When life slows down

 
Last week we finally had our first week of vacation this year.  This crazy year with everything that happened with my dad and other things in life getting in the way led to two other vacations being cancelled, but since my dad was home from the hospital after his last surgery and recovering well, I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of my week in the UP.  With the exception of a few years when Nicol was in college, I have made a trek to the UP in August for most of the last 30 years.  It is a week that I always look forward to and that has given me so many great memories.  I also knew that this week was going to give me the chance to slow down, relax, and refresh, something I really needed after all I've dealt with this year.

We left home first thing Saturday morning headed to our first planned stop for the night in Escanaba.  It was a great day of travel and the girls settled in nicely for the trip.  When we reached Mackinaw city, we were ready to stretch our legs and eat some lunch.  

I picked up a pastie from Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Company and headed to the park to eat lunch with a Bridge view.  Peaches was so happy to be at the beach.  It was adorable to see how happy she was.  Lots of people stopped to say hello and Peaches greeted them all with enthusiasm.  

After eating my lunch, we got in a quick two mile walk along the North Country Trail, made a stop under the bridge for a picture, and made one last stop at the lake so the girls could get a drink, then headed to the car so I could feed them lunch before we continued our journey north over the bridge.  It was a nice first stop for the day.

We traveled through a bit of rain as we traveled west along US-2, but I was grateful that the rain stopped by the time we arrived in Escanaba.  After checking into our hotel, we were off for a little adventure.  We drove north out of Escanaba to Rock, Michigan, home of Hall Farms, where every Summer they open their sunflower fields to the public.  Along the way, we saw a beautiful buck in a field.  

While the flowers had been at their peak about a week earlier and they were starting to droop and fade a bit, I thought they still looked beautiful.

We spent quite a bit of time wandering through the field and enjoying the beautiful flowers.  

I made the girls stop a few times along the way for some pictures.  They posed pretty nicely despite how excited they were to be in the fields sniffing all of the new smells.

I really loved that there were some flowers that hadn't bloomed yet, and I just couldn't get enough pictures of all of the beautiful flowers in all the stages of their bloom cycle.

I tried to bribe the girls to get them to put their faces through these holes, but they wouldn't cooperate, although Mina came close!  It's amazing what a few Cheetos can do!

The family that owns this farm is so friendly, and I'm so thankful that they open their farm to us.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  As we headed back to our hotel room for the night, we made a stop in Gladstone to pick up a pizza, and then settled in for a quiet first evening in the UP.  

We woke up ready to go on Sunday morning.  We had big plans and were excited to get moving.  After packing the car, we stopped at the Swedish Pantry for potato pancakes for breakfast, stopped to pick up a few things at the new Aldi in town, and then started our journey northward.  Mina settled in for her trip like she does most of the time...with her chin resting on my arm.  

We arrived in Copper Harbor by early afternoon in time to visit the Copper Harbor Art Fair.  We were able to visit with our friend Tom, and I got the girls a hot dog from the Copper Harbor Fire Department's fund raiser.  They enjoyed their special treat and loved walking around and saying hello to friends old and new.  

After a couple of hours in Copper Harbor, we drove to Eagle Harbor to check in to our room for the next few nights, and after a short break, we headed to Great Sand Bay for some fun at the beach.  Mina was having the best time playing fetch and splashing through the water.  She was being such a good girl that I got courageous enough to take off her harness and leash to see how well all of our training had worked with recall.  She did great!  

Peaches, on the other hand, decided that she was going to be stubborn and independent, and while she started her time on the beach off-leash, for her safety and my sanity, I eventually had to put the long leach on her because she was pretty insistent that she was going to go back to the car.  Such a silly, stubborn old girl.

Before we left, we took a 1 1/2 mile walk down the beach which both girls thoroughly enjoyed.  Then we headed to the car for the drive back to our room.  We made a quick stop at the Phoenix store for a couple of quick items and I got to meet Thelma, the adorable boxer puppy.  We had dinner in our room, and settled in for a quiet evening. 

We made the quick drive back to the beach for the sunset just before 9pm and enjoyed a little quiet time all by ourselves on the beach after sunset.  And we saw this beautiful moon over Mt. Baldy on our drive back to our room, so we took a short walk along the beach at Eagle Harbor to enjoy it,  Then we headed to our room for a good night's rest after a long and busy day,

We were up early on Monday morning for the girls' potty walk around Eagle Harbor, and I really enjoyed the beautiful view from the beach.

