Hello from Kalamazoo, MI! It has been a wonderful last few days as I have neat friends with a beautiful home with whom I'm staying. First let me recap:
I left Milwaukee aboard the Lake Express ferry. I parked the car, Max and all, and made my way to the sun deck to watch the launch. As we were pushing away from the pier, I spotted an elderly couple watching from a park nearby. So I waved at them. They both immediately snapped their heads around to see to whom I was waiving then turned back around confused. As I was still waiving, the man bashfully returned my farewell before settling back into the park bench. Below are some Milwaukee sights...
The ferry departed through the jetties and quickly reached 39 knots where my hair was so completely touseled that I had to use nearly a bottle of conditioner to get it smooth again!
Kalamazoo is a charming little city of around 80,000 people. I'm staying with Mary and Jeff, friends of my cousin, Missy's. They have a beautiful building in downtown where they live on the second floor, and I am pretty well taking over the first floor. Looking around me I can see a commercial kitchen, fully stocked with anything one might need or desire, a bare brick wall, the other walls with handmade wood-paneling and a blueish-gray paint, a huge antique scale, tons of "trench art," a bar where I sit, a comfy red leather couch, and a lot of books. The bedroom is the best part. It occupies a room roughly the size of the bed, has a small shelf as tall as the mattress filled with books and a reading lamp....and nothing more. It has a low ceiling, which creates the warmth and tightness of a grandmother's hug, especially since the bed and covers are oh-so-comfy.
A note on my hosts: I have now met...wait for it.......someone that is a member of both the A.C.L.U. and the N.R.A. I will refrain from further comment.
On Thursday afternoon, Mary took me for a bike ride through the woods. I looked up at one point and the near trees were sillhouetted against the far trees which shined as a sulfur-yellow backdrop.
Max is quite comfortable here.
Yesterday, Max and I drove to Lake Michigan at South Haven. We walked along the jetty and out onto the beach.
This is Max's first glimpse of waves. I laughed for nearly five minutes because he tried to bite and catch the waves. We soon found a stick and made the most of the water.
I had lunch in a quaint little town called Saugatuck while Max slept off his play in the warm car.
My hosts and I have shared several delightful meals together, I was even privileged to cook for them. Last night we went to Jeff's son's land in a town called Paw Paw where they had set up a very well appointed camp. There was a big, warm campfire burning between the camper trailer and the creek. Max immediately found a friend of comparable body mass named Lucy. Lucy and Max played in the creek and had such a grand time. His two baths left him fairly clean. Last night ended with many welcoming, kind, new friends, and s'mores by the fire.
This morning Mary and I went to the Kalamazoo farmer's market and I purchased provisions for the next leg of my trip. I found a ton of organics, including chicken!
Tonight, I will clean and organize the car, cook some food for the road, buy ice and gas, and get ready, once again to hit the open road. It has been a nice stop.
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