(no subject)

I still haven't really written a recap of the trip to the UP, though you've seen a bunch of pictures from it.

It was a happy, peaceful trip. We spent Thursday night in Iron Mountain at a little motel there. Friday morning we got on the road to the Houghton/Hancock area, with stops along the way at places like the Cornish Pumping Engine Museum and some antique stores. We didn't find many appealing dinner options near our hotel in Houghton and ended up at an old standby, a Chinese buffet.

Saturday was spent exploring the Keweenau. We saw the rusty and half-sunken Quincy Dredge, sticking forlornly out of Torch Lake, and briefly explored the ruins of the building across the way from it. We found ourselves at a flea market in Dollar Bay (where I almost bought a unicycle) and a Habitat For Humanity ReStore in a converted church. We drove out to Copper Harbor and past it, to the northern terminus of Highway 41, detouring through the ruins of Mandan, a mining ghost town where only some foundations remain. Somewhere along 41, we visited the still-standing rockhouses and headframes of two copper mines (Centennial No.6 and Champion No.2 I think), one of which I climbed, 'cause I'm like that. We walked all around the Quincy No.2 site and its ruins as well, which Kuma seemed to enjoy. I have the most sweetly cute picture of him there to post.

We stopped at a few historical markers, waterfalls, and roadside parks. There was a bridge built with the most massive timber supports I've ever seen that fascinates me, but it was too dark for pictures at that point. I want to go back. We drove by a small jam shop that turned out, on later investigation, to be a monastery, along with it's associated, and very beautiful, church. We ate dinner at a roadside inn and restaurant west of Eagle River. We stayed in that hotel in Iron Mountain again, getting in about one or two in the morning. Woof!

Sunday we drove leisurely homeward, stopping at an antique store in Menominee that's in a converted theater. I talked a bit about theatres in general and my pictures of them with the owner and he let me into the backstage area and the projection room and balcony, all of which are locked off from public entry. I have a few pictures, though not terribly good ones, from there. We got pasties on the way home at a place called Colonel K's, which were very yummy. Somewhere in the course of lunch, Moira said something about getting 'pasties for puppies', and I've decided that would make an excellent band name. It's now third on my list for when I play Rock Band again some day, behind 'A Staggering Waste of Talent' and 'The Nuremberg Trials'.

We stopped at a Goodwill somewhere in northern Wisconsin, I think, as well as a geographical marker denoting the 45th parallel. By that point we were about road-tripped out and made for home, through what turned into a brief torrential rainstorm. We got into Kenosha about seven thirty that evening, where I got some clothes in the wash for work the next day and hit the sack so I could be up at five for my train.

It was a wonderful trip. I'm happy and grateful to have shared it with moiracoon.

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Speaking of waterfalls, here's one of the ones we stopped to investigate.





At a roadside pull-out in the Keweenau peninsula, my sweetie and I found a set of worn sandstone steps leading down away from the pavement and along the side of a river. A quick amble down the path lead me to a view of these peaceful little falls from the downstream end.

This is probably silly....

So the nearest juggling clubs (and by clubs here I mean meet-up groups, not those things that you actually juggle!) I can find online are in Madison and either Chicago proper or Aurora. Kind of out of the way for me.

But I'd really love to have someone local to pass clubs with.

Have any of you locals ever wanted to learn to juggle? It's easier than it looks, seriously. I'd be happy to teach you how to juggle balls and clubs and do some passing. I have two sets of balls and clubs both. Just a random thought. Club passing just looks so good! I found myself reading through patterns and closing my eyes and juggling in my head on the way home last night.

I think I'd enjoy teaching a person or two.

(no subject)

I spent a while outside in the backyard tonight working on left handed under the leg throws with clubs, and getting double spin throws under control. I came inside and ate the garlic noddles that moiracoon kindly brought home for me earlier today. Then I worked on my five ball cascade and three ball box for a while. (I know this is all [well, except for the eating] gibberish to non-jugglers. Sorry.)

This has all been a valiant attempt to avoid doing much of anything productive. To continue in that vein, here is a picture of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Calumet, Michigan.





This one was in what was once a church. This view is facing where the alter would have been. Railings around the raised dais still remain, and one can be seen at lower left. I just love seeing repurposed buildings like this. They are concrete examples of how the history of a building is made and how things change over time.

And I suppose now I really ought to get my bank accounts balanced and get a list of things to bring to New York together.