Bridges, Parks, and Overeating

After my nap (a perk of senior citizens) it was still raining. Gary suggested we go to Stoney Ridge for supper. It was packed with a Father's Day crowd. As we came in, the family at the table next to us was praying over together. When that little ritual was over, they began to talk, swearing profusely, discussing f___ this and f___ that. I found it amusing. It let us off the hook, should we let go with a good curse. Gary remarked that even if they prayed, we got our order before they did!

I figured that the end of meal was the day's finale, but Gary had other plans. He drove us off in the other direction. He made a turn off Highway 8 and soon we were following the signs that led to Goodman Park, part of the Marinette County park system. It was a park I first was taken to by my grandparents, back in the days they had a cabin in the area. The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Thirties. It was one of the great ideas that came out of the Roosevelt Administration. It gave jobs to thousands of young men who had nowhere else to turn. They created parks in every state of the union, even in Puerto Rico.

As we walked around Goodman Park we could mark all the log buildings that have stood the test of time. Though the wooden bridges occasionally have to be re-done, their stone bases are still there. The main hall overlooks the dramatic Strongs Falls. 

We checked out the campground which was empty. There is a dumping station which charges $5.00. The campsites were too close together for our liking.

Next we stopped at the smaller McClintock Park, again created by the CCC. Just off the parking lot we discovered a turtle laying her eggs. We took a photo and left her to carry on.

McClintock's bridges crisscrossed the Upper Peshtigo River.

Ferns were lush unlike the last time we visited. It would have made a pleasant walk but the mosquitoes had taken over plus the sun was setting.

I figured that was the end of our outing but no, Gary went off though more back roads. We saw deer and I was glad Gary's reaction times are still good, especially when a doe and a fawn appeared just around a bend. The very young fawn was startled and didn't know what to do. Mama immediately dove off the road, but the little one kept going back and forth on the road, confused. We patiently waited for it to make up its mind.

It wasn't until we reached Lakewood that I realized our next destination: the Shell station at Townsend, which has the best and biggest ice cream cones ever. I got a Mudslide and Gary took the magnificent Zanzibar Chocolate which is the chocolatiest chocolate ever.

We drove home in the dark and rain with me watching for deer, but it wasn't deer that caused him to stop abruptly, it was the balsam fir across the road. It left us just enough room to maneuver into the ditch to get around it. We are finding trees like that one here and there. They become so rain soaked they become top heavy and topple over. We thank our stars that we don't have to worry about forest fires like the one in Colorado.

Before we returned to our camper we checked the campground. Thirteen campsites were filled, seven of them at the Flats. Our section has returned to quiet after a weekend of dogs and a loud generator. With no one around, Gary went out in the rain to start our own generator to run the furnace for a while to get the dampness out...and to allow me to go on line to write my blog.

Then it was to bed for us, after a day well lived.