Then we walked over to the lighthouse for a peaceful visit.  Mornings are my favorite time to visit the lighthouse property because no one else is ever there.  

After our walk around town, I had breakfast and we relaxed for a bit before heading out on some Monday adventures. 

We spent time exploring several different mine sites, including Delaware Mine which includes a dog-friendly, self-guided tour down into the mine.  The girls seemed to enjoy exploring this new place and I loved watching them explore.  They were pretty brave and I was really pleased with how well they both did.

After checking out the mine shaft, we walked around the property to see some of the old buildings. 

The views from the mine site are pretty amazing.  I really love it there.  Peaches seemed to appreciate the view too.

We continued our journey through Lac La Belle and traveled the Lac La Belle-Gay Rd to visit some beaches on the South side of the peninsula.  

First we stopped for a visit at the south Bete Gris beach.  Somehow I had never been to this section of beach before, and I wasn't disappointed with it's beauty and remoteness.  It was very quiet and there is nothing better than having the beach all to yourself.

We took a walk down the beach and Mina chased the waves along the way.  After our walk, we made our way down the trail back to the car to continue our journey.  We will definitely be back to this section of beach again.

Our next stop along our drive was Brunette Park for some more beach time.  While I got us out of the car and settled on the beach for some fun, Mina and Peaches explored all of the smells at the beach.  Then I started to play ball with Mina while also trying to keep Peaches  entertained.  Not long after getting there, Peaches started staring at the car and insisting she walk that way.  Luckily the car was only about 10 steps from the beach, and I eventually gave in and put Peaches in the car where she proceeded to lie down for a nap.  This gave me some one on one time to play with Mina and we enjoyed a good round of fetch before loading up the car and continuing our journey.

After a full day of adventures, we made a late afternoon stop at Four Suns for a late lunch.  Sadly they were out of whitefish for the day, so I had the perch dinner instead.

The girls love our visits to this place because they know that I always have plenty of fish to share with them and they get to eat the peas from my risotto.  

The rest of our day was quiet until we headed to Great Sand Bay for the sunset again.  It was a gorgeous sunset and we enjoyed a short walk down the beach before heading back to our room for the night.  It had been another great day in the UP.

After a good night's rest, we were up early and ready to start our day.  We had a wonderful walk around town enjoying the peacefulness and quiet as well as the beauty.  We spent a little extra time exploring the lighthouse property this morning, and the girls had a great walk.

We had a slow morning and spent lots of time relaxing before we decided to make the drive to Copper Harbor for a visit.  We stopped to visit our friends at the Genny and then took a nice walk around town where we ran into three other families with their GSPs.  I enjoyed some time chatting with a couple of the families before we continued our walk.

After a couple of hours in Copper Harbor, we headed back to our room for a little lunch and some down time.  It was so quiet and it was so nice to just sit and relax in the middle of the day with no where to go and nothing to do.

Even the girls seemed to enjoy their mid-day slow down and happily napped when they weren't busy watching me.

After a few quiet hours of rest and relaxation, we hit the road for a little adventure.  We made the drive to 5 mile point and did a little geocaching along the way. 

I realized that Mina had never stopped at Veale Park, so we stopped for a quick walk around the park so we could take in the views and stretch our legs.  

We made the return trip on Cliff Drive because I always needs at least one trip on Cliff Drive while I'm in the area.  And before heading back to our room, we stopped for a very important visit at Great Sand Bay. 

We were so happy to be able to spend our evening on the beach with Bryce and Hope.  Hope and Mina played and played, and even Peaches joined the fun a few times.  It had been way too long since we'd                                                                                                                                                                                           been able to visit them and we had such a nice visit.  Of course I forced the girls to let me get a picture, and they cooperated a little.  After sunset, we headed back to our room for the night, three very happy girls after a wonderful day.

Wednesday morning arrived, and it was time to check out of our room in Eagle Harbor to move in to Copper Harbor for the night.  The girls watched as I packed the car, always ready for our next adventure.

After we checked out, we headed down the road to Esrey Park.  I was pretty happy to see that my favorite little park wasn't too busy and we had a quiet corner to ourselves to explore.    

