Auto Repairs

Nothing rattles my independence and confidence as much as car trouble. As soon as the issues arise I start to wonder how much it will cost, how long it will take and how I will manage life while the repairs happen. I don’t have the knowledge to make the decisions easily and I don’t have easy access to backup transportation. I survive the car issues and the repairs but first it knocks me back a bit. Last week I noticed my temperature gage rising to the danger zone when I would stop at a traffic signal. I made a couple of phone calls and took my car to the shop closest to my home where he informed me, after having my car overnight, that it was bad news and would cost me $1400. OUCH! I decided that this deserved a second opinion. Dale suggested another repair shop and helped me get the car moved. The second repair shop did agree that I needed a new water pump but didn’t see the need for all of the other repairs. I got my car fixed for less than half of the first estimate. It felt good to get the car back into the garage and forget about the car problems. Things like this always make me wonder how much longer I should drive my Honda and how I will know when that time comes. But I won’t worry about that now that I am back on the road.

Vacation Album

This is the last posting of photos from our recent vacation. If you don't enjoy looking at other people's vacation pictures you might want to close this window now. Ashley, you are excused from looking at these since you already sat through the entire showing of Dale's photos and mine!

Do you ever ask someone to take a photo of you and your family with your camera when you travel? I ask. I give a bit of direction but I am often surprised when people want to back up lots, point the camera toward our legs or completely miss the background! But with digital you can take a peek, then ask someone else later! I am also quick to offer to take a photo when I see people photographing each other. Most people seem to appreciate the offer and trust me with their cameras.

These photos are in no particular order because that seems to take more time and planning than I want today. The Mackinac Bridge is beautiful and quite long for a Midwesterner. The last time I was there Jay had his driver's permit but could not be encouraged to drive across. It is a beautiful area where the Upper Peninsula meets the lower part of the state. . . two very different lands!

It was fun to explore the U.P. We chased a couple of sunsets, enjoyed the food, the scenery and the sense of humor that comes from Yoopers. We did drive up to Sault Ste Marie to visit the Soo Locks and spend a little time on Lake Superior.

The best surprise of the trip was a wonderful Art and Cultural Festival in Cleveland. It was not in our plan but when we headed the wrong direction we stumbled on the Tremont Historical District. We decided to park the car and enjoy the discovery. It was a beautiful park lined with many artists and church booths selling food. There was a stage with a great variety of local entertainment also. As always we tried something new to us and ate perogies as well as cabbage and noodles. The locals were so friendly and happy to have Iowans there to visit.

Our afternoon at Sleeping Bear Dunes was quite an adventure. According to the printed materials we found the largest of all the dunes. WHY? I have no good reason! The last time I was there when the kids were little I am very certain that the dune was not this tall! I do not remember being so winded. I do not remember my ankles hurting and my calves burning!

I walked up most of the way to discover we were not at the top but that we could now see the rest of the steep dune! I heard others swearing at this point but I was conserving my breath so I did not! Dale went the rest of the way to the top and I was there to photography his running descent.

Dale follows the rules. He is cautious and considerate when out and about. I guess that's why I thought this photo was pretty funny. This is on the shore of Lake Erie and the rocks were very slippery, even a bit slimy. Dale had not seen the sign but we had both been out on the rocks with our cameras and lots of other people. We were safe.

I took this photo of Dale at Progressive Field when we went to watch the Cleveland Indians play. I think I am learning more about setting my focus when I want to blur the background, or I just got lucky. See the blanket on the guy in front of Dale? Those are the free blankets. We each got one. It was a very fun night.

This was a wonderful morning bike ride on Mackinac Island. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed the bikes and scenery as we rode around the perimeter of the island. We were advised that horses have the right of way so we rode carefully! When we got off the bikes we picked up our fudge and headed toward the boat for the short ride to the mainland.

It truly was a wonderful vacation. Even when we got lost we had fun. I love to travel and it's a bonus that Dale and I travel so well together. Now it's time to start planning for the next one!

Road Food

Food is one of the interesting aspects of our travel. We stumble upon some unique places and we plan ahead to find recommendations for some other places. A favorite place for research and planning is Roadfood.com. Dale will often explore the website before we leave Iowa to learn more about regional foods and diners or restaurants. I will usually find a few books at the library such as "Michigan Curiosities" or "Off the Beaten Path in Ohio." We have used these resources to find barbecue in Memphis and North Carolina as well as Hot Browns in Kentucky and purloo in South Carolina. We found tiny little locally owned establishments in many states and we also found the world's largest drive-in, The Varsity, in Atlanta. Food is part of the adventure.

