...to Miles City, Montana

How time flies! . . . July is almost over already!

It's fun to be back in the states, but we can't forget the beauty of our Manitoulin Island Adventure or the friends we left there. One of my favorite pictures of our visit is this picture of one of our last nights there....

Got back into the United States on July 10th (after seeing a small black bear gnawing on a tree along side of the freeway on the way to the border). So nice to pay for gas by the gallon instead of the liter. We paid as much as $1.41 per liter. We were happy to pay the $4.23 per gallon in Michigan and was even more pleased to get to Minnesota and pay $3.97. Enough about gas...

On this trip we saw three of the Great Lakes, Michigan, Huron, and Superior. They are all beautiful. While skirting the shoreline of Lake Superior we went to "The Shipwreck Museum" at Whitefish Point, Michigan. Learned about five or six of the biggest shipwrecks in Lake Superior including "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". It was very interesting. We also toured the lighthouse and learned about old rescue techniques - thank goodness the techniques have improved.

We were informed that there were like over a hundred waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - Oops! I mean, these waterfalls are in the Yooper, I found the falls to be wonderful and stopped to see four or five. Les finally put his foot down after we saw three in one day.

We breezed through Wisconsin. Beautiful scenery and then arrived in Minnesota. Stayed at Billisby Lake a few days, by Cannon Falls. While camping there we went into Northfield, MN - famed for the failed James/Younger bank robbery. It's very picturesque and we had a great time walking the streets of the old town and window shopping.


Then we drove over to Randolf, MN, where my nephew, Bob, and his lovely wife, Maria, live with their two lively little ones, Cole, 3, and Meaghan, 19 months. I have to say, they have an ideal set up for our camper. We parked in their circular driveway, blocking it off, of course, under shady trees overlooking their wooded property. Besides grilling awesome ribs for dinner the first night we were there, including us in on an extended "family" birthday party, dinner at a bar that served the best Walleye fish and chips I've eaten, a massive ice cream cone desert, a walk by historic houses of St. Paul - while eating said ice cream cones, Bob took Les on a most enjoyable fishing trip where he caught enough fish to make him happy, they somehow managed to arrange the lightening bugs to show up and glow in their yard like so many twinkle lights, all three nights we were there! Now that is going all out if you ask me.

Sadly we left Randolf, but we went on to Forada, MN, the small town that I spent 14 or so months when I was 8 and 9. This is where I went to the "one" room school house for my 3rd and 4th grades. I had no expectations as to what my visit there would be like as I had no idea what my old address had been. I have the memories of an 8/9 year old of the town and it's people and I thought I should be able to find where our house was. We drove into Forada (pop. 171) on Monday afternoon. I located the old schoolhouse, which had been brand new when I attended - Les delights in telling me how long ago it was - it's pretty run down and hearbreakingly derelict. There are two taverns and a Firehouse on main street, where there had been a tavern and a gas station/grocery store and a church. We stopped in at the "old" tavern and Les started up a conversation with the oldest looking guy in the room and shortly thereafter, a lady that was sitting at the bar, celebrating her birthday was on the phone to her good friend, my "old" best friend, Carolyn. Carolyn came right over and we visited for an hour or so, catching up on each other's lives, she updated me on our classmates - there were four of us in our grade, and the "do you remembers . . .". How much fun was that! As close to going home again as one can get. Sadly, the house that we lived in had been torn down, all of the old farm buildings are gone, a "new" house is where our driveway was and the barn has been replaced by a huge cornfield and there is a wooded area is along the main road. Sigh.

After spending the night in the new bar's grassy alleyway (not bad, a biker bar and a police station camping spot on this trip) we traveled out of Minnesota on to North Dakota where we stayed one night at a really, really small town, called Dawson, ND. I think their population was 42. Lots of pretty scenery all the way up until this afternoon when we hit some long flat places that faded into rolling hills with the wind picking up and messing up our good gas mileage.

Whoops, I'm back to gas. Time to sign off.

Take care all!

