NOVEMBER 1ST - TIME TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN!

Tonight is Halloween and at first light tomorrow, the Starship will blast off on a new adventure! It has been a great summer here, but now it is time to leave. We have had the most beautiful colors, but the wind last night turned many of them into a colorful carpet which will soon be buried in snow.

My sons and I went to Kensington Park for a color hike last week. We took Spanky even though the Keep Out sign curiously resembles him. We assumed they couldn't mean the Spankster so he joined us for a 3 mile hike. This was his first big outing since his surgery and proof he is quite recovered!

My summer spot at the wetlands is closed up for the winter. It was a great place to be at this summer and I sure look forward to being back here May 1st.

I have been visiting many friends and saying goodbyes including a visit to the cemetary where my parents are. I sure do miss them, but are glad they have a nice spot in a small cemetery filled with maple trees.

First stop tomorrow is Mendota, Illinois. Mendota is the birth place of the famous Mandy Fox and also the current home of Dave the Wave and Midwest Amphicar. Dave is the Amphi trans guru and will help me make a parts list for my back up transmission.

Then - South to warm weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRST FREEZE & POOR SPANKY OCTOBER 2009

Poor Spanky! He just got back from Michigan State University Veterinary Hospital where he underwent surgery again to remove bladder stones! He is a little stone factory and here he is 15 months after his last surgery doing it again! He makes calcium stones and even though he is on a prescription diet, there seems to be no known way to prevent them forming again.

He absolutely hates the whole deal and when picked up after two days at MSU was just shakin and moanin like it was the end of the world! The best cure and way to put the whole deal behind him is loving and he has sure been getting a bunch of it. Here is a few pics of him getting some attention from son John and friend Gayla.

Also in that picture you can see our new maple tree out the RV window. I wanted a shade tree here in the wetlands and the tree has to grow at the waters edge in this mucky soil. My son Mark helped me plant this Autumn Blaze maple and we hope it will be happy here! It is a hybrid, a cross between a silver and a red maple that seems to be the best choice for these conditions.

Woke up this morning to a chilly 29 degrees, the first freeze of the year. Could be worse as there is a raging snow storm a few hundred miles west of here! Blast off from Michigan for the winter is down to about 3 weeks and the optimist that i am is still hoping to see some indian summer before i go! You would not believe the beautiful tangerine color that is starting to show on the sugar maples. Take good care of yourself !!!!