Pathfinder Trip to Michigan--Part 2

Friday morning after breakfast, we headed out for Battle Creek and the Historic Adventist Village.

The village consists of a visitor's center and several donated, renovated, and restored buildings.

While there, we saw the home of James and Ellen White;
a log cabin where the story of "the most honest man in town" is told;

and an old schoolhouse. (We saw a lot more--have dozens of pictures, but space and time limits narrowed the narrative to this--click the "village" link above for more info about the village).

After lunch, we drove back to Warren Dunes State Park along Lake Michigan. They have a dune formation that rises 260 above the lake level. The access road to the beach was closed, so we weren't able (due to time constraints) to actually touch the lake--just had to view it from a distance.
The kids really enjoyed climbing on the dunes and playing in the sand. (Did you know that baby powder really does make the sand come off your feet, etc. more easily?)
We then hurried to Pizza Hut for supper before cleaning up to go to the evening service at the Andrews University Seminary Chapel.

All cleaned up and at the chapel for vespers.
Elder Dodge is the creator/founder of the Bible Achievement program and spoke for part of the evening service.

We returned to the hotel--tired but happy--looking forward to the Bible Achievement event the next day.

Pathfinder Trip to Michigan--Part 1

On Thursday, April 16, our Pathfinder Bible Achievement team (plus staff, staff kids, a mom and sister) traveled to Andrews University for the Division Level of Bible Achievement.We rented a 12 passenger van (which fit all of us but the mom and sister--who took their SUV and carried luggage).

We stopped on the way for a picnic lunch (and supper, later).

Everyone was glad to get to the hotel that evening in Benton Harbor, MI and relax.

The Case of the Missing Snake--Solved

The snake we saw on Friday disappeared shortly after I finished taking pictures of it. I briefly (and cautiously) looked for it, but saw no sign of it. Today, while looking out T's window, I discovered where it went. I fear our baby Starlings are only a memory now.

Wildlife Update

You just never know what you'll see when you look out the window. This morning it was a pair of male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks...

joined by a male Indigo Bunting.
Later in the morning, Daddy and Little E had come down for a brief visit and while looking out the living room window at the birds, we discovered something else!

Someone (something?) was on our porch--the dogs were on the porch too and hadn't even barked at it. (This shot was through the living room window).

Then I got braver (or stupider) and went outside for a better view.
Fortunately, the camera can zoom, so I didn't get very close.
The Starlings have a nest in this hole at the top of the porch pillar the snake was wrapped around--we think he may have been looking for a Starling Happy Meal. Little E checked the field guide and together we decided it was a Black Rat Snake--harmless to humans, but unnerving to have all 5 or 6 feet of it on the front porch!

Stormy Weather

A brief, but powerful, line of storms blew through here on Monday afternoon dropping half an inch of rain in about 15 minutes and sending Snoopy and Doobie both to the doghouse.
The storm also blew down another third of our weeping willow tree which hit and bent the pole with birdfeeders on it.