I arrived in Ludington, Michigan at 5AM, or so, I parked at the near by huge supermarket parking lot and took a long nap.

I like driving at night, there is no traffic, and that stretch of the woods, and it seems safe.

When I came to, I went to the supermarket to get Ice Cream.

I found a White Chocolate bar, names after a large caliber revolver, fair enough.

I bought a bunch of junk too, a magnesium fire starter…

That I never figured out how to use, but buried under a tree that I still remember.

And a blueberry drink mix, that later in my love of life, I would put in my rice dinner.

It did not look as good as the idea, and tasted just as awful.

I drove up to the Ludington State Park, and disgusted the Park Ranger by wearing multiple fanny packs.

I took one night in the park proper, I love people watching, it was very nice.

But I also reserved two weeks or so, over at the Jack Pine Hike In Sites, which were a half mile walk.

I arrived at the sites, set up camp, climbed atop the dune, that sheltered the sites from Lake Michigan wind…

and sat there, sucking oxygen, as the dune was quite sandy.

An even your biggest steps, earned you no more than two inches worth of progress, and also spiders.

It wasn’t long before I became a Jack Pine Native, and got described by the local scouts as walking with a swagger.

Though I think I was just being slow, and by that time, a bit uneven, from the fanny packs,

That I stuffed with fossils, and fancy seashells.

Half way through my stay, I’ve noticed that the local raccoons accepted me as their own.

You can only wash so much in the lake, and that is when I remembered.

That on the first day, the campers were bringing towels, to the restroom area, which made me wonder if there were showers.

As the sun went down, I put my raccoon hat on, and silently tiptoed to the interesting little building…

As I wasn’t sure if the Jack Pine Wildebeests, were allowed to take showers.

And in no time I was enjoying a hot long shower, that probably used up all the hot water.

Not once in my life had I been that clean before, certainly not by stealing a hot shower.

All the local mosquitoes, immediately, fell, in a fragrant mist of deadly deed that I whipped out of my fanny pack - I was expecting them.

Now smelling of sophistication, irish soap, and pinetrees, that the bug spray people cleverly added to the deadly broth.

I made my way back, that’s were I ran into that darn owl.

Before falling asleep, now booted out of my raccoon squad, for not smelling I trash, I decided I was ready for Nordhouse.

As I was leaving the state park, the Park Ranger remembered me, and nodding in disbelief said, you had perfect weather didn’t you.

I didn’t even notice, it never got cloudy, I was having too much fun.

I drove a huge circle around the entire state park, and spent three weeks at Nordhouse.

One night sleeping in a thunderstorm, another noticing the dune grass glow with a mysterious faint blue light.

After a moth and a half long adventure, I came home, but did not dare to remove my equipment from the trunk.

And I loved every grain of beach sand that got into my car, and just as the end of summer was nearing…

I got in my car, and drove directly to Nordhouse, for long and restful thee week stay.