Sleeping Bear Dunes

"Across the big lake (Lake Michigan), to the west of it (Wisconsin) a great forest fire broke out and Mama Bear and her two little cubs fled. In the great lake (once again Lake Michigan) Mama Bear swam and swam and got to the east (Michigan). On the lakeshore, Mama Bear waited and waited for her two cubs. She was on a perch. Her cubs drowned though. They were in sight of shore, but we're too tired to continue, so they died. The great spirit Manitou felt pity for them, and rose out of the waters two islands to mark the gravesites for the cubs.

"Mama Bear waited and waited, ever faithful that her cubs would come home. They did not, and Mama Bear was taken into a great and peaceful sleep by the great spirit Manitou so she would have rest. Her sleep brought about the magical beauty of the lake shore, now called Sleeping Bear Lakeshore. If Mama Bear awakes, the beauty of the land will cease. "

-The Legend of the Sleeping Bear Lakeshore from Local Indian Folklore. *Don't count on it that I believe in it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Recommended by friends and acquaintances to go to Sleeping Bear Dunes, we drove in the jeep for an hour or two to get there, me reading and writing in my journal. We finally got there at the National Park Building, got a map, and watched a video where we learned about the beauty of the place and found out the legend. They told us that G.M.A. (Good Morning America) chose Sleeping Bear as the most beautiful place in America. So, it was really suggested.

We went down a drive called the Scenic Drive and I will now tell you about our experience.

On the ride, we saw a beautiful forest made out with river birches and different kinds of trees. We saw Alligator Bay, a cool sand dune formation, and some other things. At one spot when we got out, we saw a sheer incline all the way down to the lake. It was like a wall, barely even curved, just straight down. We saw the Manitou Islands in the distance. It was amazing how steep it was, and it was a wonderful view. Those sand dunes were formed from glacial features coming down south. Really cool, those high hills of sand.

We went on a little trail, and saw some other cool views of those sand dunes. Then, we drove to see the DUNE CLIMB!

We went into a parking lot, and there stood a hill about 400 ft high(not exaggerating) stood before us, with sand and dirt and rocks all on it.It was wide, long, and big. It also had soft sand with a lot of people's footprints. It was crazy to look at. This thing was known informally as the Dune Climb, and I wanted to climb the dune. Dad stayed down on the bench, and I went up with Rebecca and Mom. I tried to run up, but my feet just got stuck in the ground. I kept up, and Rebecca got in front and Mom behind. It was weird, and hard, and I was continually stopping. I used all my strength, and ran up, and by and by I almost got to the top... and then... I lost my balance and fell down, the sand coming into my clothes and face, me falling down. I pushed my fingers into the sand, and got back up again.

I got up to the top, only to see that there was more, hidden to me at the time. We climbed up that part, which was a little more easy. There was an old man who was asking us a lot of questions and being weird. We quickly got away from him, and the way down was a lot easier than up. We ran down, and rolled down. I was more sandy then then I had ever done before at the beach. It was a lot of fun to climb, run, and roll the dune.

Well, the Sleeping Bear Dune was very fun, and very cool seeing all those dunes. I hope to come back some other time.

We then came home and went to bed.

Hey! I'm trying to sleep here! Don't make me eat you! I am a bear you know,

Andrew.

Rebecca being sick, going to stores, eating breakfast at diner, catching salmon, intervied for magazine,tunneloftrees, glassshardhunters, indiandinner

Well, that was what we did two days ago - referring to the title. And now for the details!

In the morning, Rebecca said she was sick. During the previous nights, she had little to no sleep and felt under the weather. Dad and I dropped Mom and Rebecca at the urgent care center, on the outskirts of town, very close to a Walmart. It was a little building on a little hill. With a list in hand, we went to get some things at the store.

We steered clear of Smartstyle, a took a grocery cart and started shopping. I was reading my bio a little, and still feeling sad that my sister was sick... again. (first time in D.C.) Dad and I got new leashes for the dogs (the old ones weather worn and dirty and ripping apart). It took a long time, us looking for 6 in., only seeing 5. It was enough though, and we then went toward the jackets. I wanted a little rain jacket, not big and bulky, little but still able to deflect rain. Not a fleece, but and rain jacket. We saw fleeces and big rain jackets. None of what I was looking for.

We got some other things, like bulbs and bike lights. Then, we left, looking around for somewhere to eat breakfast. Mom texted Dad and she said something like:We're done. Come.

They were awaiting us, we jeered up in the jeep, the tires making a faint smell in the air. They got in and we looked around. Rebecca was given a rapid strep test, and the results... negative. Even though, however, the doctor gave Rebecca an antibiotic for an infection. We kept looking around for breakfast.

A nice restaurant was in our sights, but the name escapes me at the moment. We got a nice booth at the window, and we saw little blue birds chirping around, trying to fly. It was delightful to see.

