Tag Archives: The Accidentals

Accidental Accidents and Accidentals on Purpose

September 8, 2022 exploRVistas 32 Comments

September 8, 2022 – Leelanau County, MI – Written by Jim

Sorry if that title is so confusing. There’s a lot to unpack here.

Back when we put up the barn, I had three levels of scaffolding erected while I was siding the back of it. Our friend George visited during that phase and looked me square in the eyes and said, “Be very careful. If you get hurt, this all comes to a grinding halt.” Rarely a day has gone by where I haven’t thought of him saying that. And I have heeded those words.

Most accidents are a result of being tired. I had been pushing hard to get our flooring done, all the while multitasking and putting baseboards in the closets as I went. It was nearing the end of the day and I was really dragging, so I decided to wind up the air hose and put it in the barn for the night. I laid it over the compressor and turned to walk out the door and hooked my foot around a loop in the hose. I was so focused on the concrete I was about to meet up with that I didn’t notice that I had attempted to grab the upper part of Diana’s china hutch that was standing by itself near me. BAM. I hit the ground hard on my left hip. To add insult to injury, the hutch came down on my shoulder and head a split second later. Thank goodness the glass doors and shelf did not break.

At first, I thought I broke my hip. It took me a bit to get myself up and realize that I was probably just going to be really sore. I decided to take it easy the next day and see what the following day brought. I did a little work that day before stepping wrong and pain shot up my leg. Now I was really sure something bad was going on in there! Off to the med center for X-rays. Luckily, I didn’t have anything broken, but I had pulled some muscles and bruised the heck out of my hip. I took the next three days off.

Once I got back to work, I somehow managed to get the flooring done!

With that behind me, I started installing and spray painting the doors.

Once the pre-hung doors were installed, I took the doors off the hinges and painted them in the spray booth I had set up in the barn. Between the 6 doors and the 30 bifold panels, the sprayer got a workout!

I even managed to NOT trip over the air hose! As those were drying each day, we installed the closet shelving and any other baseboard or door trim we could. As of now, we just have to trim out the closet door openings and any adjoining baseboard, plus a few other minor odds and ends. We are getting close to having the inside of the cabin done. After that, we only need to do the entryway deck and we will be finished.

One other thing that I want to mention: the reason this project has moved along as well as it has and stayed on track is because of Diana keeping the wheels on our train! Not only has she helped with the project itself, she has done nearly everything we both normally do on a daily basis. I’m a lucky guy, indeed!

Our other new addition:

Asphalt! We have had several heavy rains that washed out the steep portion of our gravel driveway, so we decided to pave it to the top of the hill. I’ve been adding the white drain stone along the sides to help with drainage and to add support if a wheel goes off the edge.

So you might be wondering what the “Accidentals on purpose” was all about. Many of you know that we follow the band The Accidentals, as many folks from around here do. We jumped at the chance to see them when they played locally at Fountain Point Resort along with Kaboom Collective, a student orchestra based near Cleveland, Ohio. It was our 40th anniversary gift to each other.

Kaboom had ‘reimagined’ many of the bands older favorites. Sav and Katie had met in orchestra class in high school, so hearing their songs performed by an orchestra blew them away.

Katie shredded her electric guitar and belted out Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One” at one point, which was totally unexpected. We loved every minute of the show!

So the next time we write, we should be wrapping up our building project. I will be sure to keep an eye out for my nemesis, the air hose. Be sure to stay tuned for that post. Until then, safe and happy travels to all!

Friends, Michigan, Museums, National Parks

Planes, Boats, Automobiles and Music

July 27, 2019 exploRVistas 21 Comments

Leelanau and Benzie Counties, MI – July 19-25, 2019

Keep on movin’…

If there is one statement that can describe our last week, the aforementioned line would be it. Finishing up our shift at Sleeping Bear Dunes last Friday, we hightailed it up to Northport, Michigan to see a musical duo named Mulebone.

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We had listened to this Brooklyn, NY based pair back in 2017 and couldn’t wait to see them again. The music they play can best be described as ‘roots blues’, if you can imagine such a thing. Their hit Keep on Movin’ provided a theme for our week to come. We met up with our friends Rod, Mary, Lane, Patti, JoAnn, Paul and Skip, along with several other acquaintances. A great evening, indeed!