Joy

& Les

Les's Readers Digest Version:

-Left Canada and good friends.
-Drove to just south of Minneapolis/St Paul.
-Visited our Nephew Bob, wife Maria, live wire son Cole, and sweet daughter Megan.
-Bob and I went Fishing at Mille Lac lake, north of M/SP. One of the 3 biggest lakes in Minnesota.
-Bob got us a guide with a boat, I caught a 19 7/8” Small Mouth Bass (not 19 ¾” or 20” but 19 7/8” our guide, Jason, measured it)
Nephew Bob

-Les & guide
-Good people, good times, and good fishing in Minnesota.
-Now across Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana. On our way to Oregon.

. . . to Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

Arrived in Canada through Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, USA/Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, Canada. Les didn’t mouth off to the border guards and we were granted entry. We stopped at a Welcome Center, picked up maps and headed out to Manitoulin Island – pretty countryside.

We crossed a swing bridge on to Manitoulin Island. This bridge is constructed so that it can swing around to allow boats to pass, so on the hour the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic while the boating traffic is allowed access. Cool.

So we are about half way to our destination, maybe 2/3 of the way, we stop at the Welcome Center in Gore Bay, trying to find out where the dump stations are, not having a lot of luck, but not for the want of trying. Anyway, we tootle on down the road and as sometimes happens we have started a parade, so Les slows down and hugs the side of the road and slowed to allow the traffic to go on by. Well, the pickup directly behind us does not pass, but the trailer rig behind him did. After another mile or two, the pickup finally pass us, then slows down, motioning us over. It’s our friends, Beatrice and Joe and their little dog, Tanner! How cool is that? What is the likelihood of meeting up with them on our way to the campsite when they didn’t know what day we were arriving and they were out for a supply trip? They led us to the campsite.

The area is beautiful! We are camped at the Manitoulin Lighthouse Campground on the west side of the island – amazingly, right by the lighthouse. Joe and Beatrice, who have camped here every summer for the past 15 years are worried about the weather being right for us – and I’m chuckling, trying to remember the last time I camped out at the Oregon beach without being rained out!

A couple of days into our visit, Joe and Beatrice’s eldest, their daughter, Hazel, came for a short holiday. She will come out to visit them not only on Manitoulin Island, but has been down to Magnolia Beach as well. We pulled out the “Mexican Trains” domino game and taught them how to play. Of course, Hazel ended up beating us to a pulp! The audacity of the young!

So far Les has caught two fish – one lake trout and the other a salmon. I went out on the boat once… why did I think I could do that? I’m either going to have to fish the shore line or let Les catch my fish for me…. Boats and I just don’t get along!

July 8th – one more day to go here on Manitoulin Island. We have had such a wonderful time. Les has done more fishing in the last two weeks than he can believe. He caught this awesome fish that is now in my freezer… The rest of the fish that “we’ve” caught have been BBQed and eaten. Nummmm (“We’ve” meaning Joe and Les and Beatrice).

I have taken some of the most wonderful flower pictures. The wild flowers here are to die for. I’ve also taken pictures of rocks and trees.

Come on! You know how I like nature. I am NOT cracking up because I’m on some desolate island in a 17 ft trailer with my Les! We have walked the shoreline many times, visited the lighthouse, played countless games of “Mexican Trains” and “Sugar” and drank a few margaritas with our friends. Had a mini “Harry Potter” marathon with Beatrice’s granddaughters, Mary and Sarah. I even got an opportunity to watch the extended version of “Lord of the Rings” – am I in hog heaven, or what?

Tomorrow, we head back to the States. Back to phone coverage and Internet and on to Minnesota where my sister, Melody’s, son, Bobby, I mean, Bob and his lovely wife, Maria, have opened up their driveway to the weary travelers…. And Aunty Joy can hardly wait to get her hands on Cole and Meaghan!

I will be sad to leave the island…. But you know, there’s another trip awaiting us (t)here, next year. That’ll have to do for now…

Take care, All!

Joy

& Les --

Les’s Readers Digest Version
Camped by the Lighthouse on the west end of Manitoulin Island, in Lake Huron.
Met up with Joe and Beatrice
Went fishing, Caught fish, Ate fish. Retirement is good.
Caught several Lake Trout and several Salmon. See picture of the biggest.
End note. I think there are many very special people in the world, and I think God created Joe and Beatrice for the many to look up to.