Our waiter was having a bad day, (by her looks and attitude) but the food was awesome. I had hash browns, eggs and bacon, and a pancake and orange juice. It was very refreshing.

We left, as full as a water tank. Rebecca was still sick. We went back to the R.V., and did a little school and reading and such. Although Rebecca was under the weather, we still wanted to do something productive in the day. A nice couple across the street from us, (in the R.V. Resort) told us that it was cool to see the Tunnel of Trees and to see people catch salmon in the middle of town. The husband said it was a driving thing, so Rebecca wouldn't have to get out much. So, we took the man's advice and went toward the closer target, the salmon thing.

We drove in the jeep, and passed by a little bridge on the street full of people with fishing rods. Some were old, some were very young, but most shared a common trait... being men. There were a few girls, tomboys and daughters of the fishermen. We parked to the right of them, right next to a park with a gazebo, and came over. It was a bright sunny day, the birds singing, the trees swaying, the grass growing.

We went over, and looked down. It was a little river, only about as wide as the R.V., but a lot longer. It went right into the bay. There was a little waterfall, about the height of my father, or a little higher. A man of the age of 16 to 20 yelled "WEHOO!" and pulled back and then went forward, and reeled. A man at the level of the lake that he got to by an ancient stairwell picked up the fish in the water and took the hook out of it's mouth. In the net, the fish squirmed and tried to get away. The man came up to our level and dumped the fish on to the sidewalk. The teenager took the fish by the tail and tied him up above the waterfall by a log. The fish was a yellow ish brown ish creature, very long actually, and well built. The teenager had a purple t- shirt and dark brown hair.

As we watched the people catching the fish, a lady in a blond pony tail let a fish go. She explained that the fish were swimming upstream from the bay because they are going back to their place of birth to spawn, or lay eggs. They try to make the waterfall jump, and if they don't, they die while being pregnant. If they make the jump or someone fishes them out and puts them over it, they lay eggs, and die right after that. The latter is the better outcome, but either way they die (not a pleasant thought).

We were having a great time looking at people fish when the unexpected happened. A man with a buzz cut and brown eyes of 25 or so and tan skin approached Rebecca. "Hey," he said, "want to catch a fish?" Rebecca shrugged in surprise and the man gave her the rod and told her to place both hands on it, one in the middle of the rod and one on the bottom of it. He told her it would be hard, and to NOT let go. Rebecca did as he told her, and he told her to pull up, and then go forward and reel. She looked like it was hard. I saw a fish jumping out of the water, trying to get away. After about 5 or 10 minutes, Rebecca backed up and there was a snap. The fish broke the line.

"It's alright," the man said as he took the line and replaced it. He then went off again. All this time, Mom and Dad were taking pictures, and I was video taping. But as I took a slight glance across the river, I saw someone ELSE taking pictures.

It was a 50 year old man, with long hair and a beard. He had a hat with some slogan, but I couldn't make it out at the length we were away from it. He had a canon camera, and after Rebecca did what she did I lost site of them.

I was a little sad I didn't get a try at it, because I thought it would be fun to do it. It wasn't long after I said that...

"Hey, do you want a try? I got a fish on the line."

"Sure!" I exclaimed.

Placing my hands on the rod, left in the middle, and right on the bottom. As I took hold of the rod, I felt the weight of the fish pulling on me. I waited for his command. "Lean the pull forward and reel. " I did so, and it was so heavy as he said, "Reel, reel, reel!" I tried to reel fast, but fell short. So much was going through my mind, and I didn't even think of the fact at how cool this felt. I just did as he said. When I pulled back and stepped back, pushing into other fisherman, I felt the real weight of the beast. The rod was pushing against my stomach,and so I repositioned the rod to a different part of my body. It felt like tugging the rope of a moving steamer. As I pulled and reeled, I noticed Mom taking pictures, Dad video taping, and that man again also taking pictures. Also, the other fisherman were yelling in encouragement. With all of my strength placed upon one command, I reeled and pulled as hard as I could. The adrenaline was pumping beneath me, and I heaved one final time. I saw the fish pulling and tugging, it's grayish features glistening in the sun. Then the man with the net got the fish in, and took the hook out of his mouth. I blinked, and then as the man came up with the fish in it's net, I finally understood that I had CAUGHT a salmon. I couldn't believe it. It was a feeling of pride, surprisement, and disbelief all melted into one. My hands were sore, and I was tired, but I had done it. The man then dumped the flopping fish on to the concrete.

"You want to hold it," the man who helped me asked.

"Sure!" I exclaimed again.

He told me to grab one hand by the tail, and one hand on the belly of the yellow grey fish. I did, and had to squeeze tight to not drop the thing. It was more slippery than soap and as slimy as a snake. It was very greasy, and had a lot of trash and dirt and wetness on it. It was also heavy, and as I turned and smiled to take a picture, I saw that man with the camera again. He bid me turn his way and smile, and as I did, he took the picture. Then, the man and I gently laid the fish over the waterfall and in the water. It swam away.

