What a busy year I've had ... out there, in the real world. It's been a year of music and museums, nature and knowledge. My field trip pictures are organized by month and outing. I do that to make scrapbooking, at year's end, easier. 2024 will end up with over 50 pages. Whew! However, that type of organization doesn't work for sharing here. I've done my cohesive best for you so hold on to your virtual hats and check out my definition of fun ...
Let's start with the great outdoors. Michigan has four, well-defined seasons. I go out and enjoy all four. I'm well-insulated against the cold and there are plenty of lakes for cooling off in the heat. I'll confess though, that the moderate seasons, Spring and Autumn, are my favorites.
I enjoy the natural world. That takes me to both indoor botanical gardens and outdoor nature centers. Not to mention, easy access to some of the world's largest lakes.
It's not just flora that I like. Natural fauna is interesting, too. This year, I learned about wasps that turn roaches into zombies, watched butterflies emerge from their chrysalis, saw migrating swans, viewed insect art, and I have no idea how I ended up at an alpaca show ... but the fiber makes really soft and warm socks!
There have been special events throughout the year, too. My daughter usually joins me on these. Sometimes her husband will tag along and sometimes a friend who has never experienced the event. This year it was the annual Lantern Festival at the zoo, Autumn Glow at the botanical garden, Dow Gardens (in full spring bloom) for my birthday, Magic at the (wind)Mill and my local Mill Creek Days. Sorry to disappoint you but I did not ride the mechanical bull ... it was too tall for me to climb up on!
I am lucky enough to live in a community with a great library system and a great senior outreach program. They both sponsor a variety of talks for free. I don't go to all of them; some topics are just not pertinent to my life ... not a lot of ways to compost in an apartment. The Sky clan of the Hochuk Nation introduced us to native dances. I learned about the history of Grand Rapids transportation - waterways, wagons, and trains. A local author, specializing in true crime, talked about Michigan jails and prisons. In the early 1900s, sheriffs (and their families) were required to live on the jail premises. There were some pretty fancy county jails around here. The talk on the Americans born to Japanese parents and how WW2 affected them was very interesting.
I enjoyed quite a bit of music during the year. The public museum had a series of local musicians performing live, with media artists supplementing the music on the planetarium screen. The local university offered free chamber music concerts in the winter and the botanical garden hosted a series of string quartets during the summer. I caught a bluegrass jam session, saw the Nutcracker and rounded out the Christmas season with a concert by Straight No Chaser.
What kept me the busiest was going to museums. In the Spring, I went to the Truman Presidential Library with my (now defunct) long distance guy. I found Daniel Boone's Missouri homestead while dog sitting for my niece. Locally, I went to the Coopersville Museum. Coopersville is the hometown of musician Del Shannon. I really enjoyed the Allegan County Old Jail Museum. It was in one of those fancy sheriff home/ jail houses that I learned about at that lecture.
What really kept me hopping though was the discovery of the Tri-River Historical Museum Network. I picked up the brochure at the library. It's a network of small, rural museums spread out over 5 counties. There are 28 members and 25 of them have museums. I visited 18. While much of the area history is the same ... farming, logging, railroads ... each museum had at least one item that none of the others had. Maybe it was the building that housed them. A church, a school, a train depot or the town founder's home. I discovered unexpected businesses - a silk thread company, horse hide shoes (they're still cleaning up the pollution from the tanneries), a wooden rake company that is still in business. I learned about logger's marks, which are like cattle brands. Several towns had button factories using the clams found in the rivers. One docent was old enough to have worked in the town's green bean canning factory. My favorite was the EGG farm ... E.G. Garlinger and yes, eggs!
I always keep my eyes open because many of my adventures are linked to other adventures. The library gave me the museum list and the museum gave me the Barn Quilt Trail. I've mentioned barn quilts in a previous post. I actually had a brochure of barn quilts that the Tr-River Network sponsored. Many of the signs were at the museums but there were other places. Family farms, local businesses, a library, and private homes. Some were easy to see, others were tucked away in a corner. The map listed 43 barn quilts. 2 had been removed. I found 25 of them, while I went to and from those tiny museums.
That's my year in a nutshell. Actually, 9 nutshells. 2025 is just around the corner and I'm ready for the next adventure!
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23 comments
You are so well organized.
What a wonderfully presented mosaic of all your adventures this past year. Good for you, and best of luck finding many more interesting trails and cool events in 2025. ðŸ‘
I can certainly take a lesson from your endless drive and motivation. 🤗
Thank you. Someday, I'll run out of gas ... hopefully, not soon!
