An Easy Plan, Foiled!

The intent was to park at the South Bubble parking lot to get to the top of the small mountain. Well, that did not happen because there were no parking spots there or at the little pull-off 1/2 mile away. So we drove to Jordan Pond House where we did find a space and so choose to hike from there. It appeared to add about 3/4 or a mile each way to the hike but there was the added factor of more height from the pond plus we chose poorly. We did the straight up the bubble. That included lots of very steep clambering over rocks, up some vertical shoots, an iron bar to two and lots of cliffs to work around. From our hiking book: “This hike challenges the well conditioned hiker.” It was a feat and Cindy did it very well. I would say a casual look around at others on the same route that all appeared to be three or five decades younger. For the way back, we chose to head toward the parking lot and then on an oblique trail that led more gently to the pond’s trail and then back to the parking lot. We did meet some interesting people on the trail including four women friends who travel to a National Park each fall to spend a week together. Very neat idea. 

After showers and lunch we did venture out for a walk on the very level Jesup Path for a nice evening walk. Dinner at the house. 

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

One of my many fans got me a prize today. It is a Moose with a crown, to represent my achievements. I plan to get a PR team to get a photo tomorrow.  

On the Road Again

Took a long but easy hike this morning on a portion of the extensive carriage road system. We began at the Brown Mountain Gate House and continued to the two bridges we could not seem to locate on the other hike. The bridges were, as they all are, cleverly built to enhance the scenery and often frame a feature, like a waterfall. Not sure how many bridges are on the 49 miles of trails but more than a dozen would be close. I could look that up but then so could you. Very light lunch today as we were headed to Bass Harbor for an early dinner at the Seafood Ketch. Turned out to be nice on the deck and the food was pretty good. We poked about in the area, stopping at Seawall and Bass Harbor Lighthouse before ending the day at MDI for some excellent ice cream. 

Potential prince

A light tall waterfall

Daybreak at the rental house

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Another film project arrived today. To Infinity and Beyond - a Moose odyssey. I like the concept of the featured antlered one on a great adventure but neither of them seem to be the right one just yet for me. I imagine more will come tomorrow. Off tonight to visit some cousins and eat water lillies. I don’t think they quite understand stardom. 

Buzz Buzz

Up early and off to hike the Bee Hive. It is one of my all time favorite hikes and Rusty was still here so it was the two of us. The Bee Hive is a lot of up with ladders, open rocks and cliffs but the reward - great views. It is a popular hike so watching the trail from below looks like a hive both in the shape of the mountain and the number of people criss-crossing the rocks. We hiked over the top and then took a brief side trail to The Bowl, a neat, nearly hidden lake with deep blue waters. Back to the house, I had blueberry pie and coffee for lunch, the trip is getting better. Late afternoon the five of us walked Hunter Brook Beach trail and watched the waves lap at the shore, then headed to town for dinner. A new place featuring cheesecake opened in Bar Harbor and they offer sample sized flights, the reviews of the four cheesecake eaters were mixed. My review was not. 

A view of the Bee Hive as you process back down. There are at least 10 people visible in this shot.

Sand Beach and Great Head from the Bee Hive

Cindy enjoying sun and ocean with a favorite view.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Still whirling with my celebration. My future board chairman and my financial advisor brought me a gift today, I will share with all of you later after the emotion of the moment allows me to reflect on their joy of giving. My first script idea came in today. Moose Tracks: The making of a hit album. Sounds more like a documentary and may not test my acting skills enough

Too much party!

