June = Family

Shelter in Place Has its Positives

When I saw this quilt display in the Shipshewana Visitor Center it reminded me of family and friends and how we are all connected and intertwined, especially now during this Covid Crisis.  It also gave me the start for this blog since June was a month spent mainly with family and a  few friends.

First 2 weeks we spent with Amy, Scotty, Ty, Tessa, Avery, Jaden and Lacie.  This time we even had our own room WITH A DOOR as their house has been completed and they moved back in. This has been the positive about Shelter in Place cause we got to hunker down with the fam, not go anywhere or do anything. We did manage to connect with a few friends from Anthem, but certainly not like we have done in the past.

Amy’s new old/new house is like going into a HGTV episode.  Just beautiful. Scotty tends towards modern and Amy is more South West and the blend of the two styles works very well. Black wrought iron and barn wood. And who ever heard of a contractor finishing exactly on the date he said he would? 5 months to the date when he first sledged out the wall they were moving back in. Amazing.

1400 Miles Back to Pick up Wanda and She Won’t Budge!

Tyman decided he would travel back with us to IN, then head to Muskegon MI where Amy would join us the following week. 1400 miles is a long way for a teenage boy/man to travel with the Grands; however, Ty kept himself busy figuring out the map and also helping us with WAZES. We listened to 2 audio books: The Avenger series which surprisingly to me he really got into.

I really don’t believe that Wanda can actually hold a grudge, but it sure felt like it. Maybe Wanda was just trying to tell us that she doesn’t like to be left alone for so long. We finally made it to the Grand Design factory to pick Wanda up after some repairs, got there well after factory closing time, but Wanda was there and we were all excited to get hitched up and on the way to Muskegon. One of our nemesis is the hitching up part – remember the Up and Down? We just couldn’t get Wanda to connect with the truck. The fifth wheel mechanisms just wouldn’t engage. After a long period of time we discovered that the hitch had a broken bolt. Now it is Sunday and there is no one around at the GD factory, so I send an email to our customer representative telling her she will find us in the lot tomorrow (Monday) and need to get the bolt fixed.  That meant we were spending the night in the rig. Not exactly what Tyman had in mind.

Good thing we had the bolt problem because during the night after hooking up the electric and water we were awakened to the sound of water dripping – well more than just dripping, lets talk gushing. HMMM – that was supposed to be fixed.

What we didn’t know was the GD factory starts up about 4am – and that meant they read the email and were knocking on our door at 6am ready to haul Wanda back in for repairs. Yikes! Not expecting such quick service and I am still in my nighty. Into the shop Wanda went and we headed off to Shipshewana for the day. Tyman is in a summer school program and needs the wifi so he can attend the online classes, we head to the Visitor Center. Since everything is in lock down, they gladly let us sit on the veranda, use their wifi for 2 hours. Shipshewana is an Amish town and the majority of the people actually do get around town in horse and buggy. Tyman was amazed and this day not only was he online with his classmates he got to tell them about the Amish. Not something one sees every day. BTW, his online school is awesome! I listened in for the week and was very impressed with the lessons and how it was presented. Good Job Fairview!

GD ParkingLot TymanSchoolLunchBreak

What a Way to Spend my Birthday – Traffic Cop

Anyone who knows me, knows that I do love to celebrate my birthday, but waiting for repairs on Wanda is not how I like to celebrate. It was a pretty low-key day, I did not get the usual coffee and cake in bed, nor did I get the traditional wake-up “Happy Birthday” song with the birthday gifts. I was bummed as I sat waiting at the Visitor Center. Woes is me. We get the call that Wanda is fixed and waiting for pickup. Hitch was completely replaced (no charge) and the water leak? Turns out when they looked at it the water wasn’t leaking anywhere, but after the lines are filled with water (remember we heard it leaking in the middle of night) turns out there was a split in the T-valve somewhere in the bowels of Wanda; but now we are good to go. We get back to GD around 3pm – the factory is closed for day since it starts at 4am (goodness that is early) and Wanda is there all by her lonesome. We start to hitch up and What The Heck – we can’t get the mechanism to connect correctly.  This is a new hitch so we struggle to get it aligned and locked in which we finally do and start to drive out. We get about 50 yards, make a turn onto main road when the brakes of trailer engage and we are stopped dead. The hitch is all cockamamie, at a 180 angle which is not right.

