The Goat: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

October 2010 Links

This is the list of all of my blog posts for the month of October 2010.

The Cherry Street Market in Kalkaska, Michigan was so much fun. There was a large outside area full of all of the farm raised goods like apples, pumpkins and veggies galore. Inside the teeny little building you could get fresh meats, fresh breads, homemade brownies, cookies, local jams and jellies and out behind the little building were vendors selling garden stuff, golf balls and hanging vases.

There were at least half a dozen types of apples being sold. There were also dozens of homemade apple pies at the market. Oh goodness you could smell the deliciousness!

Happy Holiday Harvest! Happy Halloween!! Happy Great Pumpkin!!

A tree full of hanging vases. I really liked these, but I have absolutely no use for one, so I didn't buy one. En masse like this they were so interesting, I do have to agree with that.

I know I had this as the photo of the day awhile back, but it was so funny I had to include it again. The fresh market, farm raised, locally grown market couldn't sell ordinary golf balls - oh no! They had to have hydroponic, fresh picked golf balls. haha!

Love the shadow!

These were some of the biggest sweet potatoes I had ever seen.

Giant!

Hope you had a very Happy Halloween!
Kristin

POTD - Fatigued

Have you ever felt so fatigued that you just knew if you stopped moving you'd surely collapse? I think this house felt that way and it happened! She was just worn out.

Kristin

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Rural Route Motels

I'm back from my travels.

I slept in my own bed last night.

Although I only had one truly awful bed on the road and that was in a motel of questionable character. I knew it was going to be iffy going into it, so it's my own fault. (I didn't photograph where I stayed.)

I saw some really great motel signs on the way home. These three (Hi-Way, Candlelight and Ozark) were all within a few miles of each other. I almost didn't stop at the first one, but turned around and went back. When I saw the other two, I was glad I had stopped. It was totally worth it. I think all three of these places were open - some day I'll have to look into staying in one or at least touring a room or two.

The sun was right overhead and since there was very little time lapse between the hotels I had the same lighting issue with all three. Too bright.

Look at the sky - there wasn't a cloud anywhere to be seen. It was hot and bright. What a difference from Michigan, even though I had really great weather in Michigan, too.

I saw so many old Coca-Cola signs on my last jaunt and I thought about stopping to take a picture of every one of them. Then I noticed that I had only minimal battery left.

Ooops!

What kind of photographer doesn't have a fully charged battery?!!

So this was the only coke sign I captured. I really liked that the post is the same color as the coke sign and neither one of them is red. They are very orangy.

What a great trip to Michigan and back. I know I whined about my computer dying and then allergies which turned out to be a cold - but I had a blast. My dear friend Bob came to my birthday party and stayed the weekend. I went out to dinner with a different friend or family several nights each week. I even had a slew of lunches with friends. I saw people I hadn't seen in years, traveled out of Lansing for a weekend, took a few hundred photos, went to a cider mill, got my computer repaired and hung out with my family. They say you can never home again, but I think you can. I loved it.

Thank you everyone who visited with me, put me up and put up with me :)

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Candlelight

This was by far my favorite motel sign that I saw this trip. You can find the Candlelight Motel on Hwy 231 - Ozark, Alabama. I saw this sign on Flickr and it was at night. Now I need to go by here at night! I have to admit, I'm not sure when that's going to happen.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday, October 29, 2010

POTD - OK

This woman is part of a Michigan Department of Transportation Employee Memorial erected at the Clare Rest Area. All of the sculptures were made from materials salvaged from highway jobs. This was a lovely memorial to those MDot employees that lost their lives working on our roadways.

Kristin

Thursday, October 28, 2010

It's a Cold

It's official.

I have a cold.

I thought it was severe allergies, because each time I got to my sister's house I would feel so much better. It must have been psychological.

Last night though I was once again not able to sleep for very long because I couldn't breathe.

