dan takes a roadtrip...

Well. It has been sunny here everyday, the snow has melted completely. In the 40's, maybe 48 today. From Lansing, where I'm at in Dewitt, north of lansing, actually just about on old 27. Takes about an hr. to Clare. Anyway, Mill End building still empty now and for sale. Cops & Donuts still there, yum yum.(Just once I'd like to accidently on purpose deliver some special ingredients for their various goodies) Theater still playing movie. Looks like the Catholic church there is still going strong with a school, as I saw a sign about activities going on.The Doughrty hotel looks to have a re-vamped nice looking side street entrance, very posh! And Highschool has a nice looking entrance, very new, next time will take pic. Lots of snow up there. Once you get half or 3/4 of the way up it is very noticeable, We have none, Up there you could still snowmobile, and tracks along the road and fields indicate they are. Lots of deer tracks everywere too. Sandford Creek running strong with snow melt. It is hard to park and look because of snow on side of road (roads are all clear though) and also they installed guardrails there on both sides of Beaverton, which I think they did a couple yrs. ago. But I just rolled down my window and looked, listened......First thing I noticed at the Old 27 Homestead is how huge the pine trees on either side of the driveway are..tall and trunk wide, as wide or wider than me, so we're talking redwood forest! There is a little green chain link fence around half the front yard, weird.

So up there right now, since there are no leaves on the trees you can see a little better the lay of the land, like the park and other areas, you can see farther out into it. The park is still very dense compared to days of old though of course. OK, so as I'm driving North past Gramma's, I slow down and see this woman who apparently lives there out on the front lawn filling up the birdfeeder she had out there about halfway front and center,front lawn. She looked very content and happy with a smile on her face just enjoying the simple things in life....how appropriate and warming for the soul to see that. I have never seen anyone when driving past there before, so for me it was....interesting. She was in a winter like ski jacket, shorter or medium length brown hair, prolly in her 40's. can't tell, she wasn't old or young, in between ya know. She just looked content. And of course the thought occurred to me to stop and pull in the driveway and start babbling about how our grandfather built the house originally etc. etc. And I thought, no, just let the woman enjoy her moment of peace without some neurotic stranger ruining for her. I did wave, and she smiled and waved back....again, thought crossed my mind....naw. So drove farther North, it's still beautiful drive even now, got something at burger king as you get to almost Harrison (where were those places when we were kids) Anyway when Turned down Beaverton earlier I noticed a shitload of ducks and geese around the front yard pond of that house that was always there on Beaverton (south side of rd.)just west of the creek)I know that house was for sale a year or 2 ago, but I believe someone bought it, but at this time the drive was snowed over so makes me think they may be snowbirds, who go somewhere warm in winter or something. On the way home,,,,

Lots of people at Jay's Sporting goods, south of gramma's. Old stone house as you roll into clare still there. Tobacco river high with teens screwing around at pettit park as they call it. Ice cream place still there. Same old stuff except a few improvements. Someone put a wreath of gramma and gramps's site. I know Theo hasn't been there...hmmm. As I'm driving home a great big huge hawk,of some type, as big as an owl or bigger, swoops past my truck and lands on a branch on the side of 27. Then about 15 minutes later in the drive, again, what looks to be the same type of Hawk, does the same routine as I'm driving, swoops past my windshield, (I'm going 75 mph.)I thought,, what is this?...Spirit guide from old 27? WTF. Then after I'm south of Mt. Pleasant...same thing, flys past going same direction right to left, west to east. Just weird. Oh well, at least if there was a message from spirit guide, it wasn't about shitting on me so I guess that's good. Well hope this wasn't too boring and provided some nostalgia or something. No matter what time of year it is, anytime I drive past gramm's I can still here her voice and see her face, as well as here the voices (yelling at play)of us kids having the time of our lives

I guess I'm just glad to see someone who lives there now, enjoying it, and enjoying nature and content, as they should be, I think gramma would've wanted it that way. It made me feel better.Also noticed the property next door (South) was for sale..

ps

didn't include I had the "60's radio channel and classic channel on as I was driving. Song's like, Little Bit Of Soul by music explosion, etc. and as I was leaving through town...Hey Joe. It was pretty cool. Wish you'd come up here.

thank you so much dan . reading this is almost like i was there ....

and dan , it was anything but boring .