Mom came up to me. "YOU CAUGHT A FISH!!!!!" She exclaimed with giddiness. Dad said similar things, and then I said thank you do the guy. "What's your name sir?"

"Simon," he answered.

"Hi," said the man with the camera, getting out a pad and pencil. "My name is Kevin Speer from Michigan's Hooks and Bullets, a hunting and fishing magazine. I was just around the neighborhood, and I wonder, our these your children?" He was asking Simon. "No, no," he said. "Not mine. "

"So then why were you...?"

"When I get off from work I just come here and let the kids here fish for kids."

"But you don't keep them?"

"No, I don't like fish. I just like fishing."

"Good for you! That's really nice! What's your name?"

"Simon hard last name. (I don't remember his name, it was hard.)"

Then Speer turned to me. "What's your name?"

"Andrew Bourne. That's B O U R N E."

"How old our you, Andrew?"

"12 sir."

"Is that you're first salmon."

"Yes, and it's truly exhilarating. "

"Yeah, it is."

"Are these your parents?" he asked, pointing to Mom and Dad. "Yes, they are. "

"Am I allowed to use Andrew in the magazine. "

"Yeah totally," Mom answered.

We went on to tell him about our trip, and he wrote it all down with nodding enjoyment. He gave us a copy of the magazine, and told me I would be in the Nov. or Dec. edition. We also gave him the blog, and I hope you like the writing, Mr. Speer.

(If anyone wants to know, Mr. Speer's magazine is also on www.hooksandbullets.com. Just in case any of you hunters or fishermen wanted to know.)

It was so cool to catch that fish,and the feeling will never leave me. (By the way, Rebecca eventually got to catch a fish.)

We left, giving Simon our thanks once more. Then we went to see the tunnel of trees, and saw all different colors of red, yellow, orange, and lime green. It was very nice.

We also saw a lot of deer in a field, eating the grass. Three even came into the road. We got A LOT of pictures.

We also went on the shore, and met a couple who collected glass that was in the sea, made soft. They were very nice.

When we were looking around for food, we saw an Indian place called the Legs Inn, with animal heads and totem pools everywhere. It was actually started by a polish guy, but the builders and designers were Native American. To be honest, the food wasn't all that great.

On the road again, Dad stopped the car in the middle of the rural country side and turned off all possible light in the car. We were in total darkness. I was waiting for some creature to pull me in to nothingness, where none could hear my screams. "Get out," Dad said. I got out, but Rebecca, due to her sickness again, did not. I looked around, still in total darkness. Dad told me to lay down on the road, and as I looked up I saw a broad expanse of sky opening up before me. All of the stars were twinkling and shining, illuminating the sky. It was truly an awing experience. Just sky. Nothing else. So beautiful.

Well, we went to bed pretty late that night, and I had my bed out and slept like a baby. The following day would provide the reader to a range of falling off sand dunes, sleeping bears, and weird men at the top of 300 ft inclines. TO BE CONTINUED...

Goodbye for now.

Any body want an autograph? (you know, 'cause I'm in a magazine),

Andrew.

A Wild Goose Chase

Although in the morning of the 26th, we basically did homework and reading, in the afternoon, we (Dad and I) went out into town in search of a barber shop. My hair was becoming dangerously long, so we decided to have it cut. Dad's hair was kind of long too (for him). It was raining terribly that day, the kind of rain that is impossible not to hear. Puddles and water was everywhere.

At a place in town where we had been before, we saw a store right on the road in the same building as other stores, called, Hair Salon. It was closed.

On AroundMe, a program to show possible points of interest, we saw it say: Ingrid's Barber Shop. We came to the address, with the rain coming down hard on us as we got out. It was a little building made of painted white brick. We talked in, shivering, only to discover that she (Ingrid, an older blond haired lady) wouldn't take anyone unless they had an appointment. In other words, she had no room today and couldn't take us.

But something good did come from that rejection. Across the street, a radio shack was open. We came in and as I read about The Wrights, Dad talked with a guy about what he was having wrong with his gadget. (I honestly wasn't listening, to absorbed in my book.) When Dad told the guy,(Cole) the man recommended a hair shop on the same street as this, called Ashley's. We went down the street, parked in the side of much the same fashion as the former, and went in. A 20- 30 year old lady was smacking her gum and doing someone's hair. "Yeah, " she said through her gum filled mouth, "we're full."

We were disappointed, but I believe I would not have enjoyed having her as my hairdresser.

That was 3 barber shops already, we were ready to go back. But, we kept striving. Back on AroundMe, we went by a big Walmart building, looking for the shop. The GPS said we were right by it. Around and around we went, looking with every moment feeling like an hour. Finally, we stopped, and Dad called them. The person on the phone said that they were IN the Walmart. Well, that would explain a lot!

We walked in, and right in the entrance was Smartstyle Family Hair Shop. It was a little room, with bathing materials and barber chairs. A women welcomed us, got us sat down and a nice dark haired girl came to work on me.