I talked to a Pharmacist this morning to see if he thought I was sick or if I was just still reeling from allergies and he said I had probably been sick for about a week. (I sure hope my nieces didn't get this crud!!) It mimicked my allergies so closely that I had no idea. Since I take a 24 hour allergy tablet I didn't want to double up on meds so he suggested I take a cough medicine.

I have to say that every time I have taken a cough medicine I feel it hasn't really worked. Since it had been a dozen years or more since I'd used cough medicine I decided to listen to the Pharmacist and buy what he told me to take.

I'm so grateful to say -- It worked!!

Within 30 minutes I was feeling so much better.

I can breathe.

The big test will be this evening when I go to bed.

Sleep. I need sleep.

I'm in Montgomery, AL right now and I'll be back in my own bed within 24 hours.

No road trip photos this time around. I have had so little energy that I want to use all of it getting down the road. It's a bummer, but maybe tomorrow I'll be better and will have more energy.

Have a great day!
Kristin

EDITED to add: I got about 7 hours of sleep last night. It was wonderful!

POTD - Twisted Mulberry

My Mom has a Twisted Mulberry Tree in her backyard that she has wrapped with red lights. They come on for a few hours each night and light up the back yard with a wonderful light. As the leaves started changing from their summertime green to fall yellow the red lights seem to just make the leaves glow.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Bowling Green, KY

I've made it to Bowling Green, KY this evening. I feel quite fortunate that I made it that far today as I was feeling awful when I got up this morning. Has anyone ever heard of being allergic to Oak Trees? I'm thinking that might be what was causing my allergies to go haywire the past few days.

I slept just 2-3 hours last night (I just couldn't breathe) so I had to stop twice today and sleep in rest areas. Just an hour after leaving my mom's house I was breathing better. That's just strange, but I'm so very grateful I was able to get some more sleep.

I'm going to crawl into my hotel room bed here in just a moment and hopefully I can get in a full 8 hours of sleep tonight. That would be awesome!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Swingin'

Stella loved swinging and kept wanting to go higher and higher. I'm so very grateful that I spent so much time with my nieces this trip. It's the everyday things, like going to the park, that really are the special moments.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Busy Busy

I'm in the last few days of my visit with my family.
Unfortunately, I've gotten sick, with allergies, and I am running out of steam.
I'm having trouble breathing and when I can't breathe easily I can't sleep.
I think I've been running on 4 hours of sleep for the past few days.

I'm leaving in the morning (Wednesday morning) and making my way back to Florida.
I was going to drive 10 hours tomorrow but I'm not going to push it with so little sleep.

Hopefully I will get a ton of sleep tonight and I won't be tired tomorrow.

Hopefully I will drive out of the allergy zone and get to feeling better before the end of the day tomorrow.
Cross your fingers.

Just wanted to check in, since I missed posting yesterday.
Posting will be hit and miss until I get back to Jacksonville, I can guarantee it.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Save the Dam Beach

In Elk Rapids, MI there is a place called Dam Beach. This log and the sand are a part of that beach. A fundraiser was started to help save the Dam Beach so I thought I'd steal their tag line and use it as my title. T-shirt have been made and sold that say "Save the Dam Beach." What a hoot. I hope the beach is saved then they could print shirts that said, "I helped save the Dam Beach."

Enjoy!
Kristin

My friend Lori who took me to this spot said this on the FB post ---"...don't forget the other story - the kids want it back open for fireworks so their slogan is Give us back the Dam Beach and Open the Dam Beach and they even elect a queen every year to represent them in the parade Miss Dam Beach LOL"

Monday, October 25, 2010

POTD - Moores Park Sign

Ever since I first noticed the diving girl on the Moores Park sign I have been in love with it. Today we went to Moores Park to play on the swings - well my nieces played on the swings, I watched - but I took my camera of course and made sure to get a photo of the sign. I can't believe that the fall leaves are still hanging around, but thankfully they are as they made a heck of a backdrop for this photo.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Washington Square

This week my city is Lansing, Michigan. It's my hometown, it's where the Dancing Goat Coffeehouse was located and it's where I have been for the past three weeks. I love Lansing. To see more cities from around the world, please head on over to Unknown Mami's place. She does this carnival each week and it's truly a joy to take a peek into places that I might never get to see otherwise.

