Aug. 20, 2014 Leaving Michigan-heading to Indiana-Shipshewana

Wednesday August 20, 2014 Our destination when we leave this morning is Shipshewana, Indiana. It's only about a 3 hour drive, so we don't really need an early start, except......we have to stop at a Cumins dealer for some slight service. When we left Houghton, Michigan driving to Mears, right after we stopped for lunch in the rest area, the fuel pressure sensor light kept coming on???? The RV was still running great so Lennie didn't think the light coming on was a real problem but still he wanted to be sure.....

Hooking up & ready to roll!

No my camera lense isn't dirty....it was that                                                                                                                   foggy when we left!

The Cumins shop is in Grand Rapids, a little over an hour's drive for us!

Otis & I wait in the bus while Lennie goes &                                                                                                                                    checks in.

Right away he comes & gets us, the waiting                                                                                                     room is PET FRIENDLY!!!

It was about a 2 hours wait, not too bad for me a Law & Order marathon was on the TV! Not too bad for Len either, at the end of the 2 hours he was told NOTHING was wrong with the RV, probably just some dirt on the sensor!?!

On the road again, seems we're lacking a bit in                                                                                                                              scenery!?!

Before you know it......we're in

then that dreaded highway sign Otis hates to see.....

No sooner do we see the sign, than we see an Amish horse & buggy & Otis goes crazy!!!!

If the window was down all the way, I believe Otis would have jumped out trying to get at the horse!

Our RV park in Shipshewana is right on the main drag, Otis will hear the steady clomping of the horses & buggies on a regular basis! Poor Otis!?!

We've been here before, same RV Park, tho it's been a couple of years....

Look how close our RV is to that flowery bush! Only problem with that is....

I'm AFRAID of BEES!!!!!

After dinner & dishes Otis is ready for his nightly walk! Otis loves when we go to a new RV Park! It's all new smells for him to sniff out!?!

& for me......it's the chance to catch sunset photos!!!

                                                 Not a bad way to end the day........!

Aug 18th-Aug 19,2014-"Neighbor from Hell"-Hart County Fair

Monday August 18, 2014 Today after our regular morning routine we are going over to Bruce & Cathy's to visit for awhile. Otis likes going over there because they have a nice size yard & he can roam free! Come on Otis....let's go potty so we can go visiting!!!

When we first arrived at their house, Bruce was finishing up mowing the grass, then some guys pulled up in the side yard & started talking to Bruce. If anyone starts a conversation with Bruce.....it's going to take awhile, so we just walked around the yard waiting......

Otis took off running wild, he loves it there! He ran down the deck steps .....

to the Lake below, his little nose just trying to sniff EVERYTHING!!!!

Course as soon as he saw Lennie at the top of the deck.....he ran back up leaving me behind!

Eventually Bruce does get done with his conversation! Cathy  came out, we were sitting at the patio table enjoying the day....Otis too!

We were catching up on the latest chapter of their "NEIGHBOR FROM HELL" & the property line dispute!

This is Bruce & Cathy's neighbor's house, not the one you see.....the new foundation! Because.....this "Neighbor from Hell",Jim, accidentally (or maybe not) burnt his house down last winter!?!Since Jim is rebuilding, he needed a current property survey, which resulted in discovering, part of Bruce's cyclone fence is slightly on Jim's property & some of Jim's fencing is slightly on Bruce's property! This is just the fuel Jim needed as he has been fighting Bruce & Cathy non stop for 5 years. They've lodged complaints against one another, gone back & forth to court, put up with his rude behavior, (especially when company is present) profanity of the lowest level just flows from his mouth.Since his house was totaled, he's renting a house just down the road. He makes daily visits to his property & soon enough, he graced us with his presence. It was just Lennie, Cathy & I sitting at the table when Jim started walking up & down his property line & started kicking Bruce's phone cable (placed by the phone company.....another story!)over onto tBruce's yard. I'm talking maybe an inch or two!!!! We watched the guy acting like an idiot behind our sunglasses.....when Lennie said to him..."Hope you feel better now" Oh Boy.......the guy came unglued!!!! The most disgusting profanity just started flowing from his mouth! Cathy went in to tell Bruce what was going on, Jim thought Cathy was getting her camera, or calling the police so he just started getting louder & louder, his mouth more & more filthy.He got in his car & just sat there LOUDLY talking on the phone! Turns out HE decided to call the police!!!!Soon enough they showed up, we could hear Jim telling "HIS" side of the confrontation!

Then the police came over to Bruce & Cathy's yard. At first the male officer came on kind of gruff, but after hearing so much more information on this neighbor & the on going dispute, they soon started joking around with us, even posing for a picture!

2 of Michigan's finest!

That neighbor is such an idiot, he told us & the police officers that if Bruce's phone cable was on his property again that he (Jim) would cut it.....

We decided to go out for dinner. We took both cars, we didn't feel it was safe to leave our car unattended in Bruce's driveway! We went to the Open Hearth Grille & Bar Restaurant right there in Mears.

