A Day out in Ludington with Friends

We were blissfully unaware of what was going on around us when we got up this morning. A nice state to be in, when you are docked in a marina. All is well, and you are safely tied up! Nothing can go wrong, for all intents and purposes, so we can relax. THEN we heard the Badger POOOOOOOOOP! I just made it to the fly deck to see her leave her dock and enter the channel out to the Lake, on her way to Wisconsin.

 

Another thing we noticed this morning...the leaves are starting their Fall colors. Uh oh! Summer is on the way out:(

We did some laundry, as we do when in a Marina (Water is on mains, and we are tied to the dock electrically), and were on our way out, around 11am to put it in the Marina dryer, when who should come walking down the dock, but this pair:) Our friends Dean and Katie, from Houston, who otherwise call Ludington 'Home'. Katie had surgery yesterday, so she is a 'leftie' for about 6 weeks.

 

As friends do, they visited, swapped yarns, enjoyed a cuppa on the boat and called the local dentist for me. Just as we were all leaving the boat, the dentist called us back to say that my Monday, noon appointment was now void, if I wanted to come immediately, as the Dentist had a cancellation!!! YES! We trotted right over to what was only a block away.

Waz and the Calkins waited for me to be x-rayed (well, the teeth were) and be seen by the dentist. What I thought must surely be a cracked tooth or otherwise a needed filling, has turned out to be a  Root Canal in the making. The extreme sensitivity et al is indicative of this in the works. Im not sure how long I will last with things the way they are, but it might be necessary within the next month, to go get a root canal! bummer!

The dentist said he would do it for me if we had two weeks up our sleeves. We don't! But he did give me a prescription for antibiotics in case there is an infection in there, and as an insurance policy.

While there, Dean got himself an appointment for Monday to see about a crown that he has swallowed....the second time! well, he didn't swallow it the first time, and managed to glue it back in, but the second time it came out he did! These folks proudly showed me their crown making machine! I love it. I also enjoyed the dentist and his modern technology:)

 

That done, we walked to a favorite Restaurant of D and K, The Grand, which is home cooking at it's best. I didn't take a photo of the HUGE open faced Burrito that the others ordered...I ordered the bean soup with Brats..yum!...but I should have. I also ordered a small helping (that's all that was needed!!!) of their Turtle Pie dessert. Kind of like a cheesecake...with choc. and caramel sauce. WOW! so much sugar, lol. Waz had a sample, but the other three were so full, from their huge lunch.

 

The four of us walked back to the main street of old Ludington, where we went back to the Photographic Gallery of Todd and Brad Reed. They are a father/son photo duo who document their home state of Michigan. The photos are fantastic! All four seasons are represented, and I admire how they get some of them in totally adverse conditions! As I have said before, the weather in these parts can be brutal!

Of course we had to go for Ice-cream ...yes, after those HUGE burrito, they all said they had room..ha! Even the single scoops are huge, but we had to do it, obviously!:)

 

 

 

We walked back to the car finishing the IC's and D and K took us out to Autozone for Oil for the Engine oil change which is scheduled while we are here, and Meijers (Meyers), west of town, along the highway, where we did some food shopping and had my prescription filled. Waz also found a new TV cable. The other one isn't long enough to reach from the boat to the connection box at most of the Marinas we visit.

 

 

 On the way back to the boat, with the trunk of the car jam packed with D and K's travelling stuff, our oil and groceries  et al, Dean drove us on a quick Tiki-Tour of the beach and beach side homes. It was a hot day!

By the time we got back to the boat it was time for refreshments. D and K had things to do for their Class Reunion tomorrow (Saturday) and Waz and I had things to finish up, on the boat.
After Dinner we felt the need for more exercise and walked the lovely waterfront park again. Of course the Badger was due to sail at 8.30pm again, so we sat and enjoyed the warm evening, the people around us, and the lovely location. Kudos to the city fathers and mothers who have had the foresight to make this place so special.

 I love the late afternoon light...although this was now well after 8pm!

 Lots of places to sit, cook, eat and just enjoy the waterfront.

 Right next to the Marina, in the park, are these large apple trees.. covered in apples. Not ready to eat yet, but they wont be long.

 We loved this sculpture....all of the sculpture in the park is interactive. Notice the vacant sea on the right! This is dedicated to all the Grandparents who might teach their grandies to fish. Lovely:)

 The detail is fantastic!

 You can tell that I am very taken with this sculpture which is dedicated to mariners past, present and future. Perfect!

 The setting sun is gorgeous! Looking out past the harbor entry channel.

 Three young people were fishing, in front of our seat. The other fellow is obviously not in the photo.

 And as we left to go home, we went around the corner and found yet MORE sculpture.:)

 Delightful!

We tend to like walking, as the daylight fades. We knew where we could find a Latte...a bookshop on a corner that we had passed a number of times, now. They are open until 9pm, and it was 8.45pm!

The two young women made an excellent Latte, for which we were very grateful, and we took to the streets again with our hot milky concoctions in hand. The light was fading fast now, but we happened upon this scene, which I had to snap, of course.:)

It is the outside wall of a second hand stuff store. Too bad I didn't get to go inside there!!!! Good thing! says Waz! :)

It was well and truly dark when we arrived back at the marina and home. We were tired, after our long day and all the activity.
D and K have a busy weekend ahead of them, and we have boat maintenance to do tomorrow.

We might not see them again before we leave, but we will catch up with them in Florida, again.