, THIS HAS WORN ME OUT FOR TONIGHT. SO ENJOY THE PICTURES AND BE BACK LATER!