Stubborn old Peaches got it in her head again that after a short adventure she was ready to go back to the car, and since the weather wasn't too hot, I was able to oblige.  This gave me the opportunity to explore with Mina and I really enjoyed some time climbing around the rocky shoreline.  

Eventually I forced Peaches out of the car so that she could join us as we walked to the other side of the park and then up the stairs for a good view out into the lake.    She seemed to enjoy this little adventure, and Mina was having the best time climbing everywhere.  After a lovely visit, we continued our journey toward Copper Harbor.

Once in the Harbor, I decided to make a visit to Estivant Pines.  It had been years since I last visited this area and it was nice to get out and explore the trail.  The girls loved our hike and all of the new things to see and smell.  

Finally it was time for us to check into our favorite little cabin at the Minnetonka and take a little siesta.  The girls were clearly happy to be back here.  While I've stayed in several of the local motels/inns over the years, this is the place we've stayed most since Mina came into our lives, so I think she sees it as her home away from home.  

Of course, once we were in the Harbor, we couldn't just spend all afternoon napping.  We had to get out for a nice walk around town to see some of our favorite sites.  

After our walk, we headed back to the cabin for dinner, and then Mina happily watched the world go by our out front door.  

After a fun-filled day, we were excited that we had plans to meet up with our amazing friend Tom, for an evening adventure.  

This adventure was extra special because we got to visit the Copper Harbor Lighthouse property.  While this property is part of the Fort Wilkins State Park, it is located off of a private road and generally only accessible to the public by boat.  But lucky for me, my amazing friends Tom and Scott just so happen to live off of the private road and have access to this gem any time they want.

We walked the short trails around the lighthouse and enjoyed an up close look into the buildings.  Then we explored the rocky beaches.  

The girls love Tom and were happy to be out on an adventure with him.  We were also lucky that Scott had time to join us near the end of our adventure.  I always love to see that elusive friend of mine.

As we neared sunset, we walked over to the boat dock to enjoy the view and visit.  I had to smile when Tom stripped down to his skivvy's to get into the Lake for what promised to be some exciting rock-maybe an agate or something even more exciting.  He and Scott have a way of finding some of the best rocks around! 

Then we enjoyed what may have been the most beautiful sunset of our whole trip, from this very special place.  I left feeling very blessed to know such wonderful people and to have the opportunity to experience this beauty.   

Our Thursday morning walk around Copper Harbor started the way most of our morning walks around Copper Harbor start...with a stop at Jamsen's for a turnover.  We heard the Isle Royale Queen's horn sound as she left the dock for her trip for the day, and we got a glimpse of her just beyond Porter Island and Hunter's Point.

The girls waited patiently for their share of the cherry turnover, like all of the girls in my life have done over the years.  Of course they each were rewarded with a couple of bites.

Then we walked down the dock and back to our cabin so that the girls could have breakfast and we could prepare for our day's adventures.

We visited Manganese Falls, and then walked down to the trail that crosses the creek and follows along Lake Fanny Hooe on the side opposite the Fort.  I don't know if this trail has a name, but I've never explored it before, so we got in a good walk in a new place.  

After lunch on the patio at the Lake Effect Bar and Grill, we made a visit to our favorite horses in Copper Harbor.  I really want to make Mina feel comfortable around horses and these visits are great in helping her get used to these big creatures. 

Then we walked through the meadow and around the pond nearby, enjoying all of the late summer wildflowers.

Then it was time for a nice visit to Hunter's Point Park.  I was so excited that there were a couple of spots along the way that I felt safe letting Mina explore off-leash a bit so we can continue to work on her recall in more challenging places.  She did such a good job.  She also thoroughly enjoyed all of the rock climbing.

Peaches was also happy to be out at the beach and exploring.  Her rock climbing days may be behind her, but she did a great job when we needed to cross a rocky outcropping and she was especially happy to spend time close to the shore.

We were back in Eagle Harbor for our Thursday night, and I decided to treat myself to dinner at the Eagle Harbor Inn while the girls relaxed in our room.  That evening, the weather turned gray and cloudy, so any plans to see a sunset that were squashed, and instead we just spent a quiet evening in our room.  It was a nice way to spend our final evening in the Keweenaw.