. . . up to Canada

Continuing our journey we drove into Indiana and camped at a lovely wooded campground just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. We kicked back and took a day off, unhooked, and drove on into Louisville - I had to take Les to the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory as he is such a baseball fan. I’d been there before had gone through the museum but didn’t go into the factory. It was very interesting and would have been more so had it not been for the fact that all of the workers were on break. They came back just as we were about to complete the tour.

The next day we arrived at my sister and brother in law, Gayla and Tim’s house, in Brownstown. The hours these guys work and the time spent on the road as he works in Louisville, KY and Gayla in Indianapolis, IN! Brownstown lies in between these two big cities. I happily volunteered to take over the dinner duties and cooked up a batch of fried chicken the first night and made some of my (in)famous Spaghetti Sauce the second night - mostly for Tim, who remembered it from our days in southern California, when he almost lived with us. We had a very nice visit, Les played on the riding lawnmower, we went out to a Karaoke Bar, and the day we left we had time to drive to a neighboring city and sample their hand packed ice cream.

On June 13th, we rolled out of Brownstown and headed for Chicago, which caused me some anxiety. However were we going to find my sister and brother in law, Nikki and Fernando’s house in that humongous city? Well, I asked directions. Okay, Les and I asked directions from Gayla and she gave us some good ones. We stopped one night in Renesslaer, IN, and made a leisurely Saturday morning drive into Chicago. We ended up camping (by special permission) in the lot of the local Chicago Police Station, for two nights. Now how safe could we be?

Nikki’s birthday was the day we arrived, June 14th. We partied hardy, celebrating with her, the family and their friends. Great food and the “frozen” tequila shots went down easily. (Came up not quite so easily the next a.m.) We had an absolutely delightful time with them and their adorable daughters, Maria, Elena, and Lauren. The girls were so sweet and tried so hard to win the $5 that Uncle Les promised them if they could touch their elbow to their ear.

Rather reluctantly we left Chicago and started up through Michigan. Now, Michigan, that’s another story. Pretty country – and the State Park System makes sure you pay for it. Guess we got used to the reasonably priced Indiana State Parks.

We drove along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, but was way up the shoreline before we got a good look at the great lake. Stayed the night at the Leelanau State Park just outside of Northport, MI. There was even a lighthouse in the park. Sunset was wonderful. Mosquitoes were not.

We spent the weekend in Mackinaw City, Michigan, just a couple of miles short of the Mackinac (still pronounced Mackinaw) Bridge that spans the Upper and Lower Peninsula’s of Michigan State. We decided to kick back at this nice little RV Park we found. Parked between two big shade trees and had electricity and everything! We made our way into the Mackinaw City and walked the streets, ate ice cream, and found a little Irish Pub. Our thanks to the family and friends who said they’d be right over to drive us to the Casita, when we called them and told them we needed a ride home. Well, it used to work in Portland!

After a slow start on Monday, we drove the 50 plus miles into Sault Ste. Marie, pronounced Sue Saint Marie, just on the US/Canadian border. We stocked up on supplies and spent the night in a Walmart Parking lot. I think there is an unwritten law somewhere that says to be a proper RV-er you have to spend a certain amount of nights at Walmart. :-)

After this posting we will head up over the border. Hopefully we will have access to the computer so we can keep you updated, but just in case, don’t be worried if you don’t hear from us for the next couple of weeks.

Take care all!

Joy

and Les . . .

Les' Readers Digest Version:

-Visited Joys Sister, Gayla and Husband Tim in Brownstown Ind. (and daughter Erin, she is a sweetheart)
-Got to mow their acreage with his 25hp zero turn mower. Outside of trying to push the fertilizer spreader thru the end of the garage before I even got started, it was fun.
-Beat feet to Chicago for Joys sister Nikki’s Birthday bash. Visited with husband Fernando, and girls. Something I will never forget was we stayed two nites in the camper, in a north Chicago Police station parking lot. It was a couple blocks from their house.
-I got calls for Fathers day. AND a hand crafted card from Nikki and Fernando’s girls. It reads “Dear Uncul Less, Happy Fathers day you rock and role. I love you a lot. You are crazy. And that’s what I like about you.” “Love Elena & Maria”
-There you have it folks, I’ve been diagnosed, print the legend.- We are in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Now.

