Projects, Road trips, and making new friends

Happy Sunday everyone!  It has been two weeks since my last blog, mainly due to our travel over Memorial Weekend.  Wednesday had already arrived when I finally had time to sit down to write, so I just decided to wait a few more day and capture two week in one blog.  It is a rainy Sunday and I really needed to slow down a bit today and enjoy some quiet time, so it is the perfect day to write. 

 

Since I last wrote, there have been some pretty exciting happenings in our world.  The first, I'm sure not many other people care about, but I was pretty excited to see.  While out for a drive, I saw that our favorite taco truck is getting an upgrade! 

While I'll miss the little black trailer, the new trailer is bigger and fancier, and hopefully will help them turn out more great food even faster.  I'm glad to know that business is good for them.  It's always nice  to see a small business succeed!

On the home front, work around the yard continued(as you can see by the mulch on my knee in the picture below) and my helpers were happy to be outside enjoying the really pleasant weather we've been having.

 

I even took the office outside a couple of afternoons so we could all enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.  Hershey doesn't often lie down outside if I'm moving, but if I am sitting still, he is able to relax a bit.  

Peaches has spent most of her days outside, still obsessing over the tree and the baby birds that are living there.  She wants out before breakfast just to check on them and will not relax in the house knowing that they are out there.  She even has to check on them on her final potty break of the day before heading to bed.  We've had birds all over the yard over the years and she has always been interested in them, but none of them have commanded her attention like this group...and I still haven't found the nest!  But it is a great way to keep her busy and happy while I work every day.  

You don't have to worry about her over-exerting herself, though, because she is happy to take breaks to help me with the yard work.  

By the time last Friday arrived, I had finished almost all of the weeding, planting, and mulching in the landscaping.  With the exception of a couple of spot I still needed to add plants(that I still needed to buy) and the area along the sidewalk where I have a row of daylilies along a fence line. which still needs weeded and mulched.  But that would have to wait until another day because I had used all of the mulch that was delivered.  Thankfully the areas that still need mulch are small and I'll be able to finish them pretty easily.

With my yardwork nearly complete, I was happily able to head North on Friday for a long weekend in the UP-our annual Memorial Day weekend of UP fun.  While many of these weekends in the past have been jam-packed with things to do, I was ready for a little slower-paced weekend this time.  

We loaded up the car, picked up Vanessa, and began our long trip North to Houghton, which would be our home base for the weekend.  We had smooth sailing North with a quick stop in Gaylord to stretch our legs, top off the gas tank, and grab some snacks.  While there my low air pressure light came on, so we added air to the tire and continued our journey North.  

We made a stop for an early dinner at Clyde's in St. Ignace and sat at a Bridge view park to eat.  The dogs got out for a potty break and then we got back in the car to continue our journey...only to have the low air pressure warning come on again.  

We drove back into St. Ignace only to find that there was a leak in the tire, caused by a nail.  So there we were, just before 5:30pm on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend in need of a tire repair.  Luckily for us, we were able to find a AAA facility that not only could change a spare, but also had the ability to repair the tire for us.  So after a short wait for the driver to return from another job, during which time we fed the pups dinner in the parking lot, I had a repaired tire and we were safely back on the road for the rest of our journey to Houghton.

The rest of the trip was mostly uneventful, with the exception of the car in front of us hitting a deer just before we reached Keweenaw Bay outside of L'Anse.  The deer flew into the air, there was an explosion from the headlights, and a little shock at what we had witnessed, but thankfully the two younger girls driving the car were unharmed.  

Thanks to the later sunsets this time of year, we were able to make most of our drive to Houghton during daylight, arriving at the hotel just after dark.  We quickly checked in and settled in for the night.  Good thing we were taking it slow this weekend!

Saturday morning arrived, and my normally slow moving, sleepy, old man, was up early.  But after a  quick potty break and breakfast, we laid down to rest a bit longer.  We got a later than normal start to our day, but that was okay.  We were in no hurry! Our plan for the day was to visit the Black River Scenic Byway near Ironwood, a couple hours away.  We made a stop at the Twin Lakes State Park along the way so Vanessa could get her park book stamped and we got out for a nice walk around the park.  It was cool and there were a few sprinkles of rain, but it was a nice first stop for the day.

As we continued on our drive, the rain picked up and we knew there was a good chance that we'd be spending some time in the rainy woods.  But after checking out the radar, we decided to head into Hurley, WI for lunch before heading out to start our hiking.  We had a nice lunch at a local bar, and by the time we were finished, the rain had slowed significantly.  When we arrived at our first waterfall stop, it was barely raining.  It was going to be a good day for waterfalling!

