fun stuff | Change Is Hard

October 9, 2014
by dawnkinster 9 Comments

Lighthouse Tuesday, UP Thursday

Original lens, Cana Island Lighthouse

Some of you remember when we traveled to Maine last July and took you along to see some of the lighthouses there. Well, this past Tuesday we explored Door County, that long peninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan off the eastern edge of Wisconsin. There are several lighthouses along the coast and we found a few of them. Want to see a couple?

Below is Bailey’s Harbor lights. Ship captains lined up the red marker with the lights behind it (see the third structure way in the back?) to know they were in the deepest water of the harbor.

Bailey’s Harbor Range Lights

And here’s Cana Island Lighthouse, built in 1869.

Cana Island

You can go up to the top of this one and enjoy the beautiful view of the lake.

Lighthouse keeper (aka lighthouse docent)

That’s always the best part of lighthouses, at least for me. Going up the stairs and out into the fresh air with a stunning view. I like to imagine what it was like to live there every day.

Window on the world

Of course I imagine the beautiful sunny days like the day we were there, and don’t think too much about those long days in January and February. And March.

Then there’s Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, built in 1868. This one has a tour, but we had to be back in Green Bay for meetings and didn’t have time.

Eagle Bluff

It’s a stunning lighthouse, brick just glowing in the late afternoon sun, beautiful colors, the red roof, green shutters and golden walls. It looked like the quintessential lighthouse, sitting high above the lake, and it just glowed.

Windows watching

We spent the day Wednesday in important meetings surrounding truck safety, then Thursday morning we headed north, through stunning farm country in northern Wisconsin…

We saw these cement silos everywhere

…and on into the western Upper Peninsula where we stopped at an iron mine tourist attraction. Do you think this giant mining guy…

Miner guy

….looks a lot like the giant lobster guy we saw in Maine?

Lobster guy

Me too.

Tomorrow we’re going to explore a little bit of the Porcupine Mountains. It’s just past peak color here, still very beautiful. I’m hoping for sunny weather. Maybe with puffy clouds just for good measure.

Beautiful

I have a more serious, more contemplative blog to write about our meetings. It’s churning around in my mind and will spew out sooner or later. Tonight’s not the night. Tonight just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

We sure did.

Adventures!

October 8, 2014
by dawnkinster 18 Comments

Wordless Wednesday -last bit of summer.

October 6, 2014
by dawnkinster 11 Comments

On the road again…

As the last post hinted we’re on the road. Want to come along?

First stop was meant to be just a quick break, a little walk after a few hours of driving, a check of one of our favorite lakes.

Beautiful!

Lake Michigan. With a stiff wind from the west we got to see some pretty nice waves. I kept my camera hidden inside my winter coat most of the time; the sand was blowing with the wind.

Amazing!

There were huge waves being blown into the channel at South Haven. Pretty cool to watch. Someone I was with got his feet drenched.

Huge!

I did not. Just saying.

Then on past Chicago. I love Chicago…really I do, but we had places we needed to be, so we just waved at the city as we went by.

Chicago!

Milwaukee was really pretty from the freeway too. But I didn’t have the camera out and it passed in a flash.

By late afternoon we were near Port Washington Wisconsin. There were only two hotels advertised on the freeway, a Super 8 that we could see from the highway exit, and a Holiday Inn that was in the other direction. We headed toward town and the lake. And this was our view for the evening from our hotel room.

The other side of Lake Michigan.

This morning we are going to explore what appears to be a cute little town in search of breakfast a bit more satisfying than the buffet scrambled eggs and orange juice offered by the hotel for $6 each.

And so the adventure begins.

Good Morning!

September 29, 2014
by dawnkinster 9 Comments

Company!

Here we all are together.

Katie here. Guess what, guess what, Guess What!?!?! We had company this weekend! And Cole brought his Mom too! They were only here for a little while, just one evening and overnight, but I sure enjoyed visiting with them.

