Excursion: Engineer's Day

 

Engineer's Day, the last Friday in June, is the only day each year the locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are open to the public. Now that the kids are seven and eight, we thought they might be old enough to appreciate a visit up there.

Our timing was perfect! Just as we walked up to the locks the John D. Leitch (a 600 footer {about 182 M} out of Toronto) pulled in. The lock closed behind her and the water was slowly pumped out. Ships passing through from Lake Huron to Lake Superior, or vice versa, must pass through the locks because of the falls on the St. Mary's River. In the river there's a drop of 21 feet (about 6.4 M).  When we got home I started reading up on the locks and I was surprised to see that they are the busiest lock system in the world. Even though they're closed during the winter, over 10,000 ships pass through the Soo Locks each year. And, they're free! I thought for sure there would have been a toll; I mean they can't have been cheap to build.

You can see the difference between the high water of Lake Superior and the low water of Lake Huron below. The photo on the left is at the level of Superior while the photo on the right shows the water level of Lake Huron. The kids thought it was pretty cool that when the lock doors are closed they could walk right over them. K noticed that right in the middle she needed to step from on door to the other and there was a small gap between the two. She didn't like it, but as long as I took that step first she was OK. 

 

We waited patiently until the lower door opened and the freighter passed through into Lake Huron. The kids couldn't believe how close we were to that gigantic ship! They don't look quite so massive when they are out in the freighter channel.

After she cleared the lock she was on her merry way to places unknown...

 For us it was time to head over to the second open house of the day over at the Hydroelectric Plant.

It just amazes me that those generators, installed in 1902, are still running. They even had one shut down with all the parts labeled so the kids could see how it worked. Housed within the plant is Lake Superior State University's Aquatic Research Lab, so the kids could see where LSSU students raise and then release Atlantic Salmon into the St. Mary's river. We even got to watch for fish on their  "fishcam." You can check it out here.

Despite the clouds and spotty rain, we enjoyed Engineer's Day - especially our lunch at Zorba's Greek / American restaurant. (I'd link back to their website, but they don't have one.) It was the best meal we've had in a long time! I doubt we'll do this every year, but I'm sure we'll go back again when the kids are a little older. To me, this has "science fair project" written all over it.

Proud Mama

The other day as I was working in my sewing room I heard, "Mama, can I sew with you today?"

"Of course you can," I answered, "what would you like to make?"

"Can I make a horse?"

I found some leftover material and a quilting hoop, she drew a picture of a horse on the fabric, and I showed her how to stitch around her drawing. (She didn't notice that the horse has six legs until after she was done.) I threw her finished piece into a Dollar Store frame I had laying around and we had a masterpiece. Mama wanted to keep it - after all it was her first sewing project, but she was adamant about giving it away.

She insisted, "I want to give it to Lorma."

"OK, but I'm curious - why Lorma?" I really was curious. There are lots of adults she adores and I wondered why Lorma got to be the lucky one.

"Because Mama," she said, "Lorma knows how to sew. She'll know how hard I worked to make this for her." How could I argue with that?

So a few days later we went over to Lorma's house to give her the horse. Our timing was perfect - when we walked into the house we found her sitting at her sewing table; the prefect place to get her gift. It now hangs in her entry way.

At first I was disappointed that K wanted to give her creation away, but now I am thrilled. Sure, she could have kept it and hung it in her bedroom, where she (and I) would have enjoyed it. But giving it away made Lorma feel loved and helped K learn how wonderful it feels to give of one's self. Not to mention that wonky, lime green, six-legged horse puts a smile on everyone's face who walks in and gives it that "why-is-that-hung there" look, because they get to hear the story of why K wanted Lorma to have it.

Growing Frustration

My daughter is down right desperate for the Tooth Fairy to pay her a visit. Her brother has lost several teeth lately, while she has only lost one - ever. She wants quarters. Now.

You can imagine her dismay when she started complaining, "My gums feel funny.  Mama will you look in my mouth?"

"Sure," I said, "Go get the flashlight and I'll check." She dutifully went and got her father's flashlight, turned it on, and handed it to me. I pointed it into her mouth to see what was bothering her and was surprised to find a new tooth growing in the "wrong" spot. The tooth in front of it isn't even wiggly.

"It's a tooth," I said.

"What?! Let me see!" I took the picture and then showed her the screen on my DSLR. 

She giggled and then yelled, "Papa! Get the pliers. I need you to get this tooth out!" She was not happy when he explained that since the tooth wasn't wiggly, him pulling it out wasn't really an option.

Guess those quarters are going to have to wait...

I Scream, You Scream...

...we all scream for Mackinac Island's newest ice cream parlor - Sadie's. It's located on the East end of the Grand Hotel - where  Margaret's Garden flower shop use to be.

We popped in for their grand opening the other day.

The Governor was there to help the Musser family, Mayor Doud, and two of the Hoezee Brothers (their company makes the ice cream) cut the ribbon.

