Summer in Wisconsin 2014

Author: Pete

Location: Seymour, WI

 

Hit the ground running in Wisconsin after what will become, I’m sure, a most well known jaunt around the top of Lake Michigan. We were immediately off to Gramma’s to make pickles and bread for the upcoming wedding party.

DSC_0576

 

Spent some time getting the ‘shop’ (an airplane hanger sized pole barn) ready for the wedding party. Since Miranda’s family is so big, many people weren’t able to make it down to Cartagena last February. So we decided to have a big celebration back home. Preparing the shed involved moving out the massive tractors, fork lifts, and equipment, installing new lights, laying down gravel in the driveway, and power-washing everything clean.

IMG_1556

IMG_1552

 

The day before the party, Seymour had a hot air balloon rally that was pretty spectacular. We drove around spotting the globes.

DSC_0664

DSC_0613

DSC_0601
DSC_0614



The following day, everyone arrived a little early for the party and we fired it up right away. Family and friends all flooded in and made merry. We even had a pretty good contingency from Michigan come over to represent!

DSC_0471

DSC_0457

DSC_0388

DSC_0401

DSC_0490

DSC_0744

DSC_0417

DSC_0602

DSC_0583

 

 

Took a nice photo shoot during the day in my ‘dowery’, a beautiful 1965 Ford Mustang that Miranda and her dad had fixed up when she was in middle school.  Pretty fun.

DSC_0688-2

DSC_0523

DSC_0708

DSC_0528

DSC_0711

 

DSC_0557

DSC_0576-2

 

 

 

 

After a little clean up we headed north to decompress at the cottage the Pashouwer clan always goes to in the summer. We played on the water, fished, ate, and made more merry.

DSC_0925

DSC_0849

DSC_1006

DSC_0884

¾g|룒27㥎Q4v(ÔIP0'á4 Ù¿ÌàTTjÊ©â TžŸ*Ó"K ‘a‘¸=NT;oÐä8™R!m!27¤yPì<>üxÓÀ‰ñ¸*Œ t!¶ß!Ä˅ê‘r°Q‚–àÌŠn¿Ã	’�TŸÓ‚ê@‚jNÛôíô␀·ÖfVH^$'÷lÔÞ§Äo¶(?š>¬…‹‰±XÔô¦Æ¿¯x§ÏBœ¾·[P¬]jIûCã%~?gÝSeyçYæ2Gs*„²‚’Ê�ª–$}¯åÄFglbo6]‰è#¸™UU@T¡ñäW•~+“á=ůŒw¨rò7F„Dœª%FŸ{qbª@8áð¤ÇÅ	$’_>¦nþ²Å–ƒÒ¦ßÍS¾€ß4á©a¾°<¨å˜E5aCЎÙ/Ë÷°üÊôûAHþ#ûDԓó$áPs©¾Ÿ¨6ßdԏó¦Í7’„ºDÈi4Šµ14Ç­9«§ÿÖåÛ·k„ú̌«]@iÔ6l·uà‹gðÝÀ~Ä š�P’G2¦ÔÎÞòcÀӇE¯zäi•§VÌ®´e#Àö#Ç"Y…·Ú†Ÿ§…7·pÛ©û&WTÿ�‰–cÅ9ý Ëú¬e 9šbúþ£¤Gr.oõlôÆNSݳT

DSC_0914

DSC_1054

DSC_0936

DSC_0822

DSC_0819

DSC_0833

DSC_0825

 

Along the way were numerous other shindigs and outings including a wedding of our friends Kendra and Chris, a dinner with Cody and Marsha, and some diesel tips from Miranda’s pops.

P1120800

DSC_0931

IMG_1749

DSC_1328

 

 

And then with some trepidation we were off to Burning Man in our penultimate gig before Florida!

Summer in Michigan 2014

Author: Pete

Location: Charlevoix, MI

 

A guy can become pretty darn antsy waiting to get a significant sailing trip under way. Hurricane season in the Caribbean has been mild tempered this year, apparently. However, we’re still sticking to our plan and waiting to go down to Florida to start up the boat search until mid-September just to be safe. Until then we’ve been entertaining ourselves in the Midwest seeing family and friends.

P1120425

 

Eventually had some time at home with family and friends. Met up with our friends Gordie and Em, and their two ridiculously adorable munchkins. Made a bonfire in the back yard and enjoyed the summer night just like when we were that age.

DSC_0189

Then I was another year older, if none the wiser. Charlevoix holds a weeklong celebration of my birthday each year, regardless of if I’m actually home or not, called the Venetian Festival. I don’t know why it isn’t called the Pete Festival… it’s always my birthday week. We celebrated by having a barbecue with friends, going downtown to see some music, and having birthday celebrations.

P1120451

DSC_0378

DSC_0369

summer2014vert

DSC_0394

petedenny

P1120431

DSC_0411

 

Unbeknownst to me, it was decided that for surviving three decades I should be thrown out of a perfectly good airplane. What a birthday present! I couldn’t decide if I was flattered or freaked out. An old friend from high school, Ryan, was my tandem instructor. We strapped in and took off facing backwards in the tiny Cessna.

DSC_0435

DSC_0444

P1120447

Skydive 1

Skydive 5

Skydive 8

DSC_0464

 

Prompted, I think, by the possibility of the jump not going well, Miranda decided that we should make our marriage legal. Since a marriage license cost $20 in Michigan and $100 in Wisconsin, we went by our checkbooks.

DSC_0498

 

Our American Sailing Association certifications came in from our course in June! We’re documented sailors!

IMG_1737

 

Kept our sea legs up to snuff with some windsurfing, waterskiing, and kayaking.   I have a million wetsuits, but I’m gravitating to the 1980’s vintage shortie with ridiculous colors and almost no stretch.  Life on the water in the summer is one of Charlevoix’s many beauties.

 

P1120783

P1120168

P1120400

P1120142

P1120193

 

Spent some time with Hal and Taylor, who were up scoping wedding venues. Went out a few times to the Tap Room for beers and over to Hal’s for some killer salmon.

IMG_1686

 

The summer flew by with assorted fun bits that deserve a good review.  Here’s a few more…DSC_1291

DSC_1183

juleps

DSC_1320

 

Finally, the day before Miranda and I were to head to Wisconsin our shipment came in from Chile. It should’ve arrived much sooner, but there was a dockworker strike in Chile. When longshoremen finally went back to work they picked pretty much the last day possible for us. Worked out great. It was sort of like Christmas opening the nineteen bags and boxes that filled the crate. All of the superfluous crap that we accumulated over four years in Chile had been sold or given away and all that was left was the good stuff. Favorite gear, artwork, clothes, that we had forgotten about in the exciting rush of summer.

IMG_1741

 

And then we were off! Loaded up the 1994 Plymouth Voyager and headed north around the lake. Seemed like an odd direction when our destination was Florida!

IMG_1679