Thunderstorms moved into the area overnight, and we awoke to some dark skies and rumbling in the distance over Lake Superior.  It wasn't raining yet, so we got out for a quick morning potty walk around town for our final morning there. We were lucky to make it back to our room as the rain started to fall.

After breakfast, I decided we could relax a bit and enjoy the sounds of the storm.  Mina was busy watching chipmunks out the window and Peaches napped.  I got ready for the day and packed up all of our stuff, and when the rain slowed, I quickly packed the car.  

All too soon it was time to leave.  We said goodbye to our room and headed out to see if we could find a little fun before leaving the area.  I drove down Garden Road toward Eagle River on the way out of town.  I love this view of Lake Superior in the distance.

We made a quick stop at the Eagle River Falls, and then headed across the street to the little park in town.  I'm not sure how I've never noticed this park before, but it was the perfect spot for a quick little walk with the girls. 

While we were there, we discovered a dog park too.  I had no idea this place existed and I have driven by here hundreds of times.  It is more like a dog run, long and narrow, but it was a good spot to let the girls out while we were there so that they could run a bit, and of course Mina even found a ball, so we played a few rounds of fetch.  (Tom and Barb, now you can visit Eagle River because there is a spot for Ruby to do her business!)

After getting back into the car, we drove down to the beach in Eagle River for a quick walk to say our farewells to Lake Superior.  Then we were off.  I made a stop to pick up lunch to go at Four Suns and filled up the gas tank in Baraga.  And then we left our beloved Keweenaw behind. 

While it was raining on and off, I wanted to make a couple of short stops along the way to break up the drive. I had planned to stop at Canyon Falls for a walk along the NCT, but the parking lot was packed...and I wanted nothing to do with that craziness! So instead, we made the short detour to stop for a visit at Ogemaw Falls just outside of L'Anse.  

This was a waterfall I hadn't visited before and I was happy we made the stop.  Thankfully it was a short walk, because with the recent rain, the mosquitoes were pretty bad.  But it was peaceful and we had the spot all to ourselves.  I was definitely glad we made the visit.

When we reached Crystal Falls, I decided we'd get out for another walk since the rain had stopped.  We've never stopped to explore this cute little town, and we enjoyed our little walk.  We even picked up a couple of geocaches while we were there.

We also stopped along the drive for a special treat at the Dairy Flo in Rapid River.  They have a cute little dog sundae with peanut butter topping for just a $1 and a really great peanut butter shake.  We enjoyed our treats, and luckily got into the car as a big thunderstorm moved into town.

Finally we arrived in Manistique, our final stop of the day and resting spot for the night.  I unpacked the car and got settled into our room, the girls had dinner, and we relaxed for a bit.

We ended our evening with a walk out to the beach on property and enjoyed the stormy skies and wildflowers along the way.  

We were able to get in a good final walk of the evening before we settled into our room for the night.  It had been a good day of travel with a little fun along the way, but I was sad that it would be our final night in the UP.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I had decided that I wasn't ready to go home yet.  I decided to see if we could get our room for another night and have the full day to explore.  The weather was looking perfect, and I really wanted to take advantage of it.  

I was so happy when I learned that our room was available and we'd be able to spend another night there.  So after the girls ate breakfast, we were off to explore!

We drove west to Rapid River so that I could get breakfast at Jack's.  It's a UP staple and I was happy to get there for breakfast this trip.  Then we headed out of town and south down the Stonington Peninsula.  As we headed down the peninsula, we made a stop at the Little Bay de Noc campground.  I don't know how I was unaware of this place with all of the years I've traveled to the area, but what a lovely little gem. 

We had a great hike on the Bayshore Trail which was a lovely wooded walk along the shoreline.  Then we did the Maywood History Trail Loop, and even explored a short section of the White Pine trail in the park.  It was a lovely spot for a hike and to stop for some beach time.  We all had a wonderful time.

After our hike, we continued south along the peninsula for a visit to the Peninsula Point Lighthouse. 

The beach here is mostly bedrock which contains some really interest fossils imbedded in the rock.  There were lots of people here, which was odd to me because I don't recall running into many people here before.  It was a beautiful day to explore, so we took some time looking for fossils at the beach.

