The Mayflower II

 Let me be honest and tell you that I took these pictures off Facebook. They are credited to Greg Saschuk on the Cape Cod Photography Page. My cousin Jean alerted me to them.

The Mayflower II is passing the Sagamore Bridge on Cape Cod. You may remember that I can trace my lineage back to the Mayflower I.

Of course, these are really beautiful in the fog, but I especially like this one because it shows how small the Mayflower is. Not much bigger than a tugboat. There were 102 passengers and a 30-man crew. Just think about that when you are feeling a little crowded.

I'm keeping this short so I can go lie down. I'm pretty much well, but don't have full stamina back yet. Any strong smell is still making me feel ill. Tomorrow is going to be a long day with an event in Cadillac. I have to leave here at 7:30 in the morning.

I edited, I wrote, I dealt with a flat tire, I went to the store, I got ready for tomorrow. I think I'm pretty much done for today.

See Peregrine White

Bits and Pieces

Today, Marie and I did our last jigsaw puzzle for a while. This one is called Morning Stop, and it was a lot of fun. Also 300 pieces, and it took 1 hr and 15 min. Tomorrow we head for the Adirondacks!

I'm going to fill in with a few odds and ends from the week here that I wanted to show you, but they didn't make the cut on their own day.

This is part of Ellen's fairy garden. She has a big round space in her yard filled with white gravel and fairy scenes.

The Rondout Harbor, where we saw the Trinidad, also has a maritime museum. We'll save that for another trip since it won't sail away. One of their displays is the steam tugboat, Mathilda. This was built in Quebec in 1898 and is one of the few surviving steam tugboats, although it is no longer in the water.

We got a big kick out of it for reasons other than historical. The name is spelled the same as our friend, Mathilda, with an h.

Two more shots of the Trinidad. I love the high stern with the windows in the captain's cabin. The captain always occupied the stern because in sailing vessels the wind comes from behind, so all the bad smells are carried forward.

The recreated ship sails under the current Spanish flag.

Finally, I can't resist sharing this shark sign.

I also edited today, and we did errands and visited Selma again. It's been a great week here. We don't have to say goodbye yet, but the focus will change.

See Food for Thoughts

Inside the Trinidad

Marie and I did go back to tour the inside of the Trinidad. Here's a view down Rondout Creek from the poop deck (the highest deck at the rear-aft).

The kind of boat is called a nao. Since I've read quite a few books with ships from the time period I wasn't sure why I'd never heard of this. That's the Spanish term. We call this a carrack. Famous ones include the ships of Magellan, Columbus, Vasco Da Gama, and many others. Although I've read about them, and even seen a couple from outside, this is the first time I've been on board.

The biggest surprise for me was that the decks are not level. Not that it matters when you are floating and the sea is heaving beneath you, but they are slightly curved upwards at the ends.

This is the main deck beneath the quarterdeck. The sailors on these historic ships slept on mats on this deck. In this reproduction, the crew has tight bunks in the deck below, in what would have been the cargo hold.

This is the capstan. It is turned by hand to raise and lower the anchor.

Here was another surprise for me. There is no wheel or the kind of horizonatal tiller one sees on smaller sailboats. This is called a whipstaff (the vertical bar- sorry, the lower end of the mizzenmast is hanging down behind the top of it) was attached to the rudder somehow and used to steer the ship. The crew all spoke Spanish, but some of them were pretty good at answering questions. We learned that the ship is still steered this way. He said it's a real pain because it's so difficult to operate.

I always knew the Captain enjoyed relative luxury, but I didn't quite understand how much space he had, relative to the 60 people crammed together everywhere else. This is the Captain's cabin. The bed is curtained. There is a large trunk for his belongings and a chair. He had windows in the stern of the ship- where the light is blasting in.

Around the corner on the left is another space of his which has a desk and storage areas for things like charts and the ship's log and papers.

I wanted to show you a picture of the Trinidad in full sail, but the only one they had on display was partly covered with a taped-on notice. I stole this from the USS Kidd Veteran's Museum. It's a four-masted ship. The mizzenmast is aft- with a lateen sail (angled and in line with the body of the ship), then the main mast (only the topsail is unfurled in this picture), foremast, and bowsprit.

The crew said it takes 40 minutes to unfurl the main sail alone, let alone adding the other sails, so they often travel with the motor unless the wind is going to be steady for a long time. Plus, they all have to work all the time when the sails have to be dealt with. The original crew of 60 allowed for shifts of work. With only 20 aboard, it takes all of them to set the sails. Also, they must use the motor to get in and out of harbors. A large ship under wind power is not very maneuverable, and they can't risk hitting other ships operating by modern standards.

Also surprising is that they take on volunteer crew members with no experience at all. It's an immersion learning experience- both in sailing and in Spanish if you don't speak that language! People sign on for 3, 6 or 12 months. One 70-year old signed up and they said he did well, although he did not climb the rigging!

I learned a lot more, but that's enough for today.

We also worked, fixed dinner (of course), and visited Selma.

