Romeo tried to find a new Friend

We always take our dog Romeo out in the woods with us when we mushroom hunt. He loves to run and play in the woods. He is very curious and checks every scent out. He sticks his nose in every hole in the ground or tree he can find.

Well he found a scent and hole he should have left alone. It was a baby porcupine. Romeo came out with a snoot full of porcupine quills. He was not a happy camper.

I tried to take them out, but he wouldn't even let me get close to them. Took him to the animal hospital in Gaylord, Michigan and they put him out and removed the quills.

Hopefully he learned a lesson and will be more carefull about where he puts his nose from now on. That is if Denise ever lets him out of the truck again. She took it harder than Romeo did. I don't how she raised 4 kids the way she looses it when Romeo gets into a little trouble.

Wish I had my camera when he had a snoot full of quills. You never have it when you need it, even though I carry it most of the time.

Every thing is good now and Romeo is recovering just fine. Denise is going to make it too.

Mushrooms

Just a little update on how we are doing. This pic is from the first morning. 138 shrooms. Not great but not bad either.

Clear Lake State Park

We are at Clear Lake State Park near Alanta, Michigan. Arrived today around 3:00 pm. We took the afternoon setting everything up. Denny and Vicci came in later in the afternoon. John and Deb gave them some mushrooms that they picked today. Vicci fried them up and invited us over to help them eat them. Boy were they good. We will be here a week or two. Depends on how the mushrooming goes. Will post with how we are doing later.

Leaves All Gone

Well it's been fun but the leaves have been BEATEN. I won. They are all over the hill now. The only leaves in the campgrounds now are on the trees. That's where they belong, now stay there.

OK, so I've lost my mind. You come up here and tackle these leaves and see if you aren't a little crazy when you are done. I did lose 10 lbs. in 3 weeks. Needed to do that after being lazy all winter.

Now I can start on that 3 page to do list that Cheryl has been so kind to furnish us with. I think there is more than enough to keep us busy this summer.

But first I need a vacation. Yeap you heard right a VACATION is what I need. After all I am retired, so I can do that. Work 3 weeks and take a 2 week vacation. I think I like this, besides the mushrooms are starting to pop their heads out of the ground and someone has to find them. Wouldn't want them to go to waste would we.

That's all for now. Stay tuned in if I do happen to find any of them mushrooms I will post pics. If I don't find any I will take pics of someone else's and post pics anyways. I just won't tell you that. (Oops I just told you)

Later

Leaves,Leaves,Everywhere Leaves.

Well, I've spent 10 days now raking, blowing and hauling leaves and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It isn't done yet but getting close. Maybe 3 or 4 more days of LEAVES and I can call it quits for this year. What's ironic is now that I have most of the leaves off the ground the trees are really turning green with a new batch of leaves for me next year.

Leaves, Leaves, Everywhere Leaves. They look prettier on the trees.

The best thing about these wonderful leaves is that i have lost 8 lbs of weight of the 30 I put on this winter. I needed the exercise any way so I should quit griping about LEAVES.

Went out fishing 1 day and lost a nice steelhead trying to net it. Sometimes that can be tricky by yourself. It was still fun just to have the fight and be back on the river again. I guess I'm just a river rat at heart.

Denise has all the cabins cleaned and ready for the summer season now. Has the bath house cleaned and looking good. She scrubbed it from top to bottom. She does a really nice job of making this place look good and clean.

Well gotta go for now. One of our neighbors John Wilcox just came over for coffee and I'm running out of things to say any ways. Later.

We're In Michigan

After almost 5000 miles of travel this winter we arrived back in Michigan safe and sound. It was a great winter. We made new friends and visited family for extended stays that we hardly could see before. Got to know our grand kids better and even spoiled them a little.

Now we are back at Matson's Big Manistee River Campgrounds helping out for the summer. Started on getting the leaves picked up. Boy what a job. After that is done they have a list that needs to be done. I think they will keep us busy and maybe I can lose some of this weight that I found this winter in Florida. Denise has been cleaning the cabins and restrooms so they are ready for the guest. We both are enjoying the exercise we are getting from the work.

Been wanting to hit the river and fish for some steelhead. Just haven't took the time yet. The mushrooms should be coming up any time now and I have informed the Matson's I need a vacation to go find them. (after all one or two weeks of work justifies a vacation doesn't it)

Been in touch with our friends up here and will see alot of them this weekend.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more. The best is yet to come. (I hope)

Made it to Indiana

We arrived in Indiana on Tuesday afternoon. Hit the road at 5:30am and arrived at 3:30pm. Had good weather and traffic was not to bad.

I didn't do a great planning job as we hit Nashville at 8:15am. If anybody doesn't know that is rush hour traffic. Nothing better than pulling a 70 foot long rig in rush hour traffic in a big city. A couple of extra white hairs came out of it. It will definitely make the rest of your trip a breeze.

The only excitement we had on this trip was our bedroom window blew out just before Indy. If I had listened to my darling wife and taped the window shut before we left it wouldn't have happened, but I know what is BEST and I didn't tape it shut. Just because it was giving us a problem staying shut and had to be reclose at a rest area a few hours into the trip doesn't mean it will blow off. Even at speeds to up to 70mph and gusts of wind from semis hitting it. Well I guess She was right. (ouch that hurt to say) The Few I told you SOs that I received were well earned and I still won't listen because I'm a man and we don't have to. (ya'll know how that is don't ya) And just look at the experience we would have missed if I had taped it shut. Now I can get the new sliding window that I've been wanting for the bedroom.

Well we will spend a few days here in Indiana visiting. I'm going fishing with a buddy of mine that I always fished with when I lived down here. Then to Coldwater, Michigan. Easter at my sister's house, then to Manistee, Michigan for the summer.