This spot also plays an important part in the migration of the Monarch Butterfly, and I was hoping to see lots of beautiful butterflies during our visit.  Unfortunately, the number of butterflies there during my visit was very low and we saw just three, but I spoke with someone who had been there a week earlier and she said she had seen hundreds of them there there the previous Saturday.  While I was disappointed, I didn't let it take away from the wonderful time we were having. 

I tied the girls to a pole and climbed up the lighthouse tower for a look at the beauty of the surrounding area.  Peaches was not happy that I left her behind, and was letting the whole area know about her disappointment.  Mina just waited patiently.  

After a lovely time exploring, we started the drive north and east back toward Manistique.

We took a short detour south again to visit Nahma so that we could check out the Nahma Marsh Trail.

This was a pretty area and we had it all to ourselves.  It was a short walk through the marsh and along some boardwalk areas to an observation deck at the other end. 

The marsh views were along the way were so pretty and the fall colors were really beginning to show in the area.

We hung out on the observation deck for a little while enjoying the view before turning around to head back to the car. 

I was so glad we had made the trip here to check out this lovely spot.  There is just so much beauty in the UP, and I love that I'm still finding new spots to check out even after all of my years traveling there.

When we got back to the room, I fed the girls a late lunch and then I cleaned up while they napped.  With all of the hiking we had done, I needed to wash the dirt and sweat off and it felt nice to get into some clean clothes and relax for a bit. 

After a little down time, we got back in the car to pick up dinner from Clyde's.  I brought my food back to our motel, and we sat on one of the picnic tables provided to enjoy our dinner.  We took one final walk down to the beach at sunset before settling in for the night.  I was so glad I had decided to stay another day, and we really made the most of it.  

When we awoke for our final morning potty walk of our trip, I loaded the girls in the car for the short drive down to the Manistique Boardwalk. 

It was a beautiful start to our day, and we only encountered a handful of others out enjoying the morning.  It is such a nice walk along the Lake and the girls and I were all happy with the decision to take a walk here.

 

We walked nearly the entire boardwalk, only missing a short section at the western end, and had a lovely 3 mile walk to start our day.  Then we headed back to our room for breakfast and a little quiet time before we had to leave.

The girls napped as I got ready for the day and packed the car, and then we sat in our room a little longer enjoying our beach view and a good book.  We took one final walk out to the beach before getting in the car to leave.  Before leaving town, we stopped for a short walk on a trail at the Healing Garden at the local hospital and made a stop at a local cemetery to pick up a few geocaches before starting our journey east.

When we arrived in St. Ignace a couple of hours later, we drove along the northern shore of Lake Michigan and stopped for this unique bridge view.  

Then we headed in to town for a hike on the North Country Trail.  I had hoped we'd have more opportunities to get onto the trail during our trip, but since we hadn't, I didn't want to pass by this opportunity for a couple of miles.  We even found a section of trail in the area that we had never hiked.

It was hot in the sun, and there wasn't a lot of shade along this section, but we were able to get in about two miles on the trail here.

When we got back to the car, Peaches was sure she needed to stop, but we kept going just a little further so that the girls could cool off in Lake Huron and get one final drink before we left the UP behind.  Then we walked back to the car for the trip South.

We made it over the Bridge without a hitch, stopped for gas in Gaylord, and then made a stop for dinner at Gobbler's of Waters.  I got my food to go so that I could sit at the tables outside with the girls, and they got to lick the gravy out the container after I finished my delicious hot turkey sandwich, after all we were still on vacation.  After I got them settled back into the car, we didn't stop again until we were home.  

The girls checked out the yard while I unpacked the car, and then we sat down to relax and recover from our journey.  What a wonderful, relaxing trip we had had.  It was just what we all needed- the chance to slow down and take a break while enjoy our favorite place.

Monday arrived, and it was back to the grind.  I spent most of the day catching up on work.  During my lunch, Mina and I headed to Patterson's for her annual check up and vaccines.  She was a very good girl meeting the kitties in the lobby, and was very well-behaved for her appointment.  This little squirt weighed in at 49.9 lbs.

After the beautiful weather we had experienced in the UP, we were not prepared for the hot and humid weather we returned to on Monday.  But even with the miserable weather, the girls still needed to get out for some exercise.

So after work, I ran out to the farm to pick up a few items, including some delicious Michigan blueberries, and then took the girls to the Dewitt Dog Park for a short visit.