On the road AGAIN

We left Wichita on Thursday, June 5th.

Amazing the things you put off until the last minute. But we managed to get everything together - after the list of things Les had to do to get the Casita and the Jeep ready and the "refresh" of the Casita of a new window, linens, drapes, etc. (Yes, I finally finished the drapes) we are looking pretty good!

Driving I-135 N we had the wind at our back. Then we "turned left" at Salina, going west on I-70 and the storm that hat been threatening all morning started blowing. Clouds had been gorgeous all the way, but now they took on a different feel. This stretch of I-70 has always been beautiful with it's rolling hills, stone post fences, and old windmills, but with the building of the wind farms there is new majesty to it. Those windmills are huge! On the way back from Oregon last year we kept passing the trucks that were carrying these blades... did I say they were huge? Just after admiring the wind farms, the storm hit. The rain came down harder and faster than anything I'd ever seen. It was like someone had turned a hose on the windshield. Les had to pull over - as did most of the other drivers, but believe it or not there were one or two truckers that actually passed us!

We got to Russell, visited with Les' Dad that afternoon and again the next morning. Then headed on to Topeka. Another day of beautiful sights. We got to Adam's & Fawn's in time to have a great visit with them and their two sons. Fawn had been busy scrap-booking and we got to see them... she did such a wonderful job. Those boys are so cute and it looked like they had a very good time in Hawaii. Adam grilled some pork chops for dinner - didn't know they turned out so well on the grill!

The third night we stayed in Finger's Lake State Park, just outside of Columbia, MO. and yesterday we drove through St. Louis, where I didn't get to take a picture of the Arch because my batteries were down in my camera and the new ones were in the Casita. Darn! Another Photo Op missed because of dead batteries! Finally got through St. Louis into Illinois and drove through to Mt Vernon where we stayed last night. Settled down, turned on the air conditioner until it cooled off outside and then walked down to Sonic for Ice Cream. MMMMMM - life is great!


Les' Readers Digest Version:

Left Wichita June 5. Heading to lake Huron for some FISHING.
Visited 93 Year Old Dad in Russell Kansas.
Stopped in Topeka Kansas and visited Nephew and Family, Adam, Fawn, RJ, Alias. I really enjoy visiting with them.
Had "check engine" light come on, east of Kansas City. Stopped in Auto Zone, had them read the code. Bought two transmission speed sensors ($70). Put them in, in Columbia Missouri campground. No check engine light.
Drove by the St. Louis Arch yesterday.
Spent last night in Mt Vernon Illinois.

Oldest Moser Child Graduates from College

It is Friday May 16 at The Wichita State University, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and REBECCA ELLEN MOSER, gets a Degree.

It is a LAS degree in Literature. We are so proud of this single mother with 3 girls of her own.

My question is.... Joys YOUNGEST child, Vala, got her College degree a couple years ago, And my OLDEST just gets her degree. Does that make me about 20 years younger than Joy????? It doesn't feel that way. Congradulations Becca, Daddy Loves You.

Joy's Readers Digest Version:

Went to Becca's graduation.

Was long, but Becca got her degree.

Go Becca! Go Becca! Go Becca!

Congrat's (The wicked stepmom loves ya too!)

Weekend at Kingman Lake

Les and I and Jake and Jessica went camping at Kingman Lake, about 45 miles west of Wichita, this weekend. Les and Jake did some work on the Taj (pop up tent trailer) so they couldn't wait to see how it turned out, and face it, they wanted to do some fishing. So out to Kingman Lake we went.

Friday afternoon was beautiful - by the evening it was just gorgeous. Les caught a catfish. We had a nice campfire and the stars came out! Wonderful. Got a little chilly over night.

