And the rain and wind arrived right on schedule...good day for sleeping in! Why is it that when you could, you can't! Definitely a cloudy, colder day...somehow we managed to do 5 loads of laundry and a few boat chores. This is exhausting work!

Thursday we took a leisurely stroll through town...Floyd made an important visit to the hardware store, I found an UP T-shirt I needed, and late lunch at Ludington Grill...then more hiking to Elmer's Grocery store. We have somehow managed to make reservations at Fayette for tomorrow...(can I just say we aren't the only ones complaining about the Michigan State website for marinas!!) ...now just need the weather to cooperate...these winds need to die down...Fayette tomorrow and Washington Island (time change) on Sunday....then wanting for the weather window for crossing back to Leland (time change)... we are probably going to wear out some clocks flip-flopping time zones. But it'll probably keep us out of trouble!! For a while!

Wednesday was a four hour ride into Escanaba, Michigan....where we are once again on Eastern time...the rains and winds are predicted to be around for a couple of days...so we'll be here doing laundry and hanging out. New loopers from Canada are here...and it's delightful...the folks around here say it's not the end of the earth, but it's close! Hope we don't fall off!

We may be here through the weekend...our next stop is Fayette... tiny ghost town up and around the bend...the locals say don't go there on the weekend ...we tend to follow their advice....weather isn't suppose to be good til Sunday anyway and we've got chores...yes, laundry!!

Lobster roll and margarita lunch was good...but not as good as what we remember from Charlevoix...though no one complained....well, maybe the couple next to us from Florida...they changed tables three times...at first, we thought maybe it was us...but, no, they were cold!

Sunsets around here attract quite a crowd...but clouds have spoiled most of our views...but still not too shabby...

Tuesday...August 15... in honor of daughter Kelli's 29th birthday(cough, cough)... we headed into the village to play tourist and celebrate....mostly restaurants and bars...but I managed to do my bit for the local economy...they were having a sale at the local On Deck store!! For once, all purchases were actually part of the sale!

The main attraction, however, is Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant...with the goats on the roof...yes, goats!! Maintaining the grass roof!! We checked out the gift shop but honestly, at 1ish the crowd waiting to eat there on Tuesday afternoon was amazing...we had heard that yesterday's wait was over three hours...we were already thinking about the lobster rolls at Boathouse on the Bay...so that's where we headed...spent our lunch looking out over the marina...and our lovely TUMBLEWEED...can you spy her in the photo?

The grocery store was located in the middle of what once was cabins for vacationers...so we scoped it out...Kelli Hoobler-Rappard and Dennis Hoobler, I may have found your childhood Dick Pope, Jr water skis....made into a lawn chair...who'd thought??

Monday...August 14... another late start, short trip up to Sister Bay (no, there's not a Brother Bay).... busy marina with a catamaran cruise boat and an old schooner taking tourists out to see the sights on a regular basis. The dockhands were kind enough to shuttle us to the local Piggly-Wiggly....and can I just say it was very small and crazy packed for any day??..and this was Monday afternoon...where did all these people come from? It was seriously unbelievable!

Great folks in boats next to us...Dakota made friends right and left...left and right...as usual!

Sunday we traveled 6 whole miles up Door County to the tiny burg of Ephraim....notorious for Wilson's Diner and Ice Cream....yep, we did that...when was the last time you had table side jukebox?? We giggled that the sign said "the song you select may not be the song that plays." We saw what needed to be seen in just a couple of hours....it's a dry town so won't be much going on here tonight....tomorrow is another short jog to Sister Bay... by the time we unplug, recoil lines and stow fenders...it's time to use them all again. Lol...on today's trip, Floyd didn't even get his cigar finished...and Dakota never left the couch. We are gonna suffer when we have to do a long day re-crossing Lake Michigan....but til then, we'll enjoy this leisurely pace!