"Celebrate, Celebrate, Dance to the Music"

When the day begins with a loon sighting from your porch, it portends a good day. We also spotted an eagle soaring over the adjacent island. Cindy and I set out mid-morning to take a walk on a nearby carriage road. We walked to one of Mr. Rockefeller’s bridges and then set out to find two more bridges off a trail. We did intersect the carriage road but could not find the bridges, so we came back on the same route to the Brown Mountain Gatehouse where we parked. About a 3.4 mile trip in perfect weather. We met a mushroom hunter and asked a lot of questions which she patiently answered. We had to take some freshly laundered items back to the trailer when we finished the trail and pick up a couple of things we were missing. When we got back to the house we found out that Tom bought a blueberry pie from the Sugar Bakery and we forced ourselves to try some of that for lunch. All seven of us went to dinner at the Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor. The consensus was the meals were very good. My haddock was the best of the trip. Then, of course, a stop at MDI for ice cream. Tonight’s selection was a combo of Maine Sea Salt Caramel and Girl Scout Thin Mint. Wow. It was also the celebration for the 300th Park. 

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

What a day of accolades for me and my acting debut. Many of my fans came north to celebrate with me and have been providing me with great food. They have also provided an appropriate Star Level lodging for me. I have a marsh right outside my door, there is a fresh (Ed Note, was a…) blueberry pie and lots of super food type items. In the late afternoon, my fans piled into the transportation pod and we went to a elegant restaurant in Bar Harbor. They had flowers on the table! I had trouble choosing my meal but ended up with sauerkraut on mac and cheese. Of course someone else picked up the tab, another benefit of fame. We then strolled around the corner for a second celebration at an ice cream shop that has moosey flavors like basil. What a delectable frozen treat. I was appropriately humble and was able to appear surprised. Still have not had any scripts to review but the mail is slow up here in Close to Canada. 

Ice cream means celebration.

Trying not to drink excessively is hard at a big party

Some of my fans and proto-staff for the celebration. Tickets were limited, obviously. Some of these folks drove more than a thousand miles to be here tonight.

Transition Day

We moved today. Our friends Dave and Jean Faith and Tom Light arrived for the house we rented. You would think it is easy to move from the trailer to the house, you would be wrong. First we had to secure a place for the trailer. I found one but it was neither easy nor inexpensive. So everything we needed had to be unloaded from the trailer and the trailer prepped for storage. We also needed to handle our food and that too was tricky to not lose any of the food Cindy prepared for us to use on the road. But we did. With the trailer stored, I drove to Bangor to pick Tom from the airport. We stopped for groceries, gas and lunch. Got back to the rental house, which is located on a private 150’ pebble beach. We unloaded lots of stuff, left Tom to get a rest and I went to pick up Cindy who spent the day with the Harmans. We are in tonight and all is good but no hikes at all on this beautiful Saturday. 

There was the start of a sunset but the fog rolled in fast and thick so it disappeared. The photo is shot from “our” beach.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

The plan is afoot. I will soon be rolling in new opportunities for my new vehicle. Vehicle is not a car but movie talk for a new film. My fans will shortly be sending me scripts and film suggestions. Oh, and I think the party might be tomorrow cause I saw a party hat in a bag. Stay tuned. 

Sublime Day

The morning began with a strategic plan to get to Jordan Pond,and find parking, take a hike and be in position to get lunch at the 11:00 start because otherwise you wait and wait. And wait. The hike around Jordan Pond was so nice. The temperature, the scenery, the call of the loons, the mile plus boardwalk, just all too cool. We got back about 10:45 with Cindy and Janet already in the sign up line, then at 11:00 in for an early (but earned) lunch with the 3.3 mile trail done. After we rode around the whole Loop Road, great views and then to Thulya Gardens, as always lovely. After a bit of preparation for moving on Saturday, Cindy, Rusty and I hiked Gorham Mountain. The views for the effort are the best on the island. Back to the camper for dinner and we have blueberry pie for dessert. What a day.

Every year I take the Bubbles with a rock foreground at Jordan Pond. This year I found a new perspective about a half mile north in a little cove. Still same idea.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Well, I did find out through un-named sources that there are some celebrations in the offing for me. I am sure pleased that they are planning something - as an accomplished actor, it will not be hard for me to “appear” surprised. I hope there are hats! Not that that completely changes my adjustment for the future. First of all - there will be more to come - I have decided to follow the advice of my old friend, Clint Eastwood, (Editor Note - Cadillac is not a friend of Clint Eastwood, he has never met Mr. Eastwood - please refer all potential law suits to the Cadillac Legal Fund.) who is an actor AND producer AND director. So, I too, will now be all three. How hard can it be? To launch the project I will need a script worthy of my debut effort as A/P/D and that is where hundreds of my aspiring writer fans can submit ideas to me. They do not have to be fully fleshed out just a working title and a few words or a line or two about the idea you have. Wow, sometimes I just outdo even my expectations. 

