A bald headed eagle just swooped down 50 y3ds from my car.

South of Lubbock TX
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Just talk to each other

So Tricia and I were talking to our dear friend Christy Keane.  But how to get him to say "hi" to Tricia's husband Chris...

Welcome to Dallas

Original 7-11 Corporate Building

So I arrived in Dallas on Monday afternoon.  The temperature was a mere 109 degrees !!!!  Surprisingly it wasn't as hot as it sounded.  The humidity is relatively low so it doesn't feel as bad as New England at 90 degrees.  I'm here with Tricia Allen and Chris Malmsjo who are also friends from high school (and are married to each other).

Tricia has given me a wonderful tour of many of the local cities to look at the architecture.  It's amazing how much building is going on here.  I think this area IS the definition of "urban sprawl"...

The Chapel at Thanksgiving Square - Inside

Outside of Chapel

Now that we have finished the roundup we are off to see more buildings!!!

Oops this is Ft. Worth  That was nice and much older...

Quick Stop - St. Louis

As I mentioned to my BFF JJ that I was about to drive through St. Louis she said I really should detour by the arch.  "After all it's the gateway to the midwest"!!!  So I did.  Some of the best photos though are as you drive by on the highway.

Me and my ride

The mighty Mississippi

Driving from Wisconsin to Texas

This was the only kind of farm I saw!!!

Capital Building Madison Wisconsin

Last Saturday friend Karen and I took in the farmer's market in Madison. It surrounds the capital builidng and was quite fun...

I bought Karen this cool Gourd as a house present.  It is hollow and hard.  She is going to make it into a birdhouse.
Can't wait to see the final project.

Bye bye to Karen and Wisconsin tomorrow, it's been very fun!

       

Eat your heart out East Coast

This is even higher then I paid last night (200) miles ago. Then it was $2.49. Hmmm

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A fun filled day

Karen treated me to a fun filled day yesterday.  We started out with what was to be a 17 mile bike ride.  After about 6 miles Karen made a lunch date for us with some friends so we turned around and headed back.  A 12 mile ride was really just fine in the 90 degree heat.  We took quick cold showers and headed off for lunch.  Met a few of her friends and had a nice lunch.  We were not to be idle too long as Karen made a date for us to go kayaking for the afternoon.  It was very fun until the weather quickly changed and we had to paddle very hard to get back before the lightening.

  

Karen in her kayak

 Jody - our host

Karen "Our Hero" moved a tree so we could paddle thru...

I was there too!!!

Oops, quick stop, Jody had to pee...

It was quite picturesque and the water was VERY high.

Trip to Taliesin

I have been in Wisconsin for four days with my high school friend Karen Reinhardt.  As many of you know I was very interested in seeing Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin.  We ventured there on Thursday for a visit to both Taliesin and Hillside which started as his Aunt's school building.  Both have been added on to dramatically over time.  We were struck by the very low ceilings.  Apparently Mr. Wright was only 5'8" and built for people of his stature.  Our guide said that he felt taller people were "a waste of resources".
We were also struck by the poor condition of Taliesin.  Especially since it is held in a private foundation and our tour tickets were $50 each!!!!
So sorry to all those who were waiting for photos - no interior photos were allowed.  You will have to enjoy the outside and the photos of the amazing valley.

Taliesin Photos Click here

Here in Sturgeon Bay the fish are SO big...

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Sturgeon Bay, WI

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Escanaba, Michigan

These are the feminine hygiene products in the gasoline bathroom. Could be a fun town, maybe I should stick around? Nah...
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Michigan, duh...

-  I haven't seen an imported car for two days!

-  They spell "crab" on the menu as "krab"

More beautiful clouds over Lake Huron

-  Very weird this morning - I was driving North (yes, Bill I really was driving North) but the sun was on the West side of my car.  The only thing I could think of was that I am very close to the central time zone.  Don't ask me why that's an excuse it just sounds good.

Spent all day driving up the West side of Lake Huron on a little road and then down the east side of Lake Michigan.  Crossed the Mackinac Bridge.  It's a 4 mile suspension bridge. Very incredible and beautiful.

Didn't your mother tell you not to take photos while driving!!!

In a little town called Manistique, MI on the shores of Lake Michigan.  The wind was so strong I didn't stop to swim anywhere.

Heading for Sturgeon Bay tomorrow!

Bye, bye.

Upper Michigan

Sunday was a very long day of driving.  I didn't plan it that way but it took almost and hour and a half to get over the bridge and through custsoms out of Ontario and back to the US.  It was a beautiful day and I think a lot of people were going to the vacation lands on the Great Lakes.

There were some pretty incredible clouds while driving. They looked like clouds stacked on clouds.  I'm assuming this is somewhat from the large bodies of water all around.  At one point it started raining rain drops the size of latkes.  I almost had to pull of due to poor visibility but those of you that really know me - Nah,

then it was over.

       

Then I found a wonderful little lakeside motel of cabins.  I'm on Lake Huron in Tawas City.  I liked the name because my cabin at Jabberwocky is Twas!  This is the view from their beach.  And this is my little cabin.  They gave me a special rate if I promised to use only one bed, LOL...

It's off to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan today.  I was considering driving around this whole area and then taking the ferry to Milwaukee on Wednesday but I think probably not.  I'm going to try not to spend 8 hours in the car again today.  It really didn't seem that long but it does make me too tired to do anything else when I arrive.

Off for a walk now and then I'm off.  My goal is somewhere around Moran, Michigan.  Check it out.  Going over the Mackinac Bridge.  It is supposed to be beautiful.