Ouch! Mother nature strikes RV park

We've been on generator power for the past 9 hours as a storm has hit the South Haven Michigan area leaving thousands of residents and tourists without electricity.  Our little RV community at Cousins RV park was certainly in the path as it appears that straight line winds toppled a number of trees and caused at least one injury last last night.

The most serious casualty of the storm was our friend Steve whose fifth wheel took a direct hit from an eighty foot tree that caved in the roof and injured him enough to be taken to the hospital with cuts and abrasions.  The fallen tree also extended over to his neighbor coach and also caused some damage, though superficial.  Other areas of the park were strewn with debris but thankfully no one else was injured and any damage is minor.

So there is lots of work to do around here and we all will need to pitch in so will close for now.

Thanks to my generator and WiFi air card I was able to get this short notice out.  Here are a few pictures.

So folks it wasn't pretty but for the most part we're all okay and still livin' the dream.

Phil

Bluebirds, moving pictures and good times

I hate to start out with an apology about not writing so ... maybe a joke would be more appropriate.

Did you hear the one about the priest, rabbi, and the Indian chief sitting in the New York bar?  Whoops ... maybe I'd better set this aside as well before I'm making apologies for something else!.

Anyway the summer has been zooming by.  Trips back and forth to our home to harvest the lawn ... see the kids ... back to South Haven for happy hour ... back and forth.  Maybe we should get a seasonal bus pass.

At the rear of our campsite is a long rail fence with a birdhouse affixed near the coach.  Since our arrival in early May I've watched it intently for some signs of a new inhabitant but apparently it didn't appeal to any of the local critters so I stopped paying attention to it.  Then about two weeks ago I thought I'd take a peek inside the birdhouse to see if there was any signs of life and as I raised the lid I was met, in full startled flight, something blue as it zoomed passed my nose.  Gathering my senses, and waiting for my heart to slow down, I backed away about 50 feet and within a few minutes the birdhouse resident returned.  It was a beautiful Bluebird.  A few days pass and I decide that this might be the perfect chance to get some up-close photographs of this colorful little creature so I got all my gear together and got it set up near the birdhouse.  With telephoto lens, high speed flash, radio controlled shutter release all is place, I set down about 20 feet away in my comfortable lawn chair and waited.  Ten minutes went by, twenty, then thirty.  I wondering where is the world did this guy go?
An hour rolls by and I finally see him (or her) as it zooms by my head and lands some 100 feet away in a nearby tree.  The light bulb in my head goes off.  I'm spooking the birds by sitting too close to the birdhouse. Since I'm not really a very experienced 'birder' I thought I better just pack it in and try another day.  So this is the best shot I got of that beautiful bluebird.

Simply a big nada, nothing, nope, nary a winged whippoorwill to be had .  No birds ... just the bird box.
So with a little stealth ... me you say? ... and a little  luck ... maybe next time I'll catch a shot of that little critter.  Stay tuned.

This weekend in South Haven is the big film festival.  Film makers from all over are gathering here to show off their productions.  I think this is the first time the festival of film will be held here and they have already set aside four or five venues to show the films.  Who knows ... maybe someone famous may even come to town.

The following week is HarborFest.  One of the really big events of the season.  Art shows, musical events ... a mecca for tourist young and old.

There you have it.  Another episode on life on the trail with Phil and Sharon.  If you're still awake thanks for stopping by.

We're still livin' the dream and happy you've joined us.