"So, what do you want?" she asked in a bright, young voice. "Just a little (notice that word) trim, still having the same general shape and not changing much", I said. She may have said she would do that, but she didn't.

I did talk to her a little, she said her name was Melissa and I said mine was Andrew. I told her about the trip and she told me some good locations around here. I looked up, already seeing that too much had been cut off! I had been so interested in the conversation that I hadn't noticed! I didn't want to tell her stop though; I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

She said she was done, and she removed the cloak. I looked like my dad. Minus the bangs, I would have had the same hairdo as him! I couldn't even shake my hair! I was so mad at her, but I didn't want to be mean either. I hate this hairdo, but at least no one will see it. Only four people, and strangers who don't even know me. My grandparents and sisters saw photos and say it's good, but I hate it. Sorry Melissa, but I hate it.

Anyway, we came back, and went to a pizzeria, had good food, and then ended the night by watching the Alex Rider movie, the book I had just ended. I then slept soundly.

Be very, very specific when telling what haircut you want,

Andrew.

Mackinaw island

We decided three days ago (the 25th) we would go to Mackinaw Island, very small island to the northwest of MI. Before going, we went to a very INTERESTING church. We then went into the parking lot by the harbor and got tickets to go on the ferry to Mackinaw. We got on a small ferry boat, then sat in the roofless top section, and had a beautifully scenic ride to the island. We came upon a nice harbor there, with bicycle rental places and little restaurants. It was very nice.

The ferry stopped, and the luggage (for the people staying for more than one night) and bicycles, were the first one's to get off. Then we got off, shivering and cold. The wind was particularly chilly.

For a while, while there, we saw and went to some fudge shops and little clothing stores. I bought a hat, and Rebecca got some fudge. We then applied to get tickets for the carriage ride all around Mackinaw. We boarded a carriage.

A kid in his 20's was our narrator, and as we went through the town, looking at shops and historic homes, I couldn't hear a word he was saying. He had a strange accent, and it sounded like his words were slurred. "-his th- marke- whooo th make fo."(This is the market where they make food.) The tour guide's name was Rob, and his horses (brown and black mares) were named Wilbur and Orville. (I actually at that time had my bio of the Wright's, so it was a funny coincidence. )

Well, as we went up and saw all the nice homes, I just enjoyed it. As we saw many fudge shops, we also saw nice little homes. We went up a good big hill, and Rob said, (or I think he did) that his part of the tour ended, and that someone else's began. At the top at the hill, Rob dropped us off at a butterfly conservatory. He said that we could skip the butterfly thing, you could just take the one down. But, you could get on one any time you wanted to.

We went down a small hill, (not the one we came up) and saw a nice little round building with a painted turtle in front. We went in, showed them our tickets, and went in through some doors.

In a room full of different beautiful plants, I saw all different butterflies of different colors swarming around the room. There were over 700 butterflies in this conservatory. Some yellow with brown spots. Some orange and red and green. Some blue and black, with little designs fashioned into their wings. They got on the flowers, flew around the room, and got on me a couple of times. It was a very cool feeling, having them on me. When we left, I was very sad.

We waited for the next carriage, and got into one with an old, bearded man. We went through a lot of forest and foliage, and listened to the tour guide, (Dave) talk about the history and folklore of the island. Very interesting.

We saw the Arch Rock, which was cool to look at, a big arch with a big whole over the lake shore of Lake Michigan.

We then went back down into town, got off the carriage, and then got back on the ferry. We rode back home, and then got in the jeep and got back to the R.V. I finished Ezekiel (the book in the Bible) and then went to bed. All in all it was a great day.

Whoaaaaoooh! Whoaaaaoooh! Let's go braves! Beat the Phillies!,

Andrew.

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!(THIRD TIME)

Well, on our first day at Petoskey, we sent some things home (to our Roswell Address) by way of UPS. I also sent one of my best friend's a book I read a that I thought we would like. I got to the last chapter of Le Morte D Arthur, which I decided to read the whole chapter to Mom. We didn't do it then, though, because we were in the car doing things. I had no other book, save a biography about the Wright Bro's, and that I didn't bring into town. The nook (electronic reader) was somewhere in the R.V., thus I had no book to read. So, I just looked around and enjoyed the sights.

We got into the middle of town, right on the water, with shops everywhere. My Aunt Linda used to live here, so we followed the GPS to her old address and looked at her cute house. We also went by the lake and saw lots of other cool houses. The we parked, ate lunch at a nice cafe, and I had a reuben. I also talked to a middle aged man with blond hair, named Paul. He was reading a bio about Theodore Roosevelt.

