Sunday, September 12, 2010

So Much to Tell About








One of the problems with a busy life is there is no time to write it all down. A week ago today, Hubby and I drove up to Mackinaw City to walk across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day. Sunday was beautiful, We walked around the city and toured the old ice-breaker Mackinac. That was surprisingly interesting. It has since been retired as it took 75 men to operate. The new ship is smaller, more powerful and requires a much smaller crew. It is also named the Mackinac.




On Monday when we got up at 5:30 AM it was raining. We had a light breakfast, no coffee, (there are no Porta Potties on the bridge) and walked the half mile to the municipal dock where over a hundred school buses waited to transfer people across the bridge. The bridge is a little over 5 miles long. The city was very organized. The bus trip cost $5. They filled 10 buses at a time, they all pulled out together and 10 more buses pulled in for loading. By thee time we crossed the bridge to St. Ignace the rain had stopped. They said 45,000 people walked the bridge that day. There was an old couple who shuffled the entire 5 miles across the bridge. There were people of all ages, some pushed wheel chairs with handicapped people in them and there were a lot of kids some in strollers. The National Guard lined the sides of the bridge and numerous police and coast guard patrolled underneath. By the time we had walked the bridge and back to the hotel we had covered 7 miles.




Tuesday we drove back home. There was no rain but a lot of wind. Hubby had to really hold on to the steering wheel and there were several trucks pulling campers who were having troubles. If this wind had occurred on Monday they would have had to cancel the walk. We got home with just enough time to take a nap before our Master Gardeners meeting which was held at Telly's nursery. It was all about fall blooming plants and not one to miss.




Wednesday was the first Lion's Club meeting of the year and my debut as Tail Twister. We had lost our chef and his kitchen in the city hall so we tried a new caterer, Salvatore Scallopini, and dinner was wonderful.




Thursday my Friend, Carole, and I left for Madison Wisconsin for a Quilt Expo. Carole and I have gone on trips together many times in the past and travel very well together. The quilters' convention was wonderful. This was so much better than the Chicago convention. This one had so many bed quilts as opposed to art quilts, many were hand quilted. We also took classes which were only $10 each and extremely practical and well done. Both, Carole and I, love Italian and Mexican food and even though at the end of the day we were exhausted we did manage to swim in the pool and, of course, talked non stop. The Quilt Expo ran from Thursday through Saturday. We got home before midnight on Saturday.




Sunday, my daughter-in-law and her mother and her son, Sammy were in town but leaving by 1 PM so we met them for breakfast and a trip to a lovely park in Taylor where Sammy could run and see the ducks. When I got home, Hubby and I took a nap. Poor Carole was driving to Minneapolis today. Don't ask me how she does it.

1 comment:

Pam J. said...

I've been reading about Fort Michilimackinac & Machinaw City & the Bridge etc. Very interesting place and bridge! Thanks for the nice report.