We stumbled upon Butch's Beach Burritos across from the beach and lighthouse in Grand Haven, Michigan. Their photos showed long lines in the summer but we were fortunate to arrive in September just a week or so before they closed for the season.

We found Juilleret's and Don's on roadfood.com and found that they were very unique places well worth the stop. The atmosphere was quaint at Juilleret's but the food was even better. My pumpkin bread french toast was interesting and delicious. Don's sign and interior were very well preserved and it felt like we had stepped back a few decades. The waitresses even wore the traditional matching waitress dresses.

When in Michigan we knew that fudge and ice cream were a must-eat so we willingly enjoyed those specialties. When we reached the Upper Peninsula we knew we wanted to eat a pasty, which is their specialty. It's a Cornish tradition and we learned from a Cornish man in Madison Wisconsin that only the "Yoopers" think that they must include rutabaga. Wherever we find them it seems that the Cornish are passionate about their pasties. Dale and I enjoy the food and the tradition.

Finding these interesting places also leads us to some very interesting people. We love the opportunity to meet them and get to know a bit about the area. On this trip we found again that people are good. We met friendly, helpful people all along the way with one exception. The people that work for the Cleveland Browns football team were not friendly and not helpful. We did not go to their game!

Lighthouses

Years ago my kids bought two coffee table books for me. One was about ballparks and the other filled with photos and information about lighthouses. They chose well. I still love ballparks and lighthouses!

On our recent Great Lakes vacation, Dale and I visited and photographed many lighthouses. I lost track along the route but as I look at the photos I have counted seventeen lighthouses on this trip! That is seventeen separate locations along the shores of Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. There are similarities of shape and colors but they each have their own distinct character too.

Here are a few photos, but not each and every one. I do not want to clog up the internet with too many photos. I also realize that people will get bored and quit looking after the first dozen or so. One interesting thing that I discovered with my lighthouse photography is that I need to pay more attention to the level lines. I have a few images that look like the the lighthouse is tilted. . . but you may have already noticed that! So much to think about with photography, but most importantly I enjoyed the sights, the water and the sand. I remind myself to set aside the photography to enjoy the moment and the experience. The chilly water of the Great Lakes on my feet was a good way to do that.

Living History Farms

We planned our vacation so that we would arrive home on Friday and be able to to attend Photography Day at Living History Farms on Saturday. Again this year Ashley traveled to Des Moines to go with us. All three of us have learned lots and changed cameras or lenses this year. We also knew that there was plenty more for each of us to learn.

I learned a few things from the photographers who were available to answer questions. It was especially nice to get to be a part of conversations that Ashley was having with the photographers. She has not only changed her camera and lenses this year but also started her own photography business and is doing very well with portrait photography especially enjoying her newborn baby sessions.

I am often drawn back to the same still life photos when we go to Living History Farms. I love the simplicity of the 1900 farm especially in the kitchen area.

We were all interested in working on low light situations for photos. Backlighting is also a challenge for me so I enjoyed trying to get a photo of the sewing machine sitting in front of the bright window.

This checkerboard is also a low light challenge. Dale, Ashley and I all took a shot like this on Saturday. I think we all took a similar shot last year too. Although Dale and Ashley did much better than I with many of the low light situations at the farm, I think I may have gotten the best photo of the checkers. It's always fun to come home, hook up the laptop computers and look at each other's photos.

Ashley got a great shot of this little kitten drinking from the watering can below the outdoor pump. I didn't notice him then but did find him bathing in this barrel on the front porch. Although there are lots of people, strollers and a few cell phones around it still is fun to stroll back to a simpler time (with our high tech digital cameras, of course!)

Ashley taught me a few things about metering light off faces. This model was a willing subject for many photographers including Ashley and me. It was interesting to hear how she determines her lighting and focus. I think I learned lots. It was a fun day and especially fun to share with Ashley. You can see some of her photos on her blog.