Saturday morning we saw a mother goose, goslings, and the daddy too. Jake caught a really nice crappie. While the others took a nap in the afternoon, I spotted a little turtle, not much bigger than an old time silver dollar. He was so cute, and feisty! I kept him long enough to take pictures, then I let him go. Of course, both my son, Patrick, and my grandson, Skyler, asked why I didn't bring him home to them. Wouldn't have he had a wonderful time getting all the way to Oregon, via Ontario, Canada. Jake and Jessica drove back to Wichita for his softball game - double header, they won both games. Wind starting kicking up and went on High Wind Alert throughout the evening.

Sunday was beautiful, got calls from kids wishing me a Happy Mother's Day - wind started winding down, and we came home. Home, Sweet, Home.

'til next time....

Joy
& Les

Les' Readers Digest Version;
Weekend of May 9, 10, 11 - went to Kingman Co. Fishing Lake with Jake and Jessica.
Fishing wasn't too good. Had a good time getting out.

Th’ Gatherin’ Ancient Festival O’ Beltane

We arrived at the Beltane festival on Friday afternoon with forecasts of rain/hail/snow and some wind. Although the wind whipped for a while, it calmed down, we got no snow, but the temperature dropped to 28 degrees. We were cozy, on the hill, in our Casita.

The Highland Games themselves started mid morning. We dressed in our kilts after lunch and toured the grounds seeing the vendors, witnessing the blessings of the clans, the tribute to the "fallen warriors" (which included the attendees and locals loved ones who had passed since the last festival), and for the first time I got to see the kids do the Maypole. That evening we went to the Warrior's Feast which was where the winners of the games were announced. We ate, with our fingers, in bread bowls and then went outside to the burning of the Beltane Fires. Although this was originally a Pagan Ritual to welcome the new spring, we have a resident vicar (or two) that help plan the festivities and prays over us all. We bundled up in our blankets, sitting on the lawn chairs into the evening while the fires burned and the children and young folks, okay, some of the oldies too, danced around the fire until it burned down. We stayed until the larger poles where only skeletons in the fire. We had a great view of a starlit sky on the way back up the hill to our camp. It was a good time.

Sunday morning is always sad for me because after the Church Service the party is over and the only movement around is the tents being taken down and the campers pulling out. A couple of children scrounging for lost Mardi Gras beads and the smoldering fire were the last sites I saw as we walked away from the grounds. One look back was a striking view of the tree where the names of the "fallen warriors" were written on long ribbons and attached to its branches, the wind rippling the ribbons in the sunlight. The finishing touch would have been the vicar playing Amazing Grace on his bagpipes, but it was not to be.

We loaded up and headed back to Russell, KS, where we visited Les' 92 year old father and then Les took me out to look for shark's teeth which are buried in an old wash, some layers down, as they are prehistoric. He used to go pick them up as a kid after the thaw before the spring rains. He remembers just picking them up, but now you have to work for them. When we got to this place there was a couple with their niece and nephew, who were happy to show us the stuff they had dug out of the bank. They had several small boxes full of the black sharks teeth, both shards of them and whole ones, big and small. Also some grinder teeth as well as bones of prehistoric fish. This guy found a fin of some prehistoric platapus (he said) some years ago, he notified Fort Hays State University who sent a guy out - guess it got written up somewhere. We puttered around for a while - I didn't find much but Les found a couple of recognizable pieces.

Monday morning we had a really good visit with Les' dad. We had hoped to go looking for some native stone to take back to Wichita, but it started storming so we headed home.

Ahhhhh - it's nice to be home - again!

Take Care, All!

Joy

and Les.

Les' Reader's Digest Version:
Took camper to Ceder Bluff Lake Kansas.
Attended Th'Gaterin of the the Clans, And Beltane festival. The Scottish Highland games were good. I'd forgot how huge some of the western Kansas girls/boys can be. We wore our plaid skirts (kilts). I was on Bodice Patroll and did quite well. Here is a cool site, if you have time: http://shorock.com/folk/gatherin/2008/
Went to visit my 92 year old dad.
Took Joy out to a prehistoric sea bed, North of Gorham Ks, and dug for Sharks teeth. I found two.

Years gone by it would have been to watch Submarine races, but at my age I settled for finding teeth, IN THE DAYLIGHT.
Back in Wichita.