Christmas!

Dennis and I sat with our son Joe waiting for his three kids to wake up. The house was dark except for the light of the Christmas tree. It brought back many memorys of our six kids and the fun of this special day. Pierce was the first to come down then Kyle Joe and lastly Meranda Rose. What excitement! They ran to get their Mom and started looking for their names on the gifts. The older two looked for Mirandas gifts. Ann, Rich, Becca, Sarah and Terse Rose were coming shortly. Dennis, Jen and Matt will be a close 2nd and Jim, Kelly, Celeste and Dylan make the whole family all togethar. Mike and Tom still live here and their friends joined us later. Brandon, Scott, and Tom B. are just part of our family too. The laughter and good spirits filled the house again. It is not the gifts but the people that really give us joy. Dennis and I sat back and watched, enjoying the warmth and happiness they all give us. We are truely rich! Merry Christmas and God Bless, Barb

Sarahs Confirmation

Today is Sarahs Confirmation. We did not get to see her make it but our hearts were there. Congradulations Sarah! We love you!

Out and About

Today is a cloudy day with the waves breaking over the ice mounds. The birds are flocking to the feeders. Yesterday we had about 5 to 6 inches of fresh snow. Everything got a new coat and the result was beautiful. Dad, Sandy and I took a ride to Mackinac and looked around in the stores. This was the second day of looking for Sandy and I as we were in the Soo the day before. There were supposed to be good sales in Mackinac but I was dissappointed. It was fun to see the different stores. I want to go in the spring when all of them are opened. We got some fresh fish and found a new wine from Michigan for Ann to try when she comes up. It was a good day.

snow country

What a couple of beautiful days. Yesterday, Sandy came and picked me up and we went to the Soo. We shopped and had a real nice day. This morning we woke up to 5 or 6 inches of new snow and last night we watched the ships anchored out in the bay sometimes like ghosts and sometimes lite with bright lights out in the night. We went to Mackinac and shopped in some little stores that were supposed to have big sales. What a disappointment. We had a lot of fun though and the weather seemed to co-operate for us. Sandy is looking forward to Norms return as well as everyone else. Mikes friends are supposed to arrive here late tonight and stay before they return downstate for the holiday We saw a icebreaker going toward the bridge as we were crossing. It was just moving the ice that was starting to clump togethar. Shipping season will be over shortly and I will miss the lights of the big ships at night for 3 months. One thing good about seeing them come back is that spring is in the air and new life is breathed back into the cold upper. It is new beginning for many things--Young animals and birds and new hope and anticipation for all of us. Have a good night.

Coyote on the Ice

I was talking to Kelly this morning and spotted a coyote out on the ice checking out the snow mounds. He was moving at a good pace with a crow pestering him. I called down to Norms house and alerted Terrie to watch for him. Sure enough, He was in front of their place--5 miles away in no time flat. She saw 3 crows making his life miserable. Where was my camera? It was hidden under some papers I was working on. I'm putting it right by the window so I can maybe get a picture of him. It is a cloudy dreary day but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love the animals and the birds. Dad has given me two beautiful places to live. Davisburg is the place in the woods--with lots of deer, turkeys and birds right outside my door. Paradise is the place on the water--with bear, bobcats, grouse, coyotes, wolves and many varietys of birds. How spoiled have I been!! Thanks Dennis, We all love you, me the most.

quiet!!!!

There is not any wind. It is quiet. You can hear your heart beat! What a wonderful thing. You can think about what ever you want with no outside noise. The beauty of the quiet makes you think you are in a sacred place. What is important? It comes very clear. LIFE!! We are so hurried that we don't realize that this is the time and place to love our familys, say we appreciate our better halfs and just live the best we can. Money and things we own don't make any mark on our life unless people we love know how important they are. Live like it is your last day. Hug your kids, tell them how much you love them. What is Christmas? Things? NO! It is the love of FAMILY! Have a good night.

Dinner!