The Quiet Side of the Island

We met and talked with two of our camping neighbors this morning. I feel like the McSherry’s. They were nice folks one set from Rochester, NY and the other from Chicago. We talked about trips and camping and our trailer experiences. Then after a trailer errand, we were off to the Southwest side of the island. We hiked the Wonderland Trail, an easy mile out and back for a great view and to Seawall for the rocks and waves. We also visited the Bass Head Light House in mid-afternoon. The rest of the afternoon was spent at Southwest Harbor’s small stores and checking on blueberry pie options. We had dinner at Seafood Ketch on Bass Harbor and then finished a game of Train that, predictably, Janet won. We usually play for closest loser. Finally a quick trip to Bar Harbor to MDI, an excellent local ice cream. CJH had Oat Cranberry and, surprise, it was quite good. 

Two ships leaving Southwest Harbor

Small “display” along the trail

The lighthouse that launched 10 million postcards. Serious photographers don’t shoot this at 2:15 in the afternoon. Still pretty.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Sadly, disappointment is setting in. No parade, no hoopla, no keys to the marsh. I just don’t get it. Ol’88 managed to fall into a swimming pool and got his photo in the newspaper and they made a big deal out of that but not a full fledged movie star in their midst. Well, I won’t let it get me down. I have a plan. It will be brilliant and I will detail it tomorrow. No parade, we’ll see who has the last gulp of grass.

A Slow Day

The trip down Cadillac Mountain did my back in, which was not doing well after doing something stupid getting the generator out of the Toyota. Limited stuff today. Short walk to the ocean from the campground and trip off island for a few errands and a stop at a pottery shop and a leather photo album place. We ate lunch in a little shop in Ellsworth called, Flexit. Then after our second walk about the shops at Bar Harbor we had a very good meal at one of our favorite places, Weststreet Cafe. Spent the evening hanging around the campground. 

Marsh Reflections

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Ok, ONE MORE day, that is it, one more. I am losing my good natured demeanor. One day.

Mostly Down and Down and Down

Things are very busy here. We tried too late to walk Jordan Pond, no parking left and that also meant no popovers on the lawn. So, plan B. We drove to Northwest Harbor and ate a nice lunch at The Colonels. We then walked around a residential portion of the town past massive old mansions that were very well kept - some of them on the ocean. And then poked around some of the shops. All the while waiting for our Cadillac Mountain reservation. You must now reserve a time (and pay) to get to the top. The plan was for Rusty and me to walk back to the campground. It was just under five miles and felt like a lot more. While down seems like it ought to be easier and perhaps was, it did not appear that way to me. My knees and legs were sore by the half-way point and there was a lot of mud and enough rocks to build several castles and each one was a step up or down. But it was a neat experience and we enjoyed the scenery and being deep in the forest. We also expected after we got back to the road across from the campground that we were nearly there, but no. And instead of the flat walk through the woods I expected we were again going up and down and huge boulders were abundant. It certainly does take up your afternoon. 

Couple passing the slow guys on the way down. What a view.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Well, the celebration simply must be tomorrow, it must. I can still ct surprised and humble. Yup, that’s the key, humility. 

Short Hikes

The ocean was rather calm today. We were out at sunrise and with quiet water and overcast skies there was not much color. DIdn’t matter still nice to be out there. Our first hike was just a mile or so on the Jessup Trail, a flat, half boardwalk trail that leads through a marsh area. Later we also did the short but very pretty Hunter Brook to the sea. This is a pebble beach with a stream rushing into the Atlantic making a different experience. The sounds of the small rocks shifting in the surf is unique. After lunch we hit a new trail along Little Long Pond. This was not hard but had some significant muddy spots to negotiate. A beautiful place just a short distance from Seal Harbor. Three shot hikes still add up as we did nearly 7 miles. We have just finished dinner and clean up so we are in search of ice cream.