Beach Walking

I love to walk on the beach. This week I got lots of opportunities to walk on the beaches of four of the five Great Lakes! This picture was Lake Michigan this morning. Earlier in the week we spent time on Lake Erie, Lake Huron then Lake Superior. It's going to take some time to sort through photos but I am sure that I will be posting more about our trip to the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes

During the last week I have dipped my feet in the water and walked on the shores of four of the five Great Lakes! I love being near the water and enjoy exploring small towns and lighthouses. Dale and I have found beautiful places along the shores and some interesting road food also. The weather has been just perfect every day. More of Lake Michigan today. It's a great vacation!

Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field

Saturday evening Dale and I went to Progressive Field in Cleveland to watch the Indians play and explore one more MLB park. I was thrilled to get one more ball park on my list. Fortunately it was a gorgeous evening and it was a high scoring game. We enjoyed the hits and a couple of home runs. In the end the Indians beat the KC Royals 13-6. It was "free blanket night" at Progressive Field. All spectators got a fleece blanket and it felt good on my lap by the end of the evening. Besides, I always enjoy a freebie! Before the game we did explore Cleveland a bit but I will blog more about that later.

Cubs Win!

Dale and I spent a wonderful Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field cheering the Cubs on to a victory over the Reds. Both of us had been to Wrigley in the past, but this was the first time that we went together. I am a fan of Major League Baseball parks and Dale has been a Chicago Cubs fan for decades. It was fun to be together and sing "Go Cubs Go" with Dale at the end! The seats were filled and Cubs fans know how to cheer and celebrate a win. It was a wonderful ballpark experience with perfect September weather!

Labor Day at the Rodeo

Dale and I may have established a Labor Day tradition. Again this year we went to the Dayton Rodeo and it was great entertainment. We both love to photograph the rodeo events and thoroughly enjoy the show and the unique setting. Dayton is a small town with a huge love for rodeo. The arena is almost like a bowl with seating carved into one side. I was impressed by the honor and patriotism of the day again this year.

Still More to Learn

Dale and I stopped by the Dog Show on Sunday. We didn't stay long cause our Mowgli dog wasn't there, but still wanted to take a peek. This was the first time we saw this obedience competition and it was pretty impressive. These dogs were all lined up and instructed to sit while their handlers left the room for three minutes. I borrowed Dale's camera and tried to take a shot down the row. I like to have a focal point but would also like to learn more about getting a deeper depth of field so that I could have all of the dogs in focus at one time. I need some practice but that's OK because I enjoy the process.

Bulldogs and Cubs

It has been a weekend filled with sporting events which is great! I don't much like watching sports on TV but I do love going to the games. Even after watching my nephew, Jake play football on Friday I was anxious to watch the Drake Bulldogs play their first football game of the year on Saturday night. We were surprised when we had to stand in line to get tickets because typically there is not a crowd. This game was against Grandveiw, another Des Moines College so there were lots of fans for both teams. I love sitting outside in the perfect weather, watching the game and watching people. It's always good people watching when a crowd gathers! It was fun to watch Drake win too.
I was offered free tickets to the Iowa Cubs game, so on Sunday we headed to Principal Park one last time for the season. It was another gorgeous day and the I-Cubs won. It seems that every sport has stretched their season. I think of summer for baseball, fall for football and winter for basketball and hockey, but the seasons do blend. Right now we are in the baseball/football season. Dale and I have at least two more baseball games planned for September and plenty of football too. It will be lots of fun!

Go Jake!!

Friday night I got to watch my youngest nephew, Jake play football for the Mason City Mohawks! It was so exciting! Jake is a great football player. I don't know all the statistics but I can tell you that he got at least one touch down, brought the ball to the inside of the one yard line and played some great defense too. His team traveled down to play against Des Moines Hoover so it was very close to home for Dale and me. Dale brought the camera and shared but I borrowed this photo from him because I really like it! Thanks, Dale. It was fun to sit with Dan, Jill and my parents for the game on a gorgeous evening. The Mohawks won a close game which made for a perfect night. I look forward to seeing more of the Mason City Freshman, especially Jake!!

Pelicans in Iowa?

American White Pelicans do come to Iowa. We are on their fall route according to the DNR people we talked with on Sunday. Dale and I drove to Saylorville Lake to check out the Pelican Festival. I wasn't very interested in the festival, but was anxious to see pelicans so close to home. Evidently the pelicans did not get the memo about the festival. Their attendance was less than anticipated this year. Although it was a bit disappointing, we did get to see a large V-shaped fly over. That was worth the trip. I still think that pelicans are pretty cool. It's nice that they visit us in Iowa during September!