The atmosphere at Sadie's is lovely and the Hudsonville ice cream is delicious. I may have to pop in there later on in the summer when I am desperate for a pecan ball!

The Morning Commute

  It's been raining on Mackinac Island for the past four days. We've had light rain, heavy downpours, and  rains that have lasted all day and all night.

This morning I rode to work in a light rain; more than a sprinkle but not much. As I rode I noticed what looked like small twigs all over the road. Lots and lots of little twigs. It must have rained pretty hard, I thought. But then I looked closer. They weren't twigs.

My entire one mile bike ride to work was like that - worms everywhere: long ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones, and squished ones - lots and lots of squished ones. And riding around them wasn't really an option.

By the time I left school at about 4:00, they were gone. We must have some of the best fed birds in the entire state of Michigan...

Mother's Day

 We had a lovely lunch today for Mother's Day

Can you tell where we went?

Grandpa took us all out to Grand Hotel for a lovely lunch. Outside the dining room all the diners were greeted with glasses of  champagne, and then as Grandpa went up to the desk to pay, the hostess asked, "Do you have any mothers with you today?"

"Yes. We have two;" he gestured to my mom and I.

"There is no charge for them today," said the hostess, "Happy Mother's Day from Grand Hotel." Such an unexpected surprise...

Of course the food was wonderful (as was the spending the afternoon with my parents.) And while they never have pecan balls on the lunch buffet, the desert table was fully stocked with all my other favorites: cheesecake, pecan pie, and gigantic super-sweet chocolate-covered strawberries. My mom says she thinks we should make this a family tradition, and I must say - I have to agree.

Does your family have any Mother's Day traditions?

Spring Break: River Tubing, Falmouth, Jamaica

Our third and final stop on the cruise was Falmouth, Jamaica. We spent the day with the good folks at Chukka on the old Good Hope sugar plantation.

Many visitors chose to see the grounds of the plantation by horse drawn carriage, but we had something else in mind.

 

We spent the morning tubing

down the Martha Brae River.

 

It was just the lazy day we needed.

We didn't know it, but spring is the dry season in Jamaica, so the often fast-flowing river was very quiet. So quiet that our tubes were tied together and the guide had to paddle us down the river. At several of the shallower parts of the river our guide yelled, "Butts up!" We'd lift our hind ends so the tubes could more easily scrape across the rocks on the bottom of the river.

When we arrived we were expecting a faster river and individual tubes, but we still had a great day.

My daughter wasn't feeling well and a lazy float down the river was just the thing she needed after several very busy days.

And, there was room in the schedule for lizard hunting, which was just what my son needed. After watching these little guys running around, my son would have been furious if we hadn't had enough time for him to try and catch a few.

Spring Break: Cayman Turtle Farm, Cayman Islands

When you arrive at Grand Cayman by cruise ship, you are shuttled ashore on a small boat called a tender, since there is no dock there large enough to accommodate the huge cruise ships. Riding the tender was no big deal for my little ones who are use to regular trips on ferry boats, but they were in awe of just how blue the water was. And, of course, the pirate ship we passed. What six and eight year-olds wouldn't be in awe of a "real live pirate ship?"

We had decided to spend the day at the Cayman Turtle Farm. I didn't know it until we got home, but the farm doesn't just raise turtles to release back into the wild; they also raise turtles for their meat and other parts. The Cayman Islands were originally dubbed Las Tortugas (The Turtles) by Columbus in the early 1500s due to the turtles found swimming around the islands. In fact, for many years ships would stop there to fish for fresh turtle meat to feed their crews. So much so that eventually the green sea turtles in that area had all but disappeared.

The Turtle Farm originally opened in 1968 to do just that - farm turtles. That continues today, but the farm is now also a research / education center and attracts over a half a million tourists each year.  The place is huge! Our time constraints only allowed us to see some of the attractions, and my husband and I decided that some day, we'd like to back to Grand Cayman. Perhaps rent a house on the beach for a week. I know it won't happen until I retire and braces and college are paid for, but a girl can dream...

Our first stop was the breeding pond. It was huge; full of turtles ready to mate and then crawl up onto the beach area to lay their eggs. Workers then collect the eggs and move them into a building where they control the turtle's development. Keeping the temperature below 85 degrees F (about 30 degrees C) creates mostly male turtles, while warmer temperatures produces predominantly female turtles.

The oldest turtle at the  farm is "Sparky." (She's the one in the bottom right of the photo above.) She is 65 years-old, has been at the farm since it opened, and is still going strong. We couldn't touch the big turtles,

or this guy. He posed so nicely for me on top of that pedestal, but as soon as my son made his move (to try to grab him,) the iguana bolted and hid in the shrubbery.

We could, however, get up close and personal with the younger turtles. They were so cute and stronger than you'd think. They've got a lot of power in those two front flippers.