There are five waterfalls along the Black River in this area and the North Country Trail will take you to all of them.  While it is only 3 miles total from end to end, we were not planning to hike the entire length because we had Hershey and because we would have had to do an out and back hike since we only had one car.  This stretch of the NCT is beautiful and definitely more rugged than the areas in Southern Michigan that we are used to hiking.  It was also muddy and slippery in several spots.  Surprisingly no one ended up with a bottom covered in mud! 

We hiked about 2 1/2 miles total on the trail that day, most of that at our first stop because three of the five waterfalls are accessible from that parking lot.  Hershey did a great job, and while there were some spots he wasn't as sure about, he kept going like a little trooper.  We learned a lot about him on this hike, mainly that he does not want to be the lead dog.  But as long as Peaches and I were leading the way, he seemed happy to keep going.

The waterfalls here are just magnificent and so full of power!  If you have never seen them, I think it is worth making the trip.  But be prepared for lots of stairs!

After successfully visiting the first three waterfalls and doing a little geocaching along the way, we headed back to the parking lot for the trip to the next falls.

We left Hershey in the car for waterfall number four because I wasn't sure he'd be able to make the climb down.   The great thing about these falls is that you can get really close and walk around on the rocks nearby.  Peaches thoroughly enjoyed this stop and even made friends with a couple of little boys while we were there.  

Hershey was not happy that we had left him behind and I could hear him barking away as we approached the car, so when we arrived at the parking lot for the fifth and final waterfall of the day,  I decided to take him with us.  

There are lots of stairs here and I offered to stay at the top with the dogs while Vanessa went down to see the falls, but Hershey was up for the adventure and off we went down the stairs.  Vanessa carried him at a few spots, but he also did a really good job going slow and steady all the way to the bottom.  He's such an adventurer!

After making it back up the stairs and to the car, we had one last stop along the Black River Scenic Byway-the Black River Harbor.

We explored the area around the Harbor and unfortunately for poor Peaches, we had to cross a bridge to do most of our exploring.  She was not happy about it!  

I really loved seeing all of the newly unfurled leaves as we drove around the UP over the weekend, but these lovely little Maple leaves really caught my eye while we were on the bridge.

We had finished a full day of waterfalling and had all enjoyed the day out exploring another beautiful corner of the UP.  Once we were back in our hotel room, Peaches has happy to snuggle with Vanessa the rest of the night.  

I had originally thought we'd spend time this trip exploring some sights around Baraga County, but our plans changed, and instead, we headed to Old Victoria and the O Kun De Kun Falls for our first adventures on Sunday.  Old Victoria is an old mining town and Keweenaw Heritage site which is right long the North Country Trail.  Unfortunately none of the buildings are open until mid-June, so we just took a quick walk around the grounds, grabbed a quick geocache, and continued on our journey.

Our second stop of the day was O Kun de Kun Falls.  The North Country Trail will take you right past these falls, and I have always wanted to hike out to see them so this seemed like the perfect time.  The trail here has recently been improved due to increased foot traffic, and I have to say it is a really great section of the NCT.  

The best part of the hike for me was all of the wildflowers that were in bloom along the trail.   Along with seeing some of my Spring favorites, thanks to Vanessa's IPhone, we were able to identify some flowers that I didn't recognize along the way.  Here we have Trillium. Primula, and Gaywings.  I love Spring wildflowers!

Before reaching O Kun de Kun Falls, there is a second falls along the trail.  These falls seem to have many names, but I like the name Peanut Butter Falls best!

A little further down the trail we reached O Kun de Kun Falls, and I was not disappointed.  What a beautiful waterfall.  The best view of the falls is close to this bridge...which also happens to be part of the North Country Trail too.  

We decided to continue on for a bit longer to see what we could find and also had to grab a geocache along the way.  

It's hard to get a picture with Hershey looking at me, and even harder to get one with both Peaches and Hershey, but the planets aligned and I got two in a row!  This was such a fun adventure and is one of the few places I can say that I've been with Peaches, that I hadn't been before with Imke and Maddie.  I am really glad we made the trip.

Unfortunately for Peaches, we had to cross another bridge, and we were mean and made her stop in the middle for a picture.  I think this picture probably best captures us on this trip.  

And of course I needed a picture with us at the edge of the falls.  I promise we were in no danger.  I'd never get too close to the edge!