Sunrise, Otter Point

Hunter Brook racing into the Atlantic

Little Long Pond

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Well, the celebration must be tomorrow. I’ll get a good sleep and be ready. 

Acadia Arrival

Acadia National Park is my favorite spot. Shortly after arriving at Blackwoods Campground and getting the trailer level we set off for a walk on the shore. There is a path from the campground. It is past most of the familiar landmarks, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, The Beehive and Otter Point but that does not matter, you are on the rocks, on the shore with waves crashing and lobster buoys bobbing in the wash. I know you can’t really swim here and there is very little sand to sun and build castles but for me this is the ocean. I’m sure we will find something to do tonight and a hike or two tomorrow and maybe ice cream, but it really is about the shore and the rocks for me. Worth the trip if that is all I did.  

Tidal Pool High on the Rocks

Looking across Otter Cove to Otter Point.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

We have arrived at home base so, I’m heading out in the morning to see friends and relatives. And maybe there will be a parade. I bet there is a parade with floats and a band. Maybe a TV morning show would be there do. I’ll try to act surprised. For now I have a lot to prepare - so excited. 

“…destination Bangor, Maine”

Crossing Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine on Route 2 is a wonderful way to see amazing country and find joy in every bend. Highly recommended.  We stopped in Gotham, NH and turned off of Rt 2 and drove a bit past the Mount Washington access road to Wildcat Mountain. A nice walk in the woods led to Thompsons Falls, a cool waterfall that was set in a nice little bowl, quiet place to visit with few people about unlike many of the hiking spots.

The majority of the day was spent enjoying our drive but also making the goal of arriving at Acadia at a reasonable time on Sunday. We are in a stunning orchard (again) on a farm where the hosts are so gracious. They have a farm store and we were given a nice package of tasty food from the store and free access to corn, tomatoes, apples and anything else growing near our RV parking. The farm store is open 24 hours on the honor system and the choices are extensive.

Tomorrow we arrive in Acadia National Park. 

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

My antlers are past tingling but are positively vibrating - we are close to my home and the mountain named for me, Cadillac. (Editor Note: Cadillac was named for a rusty, abandoned 59 Coupe de Ville in the marsh near where he was born.) My homecoming will be epic, I imagine the mayor and the President (maybe President Garfield, cause I just endorsed him you know and not the obese cat) plus the owner of Tasty DoNuts will be there to honor their homewoods boy who made good. Not to mention but I will anyway - all the old girlfriends will be vying for my attention. It is good to be me.

Pluses & Minuses

You can’t beat a day that starts with a cinnamon roll. And this one was good from King Arthur Baking at their flagship store and teaching center. While that was good not all of this story works out so well. Cindy and Janet were scheduled to take two baking classes at KAB, one on breads and one on croissants. We signed up for these weeks ago. Since then they changed the rules and you must be fully vaccinated to attend the class. That is their call to make. However, they did not notify either of us in a timely fashion, as in we found out two days ago when Janet and Rusty had already traveled 1000 miles and we had adjusted our plans to be here as well. They said we ought to have an email from three weeks or so but we did not and I still have not had one, Janet got hers just two days before class. She has had covid, recovered and has significant immunity. Cindy has the vaccine and could take the class but it was to be a thing for the two of them. So after a call to KAB that was to no avail, we canceled, changed reservations and are figuring out the next thing to do. Disappointed, both of them were looking forward to this for months. 

Instead of classes, we headed north and east into the White Mountains of NH and, specifically, the Flume. The Flume is a part of the state park system in NH. It is a narrow gorge with a fast flowing stream down the center. You walk a 2 mile loop trail with lots of ups and downs and stairs in places, past huge boulders and over little bridges. The Flume is several hundred feet long and the rock walls rise impressively on both sides of the stream. We enjoyed this place, and a brief respite from the rain as well. It costs 18 dollars but it is well maintained. 

