Captain’s Log – Star Dates 07272009 through 07292009
Location – deep within the Sub-Galaxy of Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Grand Haven
(Translation: River Pines RV Park, Allendale, Michigan)
Trip Miles – 5119.4
Diesel Price - $2.40 per gallon; 31.3 gallons loaded on board
Weather – Sunny and Pleasant; Daytime Temperature – 78F

Special Report from Engineering – Major overhaul of truck Diesel engine completed; overhaul included repair and refurbishment of the engine cooling system and replacement of a faulty fuel-injection electronic control module; all post-overhaul checkouts completed satisfactorily. Star Ship Wolverine is cleared for further explorations in the Galaxy of Michigan.

Do you remember Julius Caesar’s famous quote, “I came, I saw, I conquered!”? Well … here is Captain Baldy’s version of those noted words… I came, I saw, I SPENT! Yes, the repair job…which took two days…was expensive! Yes, the Commodore and I sobbed and moaned a little bit! No, I shall not tell you how much it cost since you’ll immediately tell me your Cousin Frank could have done it for one-third the price. Then, I’ll feel bad about myself and hate your guts forever and ever!

All that having been said, here are the good things that accompanied this misadventure…
1. Nobody got hurt.
2. We didn’t damage anyone else’s property.
3. The failure occurred at the best possible location – at a rest stop off the Interstate.
4. We had great service from AAA and the genial dude who towed us into Fox Ford in Grand Rapids.
5. Barnes & Noble was within easy walking distance from Fox Ford…thus, we had a great place to hang out, have decent coffee and catch up on our Internet work.
6. While our truck was being repaired, we had use of a decent Ford Taurus loaner car.
7. Fox Ford did a first-rate job in repairing our truck.
8. Before performing the major repair work, Fox Ford was able to fix our truck enough to allow us to tow our trailer to a VERY restful, beautiful RV park nearby.

Do we have cause to complain? We think not!!

Grand Haven is a cool little shore town on Lake Michigan, just south of Muskegon. It’s the “in-place-to-be” during the annual August Coast Guard Festival. The downtown area turns into a major carnival – yes, you can buy deep-fried dill pickles here if you’re sick enough to do such a thing – and there are dances, fireworks and a huge musical fountain! The USS Mackinaw, a heavy ice-breaker is all spiffied up for tours and the walk on the breakwater is a REAL EVENT. The high-school hotties, in their teensy-weensy bikinis, are out in force and the testosterone from juvenile males flows like a raging river! I got a slight squirt of testosterone from this scene and I have to remember I’m a heart patient!! Barbara constantly muttered that she NEVER looked like that when she was a teen! Life’s a grand adventure, for sure!

I never cease to be AWED by the sight of Lake Michigan…it’s an OCEAN! It’s so huge! I keep sniffing for a salt smell and there isn’t any! Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon was particularly beautiful on the sunny day we visited this beach … the sand is sugary and pristine. The kite-boarders put on an exciting show for us on another day when the weather was blustery and windy!

Admiral Angie has really taken to the River Park RV Park where we’ve been staying while our truck was repaired! We let her roam outside and she has been very busy claiming and marking her TERRITORY! If there were coyotes around here, she wouldn’t last for a second! She’s so white you could see her from space!

We have reunions to tell y’all about…but all those will be covered in our next blog post!

Our son Dan just called us – his family just adopted a new puppy!

As e.e. cummings said – “I thank YOU GOD for this most amazing day!”

Affectionately,

Captain Baldy