This woodpecker has been chasing the other birds away from this feeder all afternoon. It is a large one and lets the other birds know he claims this one for himself. The weather has been nice and it feels warmer that it has been. We are supposed to get from 4 to 7 inches of snow overnight--we shall see.

Lull in Weather

It has been a very pretty day. We actually saw the sun. The water was a shade of blue instead of a cold grey. Dad did some cleaning up of the snow banks and worked on the snowmobiles. The birds are taking advantage of the nice weather to gobble up seed as fast as they can. The woodpeckers are taking over the suet blocks. My grouse came by today, haven't seen her in awhile. The fox have tracks all over the yard.

Blow Hole

It is getting very windy. We were looking at the lake and saw the waves had made a blow hole in the ice mound and the water was shooting up through it. We saw them in Hawaii but they were in the rock. I tried to get a picture of the water shooting through but I was to slow.

Snow and Big Ships

It has been snowing most of the day. We have about 10 or more inches on the ground. The wind is blowing the snow to white out conditions at times. The big ships anchored last night and at times you can't see them. They look like ghost ships as they sometimes appear in the fog . It is very neat to watch. The birds are at the feeders and the fox pair and the wolf were on the prowl for food last night. It is a wonderland.

Winter Arrives

Thanksgiving

Cold, snowy and sunny----That was Thanksgiving day. All the kids were home except for Ann, Rich and kids. The grandchildren were out sledding most of the day. They were laughing and yelling as they zoomed down the hill. Becca, Sarah and Rosie were missed. We missed Ann and Rich also. Holidays are for gathering and making stronger family ties. Jim was not here either. He went with Kellys Grandpa hunting on their land in Hessel. Jim has gotten a buck already. He made a clean shot with his bow earlier this season. I really like the way they hunt--first shot the animal is down. He was hoping to get another as he likes to make sausage--it's real tasty. We all had a good time. Jen and Denny had to work so they got here a little later. Matt came with Kelly, Celeste and Dylan so he could sled with the rest of the kids. It was a fine day. Good Night from Camp Runamuck!

Success

Denny got a real nice doe. The meat should be very good. I'm happy because she is not one of my favorites. Jim was in a treestand and called Joe and Dad in the house to say she was headed for Denny and they were looking out the window when Denny dropped her with one shot.. A good clean shot. no pain or worry to her, she was just down. He did a very good job. That is what I like to see. The animal desereves to be done away with so they don't suffer. Good Job Dennis!!!!

Deer hunt

Denny, Jim and Joe are on the hunt for deer. We have seen a lot of does and yearlings but the bucks have been hiding. It has been nice to have them and the grandkids here. They went hunting in the early morning and then after the Michigan game they are going out again. I hope they get one but I also hope it is not one of my does that has brought her young ones for me to see for a number of years. It is funny how you get attached to an animal you can't touch but she touchs your heart by the trust she gives you by letting you see her young. One of my does has been here for at least six years. She is smart and her young have survived and prospered. I admire her ability to survive and teach her young the skills they need to thrive. I guess it is the mother instinct I admire and I have great respect for the love all things show to their young. Have a good night and all good wishes from Camp Runamuck.

Deer pile

Deer feeding at the pile next to the house

Happy Anniversary!!

Today is Ann and Richs Anniversary. We wish them many more years. I think we appreciate each other more as we get older. Have a great day and we send much love. It is very windy and sputtering rain drops. The fire is burning and I just made a fresh cup of coffee. We have been hearing the deer move at night--Denny, Joe and Jim would love to put one in the freezer. Stay warm as the temps are supposed to drop and the threat of snowflakes is on the weather channel. Why is summer so short and the cold stay so long? Good Afternoon from Camp Runamuck.

Happy Anniversary!

Dad and I are wishing a Happy Anniversary to Jim and Kelly. It is good to have someone to grow old with. Years spent together get more precious as time goes by. We wish you the best of things but mostly be good to each other.