Back to Vermont at the Goodrich’s Maple Farm, where we have purchased syrup several times, but this time to stay on the property as they are part of Harvest Hosts. What a super spot. We are on the berry farm property where we picked a quart of blueberries and some veggies, courtesy of Ruth Goodrich. Delightful place with tremendous scenery. 

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” Galatians 5:22 NLT

Did I mention all the blueberries you can to eat.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

More of the same today with the exception that I did find a great latte. Then off we rode and rode. To my astonishment we are in a Moosey place for the night where they sell maple syrup, one of my favorites. It has a bright red leaf on the bottle. If they changed that to a rather famous photogenic movie star moose, they would be overwhelmed with buyers. I will get my PA to notify my PR and tell them to make this happen. Good news is that one of my many cousins is coming over this evening. I need to get ready and prepare some glossy photos with my original hoof print. Later. 

Meet-Ups

We spent an hour last night in the milking barn of the dairy where we were camping. Teri, our host’s daughter, was in charge and she gave us a great tour and lessons about her cows. It was pretty neat. In the morning we were off to Glens Falls to meet a friend of mine from high school. We had not seen each other for 55 years. We met at a diner near his home for brunch with Dan and his wife, Jane. It was super fun to catch up but over 50 years there was much we were not able to chat about. It was nice to see him again and relive some of the things we did together. 

Then Rusty and Janet Harman arrived from Florida. We were meeting for an event that was canceled after we were both on the road. I will write about that soon - as right now just a bit angry with the company. We crossed the Green Mountains to Quechee Gorge to stay the night at a KOA we had reserved, again for the event. We did walk down to the gorge and drove to Woodstock but everything in town was closed. Oh well. Good friends are priceless, whether from years ago or recently, they are one of life’s nice pluses. 

Bridge over the chasm, difficult to see the bottom anywhere but the bridge.

Dan, Jane, Cindy and me.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

While everything is still not settled, at least I’m not having to deal with the Driver alone. First we met a friend of his from, like, 1847 and the friend confirmed that he drove the wagons he used to mush or whatever a wagon driver does just like he does today, like he was in the race. Then the Harmans arrived, very big fans of mine and he has some sense. Not much, actually, but a little goes a long way around the Driver. And Janet simply adores me. So even with no further action on the acting front it was still a good day. BUT no celebration yet.  

A (real) New York State of Mind

We drove today across New York from Erie to the Hudson. Not the New York most people think of but beautiful farms, charming small towns, sparking lakes, produce stands, vineyards and more hills than I expected. True to the name, Two Lane Touring, we began the day on Rt 20a and later on 20 going east from East Aurora, NY. Unfortunately the rain chose to go with us. Actually from time to time it poured. Biblical rain, Noah was worried. So zero hikes and very few photos. Now we are on the east end of the state and heading into Vermont sometime tomorrow. We are spending the night at a dairy farm that supplies milk to Cabot Creamery, if you know your cheese you likely know Cabot. I know no cheese and have visited there - twice. They were going to paint on the barn some thing about their 30 years of providing milk to Cabot but on the Thruway you can see the barn so the wise politicians in NY said, “No, that is advertising.” The farmer then painted his barn the same colors as Cabot and included a tractor to represent his farm. So clever.

Sorry about the water spots on the lens, just could not keep them off.  

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

I don’t have any idea where I am or why I am here. You can see nothing because of the rain and fog, except corn. Who eats that much popcorn? My agent, producer, Jill, (I know she loves me) & my PR team headed by Jennifer has not reached out to me, my PA says she has done everything I asked, my fellow actors have been silent and, despite my incredible endorsements, my antlers are not picking up a single decent vibe. I am going to eat a cookie - where you ask is my party, great question, Mr. Driver - and take a nap. This nightmare needs to end soon. 

“Shuffle off to…" (From "42nd Street")

We woke in the midst of a beautiful vineyard a few miles north of Erie along the shore. We could see Erie one direction and grapes the other three. Nice place to stay. 

