Bridgewalk, Golfing, and Renn Fest

After getting back from the U.P., we joined Lee May for his Labor Day gathering (and ate a lot of cheese) before doing the annual Bridge Walk the next morning. Later in the week, Katie and I found ourselves golfing with Patrick Jones (and had a surprising amount of fun with something we were very hesitant to do anyway), chilled listening to Myk Ryse (sp?) for an evening, and even visited Jenny for a night so that we could go to the Renniassance Festival. Ah, post season...

(photos: Katie and Lee giving some advice to Peggy as she joins the professional working world with her new job; Peggy overwhelmed by the advice; Jenn, Trace, Kris, and Lee on the 6am boat to walk the bridge; Katie and me walking the bridge; and everyone else walking the bridge.)






(photos: Freighters while walking across the bridge; sunset ice cream walk with Lee, Katie, and Fr. Rey; Fr. Rey playing "LIFE - the card game" at the Gatehouse; Katie and Patrick practicing their swings; and Katie and I golfing with a really cool moon.)






(photos: Full moon rising with a freighter; Fort Mackinac at night; Fr. Marquette statue at night (complete with drunkies); Jenny in her Ann Arbor apartment; and the cheese section at Trader Joe's... mmmmm...)






(photos: Katie and I v. excited at the new H&M; Jenny and I with some v. yummy sangria; Jenny and Katie starting to get wet at the Rennaissance Festival; relaxing in the sky chairs; and me with Hob the Troll (who hates goats).)






(photos: Me and Jenny kissing the pickle vendor; the Washing Well Wenches; Jenny and me as recruits for Manolete's Naked Show; the joust didn't end well for the four knights...; and our palms after we had them read and our minds completely blown.)






(photos: Festival street scene; Jenny and the gnome; me, Jenny, and Katie with our wonderfully hot tea; Jenny and me; and Katie by the Freeway Fritz where we stopped for a Frankenmuth "bavarian" chicken dinner.)

Saying yah to da UP, eh!

Labor Day weekend, Katie and I went camping in the U.P. of Michigan. The whole thing was a blast, but also quite an adventure. I hadn't been to that part of the U.P. in a while, and found it both friendly, fun, and quite adventurous. We did a lot, so I appologize for all the pictures....

(photos: Katie and I in Marquette in front of Lake Superior; at the Marquette statue in the city (a mini version of the one on the Island), although Jaques apparently had the alias "James" while exploring/missionizing along Lake Superior (or that's a possibility since his name was wrong on his statue); Marquette breakwater, please note the difference in water on each side of the breakwall; Katie looking for super cool Superior rocks; and we went wading in the lake near the lighthouse.)






(photos: One of the many Scandanavian gift shops we stopped at; the beef jerkey aisle in Negaunee; Katie and her crudely-bandaged gash, the big reason we opted to go to a campground instead of staying at Dennis' rustic cabin; Lake Michigaumee in the morning; and the Bishop Baraga ("The Snowshoe Priest") shrine overlooking the Keweenaw Bay.)






(photos: The Quincy Mine Hoist and National Historic Site in the Keweenaw; Katie and I geared-up (literally) to go on our tour of the Quincy Copper Mine; in the mine; a scenic drive towards Copper Harbor; and Copper Harbor lighthouse.)






(photos: The Jampot, a bakery/jammery run by hermit monks that make delicious jams and jellies; Munising Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; Miner's Castle at Pictured Rocks; and fabulous and v. green trees at PIctured Rocks.)

Bye Bye to the Deuce-Deuce (and other end of August fun)

So August ended and was, like I've apparently said all summer, a lot of fun. The last day of full season, Jenny, Katie, and I went to eat and bowl at the Woods, the following day heading to Petoskey to see (and be much disappointed by) "Snakes on a Plane," have fun at the Bob-In (mmm... custard!!!!), and all sorts of good times. We also finally made poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes Katie and I were obsessed with since Amsterdam this spring) and went to the Island Medical Center Benefit. I've been gone a lot on weekends, including a brief trip down to Lansing. And of course, on 30 August, I had my birthday and ushered out "deuce-deuce" (22) and in 23. Here are a few photos of some of it all...

(photos: Katie at the Woods; bowling at the Woods; cooking poffertjes in Katie's new poffertjes pan; and one of my multiple plates of poeffertjes... mmmmm...)





(photos: Maria and Craig at the Med Center Benefit; the Benefit at the Grand; Katie and Lee at the Gatehouse after the Benefit; and Dennis Havlena, man of action.)