OK. I’ll be honest. I really enjoyed the canned pheasant that Cole’s Mom Jamie let me taste. After all I have always liked the finer things in life. Not that I ever get the chance to enjoy delicacies like pheasant with my mama, but I sure did like it right away!

Yummmmmmy!

Cole and I were OK with each other. I was a little bit more curious about him than he was comfortable with. Give me a break, how often do I get to sniff a boy’s, well, you know? I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by. But my mama and daddy were having none of it and I had to go on my leash after I wouldn’t leave Cole alone. Darn.

We sat out in the living room and talked for a long time. Cole had hurt his foot during the day on his trip north, and his Mom was trying to put ice on it, but he wasn’t having any of it. Still, he did get a nice tummy rub out of it, so I guess he felt pretty good.

Tickle tickle!

And then you know what he did? He took himself off down the hall and went to bed! All by himself! I guess he’d had a busy day and was tired. I know how that feels. I went off in the corner and went to sleep myself. But Cole went all the way to bed!

Nite nite Cole!

It sure was cool to have them visit us! My mama says she thinks this is the fifth blogger friend she’s met in person now! She and I went to visit Ricky’s Mom and Dad last year, and we went up to see Gerry and Sadie and Cowboy this summer, and mama’s been to see PJ and her dog Sarah, as well as Ellen and her dogs Tika and Boost without me (unfair!!)… and she says everyone is just as nice and fun as they seem to be in their blogs! Now she’s met Jamie and Cole!

Isn’t it cool that we get to meet people we’d never know without the internet? I think so. (Mama says she hopes she didn’t miss someone in her list above…if she did, let her know!) I think I need to make a list of all the people I can get mama to take me to visit…or you guys could all come up here – – right mama?

Well maybe not all at once…but we’d be pleased to have you!

Me and the flowers Cole’s Mom brought us! Aren’t they pretty!!

September 27, 2014
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

What’s your favorite part of the weekend?

Friday night, snug at home, out of work clothes and into something more comfortable, putting the badge up on the shelf where it lurks until Monday morning. That’s my favorite part of the weekend, when hours spill out into the future, nothing quite set in stone, potential for adventure or rest hiding just out of site, yes that’s my favorite part of the weekend.

Or Saturday early morning waking up automatically at 5:55 a.m. glancing at the clock and sighing because you know that alarm is going to shriek in five minutes and then you realize it’s Saturday and you don’t have to listen to that obnoxious sound and you turn over and snuggle back into the warm blankets and soft pillow, now that’s my favorite part of the weekend.

Maybe it’s at 6:05 a.m. when your sheltie-girl sighs and stands up and shakes and you know any semblance of sleep is over because she drops a kiss on your face and then stares at you while softly whimpering until you give up feigning sleep and gather her up and head out into the day. Yea, that’s pretty sweet too.

But don’t forget the sheltie adventure planned for some time in the next two days; a hike through the woods on a beautiful fall day, or a romp in the backyard with her Frisbee, can’t beat that, surely that is the favorite time of any weekend?

This weekend we have company coming on Sunday. Katie says she thinks, for this weekend anyway, that is going to be her favorite part of the weekend. She’s resting up now in anticipation.

So, what’s the best part of your weekend? Inquiring minds (and shelties) want to know.

September 24, 2014
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – or I think I ate a bug.

August 31, 2014
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Spend a relaxing weekend

On the lake.

Doesn’t it seem like people are stressed more than ever lately? Frightening sights from all over the world flow into our nightly news every evening. The economy continues to wallow and we all work harder than ever trying to get by, trying to make a difference, trying our best.

So I appreciate a lovely long weekend filled with nothing but good food and good company. Here in the United States it’s Labor Day Weekend, when we celebrate the labor of so many generations before and appreciate those people that worked so hard to build the country we are lucky enough to inhabit today. It’s a time for family barbecue, camping in the woods, bonfires, boat rides, long walks, and naps.

I’m spending this holiday weekend on a lovely lake in the South where the weather has cooperated and the waters are warm, where the skies fill each afternoon with towering clouds but only a little bit of rain falls.

