2 weeks of nothing - that's a good thing

So it has been two weeks (and a few days) since I last wrote.  Since then Chris and I have been traveling and we aren't quite done yet.  We took two days driving from Georgia to our place in Michigan.  Along the way we saw a few sites - from the car, no stopping on this trip.
We saw the Braves stadium - someday we might have to watch a game there.

Downtown Atlanta

Mountains of Tennessee

and just before stopping for the night we saw the Wind Farms that spread across central Indiana.  The picture does not do the sunset view justice, it was beautiful for being man-made.

The next morning took us to Chicago.

This was my view for the next 3 hours (note to self - do NOT go thru Chicago during morning commute traffic).

We finally arrived in Michigan, where we had to set up the garage as living quarters again.  As some of you know there was drama getting the water on without a leak.  You can all rest easy, I now know which valve needs an extra tweak with a pair of pliers!

This night was the coldest night I have felt in quite a while. It was down to the lower 30's and I even woke to frost. Haru wasn't sure what to make of it! The cold didn't diminish the beauty of the lake one bit.

Once the cool warmed up I started on the outside tasks to make the garage livable again.  I got the mower and started mowing.  While mowing the front I noticed a small wasps nest, so decided to go and get a broom to knock it down. 

As I turned I then noticed a second nest, and a wasp was still using it, so I decided to wait until I got into town and bought some spray.

 I opted for a single can of wasp killer.  I regretted that!  After spraying the two little nests, I found this one

 That one will wait until Lyle comes home!

Chris, Haru and I really enjoyed the peace and quiet that comes with living on the lake, from the peaceful woods

 to the call of the loons in the evening

 the beauty of wild raspberries starting to bloom

 the warmth of a small fire

  perfect for marshmallows

even if they don't quite brown to perfection

and the dark, calm beauty of the night 

 Haru especially enjoyed the freedom of the lake after being cooped up in the truck and hotel rooms day after day.

 We did get to see some wildlife as well.  I woke to deer in the front yard, but was not able to catch them on camera.

I did, however, get a shot of the ants that kept finding their way into our home.  We named them in honor of their large posteriors - Big A** Ants.

 

As we were leaving we found a fox that someone had killed and dumped on the road.  The killers had put the fox in a black trash bag.  But a group of buzzards took it upon themselves to clean up the mess.  We only photographed the birds.  Despite their ugly reputation (and career) they are incredible to watch.

Our last two weeks were broken up with a couple trips to see my dad in Wisconsin.  Tomorrow I head over to Minnesota to see my brother, Rick, and his family before getting Lyle and Stephanie from the airport.  I can't wait!