It is a cloudy day here. The lake is gray and rolling. Wind is gusting and a hat and coat feel real good. We have been working steadily on getting things put away and some order in the house. Well, back to work. Have a good afternoon. Mom

Big Ships

I got up early to put more wood on the fire and saw the lights from about four ships nestled into the Bay. The gales of November are here. It is nice to know that there is a safe place for the folks who are on these huge ships. I give them a lot of respect because I would not be brave enough to go out when the big water gets angry. I do not have my camera as it was left back downstate. I hope Terrie gets some pictures--they are something to see. Good Morning to all, Camp Runamuck!

Happy Halloween!

I want to wish my sister a Happy Birthday! It started out to be a beautiful day but by afternoon it started to rain. Terrie brought her three boys over to beg for candy--they were so cute. They were all the kids we had. Dennis started a fire in the stove and the wind started to pick up. He went for a arm load of wood and we had slushy snow on the porch. Yikes! I guess we got tricked. I hope all my grandkids got their packs full of candy. Everyone was going to Jim and Kellys. They have a lot of fun there. The temperature is dropping and the wind blowing. I can hear the freezing rain and wet snow hitting the house--a great night for snuggling down in a warm comforter and sleeping. Good Night from Camp Runamuck!!!!

Relax !

Fire is burning in the stove. My coffee is hot and the new day is dawning. What more could anyone ask for ? I know ! I wish I had the money to have all my kids and grandkids here with us. A good thing is to be shared and I love to have them with us. It is getting colder and Dad will be blowing that snow shortly. They are saying we will get our roads plowed less this year because of less money from the state---I say get the money out of the governors paycheck and her husbands due to very poor leadership--demote her! I wish she'd stop because we are really
BLOWN AWAY! The sun is getting ready to rise. Have a good day and be kind to each other. Good Morning from Camp Runamuck!!!

Work

It is ashame to have to work inside on such a beautiful day. Dad and I have been very busy gutting out the old downstairs shower. Ugh!! It really needed to be replaced. Joe and Dad are going to try to get the new one in or at least halfway done tomarrow. Mike leaves for Paradise on Thursday and Dad and I are going up on next Sunday morning with a load of stuff so the guys can help us unload. We will be there for a week or so and then the next time we go up we should be there for the better part of the winter. The water is up and I can hardly wait to see the change in the shoreline. Get out and enjoy a little of the afternoon as the cold is coming and these days are to be shared with someone. Good Afternoon from Camp Runamuck!!

Visit to Ann and Richs

Dennis and I have been on the road. We had a real nice trip to see Ann, Rich and kids. We went to see Beccas powderpuff game, see her march in full band dress--they took top prize in the competion. I got to see my first football game and did it in style. Anns boss took us and he has a suite. It was a lot of fun and his family is very nice to be around. The Redskins won. We went to some vineyards up in the mountians--very pretty! The wine was excellant as well as the company.

Hurrah!!!!

This is the sunrise we woke up to. It is so pretty up here. I'm so glad that the wood is done. I have 5 more pictures of different stacks of wood. We have enough for two winters--maybe a little more depending on the winter. Dad and I are tired but proud of all the work we did together. We are finishing up outside and ready for a break from woodcutting. Good day from Camp Runa muck.

Done!!!!

Almost Done!!

We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise and the hope of finally being done with the never ending woodwwood

Yooper Camper

Dad took me out for breakfast this morning and we saw this Yooper Camper. I really loved it--talk about being different! We are just stacking the last of the wood. I will be very glad to come to the end of this project. I will post pictures of the final tally of all our hard work later today.

Almost Done!!

Dad and I have been working very hard on the winter woodpile. It has been an eye opener to what it takes to get wood from a huge pile to a stacked pile drying for a winter sorce of heat. I have a new appreciation for all that do this for a living. Believe me it is a very hard job. We have been working every day to get this done. It will be very nice this winter to have a warm fire heating our home but we have worked real hard to make it so. We are hoping to be done tomarrow but the wood pile has fooled us before and we will see if we make it. I am very tired and so is Dad. We are not young anymore and so I am very proud of us--working together we have accomplished a very big job. Good Night from Camp Runamuck!

