Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Batteries, batteries, batteries!

Why does it seem that every battery my dad needs has gone dead while I've been here????

Car battery: Dead, so we got a new battery. Charged up and 2 days later, dead again. Took to the shop, where they found a rodents nest and patched a bunch of bare wires. 2 days later, dead again. Took battery back to Sears, they tested it and said it was good. Now charging again so I can drive back to the shop and leave it. Lucky my dad has my car to drive meanwhile. Still, I hate to leave him with his car (much nicer than mine) undriveable, and he is stressed out about it.

Cart battery: The electric cart he uses to get around inside was losing it's charge by the end of the day. Took it in to get new batteries and they found issues with the charger, too. Should get it back this afternoon.

LifeAlert battery: The panic-button thing that I bought him a couple of years ago needs new batteries. Debating whether to pay $20 for 2 little batteries from the company, or get much cheaper ones with the same specs. Probably doesn't matter too much because he never wears it anyway.....

And then there's Big Red, still in the shop with seized-up brakes, so he can't get around outside at all, to take out the trash, check the propane level, etc.

I really should probably move back here for awhile. If I knew it would be just a year or so, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I certainly don't want to sell my place on Whidbey, and I'd certainly want to spend at least part of the year there. And if I moved back here, I would need my own place; I don't think I'd be happy living fulltime with my dad. Sigh. Hard, hard decisions to be made.

I think I could spend, say, January-March in Michigan, April-May on Whidbey, June in Mich, July-Sept on Whidbey, Oct in Mich, Nove-Dec on Whidbey. That's only one more trip than I'm making now, and I would be here during the winter months when I worry the most about my dad. I wonder if I could find a furnished rental? Or maybe just fix up the basement as my own apartment? Comments on any of this would be sincerely appreciated!

While I was out at the cart battery place I tried out some of those ultra-comfortable chairs with the lift option which helps you get up out of them. Took a brochure home for dad, and I though he'd say no, but he gave me the OK to get one. Yay!

Heading home tomorrow!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Gold, gold, and more gold

The sun came out today and I traipsed about 7 miles through the woods and grasslands of Chippewa Nature Center. Although the maples are now past their prime, the forest floor is a patchwork of golds, browns, and reds, and the oaks and beeches are nearing their peak color.
Beech leaves

Mystery berries

Golden pathway

More gold

And yet more gold

wow

Even the grass is beautiful!

Oaks have finally turned

OK, one more golden pathway



I am so happy to be able to spend this time of year here in Michigan. Where I live in Washington is stunningly beautiful, of course, any time of the year, but it's a beauty that just shouts at you continuously: Look here! Ocean! Look there! Mountains!  Here, it's so much more discreet and understated. It forces me to be meditative, reflective; it slows me down. I need that. 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Golden

Everything has turned to gold here at Chippewa Pines. It's almost impossible to capture the beauty of being out in the woods amongst all that golden light, but here are some attempts. These are taken on my dad's property, on the route that I have now walked for almost 50 years.







The sunshine has not been very cooperative, but is supposed to show it's face tomorrow so I will be out bike riding.  For the first time EVER, I have visited here when the river is liquid,  without going paddling. It's been rainy and windy much of the time, and now the boat ramp next door is closed for the season, I've already put the canoe up in the barn for the season, and it's just too difficult to launch the kayak from our property anymore.

Earlier this week I had a nice visit with high school friend Donna over coffee, and a long breakfast visit, lasting until about lunch time, with cousin Pat. Pat is about 6 years older than me and when we were growing up, it seemed like she was in a different generation from me, but in the past few years we have become pretty good friends. She's one of the few liberals I know around here!

Monday, October 13, 2014

A 911 call, Fall Colors, and More Art

 I thought I’d program one of buttons on Dad's new phone for  911. However, I hit the wrong key and realized I had actually dialed 911, so I hung up. Within 15 seconds, I got a call back from 911 asking if everything was OK. They also confirmed that they had Dad’s correct name, address, and phone number (they did). I’m impressed. 