Off to Buffalo to see Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration NHS. He succeeded McKinley who was assassinated. That’s two sites in a row on the subject. First, after finding a great spot in East Aurora, NY with Boondockers, we headed for Niagara Falls. We were warned about the expense, that it is better to see in Canada (but impossible to get there today) and other dire warnings. We were a bit hesitant however we headed out. It was on the other side of Buffalo but traffic was moderate. As we exited the Interstate Highway onto the Scenic Byway, we dropped to one lane and about 30 mph. The first spot we see is a parking area for the rapids with a spot left. We pull in and walk to the rapids. Turns out we are only a mile from the falls where parking is at least $10, so being frugal (be kind here) we walked. It was really fantastic. Fast moving water that was various shades of blue and green, white tops and waves increasing as we neared the falls. Then at the falls you are only a very few feet from the edge and not too many people. Lots more who payed to go on an overlook than were on the point where we were. We watched boats in the mist, people down on the rocks and the water pouring over the edge. All in all pretty neat. Then back to the car and back through Buffalo to the Roosevelt site. We were not able to go into the house so, photos from the grounds will have to cover park number 301. 

Very interesting meal in East Aurora. Our host, Russ, told us about roast beef sandwiches here that are served on Weck Bread. We got one, split it and were stuffed for dinner. It was really good. The Weck is a kind of kaiser roll with kosher salt and caraway seeds. A Western NY speciality and Bar-Bills Tavern is considered the best in Buffalo. 

The American Falls

Some of the rapids on the way to the falls

The home in Buffalo where Roosevelt was visiting when he was sworn in as President following McKinely’s assassination.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

As you might expect it did not take long for others to line up. Why just today I endorsed my second President, (and not a fat, unpleasant cat, either) someone named Roosevelt. The accolades just keep rolling in - wondering when the next roles will as well. Seems like I would be hearing from my agent. I will get my PA to take a memo and send off a letter expressing my concern. Also the driver seems to have forgotten the Endorsement Party he was promising. Not much is unfolding as I expect. Not fitting a Star Moose, not at all. 

299 & 300!

Our first stop after leaving the Cabela’s in southern Michigan was Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Park number 299. The park is on an island in Lake Erie about where Perry’s fleet was harbored. The battle that took place during the War of 1812 happened about 6 miles off shore. It was an amazing victory for the young navy of the United States. To get there you drive up a peninsula to Miller’s Ferry. Parking near there in a private lot. Then buying two round-trip tickets for walk on passengers, you are off on the 15 minute ride. At the dock you walk up a short, steep hill to the main street. There we found a converted school bus that took us the 2.2 miles to the park Visitor Center. The monument is a tall tower - about the height of the Arch in St. Louis but because of COVID the observation platform on the top was not open. Still, a beautiful day and a gorgeous place to visit - so no disappointment. Then, of course, we retraced our trip back to the car. A short stop at a farm stand, there were many, and off to Mentor, Ohio and park number 300, James A. Garfield National Historic Site. It really does seem like a milestone is this journey and it was kinda cool that it occurred here, not by planning, we were originally headed through Canada. Garfield, the 20th President served only 200 days as he was assassinated by a disgruntled office seeker, still was an important figure. He served heroically in the Civil War obtaining the rank of Major General. His campaign from his front porch, literally, was unique and changed perceptions about seeking office. It also engaged his whole family and that was very different for the age. There are a lot more facts about him that are intriguing but for me the connection is that he is the only president who was an ordained minister and in the same family of churches that I served. 

We will celebrate with ice cream sundaes - watch for your invitation in the mail soon.

A 1928 Ford Tri-motor was doing flights around the island

The Garfield Home

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

My Presidential Endorsement for the National Park Service and the Important Number 300!