Ship

This pretty ship anchored in front of our place today. It is rainy and it is supposed to frost tonight. We might even see some snowfakes in the air. The stormy seas of November will be here before you know it.

Almost done!

Dad and I have been very busy!I can see the light at the end of the tunnel--We have only about 10 to 15 cords to split and stack! It is a lot of work but the warm house and the comfort of the wood stove is worth all the effort.

Last Day

I can't believe this is the last day of August. The summer has flown by. It has been a good one. The grandkids were a lot of fun to have around and we really enjoyed the family up for the annual Blueberry get together. Kay and Bill came up yesterday and Norm and Sass came over and we had a good time talking about our grankids, kids and things we remembered from over the years that made us laugh. It was a lot of fun and we should do it more often. Family is very important to all of us and we treasure them all. The leaves are starting to turn and the night are getting cooler. The woodstove will be getting some use soon. Enjoy your day, it is going to be a good one.













d treasure them.

Warm and Humid

It has been very warm today. We got a storm early this morning and the rain was a welcome sight. Dad has been working on my little deck and I really enjoy sitting out on it. He got the screen on the doorwall and it lets it a very nice breeze. It is hard to believe the Labor Day week-end is upon us. Summer is drawing to a close. The leaves are starting to turn up here. I wonder what the winter will bring? Better get out and help Dad--He is out working on the woodpile.

Campers came back

The days and nights have been cloudy,rainy,foggy and just wet. We are so glad because it has helped the people fight the fire. They have to be exhausted==it has been a long haul. Mikes friend Charlie and his girlfriend came back a little early from camping because of the weather. Every thing was damp and it made for miserable sleeping. It is nice to have someone here. It looks like we could get some more rain tonight. I'm so glad the kids had nice weather when they were here. Good rest to everyone.

Empty House

Everyone is gone. The house is so quiet and empty. It has been a real fun couple of weeks. All the grandchildren are gone home with their parents. We have another summer gone. The happy sounds of kids playing and the voices of young adults talking and enjoying each others company are gone from the house. We look forward to those times coming again. Good night from Camp Runamuck.

FUN !!!!!!

A good time was had by all! Most everyone has left and Rich, Ann and kids will leave tomarrow. The kids had a great time. They spent a lot of time at the beach and at night played cards, watched movies and played on the computors. Mikes friend Charlie painted some real nice landscapes and wildlife pictures. Rich and Jim helped work on the woodpile, they got a lot done. The kids also had a good time riding and being towed behind the jetski. Dennis and Jim took to the trails on the 4-wheelers. It was a lot of things packed into a little time frame. The Blueberry Festival was also going----boy am I tired! It is hard to believe we are on the downside of summer. Hope everyone had a good time. I sure did! Good night and I am sure glad you all were here.

The gang is almost here!!

All the gang is almost here but Jim Kelly Dylan and Rich. They are all playing cards and a lot of laughing is being heard. The young ones are sleeping in front of the t.v. and Dad is sleeping upstairs. He is tired from all the work he did today. We can hardly wait for the rest of the gang. The bear is no where o be seen. Good Night from Camp Runamuck.

They have arrived!

Joe enhanced this picture of the bear for me. They arrived last night at 11 p.m. They were bringing in their things and in between the loads of stuff the bear past by leaving it's prints in the sand by the porch.

Rosie, Sarah, Dad and I watched all the shooting stars last night. It was a great light show. The sky was clear and millions of stars twinkled in the nights sky. The bear was back very early this morning.

We are back!!!

This is why I love the U.P. We are back!

Downstate

The grandkids and I are back in Davisburg. Celeste and Matt are heading to Florida to visit other family. Sara, Rosie and I will be heading back to Paradise soon. Dennis stayed behind to tackle the wood pile.
The Blueberry Festival is coming fast. We expect a housefull and it will be a lot of fun.
The fire is still burning but they are winning the battle. Thanks to all people involved----they are much appreciated.