 

Not Right Cockamamie

Factory closed, we are halfway in the main road and we are stuck. We flag 2 young guys driving by in a golf cart (they are workers at GD) and they look at it and inform us they know nothing about hitches, but they do know this isn’t right, they will try to find help. They take off and are gone for about 10 minutes and come back with a maintenance guy. He knows nada but will try to find someone. He comes back with Jay, who is a customer rep, and while he doesn’t work on the rigs he does know that something is seriously wrong. Then Mike is driving out on his way home and he stops. Yup, that ain’t right.

 

Between the 4 of us, plus the 2 guys in the cart and the maintenance guy just hanging around, it was determined that the wedge was not installed properly. All that needs to be done is get a big ol’ crescent wrench….

Jay: “Do you by any chance have a crescent wrench?”

Ty: “As a matter of fact I just bought one today at the hardware”

Side note: After Ty’s school, we went to the local hardware store – this was a real old fashion wood floor, packed to the gills place. Ty (big) sees this crescent wrench and tells me he should buy this just in case. He carries it around in the store with him, then decides – No really don’t need it. It is only $20 so buy it.  Ok, he buys. Coincidence or intuition?

Meanwhile, we are half in the drive half in main road and are having to direct traffic around us. There are garbage trucks trying to get into and out of the factory. Big haulers doing the same – and me being the traffic cop – on my birthday!!

5:30 pm all fixed and on the road to Muskegon which is only a 3-hour drive. Tyman was a trooper. Must give kudos to Jay and Mike for hanging with us to get the wedge installed correctly. These guys worked way beyond closing time and where not on the payroll for this. Also, to all the guys who didn’t know how to fix but found someone else who found someone who could.

PioneerParkMi

Muskegon MI Pioneer County Park

This is a jewel of a camping park. Big shady lots, right on the shore of Lake Michigan.

The first week we were there, Ty’s family came to visit us. Paul, Mark and Jen. Paul rented a small cabin next to park and stayed 2 days, Mark and Jen drove in for the day. Good to see family and catch up during these times. They all live in Chicago and said it was good to get away from all the crazy. We stayed 4 ft apart.

Second week Amy and Tessa joined us as well as Amy’s friend Wendy. Wendy’s husband brought down her trailer and they had the lot next to us. Good thing so Amy and Tessa had a place to sleep. Friend Leslie Welbourn was passing through with her camper and stopped in for a night – she brought along her friend C, whom is itching to buy a small rig and travel around. Just has to convince the hubby that’s what he wants to do. Sound familiar anyone?

amy tessa scarlet wendy Leslie and friend C Tyman chopping wood camp fitness Tessa Lake MI Ty school Me and my girls ty lake mi Tessa Makes Fire

NUDEY ALERT: one moonless evening Amy led the way to the beach. Water was so warm and calm, so we all went skinny dipping. That is pretty much a tradition for Amy and myself when we are at Lake MI and now, we’ve added Tessa.

16 year old Closet gocarts swimming The Ty generation

June Fun Ends – Tears Again

Amy left with Ty and Tessa on June 28. I cried and felt punky the whole day. We left on June 29 – final destination is to be the Catskills in New York for a couple of days then onto White Mountains New Hampshire where we will spend the rest of July roaming around.

It was very hard to say the good byes this time. Probably more so than ever. Having spent most of June with the family, I got use to it…waking up and having morning coffee and then kissing all good night. It has been hard to get pumped up to start up again on the Great Adventure.

Ty Sunset Lk MI Lake MI Sunset