Our guide told us the secret to keeping them calm is to rub them under their chin.When they would get excited and stare flapping those feet, a few little strokes was all it took to calm them down again. Just to be safe, we had to hold them over the tanks - in case one of them managed to wriggle away.

Even Grandma managed to catch one!

After we had our turtley fun, it was time to swim. At the farm they have a very large swimming / snorkeling area filled with many different species of fish, conchs, and sea turtles. Swim with sea turtles? We didn't have to ask the kids twice!

My son was much more confident this time and didn't hesitate to get into the water. Of course, little Miss K was off and exploring before I even managed to get my mask on...

We ate conch fritters, calamari, plantains, and jerk chicken for lunch before heading back to the ship. Along the way we were very glad that we had booked our shore excursion through the ship and not on our own. (When you book through the ship, they'll wait for you if there is a breakdown. Otherwise you may be left behind when the ship leaves port.)

As we rode along the highway, sitting in air conditioned comfort and reminiscing about our day, all of a sudden we heard an incredibly loud "bang," and then a repeated "thudding" and the back of the bus. (So loud that my ears rang for a long time afterward.) Just as we all turned in shock to see what happened, smoke started pouring out from under the seat on the back right side of the bus. The poor girl sitting there, who looked about 15, shot straight up and literally flew into her dad's lap a row or two ahead of her. 

Our driver assured us that he'd called for another bus to come pick us up and that we shouldn't have to wait long. I asked if I could take a few pictures of the wheel, which I did, but I would have loved a picture of the bus at the side of the road. Unfortunately, there was just too much traffic on the highway and it didn't seem safe, so I had to settle for the the photo of the delaminated tire.

Several of the ladies on the bus started complaining about how the wait was eating into their shopping time, but we didn't wait there for more than about 15 minutes. Another bus drove up, we got on, and were back at the port in no time. I thought the driver handled the situation perfectly. In fact, we really appreciated all the people we met on Grand Cayman.

Once we were back to port area we had some time before we had to board our tender back to the ship so the kids wanted to do a little shopping. My son learned how to haggle very quickly and managed to find a few good bargains. It was fun watching him decide exactly how he wanted to spend his vacation money. Sometimes waiting for him to decide was painful, but it's such an important lesson, don't you think?

Then we hopped on a tender, rode quietly back to the ship, and collapsed until dinner. If you've ever taken a cruise then you know all about the unending food. On a cruise ship, at least for us, dinner in the dining room was an event not to be missed. But that's a post for another day...

Spring Break: Stingray Beach, Cozumel

We decided to play it safe and use only ship-sponsored shore excursions that we thought would really appeal to the kids. The trip to Stingray Beach looked perfect! When we arrived we secured our stuff, got our supplies,

and got a short lesson on stingrays and the basics of snorkeling. (See the stuffed ray he's holding? The kids decided to part with some of their vacation money so they could each bring one home.) Our guide  also made sure to let us know that all the stingrays in their enclosure have had their stingers removed.

Then it was into the water! My little fish, I mean my daughter, took off like a rocket into the blue. No worries in her little head.

My, son on the other hand, needed a little encouragement to get into the water. Watching all those big gray spots moving around on the bottom was a bit unnerving, but once he put his face into the water he was hooked. Some of the rays were huge - easily three or four feet across. We learned later that the bigger ones were the females and that the smaller ones with the claspers at the base of their tails were the males.

We also spent some time in the shallows actually touching, feeding, and, if you wanted to, kissing the rays, but cameras weren't allowed during that portion of the day. Their photographer took pictures which they hoped you'd buy later. I understood because the majority of people don't have a waterproof camera and might have loved the opportunity to get a few pictures. But, I did have a waterproof camera and didn't think it was very nice when they asked me to put it away. However, they did ask me to put it away very politely, so I didn't argue. 

Later on, when I was looking at the pictures they took, I just couldn't see paying $35 US dollars for one photograph. I think they would be better off doing what I saw in Egypt - sell people a photo pass - permission to take pictures. I would have paid $10.00 to take my own pictures and they would have been ahead, but I'm not going to complain because we had a fantastic day.

After we got out of the water and dried off, there was a little time to hang out on the beach. They had lots for the kids to do while the adults soaked up a bit of sun, had a complimentary soda or looked at the photos available for purchase.

There were animals to touch and hermit crabs to race.

 

While my son just wanted to watch, my daughter chose on of the smaller crabs and immediately named him "Silly." He started out strong but then started to loop around the inner circle instead of heading out toward the outside. None of the other crabs moved until the kids were told they had to cheer for their crabs if they wanted them to win.

 

Once K started cheering, "Go Silly, go!" that little crab took off and beat every other one to the finish line. Which in and of itself was very exciting, but my daughter just about flipped when she found out that the prize for first place was a bag of chips - what ever kind she choose. She thought she might be able to bring the little guy home, but sadly he had to stay at Stingray Beach...

Here's their promotional video from YouTube to give you and idea about our day. If you are ever in Cozumel, I recommend stopping by...