Someone Turned 12

Yes, this week Leah became a twelve year old.

The day started with cherry cheesecake, f course, and opening presents.

She really wanted and got an Instax Mini 9 camera.

Her summer camp you see, bans all electronic devices (which is a good thing). So lot of the girls there have these Instax cameras that spit out a small photo like the Polaroids of old and its very very popular. Very much the hot old-is-new-again thing.

So we had to go try it out.

Yesterday we went to the beach at Muskegon for our beach trip and post-birthday activity.

There was a lot of action at the beach.

Red Bull was sponsoring The Great Lakes Surf Festival.

Lots of fun activities- a surfing contest where people tried to get up and surf behind a wave made by a speedboat, kite surfing, and kite surfing stunting, paddle boards by the ton, and lots of fun for all. A very well mannered and enthusiastic crowd, a very well-run event and a darn good time.

Some kite surfers and surfers showed off some considerable skills:

For example, in this shot you'll notice the kite surfer has transitioned from kite-surfing to flying.

He then did some tricks before landing back in the water perfectly and going on his happy way.

Lots of neat stunts were pulled, people fell into the water multiple times, and a grand time was had by all. Next time they do it, we may just camp out on the beach as that looks like a ton of fun too.

Then we walked along the breakwater to the lighthouse,

After swimming and renting a standing paddle board and having a great time, we headed home.

Darn nice trip. Next time I'm in Muskegon, a trip to the USS Silversides will be in order.

Legends Of Confederate Gold - In Lake Michigan

Rumors of gold lost in past conflicts fuels many a search for treasure, sometimes in quite unexpected places.

Two Michigan divers are diligently searching for a rumored lost railroad car full of stolen Confederate gold that allegedly sank in Lake Michigan.

The Detroit Free Press: Shipwreck discovery may lead to Great Lakes treasure

The pair began scanning Lake Michigan off the coast of Frankfort as soon as the ice melted, looking for a boxcar they claim holds more than $2 million in gold bullion.

"Forty years of waiting," said Monroe, referring to how long it's been since he first heard about the possibility of gold treasure in the lake. "I'm sure this season we'll find it."

Dykstra and Monroe believe the lost Confederate gold is somewhere at the bottom of Lake Michigan, thanks to a two-part story that has transcended generations and was last relayed to Monroe in 1972.

"I was sitting down and talking to a friend of mine, and all of the sudden he says, 'Fred, you're just the person I want to see with your diving experience,'" said Monroe. "'My grandfather told me a story that he heard from a lighthouse keeper, who originally heard it during a deathbed confession, that there's two million dollars of gold bullion inside a boxcar that fell off a ferry into Lake Michigan.'"

Two million dollars is worth searching for, but I'd say so far there is only very thin evidence as to the legendary boxcar's existence.

I wish them luck as the search goes on.

Leah's Birthday Trip

To celebrate her birthday, Leah wanted a day trip.

So we loaded into the car. Jett wanted to drive initially.

He was convinced to head to the back once it was explained to him that a dog license and a driver's license are two different things.

After just short of three hours, including a spot on I-96 where traffic was at a complete standstill due to construction we arrived.

Kruse Park in Muskegon on the shores of Lake Michigan. The park is a public dog park and beach where dogs and humans can run, play in the water and hang out on the beach.

Jett didn't quite know what to make of the waves and the water constantly rushing towards him. His first time on a Great Lake

The water was also pretty cold, Leah jumped in anyways, the rest of us just got our legs wet.

Jett soon found new friends to play with:

Following their lead, he jumped in the water with the rest of them. He had a ball.

After hanging out for the day we headed home, picking up some BBQ takeout form Famous Dave's along the way. At home we had a nice meal, cleaned up all the sand from the beach that we had brought home with us and had a nice end to her special day.

That Lake Sure Knows How To Party

The Detroit Free Press: Drugs, caffeine, chemicals found in Lake Michigan worry researchers

Gives a whole new meaning to getting a natural high from visiting the Great Lakes.

EPA To Make The Rare Wisconsin-Michigan Badger Extinct?

The coal-fired steamship S.S. Badger to be precise.

The Detroit News: Full Stop: S.S. Badger could end historic journey in December

The ship, launched in 1952, is a registered historic site in both states and regularly ferries passengers and vehicles back and forth contributing millions to both states' economies.

This could all end on Dec. 19 if the Badger's parent company, Lake Michigan Carferry Service, doesn't come up with a way to stop dumping the boat's coal ash discharge into the waters of Lake Michigan.

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing an application by LMC that, if approved, would give the Badger a permit to continue operating past the Dec. 19 deadline, if the company sets a schedule for compliance with EPA water cleanliness restrictions.

Considering the Badger is the last coal-fired vessel in service on the lakes, the worry that one ship will harm the environmental balance of Lake Michigan is a bit overwrought, not to mention it save millions of gallons in fuel that vehicles would otherwise consume, and even carries windmill parts fer crying out loud:

The Badger not only transports people back and forth between Wisconsin and Michigan on a four-hour, 60-mile cruise, but it also transports automobiles, tour buses and commercial trucks across Lake Michigan, Brown said. It is 1 1/2 times the size of a football field. Nickels said the Badger often carries the massive pieces of wind towers — huge windmills produced by Broadwind Energies, which is based in Manitowoc. If not for the ship, he said, those pieces would have to be driven on flatbed truck trailers on highways around the southern tip of Lake Michigan. Brown said LMC estimates that the Badger saves 1 million gallons of fuel each year from vehicles that can avoid driving around Lake Michigan.

One would think the EPA would grant an exemption considering the environmental benefits of the S.S. Badger far outweigh its costs.

Then again, expecting such rational decision making from a greenie dominated, anti-coal driven administration is likely asking for too much.