I admire your bold fashion choice in the last photo.
I'm not sure if you are being sincere or sarcastic. If it's the latter, all I can say is finding something that is warm and fits me is not easy. If it's the first ... thank you.
@superbjversion2 My apologies for the ambiguity. Had you seem my smile of approval it would have been more clear.
@SoGood2Know The Thank you wins!
You seem to have had a very busy and interesting year. Of course, all of the things you did just show why you are such an interesting fun person. You have kept and fed your curiousity. No doubt 2025 will be as full of adventure as last year.
Sending you big naked hugs. May you discover a local lover to share some of your adventures with.
I won't let the lack of a companion slow me down!
@superbjversion2 I am sure you won't but sometimes having one adds to the fun. Then again, sometimes having one slows one down.
Sending you big naked hugs to start you on your new year's adventures.
You really are making the most of your retirement!
Long distance guy is defunct? I think I missed that development, or maybe I'd forgotten.
You are the only one to catch that. It's fairly recent and I haven't blogged about it ... yet.
@superbjversion2 I caught it. Didn't want to perhaps rub salt in the wound, though I'm guessing it was your decision, not his.
@CleavageFan4U Hard to say whose decision it was. I think his but I haven't objected.
@superbjversion2 OK, sorry lady. But I know the situation was far from equal.
@CleavageFan4U I'm relieved, not hurt or upset, so no need to feel sorry.
Wow, what a great way to spend your days! Totally looking forward to hear about your adventures in 2025! 🤗
May you have many interesting adventures coming your way in the new year
The new year will start Monday, with a talk at the library, on how Japan bombed Michigan in WW2.
I love it. I am so impressed!!! Your pictures are just a taste of your many wonderful adventures!! I especially love the barn quilts. I want to create one soon.
Thank you so much for sharing. I could sit for hours while you tell the stories. I hope one day I can explore like you. You inspire me
Hugs!!
If I told you stories in person, you could be sitting for hours. But don't wait to explore. Take a day ... even one day a month ... and go. Take 1 or 2 with you, not a gang, keep it small and special. Everybody needs a break.
Here's a link to barn quilts, by state. Maybe OK has one near you.
barnquiltinfo.com
Incredible wrapping up
Thanks. I hope you enjoyed the look at my part of the world.
@superbjversion2 thanks
What a great review BJ. I hope I'm that active in seeing places when I retire. You must have kept some kind of journal to know all/remember the details? I used to do that...helped when doing albums at the end of the year.
Most places have a pamphlet or brochure, stickers, pins, etc. I save that stuff and use it in my scrapbook. I'm also lucky enough to still have a pretty good memory.
Quite the year! And nice photo of the adventures.
Happy new year lady.
I love taking pictures and this is a great way to share them.
Happy Nude Year, Cleave!
I love reading your year end recaps!!! You're so lucky to have all those resources at your disposal, that's the downside of our low taxes, there's barely any public services for recreation and enrichment/education. (Now I need to check out alpaca socks!)
My best resource is the library. It's part of a district-wide system so I can visit any location, any program, anytime. But you live in such a history rich area, there should be many opportunities for you.
I love my alpaca socks. Warning though ... they're pricey.
I absolutely loved everything about this post. You're living the type of active and interesting retirement I would like to craft for myself. My goal for 2025 is to not put off some of those things until then... to fulfill at least a handful of bucket list items even while still working full time. Thank you for the inspiration. Not all adventures need to be far away. Hope you continue your adventures into the new year.
When I was working, I tried to do something (that wasn't chores) on one of the weekend days. The majority of my outings are within 50 miles.
@superbjversion2 Since I know you've driven through my area (central MO), I know you can understand that I am probably more like 120 miles from most things of genuine interest, but they are still doable in a long day trip or single overnight. But I definitely see your point that it doesn't always have to be some "big thing".
@CL_Love There were places in Jefferson City that I would have liked to visit. The state museum, Jefferson Landing, and the Fire Museum for example. I won't be making that drive any more though.
@superbjversion2 you didn't miss much with Jefferson landing, but the Capitol/ state museum is cool. Been ages since I've gone. Prison is a good tour too. Sorry things ended with your friend but I'm sure you don't miss the drive.
@CL_Love I still have family in STL ... I can always stay there and field trip to Jeff City!
@superbjversion2 lots of cool things to do and see there too.
Thank you for the virtual tour of your year. You've been busy. I hope 2025 is just as busy and enriching for you.
I already have things to do on my calendar!