Sisters

Missy - James - Mindy

I like having sisters. They can play the Indians while I played the Cowboy. They were my passengers in my tractor wagon. I got to watch them on Halloween Night, Trick or Treating. They even helped me shovel snow off my ice skating rink. I also helped them by being the voice of Barbies BF Ken and as they got older they even used of few belts and sweaters of mine so it was a symbiotic kind of thing. I was proud when they asked me to help them with their homework and when I needed a badmitten player, well 2 sisters made it almost even! My sisters even joined in on basketball behind the garage when Joe, Jeff or Randy coud not make it and even when they did make it. They even helped me rake leaves and carry them across the street over to the woods while singing our favorite rock-n-roll songs. They also helped me pick rasberries over by Warriors Hill. So you see, sisters can be quite helpful. I think I'll keep them around for a long time =B-]

Swimming at Gilletts Lake

Missy - Brad - Jimio - Mindy

I will never forget the great times I had with my brother and sisters swimming at Gilletts Lake. We used to dive off the end of our dock [more like cannonball off the end] I'd pretend I was a shark and chase the girls around. Or sneek up underwater and flip over their rubber raft. When I was little, I'd hunt for crayfish and minnows with a small screen net and put them in a bucket and watched them swim around. A few houses down there was this small patch of land called Ives Beach. It was very sandy and went to about 6 feet deep. Near shore it was shallow so young moms could watch their toddlers wade in the water. Just before we entered into the bay there was a huge sandbar. Great for swimming and for catching clams. I always wore my mask hoping to find money or a diamond ring on the bottom. Never found a ring but I did find about 86 cents in change :] Then there was the Gilletts Lake County Park. They had boeys out there to show where the boats and rafts limit was but some swimmers [mostly with floatation devices] went beyond the boeys. A little Party Store at the county park sold these snowcones and I usually ordered my snowcone with "Tigers Blood". Very tasty. My favorite swimming spot was this 40 foot drop-off. I would take my mask, dive off the raft and see all kinds of fish swimming around. Once I saw this huge school of Perch. Must have been every Perch in Gilletts Lake that day. Once I was in my rowboat and found an old ice-fishing shanty in about 12 feet of water. It was fun going down and looking at that. Would have made a nice photo if I had a underwater camera. One year we had a drought and the water lever was so low it was like 15 feet of sand in front of our cement wall out to the shoreline. It was hard on motorboat propellors. Then one year we had a lot of rain and the water lever was like 6 feet up in the front yard and the dock was almost underwater. I wish I had a photo of that!

Dadio's Day

Dadio helping with feeding time



Dadio enjoying the Grandkids 

 Fathers Day is comming upon us soon and even though Dadio is no longer here, he remains in spirit and is imprinted in our memories forever. We always had food on the table and a roof over our heads[ 40 years at Gilletts Lake] and every holiday was a celebration. Dadio wasn't perfect, I doubt any Father is, but he lasted through all 4 kids and sent us on your journey through life. So reflect on the good time and skim over the bad times briefly if you must if only to bring closure or better understanding but remember one thing. We only have one true father and try to make the best of it. If your Dad is alive, send him a card or give him a call this fathers day if he is far away. If Dad is close by, then by all means visit him. The gift of yourself showing up at his door is probably all Dad needs. If things are not going smoothly, a Father's Day Card dropped in the mail with a small note on it in your handwriting could be a start of reconciliation and a new relationship. If things are going fantastic with Dad then you have done the best you can to make Dad the best he is! **Happy Fathers Day**

The Joys of Living on a Lake

Muffin was our Ski Watcher



The Girls trying to figure out how to start the motor




Raft all ready for the late afternoon cruise

 Oh, the wonder and splendor of living on a lake. So much to do and so little time to do it all in. Lets see, there's skiing, water boarding, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, turtle hunting, row boating, raft cruising and in winter, ice skating, snow mobile chasing, ice boating and cross-country skiing. I really miss lake living since I moved to town. I have my memories and glad they [whoever they is] can't take them away yet. I remember them girls trying to start that rowboat motor. I think they forgot to pull the choke. Something about dogs and wind. They love sticking their heads out of car windows and over the sides of speedboats. I guess they can smell the air more. Our raft named "The Spirit of 76" was repainted during the Bi-Centennial and made many trips around the lake to view the goings on of every home on shore. It also was used for lots of fishing excursions and swimming and diving outings. Dadio even took naps on it. The gentle rolling of the waves put him to sleep. The raft even had a brass horn that sounded like a Model-T. What was fun was sitting on the front pontoons as the raft cruised along the water, and we would stare down at all the weeds, knowing soon that the propellor would get clogged up and Dadio would have to back-up to drive the weeds off. We even had lunch and dinner out in the middle of Gilletts Lake on the raft. Food tastes so much better with fresh air blowing in your face!

New Leaf Bike Trail

New Leaf Park is a Bike Trail that goes west starting at 4th Street and connects at Weatherwax Dr to the Falling Waters Trail which continues another 11 miles to Concord Michigan. I travelled east instead on the Jackson Inter-City Access Trail which goes to Elm Street. It's a much older trail but still smooth with only a few bumps and cracks along the way.

Don't Rain On My Parade

Parkside Marching Band



No Parade is complete without Clowns



Jackson County Rose Queen 2011

 I have to say this was one of the best Rose Parades I have seen in my town in quite a while. The skies were clear and even though it was hot [95F] at least it wasn't raining. It was great for picture taking but I'm sure was bad for marching. When I played in the band, we had to take these salt pills to keep us from passing out. I didn't take mine cause I thought the salt would make me thirsty. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to wear those thick uniforms and gloves and those hats which helped to fry your brain. I went to the Holland Festival in Michigan and had to walk 5 miles! Luckily the Jackson County Rose Parade is only a little over 1 mile. When I was marching I prayed for cold weather. Now I feel guilty I want hot weather. These kids should not have to suffer like this but it's only for a short while and hey, they are young with tons of energy. I would definately pass out marching in this parade at my age but only cause of all that thick clothing.