We left the cafe, and (sadly) went to a little clothing store. We went to a candy store with all the candy in barrels, and right next to that in the same building was another clothing store, which Rebecca and Mom went into, while Dad and I went to a bookstore across the street. Right by the door, I saw a blond haired lady with short hair and some brown poodle looking dog that she was trying to pull away from the door. The dog was stubborn, but eventually it moved a little. We came into a small store with shelves of books on both sides. "Hullo," the lady said kindly to us. I noticed a strong English accent. "Hi," I said. The English accent explained the union jack outside. I searched a little, and then found Alex Rider: Skeleton Key. (I had read the first Alex Rider, Operation Stormbreaker, a week earlier. The second A.R., was Point Blanc, on the nook. I had not read it yet but thought I should get this one, Skeleton Key, anyway.)

"Can we get this?" I asked to Dad.

"Sure,"

The lady got talking to us, about books and learning and such, and somehow or another it came out that we were going on a big trip around the U.S. for a year, home schooling.

"You lucky duck!" the lady exclaimed.

We told her all we've done, and that what we've been doing. As she ringed the book up, I asked her if she wanted the blog. She said yes, and I asked her what her name was. "Diane," she answered. "Nice to meet you. My name's Andrew," I replied. We then left Diane.

We went to a few other stores, like a two-floor clothing and footwear store, and another store. We also saw a drawbridge go up, and a ship go through. It was very cool. Aunt Linda had told us about the drawbridge. We're glad we got to see it in action.

Back in the jeep, we rode around and Rebecca and Mom went down on the beach to look for Petoskey rocks. They dug into the sand on the shore, and found big rocks that had spots or crater holes in them. Very cool to look at.

We then went home, tired and done. I went to bed.

This is the end of this blog post. Goodbye, for now.

I do not exactly enjoy shopping,

Andrew.

Drive to Petoskey

The next day after South Haven, Sept, 23rd, we left South Haven, and drove to Petoskey. The next day after South Haven, Sept, 23rd, we left South Haven, and went to Petoskey, a town on the very north tip of MI, in the middle of the state. It connects Huron with Michigan, (the lakes) and is a pretty nice town. On the journey, we just pretty much saw trees, already fall colors of red, yellow, orange. Coincidentally, the calendar said it was the first day of Autumn, so it was amazing to me that the trees were already this color. Later talking to people from Roswell, they said it was still green. Weird.

We arrived at HearthsStone, and it looked a little like Sunny Brook, just a little bigger. There were many seniors, and when we parked, I heard a really powerful, beautiful rhythm. A lady with two white pocket dogs came down, with blond short hair. We asked what the music was.

"That's my husband."

We talked to her, and we found out that her friends live on the same street as us! So funny! We went to their R.V. (by the way her name is Diane. ) We met her husband Rick, who actually plays guitar! In their bungalow (the little pretty sheds by the R.V.'s) we saw Rick's big amplifier, and music tech. His computer, guitar, and tech were all cool. He played for us a soothing song, and I am sad I didn't record it. He did the guitar by himself, and a piano recording did the rest on the computer. I played a little, although I was a little rusty.

We saw their deck, and it was nice. Then we said goodbye.

That night, we went to a restaurant called Side Door Saloon, and had a great food there.

Well, goodbye, for now.

J. G. Withword, 877 Cash Now,

Andrew.

South Haven

Early in the morning, on Sept 22nd, a Thurs., about 7, I woke up. We all took showers, got on our clothes, and got in the jeep to look around. Before we did, however, I went to the office, and asked for paper plates. Cindy, from the night before, said "Sadly, no." I looked around, seeing their beautiful kept up house. Now back to us getting in the jeep. We went back to where we were the night before, and I saw before me, an ocean. But we're in MI. I couldn't even see land off in the distance. It looked as big as an ocean. But this was no ocean. This was a great lake. Lake Michigan.

It was so weird to see a harbor, docks, and beach at a LAKE! It was like nothing I had ever seen before. We looked at the beach, playing in the sand and chasing the seagulls. I was really amazed. If you couldn't pull it off on the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, you could make an ocean movie right here. That's how big it was.

We looked at nice old houses and pretty cottages. We went to Saugatuck and ate lunch.

It was altogether pretty cool. I am still amazed at the size of Lake Michigan. Sometime in your life you have got to see it.

We ate lunch, then went back to Sunny Brook and Dad and Rebecca went to play cards at the clubhouse. Mom and I later joined them, and ate the hamburgers the people served us. It was hamburger night at the Clubhouse. When we were riding on my bike home, we saw water leaking out of an R.V. Mom told us to quickly ride back and tell the people who served us, and when we parked our bikes back at the clubhouse, we ran in and told them. They got straight on the golf cart, and told us we could leave, and they could handle it. To this day, I don't know what happened next.

We then went to bed.

Goodbye for now!

Floating hamburgers on smart phones,

Andrew.

Drive to Western MI,

I am sorry I have not written in awhile; our Verizon card was going wacko, not working. It works now though. (I hope anyway).

