Holidays, Family Reunions & Birthdays

Well here it is a full week after the fireworks and I'm just now getting around to talking about 'em.

After getting back from the bike trip Monday afternoon, we got up early on the 4th and took a cruise up to Whiskey Creek to check on the camper and progress being made with the lot. Fortunately the camper was still there and in good shape and the sewer install was completed. Still no well or electric, but at least we're making progress, however slow it may be......Ri and Adam were already up there when we got there so after checking out the campsite we jumped in the golf cart and went up to the lodge where they were offering a pancake breakfast for a buck. Sounded like a deal to me and we hadn't had breakfast yet so we all partook of what was there to eat. After breakfast we jumped back in the golf cart and rode all over the territory for about an hour. After the chauffeured ride we got dropped off back at the campsite where we jumped in the truck and headed back for home. Click HERE for Pics.

We got back home about 2:00pm and I ended up napping and working on website stuff for the rest of the afternoon and evening. About Dusk we decided to go downtown for the fireworks. Rather than walk like we should've we took the truck and parked on the West side of the highway. Never a good idea and I paid for my laziness later with a struggle to get back home. After parking we hiked to Harbor Street and wandered around, watching the human circus and the strange cast of characters that an event like fireworks will bring out of the woodwork. I'm never sure whether the sight should make me feel better about myself, or make me want to hide out under the bed......

Of course in Grand Haven, before any fireworks, you have to be subjected to the water and light show that they call the Musical fountain. Having seen it more than once or twice......I've seen it all, so it's mainly something to suffer thru to get to the main event. After 20 minutes of patriotic songs and out-of-sync lights and water, the first shell was launched and the barrage of colored explosions was under way. Fireworks are something I've never outgrown and I enjoy a good show. This years display was probably about a 6 / 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. They kinda blew their wad in the middle of the show and the grand finale left folks going...Well?? Anyhow, after hiking back to the truck like a lost soul in a herd of cattle and sitting in line to get home it was after midnight before I got back to 1400 Waverly. Needless to say I won't be taking the truck, or any motorized vehicle for that matter, downtown again any time soon when there's fireworks or any event that brings out a huge number of out-of-town humans to Grand Haven.

It was a short work week and it went by quickly......Saturday I had planned on participating in the Zeeland car show but got invited to work till noon and being tapped out at the current time it was an offer I couldn't refuse. When I got home shortly after noon I grabbed my bride and we headed down to Zeeland on the bike to check out the car show as spectators rather than participants. Click HERE for pics. There was a decent sized turnout and some nice cars I hadn't seen before. As time goes on and we do more and more shows that's not an easy thing to have happen......We were back home by 3:00pm and I pretty much just kicked back and let the rest of the day slip away.

Sunday morning we were up and out of the house a little bit after 10:00am, heading up to Big Rapids for the annual Family reunion. Along with the family get-together it was also my dad's 81st birthday. There wasn't a large turnout for the reunion, the number of people who show up seems to get smaller each passing year, but it's still nice to see those who take the time to show up along with my favorite Aunt, who hosts the event every year at her house. It wasn't long after we arrived that dinner was ready so we grabbed a plate and picked our favorites from among the many choices. After dining we sat around awhile and shot the breeze, but it wasn't long after the meal was history that folks started taking off and before long there was just a half dozen of us left. We'd rode the bike up and before we left for a stop at the folks house on the way home we ended up giving rides to one of cousin Annette's daughters ( I can never remember which one is who....) and Lauren, Cousin Mary's little precocious daughter who's goal is to work for the CIA! She's into electronic gadgets at an early age in a big way they tell me......even has trip wires in her bedroom?!?! Not sure if they were kidding me or not on that one.

So after the rides we made the stop at the folks house to do some computer stuff for the mom person and then said Happy Birthday one more time and headed back for the homestead. We got home about 6:00pm, parked the bike, backed the '56 out of the garage and headed down to Jeannies for the Sunday night cruise-in. I took Bailey with me and we had supper and ice cream and hung around until I didn't win the 50/50 drawing. We headed for home at that point and cruised thru town before tucking the ole girl back in the garage until the next time.

In Retrospect........I wanted to get some pics of dad on his 81st birthday and other relatives at the family reunion, but pretty much fell flat on my face on that one. By the time I got the camera out people were leaving and the mood just wasn't right for suggesting that folks get close together and say cheese. Guess I'll try again next time.

NEWSFLASH - 07/12/06.........I got a call at work this afternoon from the wife who told me that she'd gotten a call from Jennette and that her and Ri were on their way down to the hospital in Hobart Indiana to be there when grandbaby #2 is born, probably sometime tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. I just got a call at Midnight and she said that the doctor thought it wasn't going to be too much longer so I guess by the time I wake up in the morning I'll be a granddaddy times two.......I just keep telling myself that you're only as old as you feel and with that in mind I think I'll go find a tire swing and not act my age...........

TC