When I head back to work next week I’ll keep the memories of boat rides and deck sitting and bobbing in warm waters tucked safely away in the back of my mind. And when that customer demands immediate attention or the coworker calls in sick I’ll pull those memories out and smile again.

We hope all of you are having a lovely weekend as well. May we all relax and then start again next week with high spirits and wonderful memories.

August 25, 2014
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Another weekend, another park

Isn’t this a cool place?

Katie here. You know how I got my Mama to promise to take me on an adventure every weekend? Well this past weekend it was getting to be Sunday afternoon and still no adventure! I stomped my perfect little feet and tossed my beautiful curly locks but all she did was put me outside in my pen.

WELL!

I was having none of that! An afternoon in my pen is not an adventure! I made myself a general pest and eventually Mama said “OK little one, let’s go walk in the woods.” It was about time! But she picked one of my favorite activities so I forgave her for being so tardy.

Which way should we go?

We went to the Holly Recreation Area and walked on a path through the woods that we’ve never explored before. It was awesome. We need to take Peep exploring on that path sometime soon! We did have to go up a big hill.

You sure you want to go way up there Mama?

But I didn’t have any problem with that.

Well let’s get going then!

Mama was very patient and waited for me to check stuff out.

What’s in here?

Some of the path was through the woods with big trees. The mosquitoes weren’t too bad and Mama was wishing she’d come earlier in the day, because we had to turn around before I wanted to since it was getting dark.

Fun times!

We’re definitely going back. And I hope it’s soon!

But I’m still not getting my feet wet.

August 24, 2014
by dawnkinster 19 Comments

What’s to miss about running.

Once upon a time a long time ago I use to run. I was never fast but I got to the finish line. I used to train for races along with a group of women I’d met online, and then in person at races, and then in person just because they are really cool women. Then I got busy and I didn’t train as carefully as I should have and I tried to get ready for a half marathon having not run for awhile. I ran too much too soon and too far and I suffered a hairline fracture in my foot.

The wheelers get ready to start their race.

I knew as I was going the longer distances that something was wrong. I knew the morning of the race as I got up before light and packed the car with all the essentials, warm up clothes, clothes for after, water, food, extra socks, pins, number, that I shouldn’t be running this race. Still. I had trained for it. People were expecting me. It was an inaugural half marathon through a pretty part of the country.

I wanted to do it.

During the drive to the appointed meeting place I reached over in the dark to the stack of clothing on the other seat. I didn’t feel my race bib with it’s number, that I KNEW I had put on the top of the pile. I pulled into an empty parking lot and stopped under a light. I searched the car. No bib. I drove frantically home and searched the house. No bib.

It was a sign, I decided, that I wasn’t supposed to run this race. I called my friend and told her I wasn’t coming. Then I went back to bed.

And I never seriously ran again. It’s hard to start from scratch. It takes dedication and time and resolve. And I can’t seem to get out the door. It’s been years, the stress fracture is as healed as it’s going to be. I’ve gone to a foot specialist and purchased custom orthotics. I could do it.

Anticipation before the race.

I see runners when I’m driving to and from work, or when we’re on trips. Portland Maine seemed to be the capital of young athletic fit bodies running half dressed through the streets. All seem to float effortlessly. I become enamored again with the concept.

But I don’t float. I slog and running is not as romantic as I remembered.

Here they come!

This weekend I went up to Flint to see the start of the Crim Festival of Races. Ten thousand plus runners and their supporters were celebrating healthy activity, and the love of running. I felt the familiar twinge. No not in my foot; in my heart. I miss the sense of community running gave me. I could do that again, I thought to myself.

In order to run you just have to start.

Just start.

August 23, 2014
by dawnkinster 6 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: Fray

There’s nothing quite like the experience of running in a huge road race. The preparation. The nervous anticipation. Excitement builds. And then you’re off!

Into the fray.

You can see other interpretations of “Fray” by going to this blog post and looking through all the entries in the comments. Or you can just check out a few of my favorites here, here, here and here!

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: fun stuff