Well, this is my first post on the blog, so don't expect too much! Not as much 'touchy feely' as Linda has done. I use a lot of quotes, exclamation points and parentheses for emphasis, so get used to it! This is our 3rd week. For those of you in the "Freedom's Turn Distance Pool" that had Manistee---you lost! We are now in Grand Haven and will be spending our 4th night here. The first 3 nights were planned, but today we are weathered in with a "small craft advisory" which means 3-5 ft. waves or larger (no fun unless you are a seagull). We were going on to Saugatuck today or tomorrow, but at $100/night marina fee (typically we pay a nightly marina fee of $37-44, governor's tax included!), we will skip it and go on to South Haven. So much for liberal towns.
We got here from Frankfort to Manistee (4 hrs) then Pentwater (5.5 hrs) . This time of year salmon fishing is the dominant thing to do in these towns. All these towns are unique but possess this commonality. Boats going out fishing at 5:30 AM and returning at 11:00 AM and then repeating it at 6-10 PM. I mention the time because that is when Freedom's Turn is a rockin', and I mean from the wakes of the fishing boats! We've seen many 15-20 lb. salmon with the most and biggest in Frankfort. In Manistee we stayed at the city marina on the river; this is where Carrie and Jody got engaged at the light house. We didn't get to the casino, but enjoyed the 'up north small town atmosphere', esp. the cigar lounge (me not Linda). Speaking of Linda, she has been a god-send on this trip. I'm not too sure where I'm at after retirement, but she keeps us focused and is forever busy, and tolerates my highly unusual and infrequent mood swings. Enuf said.
Pentwater was great for a couple of reasons. We got to visit and have breakfast with some good friends, Ralph and Cherrie Lundberg. Ralph was my boss in the State Police crime lab and left to run the family farm near Pentwater in the late seventies. We had kept in touch with them, but not for several years, so this visit was very special. Ralph wants to have the first functional windmill in the area on his farm! Only business and politics stand in the way! Pentwater is also a stronghold for Michigan State fans and supporters. We had lunch one day at a restaurant owned and run by the Perles family. I even got to weigh on a scale gauged from 0-500 lbs. (probably for George) in their store (I have lost 5 lbs---I need more ice cream). We anchored out both nights there near Perles' home. I'm sure they loved it!
We came from Pentwater to here, Grand Haven (7.5 hrs). Last night we had a Friendly, WV childhood friend, Randy Rutherford, and his wife, Mary Ann, on board for happy hour and then out to dinner. They have lived here for over 15 years. I know I could have talked to them forever. It's funny how two friends both moved to Michigan, live a couple of hours apart, and only found out about it nearly 45 years later at a class reunion. Of course, I reminded Randy of the time he stuck a knife in my foot playing 'stretch' (absolutely against my Mom's rules!).
Take care until next time. Then again, maybe I'll continue writing (Linda has wiped down the boat and finished two loads of laundry while I have been doing this!). By the way, to see the new, larger photo in a full size, just double click on it.
Charlie (aka Charles to family!)
PS We have only used slightly more than 1/4 tank of fuel, about 80 gallons, in 257 nautical miles (295 'normal' miles, 3.7 mpg. Donations needed for next fill-up!