On the 21st of Sept, on a Wed., we drove a 3 hour drive from the Detroit area, all across to Western MI, called a place named South Haven. We drove in to see a beautiful little waterfall on our left, with flowers surrounding and the water bubbling peacefully. We also met Cindy, who gave us all the info on Sunny Brook, the name of this R.V. Par... I mean Resort. It seriously was very nice. All was paved, there were nice full time sites, and a pretty little lake with sprinklers. We unlatched the jeep, and while Mom was in the car, Dad pulled in forwards and saw there was a table on the pavement, in our way.

"Andrew, go outside and move the table to the grass. "

I got on some flipflops and got out, while Dad waited. I went on to the little side in the grass, and pulled and pulled. I got only a little.

"Come on boy, where's your muscle?" I heard in front of me in a strong country accent. I looked up to see a 30 or so year old man, with jeans and a T shirt on, and orange hair and a beard. He also was fit and had big boots. It looked like he was a worker there. Although I laughed, I wanted to prove my self. I DO have muscle. Going around the table, placing my hands on it, and pushing with all my might, one, two, three, and I felt my hands hurting. I pushed and pushed and pushed. "Yeah that's more like it!" the man said again. I looked up. I had pushed the table into the grass. But more than that. It was WAY in the grass. Not even close to the R.V.

Dad pulled in, and Mom came behind in the jeep. By this time the man had left. If it hadn't been for him, I might not have been able to push that table alone. Thanks.

After hooking up, Mom took Rebecca and my bikes off, and said, "Take your phone." I did and we went off.

By the entrance, we saw a building, that was creamy white, with a shed before it and something right before it. A pool? A lawn. As we parked our bikes in the bike rack, and walked up to the building, looking in that area of space, it proved to be the former.

We didn't go into that area, but we peeked through the bars, saw the pool, and a few chairs around it. It had a bathroom for men and women, in the back left hand corner. Also the shed we saw, was an electric control thing. We went into the building, and found ourselves in a little threshold, with a stand saying Welcome, and two shelves on either side of the room. One, had a book exchange, and the other, was brochures. In the next room in front of us, we saw tables, and a restaurant like diner counter. Walking in further, we saw a fridge, cabinets, and other kitchen appliances. This must be a cafe.

Despite the unsettling darkness, we kept moving, and went further in, seeing a billiards (pool) table and bar. There was a door to the left of the billiards table, a little in front of it, leading to a lawn. We didn't go out.

Rebecca and I went to right of the cafe, and saw a computer room on the right, a game room on the right, and two bathrooms and an office on the left. In front, there was a big room with sofas, chairs, and two T.V.'s. There were also board games, and we actually stayed a long time in there, playing dominoes or Candy Land. Sadly, Rebecca beat me 3 times in that game. (I mean Candy Land.) Mom texted me the "Let's go" so we got back on our bikes. The family and I all went on a walk around the Resort, and we saw it was pretty little. Everyone except me talked about redoing the cabin, which I took no interest in. We also went back t other Clubhouse (that building we toured before) and then came out and watched the beautiful sunset. We got in the car, went to a restaurant I forget, and I tried French Onion Soup and had a burger. It was a nice environment. We then rode around a little.

It was as black as evil, and in a broad expanse of nothing-ness, Dad said we would be seeing this dark area tomorrow. I would later know this... as.... Lake Michigan.

My Mom is so glad to have pavement again (after Greenfield's wet mud and gravel),

Andrew.

Going back to Greenfield Village

We went back to Greenfield Village the same day as we went to the Rouge, and among other things, saw Robert Frost's home and some cool slave quarters from GA. The two coolest parts, I think, were the Liberty Craftworks and Edison at Work. I will solely tell you about these. Let us first start with Edison.

By Main Street, was a part with a complex of buildings, and a few sheds. If I were to calculate, I would say there was about 7 and not all were big. They were of painted white, and some having blue with white trim. All were of the uttermost maintainers, not being shabby or even having a few marks. All of them were pretty, the big two buildings, long and wide, one on the left having two stories. Like I said, there were some small sheds, not to be qualified as buildings, but are being qualified that in this post.

Anyway, we went in to the large, two story building, which like I said was on the left. We went in, and saw many machines, a foreman's office, and a lot of what looked like inventions (1800-1910 ones) being made. They were mostly black, and metal-ish. They all were also of weird shapes. A man was unwrinkling a peace of foil on a cylinder roll. He said it was one of Thomas Edison's inventions, and when turned on, made a recording of whatever was placed in the roll. He did an example, and "Mary and the Little Lamb" played. Funny how accomplished an inventor can chose the most funny of things to put on the machine for the first time. Edison wanted to make it historic, unrivaled, and when his speech he was going to prepare broke, he came up with Mary Little Lamb. Still funny.

So, the ground floor of the Menlo Park laboratory, (which Henry Ford took to Greenfield) was the part where they tried to build what the people upstairs came up with. The top half, which we were about to see, was where some of the most famous inventions of all time, were thought of.