Yesterday I forged another 20 miles west on the Pere Marquette trail. I've now ridden the first 75 miles. It's hard to say how much further this trail goes, as the official website only shows it going 30 miles, to Clare. I don't know why so many rail trails have such poor information published!

My time here has gone quickly and I've got just over a week before heading home, and quite a few visits and chores to get in before then. 

Fall color along the Pere Marquette trail
 On the way to do this ride yesterday, I did some exploring to see if I could find the headwaters of the Chippewa River. Here it is, about 50 miles (MUCH further by river) upstream from Dad's house. Someday I'd like to paddle more of it than the last 20 or so (by road) miles, 13 of which I've done too many times to count.
Headwaters of the Chippewa River, about 50 miles upstream from Dad's house.
 I'm catching up on posting a few pictures from last week. Here is my dad at the High Banks Rollway near Buckley, Michigan. It was a bit of a a stretch for him to walk (with his walker) the 50 yards from the car but I think he enjoyed the view.
Dad at the High Banks Rollway near Buckley MI

This place is NOT easy to find but well worth visiting in the fall!
Fall color at the High Banks Rollway near Buckley MI

Here are a few catch-up pictures from my visit to Art Prize
I want to ride this rollercoaster. Someone has cleverly combined pictures of several different coasters.

30,000 crayons! Each panel was completed by a different Catholic community, and the scene is supposed to depict the story of Noah.
Close-up of crayon picture


Quilting inspiration for me this winter. I am a sucker for bright colors!


Why I did not spent much time in the Grand Rapids Art Museum. This is a pretty good depiction of how many people visit Art Prize. Luckily in most places they are more spread out!


This abstract painting fascinated me because I'd swear it's full of people, but when I look closely I cant' find them!~

Photo does not do justice to this amazing painting

Lovely mosaic in Grand Rapids.You can't tell from the picture but it's 3D, with the nose sticking out.






Saturday, October 11, 2014

First Frost, Phones, and Kids in Trouble

We had our first frost of the year here at Chippewa Pines last night, and it was a heavy one, with grass all white this morning. So Dad and I spent the morning doing getting-ready-for-winter chores: Bring in the hummingbird and oriole feeders, put the canoe up in the barn, move the weed whacker out to the barn and the snowblower up to the garage. I'm hoping the guy who installed Dad's new generator gets back out here before I leave, as it's already not working, dang it.

Not only that, but Big Red, the three wheeler that Dad depends on to get around outside, is on the fritz with its brakes frozen up.Gotta get that guy out here too, and my gosh, I've only got 10 days left here! The time has gone fast.

Dad has two cordless phones that haven't worked in years because the batteries won't charge. I found out today it would cost more to replace the batteries than to just buy a new phone! I think I have convinced him to put the new phone within reach of the chair where he spends most of his time, instead of having to haul himself out of his chair, into his cart, and over to the kitchen phone, which is currently the only working phone in the house.

Yesterday Dad and I took a long drive to look at the fall color. It's about at it's peak a bit north and west of here now, and I'm sure last night's frost will move it along here.

We got home about dusk, and as we turned onto our road, we could just barely see three bicyclers ahead, in dark clothing with no lights, no helmets. We passed them and then stopped to get the mail, and I waited while they rode up: Two 12 or 13 year old girls and a maybe 9 year old boy. I asked them how far they had to go, and they said quite a ways. Turns out they were almost 8 miles from home! I told them to come on up to the house and I would drive them home after I dropped off Dad. But how haul them and their three bikes? I could get the bikes in the back of my car but then no room for them. 40-year-old Jeep pickup to the rescue! It started, somewhat begrudgingly, we threw the bikes in the back and the four of us crowded into the front, and off we went, hoping not to pass any police cars.

Their story: Parents were away for the day, due home pretty soon. Kids had decided to ride bikes to visit Grandma. How could Grandma have let them go riding back into the dusk? Kids seemed really nice, happy, well cared for, etc, but still I lay awake worrying about them and wonder if I should have stayed with them until their parents came home. But didn't really want to get the kids in trouble either; I'm sure they will think hard before doing this again.  I hope I did the right thing.

