Mom went on a vacation with her extended family last week! They all stayed at a lakeside rental house in rural western Michigan. This year it seemed extra special, since it was the first time Mom's gone on vacation and the first time she's seen her California aunt and uncle in person since 2019. (We were left home alone as usual, but we found out all about it afterwards from Mom's journal and photos on her phone.)
Predictably, since they had access to a pool (and a very seaweedy lake), the weather pattern turned unseasonably cool and intermittently wet for their entire stay. On only 2 of the 6 mornings did they wake up to sun instead of clouds, but fortunately none of the days were total wash outs.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, are some photos of a few highlights:
Mom's room for the week - comfy but not easy on the eyes.
The wallpaper was stripes on the bottom and white with black dots on top, and if that wasn't enough, the room was decorated with bright pink bedspreads and accents. XD
That's Mom's reindeer on the nightstand, who stows away on every trip she goes on. Lucky reindeer.
Visit to South Haven: much more pleasant than their New Year's Day visit.
The downtown Allegan greeting committee. Good thing Nala wasn't there.
The Kalamazoo River looking very tranquil.
Part of a cool (but sadly damaged) mural on a building, presumably depicting the logging history of the area.
Bonus of visiting Lake Michigan on a cool, cloudy day: no crowds
Monarch butterfly enjoying the beach
Oval Beach piers
Mom made it this far out on the boulder section before deciding it wouldn't be wise to continue (there was a big gap between slanted boulders, and she is not the most coordinated person...)
Crashing waves made some of the boulders slippery also, but a few family members made it all the way out and back, and nobody got hurt.
They explored the channel the other way too. Their side was bordered by a picturesque sand duney nature preserve. (Big, fancy houses are going up on the other side.)
The scenic end of the channel
Even on an overcast day, the views did not disappoint
Not sure what exactly the dark particles consist of (seaweed?) but the waves carry them into some really cool patterns.
A friendly duck. (They also saw tons of seagulls and a few sandpipers.)
This 1000-piece puzzle was started several days into the week. Despite their efforts, it was not completed before they had to leave. So. Much. Fern. It got put back in the box in chunks. Maybe they'll haul it out and finish it next year?
And here she is by the time Mom got back! Wow, they grow quickly!
She's our biggest, highest genetic stat zorse yet! Her spots are less abundant than her sister's, and she's the first not to inherit Eleanor's blue eyes.
Lily isn't happy about it, but Kite and Eleanor are having one last foal. Bethany, Julie, and I decided each of us ought to have one. Lily acted like she doesn't really want one, blah blah blah, but once it comes, I bet she'll change her mind. =) We've parted with Squiggy (the huge pearl) and Practical Cat (the ornery cremello with major bend-or spots), so it's not like there isn't room.
Finally, here are 3 fun wilds we've encountered recently.
I love that this name randomly came up on a zebra. XD
The final wild is the first we're (okay, mostly I'm) seriously considering keeping this month. Look at those spots!
He's also big, sturdy, and has a pretty good genetic stat total.
He's not that great at anything in particular, other than being a follower, but he's not glaringly weak in any particular area either. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the second half of July stays as slow as the first half wild-wise, because I think this guy would make a great addition to our herd.
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