See Trinidad

Trinidad

The original Trinidad set sail from Spain in 1519 with four other ships. It was the flagship for Magellan's expedition- the first to sail around the world (and be remembered for it).

Ed came home from the gym this morning and told us the recreated one, Nao Trinidad, was in the Kingston port on the Roundout Creek which is off the Hudson River. We went down to see it.

I am continually amazed at the miniscule size of the ships that sailed across the oceans. This ship is 93 feet long and 28 feet wide. About the size of a ranch house. It's probably good they didn't know how large the oceans were.

Here is the main mast and crow's nest.

The bow with the anchor stowed along the side.

Some of the young people who sail it stay there when it is in port to answer questions and sell souvenirs. The girl we talked to said it takes about 20 sailors when they are on the ocean. Can you imagine sharing that space with 20 people? The crew members sign up for 3-6 months each. Get this- the original ship had 61 sailors on board. Where did they put them all? And enough food and water for the voyage?

If there is one thing sailors are known for it's working with rope and knots. I love the intricacy of the rigging.

In 1519, the Trinidad sailed from Spain, funded by Charles I (who was 18 at the time!). This is the coat of arms of Castile and Leon. When the two crowns united in 1230 their two symbols were quartered on the shield. The two emblems still appear in the coat of arms of modern Spain.

The original Trinidad did not make it back to Spain. Magellan was killed in the Philippines. Only the Victoria, captained by Elcano made it all the way around the world.

We may go back another day and go on board. That costs money, but we would like to see it.

Now that we are in Marie's home space, she has tasks to do. And I also brought some work. We spent the morning doing all that, then went out to do errands and to see the ship and some other places.

For example, this is the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge that we walked across in March.

The waterway is the Hudson River.

See Marie's Garden

My Trailer Redo - Days 134-136 - Second Bench Seats/Lids

  The second bench is done with the lids that lift to access the storage underneath.

Finished this early enough that I could spend some more time on the beadboard walls. They won't be 100% done, but I think they will at least be temporarily in place. I still have to solve one issue.

Here are the lids opened. I'll just remind you again that most of this was used plywood. They are under cushions except when you want to get in the storage. And I only polyurethaned them for protection from damp- not for their beauty.

Then I went to Onekama to help break down the vendor display at the fair. Everyone sold something, but it was not very successful. Live and learn. On the way home, I stopped at the beach again. Not quite sunset, but very dramatic.

And out on the horizon was a freighter.

All the other news is doing small things on the trailer. There were, of course, some tweaks of things I thought were finished, and another trip to the store. I'm beat, but it's all good. It was very hot today, and I did fade a bit mid-afternoon.

See Second Bench Front

Another Loop at Ludington State Park

  I did another 6-mile loop at Ludington State Park today. There are lots of options, but we walked from the first parking area along the Big Sauble River to Hamlin Dam which creates the huge impoundment known as Hamlin Lake.

When I say "we," that would be my friend Loren, and furball Koa. Loren describes Koa as a battery pack that is infinitely rechargable! This picture is taken at the Hexagon shelter in the middle of the park.

We did duplicate a tiny bit of my hike the other day, by going north on the Island Trail. I thought you might like to see that lone tree on an island in different light.

Then we turned west on the Lost Lake Trail. This climbs quickly to the dunes above both Hamlin and Lost Lakes. If you look between the trees you will see a footbrige out there over the water. That is the Island Trail where we had just been. The bridge is humped so paddlers can go beneath it. And this is the connection of Lost Lake to Hamlin.

For the rest of our hike, we were in the woods between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan. We took the Lost Lake Trail to a small piece of the Ridge Trail, then to the Logging Trail where we turned north and walked around the upper loop of that trail. Then we returned to our cars via the south end of the Logging Trail. Here's a typical picture within the woods. There are also a number of small wetlands between the dunes.

I had to stop just south of the park after we finished to catch a couple of pix of the big lake- Lake Michigan. It was a little early for sunset, but the color was starting to develop.

When I turned to look slightly north, there was a big freighter out on the horizon!

You know I can't take a walk without looking for patterns. This one is my favorite because it was unexpected.

You can get interesting pictures of these old jetties almost any day, but that doesn't make them less appealing, just more expected.

Awesome hike- it got a little warmer than predicted- I would say low 40s. Very nice for hiking. We did see quite a few other people, but once we got on the wooded trails we had them all to ourselves. Not surprisingly, as most people prefer the trails that go along water.

Ludington State Park: Sauble River Trail, Island Trail, Lost Lake Trail, Ridge Trail, Logging Trail. Total distance 6.2 miles.

In other news: Not much- I worked on that big sorting project I keep mentioning. I couldn't find yet another thing that I want to collect with some other things. It's really annoying. I guess you could say progress was made, but I had to make more messes to accomplish it. No writing. A tiny bit of editing.

See My Favorite Ludington SP Loop

Little & Big Gems at Muskegon

 
There were just too many pictures from yesterday to use all at once, so I saved the fun stuff for today.