Saturday morning found me opening the Cannery boat museum, while Diana was off to the Visitor Center to answer questions for the park’s guests. While I was vacuuming, I heard a roar much louder than the Dyson I was dragging behind me.

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Four A-10 Warthogs buzzed Glen Haven, doing a wing wag as they passed. I managed to get a photo of the last one as it flew by. Later that day, we had a torrential downpour that lasted a good portion of the afternoon. A couple on their bikes holed up in the building with me while the rain fell. The noise level on the roof was deafening! So much for any chance at the lake levels going down. 🙂

That night, Diana and I headed back to Northport to see one of our favorite bands, The Accidentals.

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Taking their name from the accidental musical note, Katie Larsen and Savannah Buist met by chance in a high school orchestra class. Joined later by Michael Dause, this trio turns out some very innovative music. They were recently signed by Sony Masterworks and are fresh off a tour of the United Kingdom. We’ve seen them numerous times; the most recent being last year with our friends Jodee and Bill. Unfortunately, the word ‘accidental’ reared its ugly side on Sunday as the group left Traverse City:

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Someone ran a stop sign and t-boned their van. Luckily, everyone….and most of the equipment…is ok. Sad to say that Katie’s carbon fiber cello took a direct blow and will never play their hit Michigan and Again again. Instruments can be replaced though, as can vehicles. They are already back on the road and their music lives on.

Keep on movin’…

Our Sunday was a bit better than theirs. We drove south into Benzie County and visited Point Betsie Lighthouse.

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This gem was built in 1858. The grounds consist of a combined lighthouse/keeper’s quarters, fog signal building, oil house and a separate lifesaving museum/gift shop.

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The museum had several pieces of authentic lifesaving equipment, including this time clock the shore patrol would’ve carried on their nightly rounds.

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The idea was that they would walk to a post several miles down the beach and insert the key that was attached to it. That proved to their station’s keeper that they walked the entire distance.

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I found this photo interesting in that it shows the lighthouse depot at the foot of Mt. Elliott Street in Detroit, which still exists. My great-grandfather and his crew departed from that very same dock on the USLHS Amaranth in 1892 to build Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. The depot is about 1 mile from where he lived at the time.

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The museum also had this display that showed how to balance containers on a ship. Being the hands-on guy I am, I picked up one of the blocks, which in turn caused the boat to roll over and dump the entire cargo. Diana proceeded to reload the blocks on the deck and send the boat on its way. 🙂

Once we finished up at the museum and fog signal building, we headed into the lighthouse.

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The view to the north from the tower shows the entrance to the Manitou Passage. The beach patrol from the adjacent lifesaving station would’ve walked north several miles each night to the key on a post. The men at the Sleeping Bear station would walk south to the same post. We’ve made it our goal to attend the lighthouses’ bicentennial in 2058. We will be 100 at the time.

Keep on movin’…

Monday found us on a morning hike before our shift in Glen Haven.

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Our purpose was to test out our new double-collapsible trekking poles that we are taking to the UK in September. We like them so far. The trail we chose for our hike was Alligator Hill up to Islands Overlook; an easy three mile round trip.

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This is Sleeping Bear Point from that viewpoint. The black roof of the Cannery and the flagpole at the lifesaving station can be seen in the photo.

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This is the vista looking north. South Fox Island is to the left and Pyramid Point is to the right. Truly a spectacular view.

Tuesday saw me complete a project I’d been wanting to do since we purchased Hank the Deuce:

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This tonneau cover is specially designed to work in conjunction with my behind-the-cab toolbox. It rolls up tight against the box when I’m hauling the fifth wheel. It will keep the hitch and the other goodies we carry back there out of the weather.

Keep on movin’…

To wrap up the week, we met up with our friends Paul and Sheryl. We’ve known each other since our college days at Western Michigan University.

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We met for dinner at Cherry Republic on Wednesday and took in the Empire Bluffs trail on Thursday morning. It was good to see them again! We followed that up with another shift at the Cannery and on to the next week at Sleeping Bear. Keep on movin’!