This section of Lansing is the downtown area - but the street where I was standing when I took all of these is called Washington Square. The Michigan National Bank building (which no longer says Michigan National but will always be so in my mind) is the tallest building in downtown and the clock is always correct.

Just because Michigan National Bank is no more, I really wish they would have kept the name on top of the building. It just belongs there.

Downtown Lansing is just full of beautiful buildings with all sorts of little bits of decoration.

The Peanut Shop is the only store that I can think of that still has it's original sign. That's why they have such a giant sign, jutting out from the building. The new downtown rules and regulations don't allow for that anymore. I love seeing The Peanut Shop sign and I really love going into the shop! All sorts of yummy things are found in there.

A fairly new tradition is Trick or Treat on the Square. I think it's a pretty big deal and lots of costumed kids are out and about. I bet it's fun :) I'm leaving for Florida in a few days so I'm not to be around to witness the event.

Knapps was a Michigan department store with its home base in Lansing, MI. The building, shown below, was originally built in 1908, but the renovations in 1928 are what we see today. The Knapps department store was located in both the Lansing and Meridian Malls (the two local malls) but in 1980 all of the stores closed.

The Knapps building was used as a state office building for a long time, but I think that there's talk of renovation to the inside and a new group of offices moving in. I'm really not sure, but the deco building is truly a lovely part of Washignton Square.

That's my city, let's see yours!
Kristin

POTD - Touch of Red

Farmland, forest and a faint hint of red on a bright and beautiful day with a cloud filled sky.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Saturday, October 23, 2010

MSU Eight and Oh

Oh my goodness!

I only watched the last 5 minutes of the game and I thought my stomach was going to flip over.

My friend Missy and I were eating lunch and were seated in the upstairs section. From where we sat we could see the little bar area. People would run in there, stay a few minutes, cheer or groan and then go back to their seats.

Then the crowd got a little larger and they just weren't rushing back to their seats, they were staying.

Missy and I finished our meal and we decided to go into the bar as well and see the end of the game.

Michigan State was behind when we first arrived in the bar to watch the televised heart attack.

I can barely breathe when it gets down to the last few minutes.

This was no exception.

Then MSU scores a touchdown!

Oh My Goodness, we were ahead!

In the end my Spartans scored 21 points in the final quarter to win their 8th straight game this season.

35 - 27 was the final score. MSU beat Northwestern.

My friend Keetha was probably having heart palpatations - her Badgers beat Iowa by one. Oy!! That's a close one!!

I have loved loved loved being in East Lansing the past few weeks. Saturdays have just been electric around here.

Hope you're having a great weekend!!
Kristin

POTD - Fall Windmill

As we were driving to the airport to drop off my friend, Bob, we passed this windmill. I didn't want her to be late, so I decided to come right back after dropping her off. I think it was worth it to go back. I do wish though that my friend had missed her flight and had to stay an extra week :)

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday, October 22, 2010

Leaning trees

When driving on M-127 around St. Johns, MI there are, what we loving call, the leaning trees. These trees were planted decades ago between the fields. The wind is quite strong and consistent in this area and the trees have never been able to grow upright. There is just this small section - maybe a mile - where all of the trees lean.

There has always been a very definite lean to the trees. I don't remember a time when those trees weren't there, but the past few years I've noticed that the line has been thinning. More and more of the trees are falling over. I have begun to wonder if sometime in the very near future these trees will be all dead.

I'm also beginning to wonder if the wind still blows strong enough in this corridor that would make newly planted trees lean? I'm sure the landscape has changed in this area. There are probably more buildings, more cars, a bridge or two - I just wonder if any of that has changed enough to make the wind less powerful.

