25 October 2008

Washington's Office and a Roadside Turtle

Washington's Office Washington's Office

When I still lived in the Detroit area and felt like going for a drive I would go to Toledo to see the art museum. I know DC has more art museums than you can shake a paintbrush at, but that's not the kind of drive I had in mind today. Since Toledo is really far away, I drove to Winchester. It might become my new Toledo.

I didn't see any art museums, but Winchester is a pretty old place on the European-American timeline. This building contains an office that George Washington used in 1755 while he planned and supervised the building of a fort there. The door was only about 5'2" tall. I know people were shorter then, but he himself was about 6'3". I would have taken some pictures inside, but they weren't allowed. :(

The office originally stood all by itself, but as with most historical buildings it had numerous other uses through the years. Two more rooms and wood plank floors were added on and a family of 10 once lived here, and it was used as a small hospital during the Civil War. After that, it was a seamstress's house and office.

Roadside Turtle = Beetle ?

I drove part of the way back with the top down, even though it had been a rainy day and it is October 25. I like not having to worry about sunburn. I encountered this little guy sitting next to the highway, pointed toward the woods. He slowly drew back into his shell as I approached (although I'm sure it was very fast for him!) and I waited for a few minutes to see if he might come back out, but no luck. What a pretty shell though! I feel better knowing that it looked like the dangerous part of his journey was over. While I was waiting I also noticed that VW could just as easily have had a different name for this new version of their iconic car. If I had the hardtop version, I'd be tempted to get a custom paint job.

22 October 2008

Pumpkin and his Nemesis

Pumpkin hates the flute.

I joined a group that gets together once a month to play chamber music, so I have to start practicing before our first meetup. It doesn't seem to bother Giselle very much, but Pumpkin sits a few feet away and quietly meows at me while I play -- especially when I'm playing notes that are on the high side. I guess that doesn't mean he doesn't like it; maybe he is a musical cat. Since he doesn't hate the object itself I thought it would make a good stuff-on-my-cat photo. He does look a little annoyed though.

12 October 2008

The happy couple, 60 years later

(there is sound, so adjust speakers accordingly)

Let's hear it for Leo and Virginia ...

Seven SiblingsMy mom is in the middle in purple, with her six brothers and sistersFamily TreeThe family tree -- that card in the lower right says 34 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

11 October 2008

Cider Mill Kitties

Keegan meets Kitty

I know this isn't a picture of cider, donuts, pumpkins, or anything else autumnal. But on my way to Bad Axe for my grandparents' party, I met my sister and her husband and son at a cider mill near Saginaw. They had barn cats! Barn kitties are the best. Some of them were very friendly and tolerant, like this one. Keegan (my nephew) likes kitty-cats.

09 October 2008

Shhh! The Pines whisper.

Big Wheel and me

Vacation, it's pretty awesome. This is a Big Wheel (from the Lumberjack, meaning "large rolling thing"), used with a team of horses to convey logs during the non-snowy season, a.k.a. July. Now they live at Hartwick Pines State Park near Grayling. I probably saw them half a dozen times on school field trips as a kid, but it was good to visit them again.

Sundays in Camp

Bi-weekly laundry -- it's the key to a louse-free life. And if that don't kill 'em, throw them fellahs in the fire.

Hartwick Pines

The sign reads "Portions of this trail open to hunting during established seasons". Since it's bow-hunting season and I didn't want to be mistaken for a deer and end up with more holes in my body than when I went in, I didn't follow that enticing golden autumnal path.

08 October 2008

World's Finest Community College

That's North Central Michigan College, if you didn't already know.

Natural Area Path

This is the entrance to the Natural Area behind NCMC. I used to go for walks here between classes, and it played a prominent role in most biology classes.

Wooly Bear

The Natural Area contains many wonders, like this little guy. He (or she) is supposed to predict what kind of winter we are going to have, but I just want to pet him.

04 October 2008

Yet another National

The Glorious Ninth
Strathmore

Beethoven's Ninth! With a real, live chorus and orchestra. What else is there to say?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...