Watched Faux News this morning arguing with itself over whether the security on the new Iphone is a good thing or a bad thing. It's interesting to me which side they will come down on: paranoia about the "bad guys" being able to keep secrets from the government, or paranoia about the government being given more power to spy on us. As good capitalists they can hardly be against Apple satisfying their customers, can they?  And yes, I know just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Greatest Thing I've Seen In My Life, or Any Other Time

OK, that may be stretching it a bit, but it will take me a while to wind down from this! Just got back from a huge big band swing dance (alas, I was only an onlooker). A 20 piece big band, great vocalists, great swing and jazz, and 200+ people dancing in the street: This is GROSS, the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society,officially (per Guinness), the largest swing dance group in the world. It's all ages, and they dance every Tuesday night. This is their last outdoor dance of the year but they continue indoors next week. Tonight it was almost all kids, I would guess high school and college ages, although there were a few oldsters mixed in. Barefoot girls, girls in high heels. Both sexes in t-shirts, jeans, plaid flannel. And everyone having a great time. It was just delightful to see.

The band was Hark Up Horns, and I do love me some horns!. I will definitely look for their schedule when I'm in Michigan.

Check out

http://www.grandrapidsoriginalswingsociety.com/

Art, art, art

I am in Grand Rapids MI, resting up after four hours of wandering the streets looking at Art Prize art. Here are some of my favorites so far:
NOT a photo. This is an oil painting. Quite a few photorealistic paintings, but this is my favorite so far.

The Bat Bike

Infinity Box. There were a bunch of these mirror-filled boxes to peek into. The box itself is only about a 2 foot cube. My favorite of the 3-d art so far. See my reflections?

Another Infinity Box

Plenty of outdoor installations too

Pyrography (wood burning), amazing detail

There are just crowds and crowds of people here. And lots of kids: every grade school in the tri-state area must take a field trip here. After four hours I was exhausted and even a latte did supply much additional energy. I'm trying to muster the energy to walk the half mile to the Founders Brewery taproom for dinner. Founders Dirty Bastard ale is my very favorite beer. I can't miss visiting it's home!

I am staying tonight in the middle of downtown at the CityFlatsHotel. It's pretty pricey but you can't beat the location. I've never seen a hotel decorated (or not) like this before; I would call it minimalist mid-century modern. No colors in this room except for various shades of taupe, grey, tan, black and white. Lots of hard edges, cork floor, stainless steel. Chair and lamp designs straight from the early 60's.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. An interesting place. 

Oh wait, one of the lampshades is olive green.


Sunday, October 5, 2014

Birthday at the Farm

Yesterday Dad and I drove up to Standish to celebrate Uncle Louie's 82nd birthday. Louie is my dad's little brother and my one remaining uncle. Some of the cousins finally went through the necessary paperwork to get the Centennial Farm designation. It was Albert and Mary who built the farm. No one in the family knows anything about Albert's parents, although there is a rumor he may have run a house of ill repute in a neighboring town.

When we got out to my dad's car to start up there yesterday, the battery was dead. After leaving it overnight on the charger, it's still dead, so I am in town to buy a new one today.Glad this happened while I"m here to help.

It was the usual entertaining chaos up at the farm, with kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids all wandering through. Cousin Doug gave me two huge Kossak kohlrabi out of his garden... 3 or 4 pounds each. He's got every flavor of basil imaginable in his garden: pineapple, cinnamon, lime; I did not know these things existed.  I also scored a handful of fresh tomatillos and one of the last cukes of  the season.

On the way home made our usual stop to buy jerky and smoked whitefish, and we had a fine dinner of smoked fish and kohlrabi while watching Marty Stewart. 

Tuesday will find me driving down to  Grand Rapids where I will spend a couple of days wandering through Art Prize: 1537 entries at 174 locations around the city. Likely I won't make it to all of them. Check it out at http://www.artprize.org/ 

I'm hoping the weather improves as I'd also like to explore some bike trails in Grand Rapids.  It's been 45-50 with sporadic rain for the past couple of days, and we got a full 2 inches dumped on us one night, complete with a  little bit of thunder and lightning.