I didn't realize that there were so many rows of these leaning trees until I took the side road and drove back a ways. (That's why the trees are now leaning the other direction - I was just standing on the other side of them!)

When I was a kid I always got such a kick out of seeing the leaning trees. It was my favorite thing to see on the way out of Lansing.

Who am I kidding. I still get a huge kick out of seeing these trees.

I guess I'm probably still a kid.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Big sky, nekkid trees

On my drive back to Lansing from the Traverse City area, I made a point to take a few detours down some back roads. I found some incredible views of a big sky, yellowing fields and bare naked trees.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Friday Fragments

Last week when I posted my Friday Fragment post, I gave a big sigh and closed the lid on my laptop waiting until 9pm so I could add my link to Mrs. 4444's bloghop. I was so happy to have my post done and to visit everyone. Little did I know that my computer would slip into a coma moments later and there would be no more computer time for me for the next 5 days. Thank you to Mrs. 4444 for adding my link to the bloghop and for all of you folks who visited me. I am truly grateful for the visits.

Today's photos are from the Kalkaska, MI area and probably all within the county of Kalkaska. Enjoy!

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Why is it when I have a horrible headache, I feel the need to pluck my eyebrows?

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While I am in the drivers seat, my camera lens is often seen peeking out my car window at stop lights, but today I saw someone who had a pair of binoculars. They were so engrossed in what they were looking at that they held up traffic for quite some time -- maybe 10 car lengths. That's an eternity in traffic time!

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I have a black polar fleece jacket that I love, but you'd think I never ever washed it because it always looks like it was tossed in a bucket of lint. So I have decided that I want a jacket the color of lint. There's only one problem. I don't know what is the color of lint? Do you?

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My Mom left town for an extended weekend. Funny how having Mom's house to myself in my 40's just isn't the same as when I was in my teens. I don't plan on having a party while she's gone, that's for sure!

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Bob asked me to go with her on a trip to France next year. We were so excited but just days before she came to Michigan to visit she found out that the trip was cancelled because not enough people signed up. So now we are in a quandary. I really liked the idea of a group trip (because my Rome trip was so successful) but neither one of us knows of another group that's going on a cool trip. I'm thinking that the two of us have enough vacation savvy that we can probably plan a trip for ourselves, but don't be surprised if in the next year I continually ask about your favorite destinations.

So what has been your favorite vacation destination? (I couldn't wait)

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Have a wonderful weekend! This is my last weekend in Michigan for this year, so I'm going to make the very best of it.
Kristin

POTD - Hydroponic

This gave me the biggest chuckle. I knew I had to make this a photo of the day the second I saw the sign. I'm just not sure if $3.19 a pound is a good price or not. I'm not well educated on hydroponic golf ball prices this time of year :)

Enjoy!
Kristin

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Old Town Lansing

It seems like a month ago that I went to a neighborhood called Old Town, which is in North Lansing. It's an artsy neighborhood with lots of character.

There are gift shops and antique shops. Places to eat and places to browse. There are places for the kids to play and places for the adults to play.

There is a great feeling about Old Town and I always enjoy going there.

My sister has worked in several shops in Old Town, but my favorite place was the frame shop & gift store. The owner has since moved and set up his shop in Chicago, but when I go to old town I think of his cool place and how many more cool places have moved in.

I love all the art galleries in Old Town. I was there before most of them opened, but I hope to go back this weekend so I can browse.

The Fish Ladder banner was so cool - The words are actually just cutouts. You may notice that the background shows right through - the fish is blue because it's the sky, the ladder is greenish yellow and the tattoo is brick yellow.

The seating area above and the open sign below are from a gift shop called Tallulah's Folly.

Fall flowers and squash - there is just something wonderful about it. I especially like that these are outside decorations around a business entrance. It's gorgeous.

Can't have an artsy neighborhood without an artsy bench!

I love Lansing. There is something lovely to see at every turn.

More to come :)
Kristin