Time to catch you up on what’s been happening since we returned home from our cross country trip on May 10th.

It felt good to be home but there was very little time for relaxation. The grass was in need of attention. The grapes and apple trees needed spraying and the garden planting was overdue. So John got busy. He also had a major banjo performance on May 13th with the Flint Banjo Club at Banjorama.

I was busy inside.

Before we’d left on our trip, I’d confidently thought that I’d be able to organize the hundreds of ODPC Workshops while on the road. But the wonderful scenery we encountered as we drove across the country added to my responsibilities as navigator took my full attention, so when we got home, nothing was complete. It took more than two weeks of solid work before I had the schedule ready to post. I finished the program and bragged that it was ready. Wouldn’t ‘cha know it… the next day I had several cancellations so I had a lot of reorganizing to do. (I now believe it’s ready, but the program won’t go to the printer until next Monday, so there could still be changes.)

Over Memorial Day weekend, our dulcimer club (Sub-Strings) played at the Lumbermen’s Festival in Frankenmuth. It was a hot but enjoyable weekend.

June 9, 10, 11, we were at Lake of Dreams Campground near Merrill, MI, again with Sub-Strings. We had great weather and a wonderful turn-out. The food was also spectacular.

That brings us about up to date. On June 15th, we headed to the Upper Peninsula. We have a place on Lake Michigan which is very remote.

We had closed it up on August 5th, 2005, so we needed to look in on it.

This is the view from our deck toward Lake Michigan.

Every season up here has it’s features. In the spring, it’s smelt runs in Dead Horse Creek. In early summer the ground is covered with flowers including dwarf lake iris and lots of violets. In late summer, we enjoy wild raspberries. This time of the year, we have a clump of the most beautiful showy lady’s slippers. These are protected, delicate, rare, wild orchids.

You can see how they grow here (notice several are in full bloom):

But what do they look like close-up?

Most of the summer months we also endure wood ticks. They’re crawly ugly creatures that love waist bands, socks, cuffs, and places you can;t easily reach. When you go through tall grass you can expect to find at least a tick or two crawling on you. And they aren’t easy to do away with. They won’t squash easily like a mosquito or fly. These aren’t the ones which carry lymes disease, but they can cause an uncomfortable infection if they “dig in.”

We’re heading back home today. We only have about two weeks before we leave for Evart and there’s lots to prepare beforehand.

We’ll be back here in the U.P. on July 27th.