What a busy weekend! I am swamped and as predicted, I have a pile of laundry. So what else is new?
Friday night, hubby and I were childless and we went to Woodtic at Merritt Speedway. Lots of fun. We turned in at 2 a.m., and were up at 7 a.m. to go pick up the girls from camp. Autumn’s camp ended with a demonstration of their horse skills. Autumn had tested as a "Mountie," which meant she had some skills. That is totally because she often rides horses at a friend’s house. The friend had also went to the camp, and I told the mom it was all due to her.The girls did great. (For all pictures in this blog, you can click them and see a larger version.)
And surprise, surprise, two of my three children did not spend the entire $20 left in their accounts. Autumn and Amanda both had a quarter left. Maxine spent hers in its entirety. Here’s Autumn and the horse she rode for the week at Camp, Cinder.
After we picked up the girls, we headed for the ClayBanks, which isn’t far from Silver Lake Sand Dunes. On Saturday afternoon, Steve and I headed over there with my FIL, a cousin and his wife and oldest son, an aunt and uncle, and Gramps.
This is a state park where they let you take your ORV in to drive around in the ever-chaning sand dunes. Your ORV has to have a flag to help people see you. I spent a lot of time at the bottom of the first hill by the entrance just watching people try to make it up this huge hill. On the other side it dropped off a LOT. As in, if you didn’t break at the top, you’d launch off it.
The array of vehicles trying to make it up this hill was almost as entertaining as watching people attempt it (and most make it). Shortly after we got there, Steve and I both saw a four-seater dune buggy power up the last 20 feet or so on its back tires only. Steve noted I would have been screaming if that’d been me in there. So right.
Then before I could even get out the video camera, Steve was off on his dirt bike and up the hill and gone. The picture is of him as he took off. I sat in the back of the truck and waited for him to return. The sand was so strange and I wasn’t confident that I’d be able to drive the truck I was in anywhere. We had borrowed an extended cab 4×4 Ford for the weekend. And that’s what I was supposed to be driving around. There was no way I could make it up that hill, and I didn’t know where else to go.
It wasn’t long before the FIL joined me, with the truck full of everyone else I mentioned (minus the cousin and the uncle who were on 4-wheelers). The FIL attempted to drive the truck up the huge hill, and as I watched I was amazed at how much he shook and jerked it around. Definitely a bouncy ride. He didn’t make it. The truck was done right about the place where I watched the dune buggy go up on its two back tires. Then he had to get it down the hill and back by me, which wasn’t easy either. It took several attempts and lots of power.
Finally, Steve had me follow him through the dunes so we could go sit on the shore of Lake Michigan for a while. But I couldn’t get over the hill. Steve had taken me to a place he felt I should be able to drive up, but I couldn’t do it. I can’t drive his dirt bike, so I really needed to get the truck up it. And I’d try, but I’d only get 3/4 of the way, and I’d be stuck. At the end I was swearing at him and just ready to get the heck out of there. I’d never tried to drive a truck up something like that before. I was usually in the passenger seat when Steve did it.
Finally, Scott (the cousin) showed up on his four-wheeler, and traded me. I put on the helmet and prepared to drive up the hill. And then realized, on a 4-wheeler I had no protection if I went over. And then I was sideways on a steep hill, and worried about how to get up or down. I got down, took a deep breath, and then powered over it. Glad to have finally done it.
We stayed by the lake a while, but we had to go home and the only way out was through the dunes. I’d have to drive the truck. Steve gave me a few words of encouragement, and I started out. The last hill before you exit was a lot steeper than Steve or I expected. But I didn’t hesitate, or panic. I just drove and had faith that the truck (and I) could do it. Then on the other end, there was a short steep descent to the exit. I made it. And Steve was proud. 
He was bragging about me to the kids. And it was FUN.
We plan on going back with the Jeep. And I’d really like to have a 4-wheeler or a dune buggy to tool around there in. Steve was really happy with his dirt bike’s performance. It went everyhere he wanted it to, and we didn’t even have the paddle wheels most of the bikes we saw had on. I’d never before done anything like that, and it was great.
We also camped near Lake Michigan. It was 93 steps from our campground to the beach. And what a difference. The haze hung over the lake, really limiting the view. And on Sunday morning, the haze was all the way up on the beach. There was a big temperature drop by the water. This must be the definition of humidity. The haze was just so thick. I took pictures from an observation deck to show you. You can barely see past the beach to realize that Lake Michigan is out there.
Also the sand on the beach there was like no other sand I remember. It was different than the sand dunes too, which was also unique sand. At the beach, the sand actually squeaked when you walked through it. Or if you rubbed your hand back and forth on the sand’s surface, it would start to make a noise. After playing in the sand, I noticed the black grains of sand were stuck to my fingers, collecting in the wrinkles around my knuckles. I was thinking it might have been a metal fragment. Very neat experience too. And the haze made it look all so surreal.
It was over all an awesome weekend. My house is no longer so quiet, but it’s good to have the kids back. Even if they did bring home tons of laundry. 