They both spent some time running and sniffing, and they also both enjoyed watching the squirrel in the tree that was teasing them.  Mina also played a few rounds of fetch.  But after about 20 minutes, Peaches was telling me it was time to go, and I was happy to load them into the car and head home for the evening.  

Tuesday was another day of catching up at work and hot, humid weather.  While I would have like to take the girls our after work, we had some severe thunderstorms move through the area, so we never left the house.  I did have a little time before the storm to get out into the garden where I found five cucumbers ready to pick and some tomatoes that had finally ripened.

After two days of heat and limited activity, I was surprised just how good the girls were during my work day on Wednesday.  They did spend time outside while I worked, but they also happily napped inside too.  

After work, I headed out to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walk, and I was lucky to walk handsome Smokey Topaz.  It was a great walk for all of the dogs and volunteers who joined us.  And I was even able to get the girls out for a nice walk after I got home and before the sunset.

After work Thursday, we headed out for our visit to the South Lansing Farmer's Market.  While several vendors weren't there this week, I was still able to pick up a few things, including my yummy eggrolls from Ming Dynasty.  The girls were happy to be out and enjoying the day, too.  

Afterward, we drove across town for a visit to Preuss Pets and a nice walk around Old Town.  The girls were fascinated by the ferrets at Preuss.  I think Mina really wanted to bring one home.  

Storms moved in on Friday afternoon again, but not before I had a chance to get out into the garden to finally pick some of the veggies waiting there for me.  I got a pretty good haul of green beans and was happy to get several tomatoes too.   I'm hoping for plenty more goodies from the garden over the next month.   

Despite the storms, I could tell Mina had some excess energy to burn, so we played a few rounds of fetch in the house, and then I decided to take them for a ride.  We enjoyed a nice drive through the farmlands outside of Lansing and did a little geocaching along the way too.  At one of the stops, the girls heard some cranes in the distance and were trying very hard to find them.  While it wasn't a big adventure, they seemed happy with the ride.  

After a slow start to our Saturday morning because I wasn't feeling 100%, we finally got out early in the afternoon for a nice walk.  

After trying to figure out where we should go for our Saturday walk, I remembered a new path across from campus that I wanted to check out, so we headed to the new MSU to Lake Lansing Trail.  While only the first phase of the trail is complete so far, we were able to get in 2 1/2 miles round trip.  

I was grateful that the trail was mostly shaded because it would have been a hot walk if it weren't.  We enjoyed exploring this new trail and both girls were pooped by the time we got back to the car.  Mina even laid down in the grass to wait as I helped Peaches into the car.   I'm sure we'll visit  this trail again.  I can't wait to see the next phase!

After our walk, I got the girls settled in at home because I had plans with Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona for Saturday night.  I made the drive down and was greeted by a very enthusiastic Picasso when I arrived.  He's always so happy to see me.  I love this boy!  I'm also happy to report that he's healed from his surgery and all of his stiches and staple were removed earlier this week.  While he can't go full speed for a few more days, he and I were able to play a good game of tug and a few rounds of fetch, and that made both of us pretty happy.

Next on the agenda was a trip to the Michigan State Fair in Novi.  I was excited to visit the Fair with Fiona because I knew that she was going to love it.

We spent most of our time following Fiona around as she checked out all of the animals.  Honestly, the animals are my favorite part of the Fair too.

We enjoyed a little time along the mid-way, ate some yummy Fair food, and then headed back inside to visit the animals again.

Fiona got a big kick out of this cow milking simulation.  She was so excited to try it and even more excited when she actually got "milk" to come out of the cow.  She was just fascinated by it.

She really loved petting the pigs and goats, and she told me when we left that the goats were her favorite.

We ended our evening at the Fair with an Elephant Ear at sunset.  It was a pretty evening and we had a really great time.  I was so glad I could share this experience with her.  She is just so much fun!

I can't believe we've had our final sunset of August.  I am sad to see the earlier sunsets, later sunrises, and all of the leaves that are already starting to change color.  I know I'll slowly adjust, but I'm just never ready for the arrival of September and the end of Summer.  I am thankful for the last two amazing weeks of August we just had, though, and I'm going to do my best to make the most of what remains of our Summer.  Farewell, August, until next year.  I will miss you!