On the way back to the car we spotted more wildflowers.  Here we have Jack-in the-Pulpits, Forget-me-nots, and something with a horsetail name that I don't remember.  I think the Jack-in-the-Pulpits were my favorite find of the whole day.

Of course I also needed a picture of Peaches on the trail  It really is a great section here.  Thanks to the NCT volunteers who did all of the work to make it so great.

After finishing our hike, we headed back to Houghton for lunch before continuing our adventures for the day.  We had spent lots of time in the woods and around waterfalls, but not enough time near Lake Superior, so it was time to head to the beach  

McLain State Park is only about 10 miles from Houghton.  We crossed the lift bridge into Hancock and followed M203 along the Portage Canal out to the park.  We took a short hike out to some geocaches and then headed to the dog beach.  Hershey isn't a big fan of the lake, but he makes a great rock hounding buddy.  

While Vanessa and Hershey looked for agates, Peaches and I took a walk along the beach and enjoyed the view.  It was the perfect spot to end our day of adventures. 

Back at the hotel, we ordered some pizza and enjoyed some libations while Peaches and Hershey snuggled on the bed.  Eventually Peaches settled in with Vanessa and Hershey settled into his cozy cave for a quiet last night in the UP.

I had a horrible night's sleep which I have no explanation for, but when Peaches and Hershey woke up shortly after 6am for a potty break, I was thankful for the chance to get outside for a little walk and fresh air.  It was a gorgeous morning with a beautiful sunrise and we sat outside enjoying it for a bit. 

After we all had breakfast and packed the car, we were on the road and heading toward home earlier than normal, but not before a walk around campus at Michigan Tech.  We made stops for gas and, of course, a stop for lunch at Clyde's in Manistique, but we also had one more important stop to make before crossing the Bridge and heading South...puppies!!!

I have been dying to meet most recent Superior Gun Dogs litter, one of which will be coming home with me in a few short weeks.  I was excited when Marty said he'd be available and we could stop on our way home.  And while I was excited to meet all of the puppies, the two little girls were the ones I was most anxious to meet.  These first two pictures are little girl one.

And these are little girl two.  Both are cute, one seems a little more inquisitive, the other a little more snuggly.  Since I don't have first pick, I don't know which one will be coming home with me yet, but by the end of the week(when they turn 6 weeks old), the first choice can be made.  So hopefully by next weekend I'll know which of these little sweethearts will be mine.  

I've been working on an AKC name and all of the other details that come along with getting a puppy, and anxiously await July 1, when I bring her home.

 And while I focused on one little girl at a time, Vanessa had a lap full of cuteness!!  

It was a wonderful visit and the perfect end to our weekend of UP adventures.  And next year, we'll have a new friend joining us for the fun!

The week seemed extra short after our long weekend, but I was able to get out and do more yard work and other tasks around the house.   I was also happy to just enjoy the nice weather.  I have so many things that I want to get done before bringing a puppy home and time seems to be going so fast!  But life is short, so I also need slow down and enjoy it!

The biggest news of the week is that Peaches has finally figured out how to get into the Willow tree.  Imke and Maddie jumped in and out of this tree daily for years and I was sure Peaches would follow in that tradition, especially with as much as she likes to jump and climb on things.  But for 4 1/2 years she's shown no interest in climbing the tree until now.  She will not jump, she always climbs up, but she's officially a tree dog now.  For the first time in years, someone stopped to take a picture of the dog in the tree in my yard.  It made me smile.  

I had a busy morning at home Saturday before heading out at noon to make the drive to west of Kalamazoo to help transport Hoyt, an ISR foster dog, as he made his way from Illinois to Midland.  He was a great passenger and a very sweet boy.

After dropping Hoyt with his foster mom, I ran home and got the dogs for a trip to Van Atta's Greenhouse.  I had a couple of plants to buy, and one final item to add to the garden.  I know the picture below doesn't look great, but garden 2022 is 100% in the ground and ready to provide veggies for the season.

It is full of awesome stuff, and I am even trying some new things this season.  I'm always most excited about the tomatoes and zucchini, but my green beans and broccoli did so well last year, I'm excited to see how some other things do.  Below is a little garden video preview.   I have a bale of straw and some newspaper so it will get mulched in the next do or two and then it will look spectacular.

Hershey is pretty excited about the garden too.  Mostly he just wanted to pee on the straw., but I stopped him!

Well, I think we're all caught up!  I had planned on a productive Sunday, but woke up feeling like we needed a day off instead.  So we've had a lazy Sunday in preparation for the busy week ahead.  I hope you have a great Sunday and an amazing week!