I walked up a creaky stairway, and heard someone end the last part of there sentence saying "just in case any of the bosses are listening electronically. " The voice was came from a man, deep, and loud, but pleasant and nice. As I walked up more,I saw people exciting down the stairs, and I tried to get up without pushing or touching people, but that was inevitable. The guy must have ended his lecture. I got to get up before he starts again. My pants are tight. (okay that one I didn't think) I thought.

I saw the guy now, as a grey headed man with a nice tan. His hair was back. I looked at his shirt and jeans, his shirt the universal Greenfield Village uniform, with a name tag saying Kris. He started again, and I suddenly looked around, at all the glasses and tanks of gases, chemicals, and liquids, all different shades of different colors, some with many different pairs, some with few. I looked at the two tables to my front, laden with stuff, and the small area being me, with two more shorter tables. I looked again to my front, saw an organ in the far side of the room, with long and short pipes, and a hymnal on where the hymnal goes. I saw two or three things, inside of glass see-through boxes, that I recognized as the first light bulb, the phonograph, and a copying machine. He showed us an example of that. It was cool.

Finally I noticed a chair, which was under a different wood then the others, with a small square light colored brown different to the other dark brown. Kris explained that on the day that Thomas Edison, with his "student"(Henry Ford was always inspired by Edison, saying he was his mentor) Henry Ford, came to the lab on the 50th anniversary that Edison turned on the light bulb. Together, with all(most) of the people of the world, they turned off all of the lights in most of the U.S., and when Edison turned on the light bulb (on the minute he did in 50 years prior) and America turned on their lights. He sat in the chair, the one that was on different wood than everything else, and Ford told his guys to nail it down, and it has never been moved since. Kris said that he knows of nobody who has sat in that chair after, but one of his fellows might of been tempted to. Then he went into the thing he said when I arrived, and now it all made sense.

We left, and saw some other sheds, and a patenting place. Then, we went to the Liberty Craftworks, and saw a sawmill, a weaving place, a glass place, and some other crafts. It was cool to see them made.

We did meet one guy, while at a general store in Greenfield, who was talking to the employee about a program he was writing, that he wanted to grow like a tree, starting on what was in the last chapter. He got this inspiration while looking at a tree outside, and I asked what it was about. He said it was about stress reduction, and how children smell the roses and don't just look at something and say "oh, it's a tree". They say "oh, it's a NEW tree!" Or a new store, a new car, or a new house. I asked him about writing, and he said he wanted to do more. He liked science fiction, and good writing. I told him about the blog, gave the address, and he told me it was good I was writing. We also talked about a series by a man named Patrick O'Brian, and a writing program called Scrivener 2.0. He said he forgot the name of the series, but I know it as Aubrey- Maturin series. He was nice, and I asked "Now sir, what is your name?"

"David. And yours?

"Andrew."

We took his leave of him, and did some more stuff, all of which is not wholly important.

Well, we left and went to bed.

Goodbye for now!

I'M SO MAD!!!!!! Chill it Jerry, try stress reduction. I'M GONNA HURT YOU! Now Jerry...AHHHH! (PUSHES HIM OVER CLIFF) JERRYYYYYYYYYYY!(SOUND OF GUY HITTING GROUND) Hey, I feel more happy now.,

Andrew.

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

For our final day in the Detroit area, we left early in the morning on the bus to the Ford Factory, on the River Rouge. Today we would see the factory and then... if we had time, we would go back to Greenfield. In the bus, a little video played, and Bill Ford came on, discussing all the cool stuff it had to offer. Theatres, see-it-made stuff, and even a look over Detroit. "The rouge has it all!" he exclaimed proudly. Although I believe he is a nice guy, he's not good on camera. You can tell he's sweaty, nervous, and unprepared. But anyway, who cares?

Arrival:

We came into the factory complex, with it's big buildings, flat roofs, cylinder pipes bellowing out smoke, and FORD everywhere. It whizzed to a stop, and we went into the Rouge.

"Hi, welcome to the Ford Rouge Factory," a man with blond hair back over his head and bright blue eyes. "Me and Johnny are gonna tell you the rules. No cameras, recording devices, or food or drink in any parts of the factory. We don't want you to steal our ideas."

The man who was Johnny talked, "Oh come on Bill, don't scare 'um. Anyway, we have four stations. #1 is the Legacy Theater, where you will learn about the history and legacy of the rouge. #2 is a 4-d presentation, where there isn't just sights and sounds, but touch and smell. #3 is a look over the fabulous factory in an observation deck. #4 is what is every body's favorite, the part where you see actual F-150's being made. Now, please follow us to Station 1."

I looked around in the big, domed, room, seeing in front of me a long line of Ford cars. We went into the Legacy Theatre, and sat down in theatre seats, looking down at the screen. I will now divide the following parts of the blog into Station #1, Station #2, Station #3, and Station #4. Hope you enjoy.

