Storm Damage!!!

While we were out eating last night, a storm passed though. The little park near our house lost a tree as a result.




That's Michigan.

Clare Welcome Center on US127

Tigers V Yankees Monday Night

It's fun going to see the tigers. It's even more fun seeing them beat up the Yankees. And it's even more fun still shutting the Yankees out and putting 16 runs on them!


The tigers won. BY 16-0!!!!!!!


Yep, the guy above was less than amused - but then e is a Yankees fan. I guess that goes with the territory.

Camping at Wilson State Park - in the rain!

On Friday last, after flying half way round the world to get back to Detroit, the right thing to do would be relax. Wrong!!

We jumped in the car and headed off for the last campout of the season. The trip there was less than normal - we drove through a huge rainstorm - and then found out there was tornado warning in effect.

Undeterred, we continued. We got to Harrison, found the campground, met with our camping friends, and set up in somewhat dry weather. And then it started raining again.

We tarped the tent and put up with it. The pics below are how it all looked in the morning, Not fun.


It's not the best feeling in the world waking up in a tent which now has lots of little pools of water inside it.

Anyway, we got up, freshed a little, and took off to find a restaurant to have breakfast - we found "The Remedy" - a seemingly nice place - good breakfast burrito, but also the employer of just about the grumpiest blond waitress I've seen - she had big, big issues with our kids who, as things were, were not overly loud, and certainly not bothering anyone else - "I've told you already - use inside voices" she bellowed at them. When we got up to leave, I seen her raising her hands in thanks that these kids who were contributing to her wages were leaving. OK, decent food - but we won't be back and I'd advise anyone else not to go there - bad attitude and ok food!

With all that behind us, the sun started shining. We dried off our tents and equipment, had a great lunch (another family joined us by then) - and went swimming at a really nice little beach on Budd Lake. And then we went fishing. Despite the notices about a nasty fish kill-off earlier in the year, I still managed to land the monster below.

And then it was all just normal camping - camp food, fire, stories and sleep. Sunday, we got up, wrapped up and hit the road home.

The Outskirts Of Oslo

I really should keep my camera nearer me at all times - there were a bunch of nice fjord snaps I missed. Anyways, here's today's mundane offering.

Oslo, Norway. A bunch of quickly taken photos.

I was sent to Oslo on business - being that I'd never been to Norway before, I was quite excited.

We were booked into a hotel somewhere near the airport - it was apparently the only hotel under $500 a night. Quite a strange building - see photos below.The hanger-looking structures are the rooms, all accessed by a central corridor. Very modern indeed. I forgot to take some snaps of the rooms - but they were clean, comfy and crisp.




After arriving, we took a drive into the center of Oslo. What surprised me was the amount of American cars, SUVs and trucks on the road.







They seem to like their statues bronze and without clothes.



Norwegian people, from my experience there, are really nice and friendly. And they eat a lot of fish. And whales.

I have no idea what the sculpture above signified, but it looked cool.