Stay tuned for our next Saturday morning post as we look for more of northern Michigan’s gems. Until then, safe and happy travels to all!

Friends, Michigan, National Parks

Sleeping Bear 2018

August 14, 2018 exploRVistas 20 Comments

July 29 – August 14, 2018

We are happy to be back in Leelanau County, Michigan for the months of August and September. We will be volunteering for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As we did for Oregon State Parks, we will be working as Interpretive Volunteers throughout the park. Our duties include working in the two maritime locations, the visitor center, and as narrators on bus tours of Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

Campsite

As compensation, we are given a campsite at D.H. Day Campground.

We came in a few days early and camped at Leelanau Sands Casino, just north of Suttons Bay. In order to stay there, we had to sign up for a Players Club card. First time cardholders are given $10 in free slot play.

Leelanau Sands

I had a pretty lucky night. The machine I was playing started going wild! The guy next to me was laughing, as he thought I was doing pretty good for a 30 cent bet. When I informed him I was playing on the casino’s money, his jaw hit the floor. By the time we walked out, I was over $180 in winnings. Not bad for someone who doesn’t frequent casinos!

Before we headed to Sleeping Bear, our friends Linda and Steven came and stayed next to us at Leelanau Sands.

Linda and Steven

We all went to Patti and Lane’s house for dinner, along with Rod and Mary. We also went out to eat a few times and checked out Peterson Park.

Peterson Park

We love the view from up there, as it’s possible to see four islands on a clear day.

We also went kayaking on Little Traverse Lake with Lane and Patti. Here they are heading back out after we had to get ready to go back to our camp.

Patti and Lane

Pretty soon, it was our first day on the job….which also happened to be out 36th anniversary!

First day Sleeping Bear

Here we are in the Cannery, which is a fruit processing plant turned boat museum.

Cannery

The boat I am sitting in front of is identical to the one from the movie, The Finest Hours. It is self-righting, self-bailing, practically unsinkable and the diesel engine will run upside down.

The other maritime location is the 1902 lifesaving station. The boathouse is said to be the most completely equipped station in the United States.

Boathouse

Here I am letting one our visitors feel how heavy the Lyle gun projectile is. That particular gun would shoot a line over a disabled ship in order to establish a lifesaving zipline, then called a breeches buoy. The Lyle gun was the only cannon ever developed to save lives, instead of taking them.

Surfboat

We also have two open surfboats on display.

Heroes

And every afternoon, the park puts on a program called Heroes of the Storm, a reenactment of how a Lyle gun rescue works. Seven children are pulled out of the crowd to serve as surfmen. The sailors they save from the ‘ship’ are Raggedy Ann and Andy. It’s really fun. 🙂

And on Thursdays, the park fires off a real Lyle gun. It is a sight to see!

Lyle Gun 1

The initial blast…

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…pushing out the flame and the projectile.

Lyle Gun 3

As the projectile gets dragged by the shot line coming out of the blue box, it turns around and heads out over the water….

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…eventually landing 200 yards out, dragging the shot line behind it. The surfmen back in the day could launch the projectile up to 600 yards.

We also worked at the Port Oneida Fair, which is a celebration of the early 20th Century rural culture. Living history activities were held at several of the historic farms, as well as the school house, that are a part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

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Diana worked at the washtub station, teaching children how to do laundry.

Laundry

When the local TV station started filming, we decided to watch the news that night. Not only was she on there…

Corn Sheller

…so was I, teaching kids how to run a corn sheller. 🙂

Dulcimer

One gentleman was even teaching youngsters how to play a hammer dulcimer.

Blacksmith Shop

And who is that in the Blacksmith shop? Well that is Diana, providing lunch relief for the blacksmith and keeping the fire going, while explaining the role of the blacksmith in the town of Glen Haven. 🙂

Northport

We also were visited by our friends Jodee and Bill! Here we are at Music in the Park in Northport.

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We also checked out Sleeping Bear and the Old Mission Peninsula with them….