At first I was outraged. Why was I being asked to promote a fat, cartoon cat who eats lasagne, a horrible concoction of, well, I don’t actually know. As a majestic Moose of the First Order of Antler and a movie star that was well beneath me. Yet as a professional I was ready and prepared to do my best it these trying circumstances. I was worried about what this would do for my career. Then at the site I found out I was to endorse the National Park Service once again, it was actually for a major presidential personage. And it was something to do with a big, very special number. That is prestigious and fitting for my status. Once this reaches the national press the movie roles will blossom. I will instruct both my agent and my PA that no roles are to be accepted until I review the part. It is important that I get the right placement now. My antlers are tingling with anticipation. 

Didn't Day

We did not hike today. We did not walk much today. We took no photos today. We visited no parks today. (seems like a quote from Dr Seuss is needed here) We saw no new birds, no waterfall, no more of Lake Superior and simply drove. Well, not completely - we did attend church in the Soo and Tom had a thoughtful message, a stop at Frankenmuth for German food! and a 45 minute visit to the largest store selling Christmas stuff in the world. We needed to be in south MI for the night to get to where we need to be tomorrow. Does this make sense? Maybe not. Anyway, the highlights of the day were crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, eating and, well that’s it other than listening to podcasts. We are ensconced in Cabela’s parking lot among the boats. Tomorrow however, aha!

DOWN PLEASE.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Tomorrow is my big day so I spent the day preparing. My antlers are polished, my hoofs are shinny and my coat is every persons dream. I also have chosen a tasteful outfit because I have not yet reached the level of stardom where you can dress really poorly and go to treatment centers. I feel the ol antlers tingling maybe I am getting a new role? Of course, that must be it.

Errands and Boats

We woke late, nearly seven and ate breakfast at Penny’s Cafe a half block up from our spot at the church. We met Tom Cash there and ate pancakes with very good coffee. Cindy and I then took care of some trailer stuff - like propane fill. If this is interesting to you please seek help immediately. In the rain we drove to a lighthouse at the very eastern end of Lake Superior where the St Marys River begins. Then back to do more uninteresting stuff that you will thank me for not detailing. Late afternoon, sated with coffee and cookies at the same cafe we walked in the rain (note the theme) to the Soo Locks to watch another freighter slowly pass through on the way from Superior to Huron. 

Waiting for the next ship - there is a lot of waiting at the locks.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

Ok, so not a zoo but the Soo. Turns out it is a super cool place with really big boats that clearly need my piloting skills cause they go so slow. No, slower than that. Super slow. I have seen moss grow faster. But I can’t abandon my public. Although I am getting a bit concerned about my endorsements. Have not done one in a while. My PA informs me that very soon I will get a BIG one to do. Great.

The Soo!

Today started out slowly. It was a nice morning and we were yards off the beach in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We set off on a beach walk but my early AM migraine kept me from most of the walk. Cindy was able to enjoy the really nice beginning to the day. I did rally enough to make two short hikes mid-morning, one to Au Sable Falls and one to the tall dunes in the park. Later we drove through the Seney NWR. We hoped to see loons and did spy one but it was a long distance from us. In fact most of the birds were opposite sides of the huge impoundments and lakes in the refuge. We saw scores of swan and the highlight for me was watching a Harrier Hawk working the marsh - again at the limits of my camera’s longest lens. Then on to the Soo (Sault Ste Marie, MI) to spend the Labor Day weekend in the parking lot of our friend Tom’s church. We are two blocks from the famous Soo Locks and watched one big ship traverse the waterway last night after a great dinner at the Lockview Restaurant. 

“1I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.” Psalm 62:1 NLT

Cindy off for a walk at sunrise.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans

On the road again. The Driver took his traveling circus on a narrow, bumpy, winding road across acres of great Moose territory. Did he stop? Of course not. We were going very slow to watch “birds.” Never will I understand - there are birds everywhere but we go here and not to graze and meet my fans. We were going so slow I slipped out and wandered about for an hour eating and enjoying the place as it was intended, to serve Moosekind. But then as the vehicle neared the exit, I had to exert my amazing super swimming skills to get back on. Of course I made it. We are heading to a zoo, I overheard. I hope not that is a horrible place. I will keep a keen eye out if that happens there will be mutiny.