Guess who owns the Open Hearth Restaurant!?! Bruce & Cathy's old neighbor, Kevin. Kevin is the guy who sold his property to their now "NEIGHBOR FROM HELL"!!!! I'm not sure I would eat there after that transaction! It is a good restaurant & Kevin didn't know what kind of neighbor Jim was going to turn out to be!!!!

After dinner we headed back to the RV Park, Bruce & Cathy drove on home. The RV Park is walking distance to their house! We made plans to visit again tomorrow!

Aug. 16th-Aug. 17, 2014 Preparing to leave Houghton-Good-bye Houghton~Hello Mears!

Saturday August 16, 2014 Today we prepare for tomorrow's departure. Can't believe I stated I was within walking distance to Hardees, Culver's & Walmart & I never walked to any of these places! Oh well, there's another adventure waiting at the next place or the place after that or somewhere down the road!!!Just a few things today, it's mostly our prep day!
                After a quick breakfast we take a drive to Hancock to the  local Farmer's Market!!

It was a SMALL affair!

A few blocks from the Farmer's Market a Catholic Church was having a rummage sale, so we checked that out! They did have a Ladies bike with GEARS!!!! Only $15.00 too! Didn't buy anything at the rummage sale either!

This is the Bakery where Lennie brought home the surprise breakfast pastry! But today we've having lunch here because it's not only a Bakery it also serves PASTY"S!!!!! There are a lot of Pasty shops up in the UP, we've tried a few of them! they all sell the traditional pasty, there's a few variations of the pasty, have a breakfast pasty, some have a pizza pasty, but this place Roy's Bakery & Pasty.....of course they had the traditional pasty but they also had the Turkey Gobbler Pasty!!! That's a pasty with turkey, dressing, potatoes,cranberries & gravy ALL baked in a wonderful crust! it was sooooooo yummy!!!!

The only thing missing was the pumpkin pie!!!

We only need a few things at the store!

Tonight Lennie is grilling burgers, mushroom swiss burgers, so there HARDEES!!!! All week we've been here he's been hoping to photo the Ferry that goes to Isle Royale, a National Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.The only way to reach this National Park is by Ferry & it's a 6 hour ride. As a rule, you can go over there  & if interested camp over there on the island. this weekend it was CLOSED to overnight camping due to BLACK BEAR activity! It cost $63.00 ONE WAY on the Ferry, no pets allowed (bear bait!?!) needless to say....we didn't go! But still Lennie wanted a picture of the Ferry....

Especially when it approached the bridge & the bridge had to open.

I'm glad he finally got to see the Ferry boat go through the bridge & I'm glad I finally got my Mushroom Swiss burger!

Tomorrow we leave Houghton ! So one more sunset!!!

Not a bad way to end the week!

Aug.14th-Aug. 15, 2014 Another do nothing day-Waterfalls on the peninsula

Thursday August 14, 2014 Once again at bedtime last night we had to pull that quilt up on the bed, & once again I woke up to the little electric fireplace going!!!! But I didn't wake up to another raspberry pastry!! Noooooo we had oatmeal, which I really enjoy, not like the pastry but.....I don't need the pastry!!!

Today was a slow take it easy day. We had no plans, I like it that way!!!! We were pretty lazy up until lunch time! Guess where our picnic spot is today!?! Right Here!

Our RV site!

Always ready for a picnic!

View off our deck......

I was knitting a scarf, Lennie WAS reading his book until a nap, he'll deny, overtook him!!!! It was a nice day out!

He's going to say he was enjoying the view!

After Lennie woke up, we put Otis inside while we went on a little bike ride. When we started out the bike ride, at first I couldn't hear my knees screaming!?! I was beginning to think maybe Lennie was right about my knees getting use to it the more I ride my bike!?!

Riding past the park so far my knees are okay!

approaching the bridge over the Portage Canal that takes you from Houghton to Hancock, Michigan, my knees are still good!

the town of Hancock....

ski slope in Hancock, I'm still pedaling!

Houghton, Michigan is known as the                                                  BIRTHPLACE OF PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY! I didn't know that!?!

We're getting close to our turn around point & I hear my knees starting to complain!?! We reach our turn around spot & start the return trip to the RV Park, & now I know why my knees were doing so good!!! At the beginning of the bike ride the wind was behind me easing me along, now....the wind is in my face & my knees are screaming! I tell Lennie to go ahead & ride ahead of me, secretly I was thinking about walking my bike back to the RV park, but....I struggled along!?! When we got back we stayed outside awhile enjoying the nice weather & great view!

Oh look....there's goes one of our friends!

                                                                                                                                        NOT! 

Len grilled fish tonight, yummy! After dinner,dishes, & Otis' walk we sat outside until sunset!  We could still use a few more clouds for a greater sunset effect, but we'll take it!

Off to a good start....

just the reflection

Even Otis enjoys the sunset....or does he!?!

Going......

Going.......

Gone!