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…and their sweet fluffy dog Tessa. 🙂

Our last night with them, we managed to get tickets for The Accidentals. We have been following this trio for several years now. Their latest album Odyssey has been played in our CD players from Oregon to Florida to Maine and back to Michigan.

The Accidentals

Diana and I have seen them perform twice in the past at outside venues, but it was great to see and hear them inside an auditorium. The four of us were blown away, hooting and hollering throughout the show. If you ever have the opportunity to see them, don’t miss it.

Well, that gives you an idea of what we’ve been up to the past few weeks. Stay tuned for our next post as we continue to find new adventures to share with you. Until then, safe and happy travels to all!

Fulltime RVing, Michigan

Workin’ Hard and Playin’ Often!

July 17, 2015 exploRVistas 22 Comments

It is remarkable how a simple answer to a question can be the impetus to overcoming an obstacle. So it was with Site 94 at Wild Cherry Resort. A project to build an upscale Class A site had reached the point of laying the pavers. None of us had ever done that sort of work before, and not much was happening as a result. When our newest work campers, Rod and Mary, showed up in mid-June, the question was asked if Rod knew how to do pavers. Mary replied “Yes he does”, and Rod was immediately appointed to be the foreman. 🙂

First day on the job, Rod started rounding up the tools needed and put us to work. Here he is manning a rake, with Paul on the compactor.

Jim S. (the owner) started running sand with the Truckster.

As the week wore on, the crew kept at it. I missed part of the work when we made our previously scheduled trip to St. Louis. Our goal was to have the site finished for the July 4th weekend.

Rex, our longtime mower, kept the rest of the park looking great while we were tied up on the site. Rex celebrated his 91st birthday last week with happy hour at his and Nellie’s place. The only thing that keeps Rex from mowing is an invitation to go salmon fishing on Lake Michigan. 🙂

After the pavers were laid, we spread a sand/concrete mix over the top and Rod shook it in with the compactor.

We then swept off the excess and Rod sprayed the site with water to set the mix and the pavers in place.

The site also features a lower patio, which Mary did the landscaping on.

From left: myself, Dave, Rod, Mary, Rex and Paul….

…and the owner of Wild Cherry, Jim.

After working our tails off, we welcomed the first motor home onto Site 94 on July 2nd. 🙂 Time to play!

One of the many things we took in since then was Paddle for Pints, which I have previously posted about. A few days later, Diana’s cousins Reed and his wife Emily, and Nancy and her husband David came over from Luzerne to visit.

We took them to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and hiked up to Pyramid Point. Here is Reed and I looking out towards North Manitou Island. After we completed the hike, we had a nice lunch at Hearth and Vine at Black Star Farms.

And then there are evenings on the patios of the local wineries, which feature local musicians.

Here we are with Camilla at Aurora Cellars, listening to Drew Hale.

Mary noted on a later visit that Drew has a Zac Brown influence. I also detected a little Keith Urban in his voice.

And here is singer/songwriter Blake Elliott at Shady Lane, an event we also attended with Camilla. Blake is often compared to Traci Chapman but, per Robert Downes from Northern Express, is as “hard to pin down as liquid mercury”. Crazy good, for sure!

And here are The Accidentals at Blustone. We showed up later here with Rod and Mary after listening to Drew Hale again with Paul and JoAnn. Camilla is out in the crowd already. 🙂 If you haven’t heard of The Accidentals, chances are you will someday. Fresh out of high school and Interlochen, their list of accomplishments is amazingly long. The girls play 12 instruments between the two of them. Best described as indie/folk/bluegrass….uh, well…they really defy description. 🙂

And it is cherry picking time!

Before the mechanical shakers came in, we were told we could pick some for ourselves. Here is Diana picking some black sweet cherries. Oh, my….they are delicious!

And while Jim S. and a few others were picking cherries, I was driving the Truckster around, picking up golf balls. Always a nice way to spend an hour. 🙂 I’ve also been tackling a fence painting project, along with my normal duties on my work days. Diana has been very busy with the office, which is a huge job. As is evident, we are working hard and having fun! We are fortunate to be part of a great group of people, both workers and seasonal residents. The weather is outstanding…low humidity and temperatures just below 80 for highs.