Where are you now, Ed? You must be getting fairly close to home.

That message was from Gaylord, MI, about a fifth of the way down on I-75 from the Mackinac bridge to the city of Flint, where I turn east toward Port Huron and Sarnia.

I came over the border at 11:30 and got home just after 12:30.

And boy, did I have a good one pulled on me!

My house key is for the back door, inside a back porch ... but the porch door has never been locked. The door into the back porch was locked! I was not about to awaken my landlord, who'll be coming into the field at about 7:00!

I checked the back window - I removed the screen and opened it. Went to the drive-shed to get a chair for my old legs to stand on, managed to slip (sideways) through the window. I was able to get around the large bag of cat food that was nearby (and I think that they've been reaching in through the window to dig out cat food to feed the cats), stand on an old trunk, stepped over an old console radio with flimsy cover, to stand on a drawer standing on a chair, eventually made it to the floor without incident ... and the interior of the door has one of those handles that you push in and turn a bit to lock.

The second set of car keys had my house key on it, so I unlocked the door and was (finally) home!

Called son and daughter to let them know that I'd arrived, safe and sound. Daughter said that she'd have loved to have seen a handy-cam of that little escapade!

Everything inside was in order, and I turned on the dehumidifier in the basement and the fan on the furnace to send some cool air up here.

There was just one sad note ... as I was driving along on a rather quiet country road in the UP of MI about 9:00 a.m., I saw just a flash of colour out of the corner of the windshield ... then there was a heavy bump on the front wheel, driver's side.

I turned and went back ... to find a multi-coloured kitty cat lying in the middle of the road, as dead as dead could be. I carried her to the side of the road, and saw a young girl heading toward a home, several yards away, at some speed, though not running, so I went over there.

The mother came out and when she got to the cat felt its neck, to say that the heart was beating. I understand that hearts sometimes do, for a minute or two, even though the animal is dead.

I'd sad how sorry I was, but that there had been absolutely nothing that I could have done to avoid it.

It turned out that it was not their cat, but one belonging to a neighbour ... which had been giving their cat trouble, at times.

Sometimes we are stuck with doing a hurtful thing that we could have done nothing to avoid.

All in all, it was a happy trip, renewing old friendships with a number of family members, and meeting and getting to know some new ones - including an old man who's 99 now.

Who conned my brother out of the family book (Dad's family) that I'd bought for brother at our Dad's fmily reunion and had just given him ... so now I've been charged with getting a substitute for brother!

And I had the icing on the cake of meeting and getting to know a couple of KT folks and their spouses.

Who took my picture and enabled the other KT folks who were interested to, finally, get to know what old joyful looks like!

Now ... it's a little over a day to get ready for the next trip.

Quite an unusual experience, for me, to do this back-to-back travel!

Haven't yet seen the garden.

Or given the landlord heck ... for locking me out of my own house! Boy, is he going to hear it, about that!

Thanks for all of your good wishes, as I travelled.

ole joyful

Glad to hear you are home safely.

You are going to be ready for a good rest when you get home from the next leg of your journey. You'll have to drop by and fill us in on all of it?

Did you have a camera with you to take some pics as well?

I'm sure your son and daughter were pleased to get your call.

Have another safe trip. All the best.

I can find some of the taller wanted plants in the garden.

Haven't met the landlord yet.

Lost the spare set of keys - the one with the house key on it.

Getting a wash done. Need to visit the bank - get out more money, get some U.S. money, as the stash I had earlier (bought when there was exchange premium) got pretty well depleted on the earlier trip.

No possibilities yet of meeting KTers on the way down, which is probably just as well, as I need all of the time available to get necessary stuff done here.

Good wishes, everyone.

ole joyful/Ed

I so enjoy reading your posts, Ol Joyful. I'm glad to know that you had a lovely trip and hope the next one is just as nice. It's good to know the art of "visiting" hasn't been lost! Have a fun, safe trip.

Darn, Ed. If I read this right, you will be coming back thru Ohio as I am going to central Ohio. Today is July 22. I will be gone this coming weekend, then again the next weekend. Probably leaving on Thurs for both weekends. If you will be thru here otherwise, please let me know.

Tami

Landlord had come into the house shortly after my departure ... locked the porch door behind him, I guess.

He was a bit distressed about the locked door, the cats had gone without food for a while, finally he'd climbed in through the back window ... and had moved the cat food up near the window so that he could get at it from the ground outside.

I haven't asked him why he didn't open the door when he was inside the porch.

He used the tiller to chew up a large number of weeds in the garden and son and friend helped, so much of the need has been met.

There's a proliferation of lettuce and beans everywhere ... plus some zucchini, a few of which the weeders took home and landlord would like a couple.

Got some U.S. money, so am nearly ready to go. Niece is asking for some time off.

Send your best wishes for a safe journey, please.

ole joyful

P.S. Succeeded in avoiding political messages, this time.

I think.

o j

Landlord had come into the house shortly after my departure ... locked the porch door behind him, I guess.

He was a bit distressed about the locked door, the cats had gone without food for a while, finally he'd climbed in through the back window ... and had moved the cat food up near the window so that he could get at it from the ground outside.

I haven't asked him why he didn't open the door when he was inside the porch.

He used the tiller to chew up a large number of weeds in the garden and son and friend helped, so much of the need has been met.

There's a proliferation of lettuce and beans everywhere ... plus some zucchini, a few of which the weeders took home and landlord would like a couple.

Got some U.S. money, so am nearly ready to go. Niece is asking for some time off.

Send your best wishes for a safe journey, please.

ole joyful

P.S. Succeeded in avoiding political messages, this time.

I think.

o j

The reunion is over, I enjoyed some of the sessions and met some old freinds - the ones that were important to me.

I'm heading to Gainesville GA to visit my niece, this afternoon and expect to be travelling north on I-75 about Thursday or Friday, so am intereted to meet any KT folks along the route who may be interested.

Reply here or to my email address, on my profile page - probably a greater possiblity of my receiving it, that way.

Good wishes to everyone for a great week ahead.

ole joyful

Had a nice visit to Stone Mountain today, but thunder, then brownout, so missed some attractions ... but I've been there before and took them in then.

They cancelled the laser light show.

Likely heading north on Thursday or Friday.

Anyone available along the route n-w GA (Gainesville) to I-75, then along I-75 to Detroit, then back to near London?

ole joyful

Have a safe and enjoyable trip!

I'm sorry, Ed. I'm only about an hour from 75 before you get to Detroit, but we won't be home! Now, if it was Monday.... That would have worked!

Tami

Hi OJ! sounds like you're having a good time again this year.
Stay safe.

charlee