Northern Michigan, part 3

Walp, this almost didn't happen. I sat down to do some blogging, and got lost in the Land Of Transferring Photos From iPhone to Windows Machine. It wasn't pretty, and some photos are still AWOL.  But, they tell me, the show must go on.  (Speaking of, I had another blog, once upon a time, and quit that when someone made it a homework assignment.  "When are you gonna update your blog?"  Took all the fun RIGHT out of it.  But it's also no fun to check a blog and find something that's -ahem- 8 days old.  So.)

Something about boys and ships.  John III is fascinated by the Great Lakes freighters.  They used to sail?steam?freight? right past his childhood home on Lake Superior, which was the home of the last Coast Guard station to talk to the Edmund Fitzgerald on the night it sank. John V spent many long hours watching, I am told, a video about the sea battles between Holland and England during the 16th century.  (He was 5/6)  Last summer, during our trip to the Upper Peninsula, we had planned to go to Sault Ste Marie, where freighters transition from Lake Superior to Lake Huron.  John III's heart had other ideas, and we were making up that portion of the trip.

We stayed in a great little campground administered by the city of Sault Ste Marie, right on the St Mary's River (another body of water that is between the Lakes.)  You can sit in camp and watch freighters float right by, which the guys all liked.  Mind you, I had fun, too, but they really loved it.

He really wants to be on one of those.  One of these days, we'll win the raffle, and he will.



As it happens, a former student is working on the freighters.  He was 2nd mate this summer (did I get that right, Kyle?  Let me know) and it occurred to me to ask if he was in the area.  Amazingly, he was coming through the Locks the morning after I contacted him. As transportation happens, the ship was about 5 hours late coming through, so we missed seeing him at the Locks.  But we watched the ship (John III has an app for that, doncha know) and he came out on the catwalk.  Although we didn't see each other, we both waved in the general direction, and John III took a picture which we could blow up.




John V and me, being amazed at the big ships.


On the way back south, we ran into a group of National Guardsmen at the gas station.  John IV was in the National Guard, and it tickled John V to be able to see them.  If only he grandmother had taken photos of him talking to the guys inside the gas station, then you would be tickled!


AAAAnd this is where I got lost in the Land Of Transferring Photos From iPhone to Windows Machine.  The rest of the photos are out there, somewhere, along with the truth.  Maybe you'll see them another day.  




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