Station #1 (Legacy Theatre): The movie was about how Henry Ford bought the Rouge, his employees, building it, it's struggles, and the unions formed, and the loss of jobs, and the striving of it, and the legacy of it. It was very good.

"Please exit to your left, and make sure you have all of your possessions."

We exited to the left, and then came to the doors for Station #2.

Station #2: We walked in, and unlike the other room, there were spinning chairs spread out instead of theatre chairs stuffed in. There were also seven screens, that you spin around to see all. We sat down, close to the back, and waited. Then, as orchestra and music came on, the lights came off and the presentation began. It started with metal being forged, you hearing the warmth of the fire as you see the man on the three front screens push his stick in, with fiery red things on it. On the four others, you see it, but from a different angle. We turned around a lot, trying to look at everything.

We saw the whole process of making a car, from the doors, to the stereo, to the tires, to putting the bed, and felt and saw and smelled and heard every part. It was an awesome experience. When it was done, I was sad, cause I wanted more. It was just so cool!

We came out, and stayed in the lobby for awhile, but we're directed to an elevator, and when we got in, we punched in OR (observation room; Station #3.) When the elevator doors opened, I saw Station #3.

Station #3: We saw the whole factory in an observation deck, and saw Detroit in the distance , which was separated by the Rouge River. All of these buildings were mostly flat, wide, and white. The sun was very beautiful in the distance, and the city was shining. It was very pretty. We went back on the elevator, and went down to the most coolest of all the stations. Station #4.

Station #4: Getting out of the elevator, then going through a concession stand, and then walking through a long hallway. We then went into a big room with noises of all kinds, from fire to robot sounds. We were on a balcony that went all around the room, looking down, at the moment, cars moving, and stopping, and then moving again. They were just the basic shape, not having doors, windows, or any interior stuff. A man showed us a robot picking up the front window, and then placing it on the car, and then putting a laser to it. There were doors on conveyor belts going around. They showed us putting on the tires, the interior, the stereo, and everything else. They attached the bed of the F-150, they did everything. It was so cool to actually see a car being made... step by step. Although not recorded, I will never forget that part of the day.

Departure:

We went into the gift shop, and left Ford Rouge Factory Tour. I had an unforgettable time. We came back to the parking lot, and then went into Greenfield Village again, which is a whole other story.

Goodbye for now!

Today, Sept. 23, is the first day of Autumn, and boy is their red and yellow trees. It's already that color and it's only the first day,

Andrew.

The Third World City

Detroit. What does that make you think of? Greed? Corruption? Loss of Jobs? Well, you probably don't think of something pretty.

You probably know what happened. All the cars being made out of the country, people losing jobs and being cut off. That made a whole lot of trouble.

Now, don't get me wrong, Detroit has it's up parts. Like the baseball and football stadiums or the 5 G.M. Skyscrapers.

Now, don't get just a picture of that. It has it's down sides too. And that's what we saw on the night of when we left Greenfield Village, on Sept 18, 2011.

We rode away from the nice suburbs of Dearborn and Greenfield, and rode into the city of Detroit. It was one of the saddest sights I've seen. But I was prepared for it.

Boarded up businesses, no windowed houses (all the windows were punched out) and homeless people picking up trash in the abandoned car washes. It was grieving to realize these people didn't have food on their plates every night. It made me want to help. Want to do something. Something more than just pray for them. Something more than just having sympathy or pity. Something More. Something where I could take action.

In the heart of the city, we saw 5 fabulous skyscrapers, the G.M. headquarters. One in the middle was cylinder, the other four towering over it on different sides.

We also saw two stadiums, the Detroit Lions (football) and the Detroit Tigers (baseball). The Lions play inside, and the baseball stadium made sort of a tilted sides.

They were nice too and we went by the river that separates America with Windsor, Canada.

Then we saw all of these green lots, and Dad pointed out that there used to be a house at every place. We saw a lot of Graffiti and vandalism. On schools. In Parks. Just about everywhere.

Rebecca remembered what we saw on a miniseries on the day we went to the Detroit area. It was called Detroit in Overdrive and in one of the episodes, they show you an INTERESTING street, called Heidelberg Street.

I'm telling you, that was a street! It was such an interesting blend of heart and creativeness. It had huge surf boards with guitars and paintbrushes! It had polka dot houses and millions of stuffed animals on a burned up tree! It had a whole block full of shoes! It turned home depot tools and made a figure out of them! There were doggy food bags on people's heads. It was the most creative and artsy street I've ever seen. It was so cool! These are just a few of the things we saw.

After that cool time, we left Detroit. It made me think about what's really going on in the world, and that there are hurting places. It also taught me to hold on and keep striving. Even with all this bad stuff, people were still making art and singing songs. It isn't REALLY a third world city. It's an example of the American Dream. Even if they knock us down, we can stand back up. Detroit is a work in progress.

After leaving, we went back home, and went to sleep.

Changing Scenery,

Andrew