Bright yellow fungus. I don't think it's Witches' Butter... too structured. That looks more like globs. My best guess is Yellow Fairy Cups, Bisporella citrina. They usually grow on trees that have lost their bark. Check. They often fruit in the fall. Check. They can grow somewhat individually, but often in clusters of little cups without noticeable stalks. Check.



Also, a polypore, nothing special, maybe turkeytail without much banding. But the colors are nice.



Here's the best. Another dragonfly. Although the red meadowhawks are supposed to be really hard to identify in the field, and even though this isn't the best picture, I'm going to take a guess and say it's Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, Sympetrum vicinum. It was smaller than the other red meadowhawks I've pictured. The legs definitely aren't black. The others start with brown legs that mature to black, while this one starts with yellow legs that mature to reddish brown. It's a late-season dragonfly that often flocks in groups, and there were a whole lot of them in one place. They are known to be "confiding," meaning they will land on people. In fact this one sat on my hand for a few minutes so I really got a good look, but couldn't figure out how to take a picture with only my left hand.



I just liked this. There were several similar trees, but this was the best. For some reason, the bark peeled leaving a sort of crown near the cut end of the log.



Last treat- the man-made kind. This is the Milwaukee Clipper, built in 1904, a Great Lakes ferry, now a floating museum docked in Muskegon.



In other news: Today started with handbell choir. I think we played well, an arrangement of The Church's One Foundation. In the afternoon I did laundry. And here's a real news flash. Omer and I worked together and got the bottom door seals on both the front and kitchen door changed, so the wind and water can't blow underneath them this winter! Hooray for small victories.

	See Trail Work Day
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Muskegon State Park and a Mini-Miracle

 
The sales event finished at 2 pm, and the day was beautiful, so I went to Muskegon State Park and took a little walk.

First the mini-miracle. I had thrown walking shoes in the car, but no alternate clothes. I was wearing light tan pants, which should have almost guaranteed I'd fall in the mud. And when you see the pictures you'll know that is no idle claim. But I did not get muddy. Wow. I'm ruining my Pigpen reputation, I guess.

This was spur of the moment, and I was glad there were some trail maps at the kiosk. A web site said you could do a 4.2 mile loop with the Devil's Kitchen and Dune Ridge Trails. In theory, this is what I did, but the trail signage leaves a lot to be desired, and the paper maps are copies of copies of copies... hard to read.

Anyway, I left the Snug Harbor parking lot and headed south. I would have avoided some disorientation later if I'd noticed that the map is printed with North to the left, instead of up. This wasn't a major problem, but I was momentarily confused when I came to Lake Michigan after hiking what I first thought was east!

Today I'll just show the trail, and tomorrow some pretty details.

The first part of the trail was wide and inviting.



But then it came to the Devil's Kitchen, a long narrow bayou of Muskegon Lake. The park gets bad points for signage, but I'll grade on a curve because of the high water this year, making lowland trail maintenance difficult. However, when I came to this, I just said "no," because I wasn't going wading in muck.



A short distance up-bayou was this crossing. Not too unsteady. Still, I thought sure I'd dunk a leg since I was wearing good clothes, but I didn't.



On the far side there were trails all over the place, unmarked, so I picked one that climbed, and found myself, after a bit, on the Dune Ridge Trail. This was fine, although my original intent was to take the Devil's Kitchen Trail out and Dune Ridge back.

Soon I was approaching Lake Michigan with views across the dunes.



I caught a shot of the Lake Express ferry (Muskegon's rival of the Badger carferry in Ludington). It's coming in the channel from the big lake to Muskegon Lake.



Then the Dune Ridge Trail drops down to the lake level. After some paved walking past the south campground loops, the Devil's Kitchen Trail heads back along the shore of Muskegon Lake.



So, I'm thinking about that bayou-kitchen with high water, and wondering how this trail is going to get around it, or if I may need to turn around and backtrack the whole thing. Well, it was a nice day, so what if I have to?

The trail got narrower and narrower, but there was still a little dry ridge between the lake and the bayou. (If you danced between the waves.)



Until there wasn't! With solid brush beyond.



So, I turned around. But at the bottom of the dune where the Kitchen begins, there was a narrow trail I hadn't noticed that leads along the edge of the bayou. I took that, and soon was deciding between a somewhat dry ridge, or to walk around the head of the bayou. The ridge looked iffy, so I kept going, and the trail did just circle around the bayou, completely dry. As I came back to the actual trail, ha! That ridge was indeed the trail, and it was where I had earlier crossed on those sticks.

One last view of the Devil's Kitchen from near the head of the bayou.



And I just liked the reflection of the red leaves in the puddle.



Took me two hours to do the loop. Probably about four miles, what with loose sand on the dune, taking pictures, and trying to figure out the correct trails.

If you do this, I suggest at least having a map. My route is in red. I started and finished at the north end.


Pretties tomorrow!

In other news: The show was fine, although I sold 4 times as much last year. Last year, it was in November, and I suspect people were Christmas shopping in earnest by then. I made some money today, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped. The hike redeemed the day.

Muskegon State Park, Muskegon, Michigan, Devil's Kitchen and Dune Ridge Trails. 4.2 miles

	See Ottawa County Hike
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