Rosie and Matt think all this labor is fun not work. You will notice the older kids are no where in site. They know this is a lot of work and they make themselves scarce when it is apparent that we are busy with the wood. They help with other chores so it is not like they don't help. Everyone has things to do here at Camp Runamuck. The fire is still burning. Hope the bear ranch is o.k.

around we go

Young Helpers

Matt and Rosie are out to help with the winter wood supply

Log Splitter

Dad and Norm are putting together the log splitter
They are talking over the plan of attack on the huge wood pile


The days seem to go by in the blink of an eye. It is hard to believe that life can go on so normally and some people are fighting a huge blaze and are working in conditions that would make me cringe. The fire is still out of control. We are watching the sites and the news. Norm had the bear visit last night and ruin Sandys feeders. They had the doorwall open and that is scarey to me as the bear has been checking out the windows at my place and left his paw print on the basement window. The animals natural food is scarce due to the extreme dry conditions. Everything suffers when rain doesn't come. Let's hope we get some rain so everyone can breath a sigh of relief. From Camp Runamuck, Have a good day!

Fire

Sounds like they are making headway on the fire. We woke up to the smell of smoke at 7 a.m. The wind is not as bad as yesterday and they are working very hard to contain the fire. The Yooper Yarns site has a lot of good information. I'm hoping for less wind and the skills of the people involved with the fire to prevail.

Sad

Whitefish Fire was called out a little while ago to help with a fire outbreak at the Upper Falls area. They just called for more personal. It sure doesn,t sound good. We have more than 5,000 acres burned and climbing. The wind is blowing--not helping matters. It is a sad state of affairs. It will be a long night, waiting to see where the fire is headed.

Fire

We need rain. We went to Newberry yesterday and saw the large cloud of smoke. The forest is burning. 1500 acres had burned by nightfall and last night the wind changed and the smell of smoke woke us up here in Paradise. My brother and his family were awaken also. You could see the smoke in the air like a haze. They are still fighting it and it is only 20% contained. The men that fight these fires are brave as far as I am concerned. They have a very difficult job. The kids are worried about Oswalds Bear Farm. They are saying no homes are in danger yet. Lets pray for rain.

Chineysweep

I wouldn't want to be on that roof.

Busy Day!!

We have had a very warm busy day. The log truck came and it was fun to watch them unload. The kids saw a lot of stacking coming their way. Dennis took them out on the jetski and they had a lot of fun due to the building waves. We went out to eat with Norm,Sandy and Jan (our next door nieghbor). The kids had Pizza. It is supposed to cool off tomarrow---guess we will see tomarrow. I hope we get some rain. Good Night from Camp Runamuck

log truck coming

lots of work coming for dad and he has lots of help

Hot in Paradise

It is a very hot day in Paradise. The kids are in the water constantly. Dad is moving things around to get ready for a large load of logs for our firewood for the winter. I will post pictures later of all the work he got himself into. He says the heat he will get from the wood is all the incentive he needs to get cutting. The kids miss their parents but i think they are having fun.

Summer Fun & Happy Birthday Rose!

Jim and Kelly are getting ready to go back downstate. The week has flown by and it was packed with fishing and jetsking. The kids saw Harry Potter and we celebrated Rosies 9th birthday. Ann also had a birthday and Kyle too. July is a big birthday month. We can hardly wait for the Blueberry Festival and a house full of laughing kids. It's great to have a big family--we are truly rich!!

Dad & Bud Golfing


Dylan & the BIG Ship

Happy Birthday Rose!!!


Dylan & The anchor

Fishing

Kelly & Ryan were on the water by 6am yesterday, then later in the afternoon Kelly, Lou and Ryan went to a different lake. Check out their catch after almost 8 hours of fishing!

Catfish by the dozen

Yep 1 Perch & 1 Sunfish!


And here's just some cute pictures!