My Life --- An Adventure!?: Door Catch Up

I'm standing waiting for verifications to run through a washer that is not passing so this could take a while... Patience in the land of patients... Seriously - I sell soap, soap used in washers maintained by mechanics who should know how to program their washers but yet - I am asked to literally write out for said maintainance person how the washers should be running as they're currently not programmed correctly... How does that work? Thank goodness I've been around long enough to know everything from program names to cycle temperatures and factory settings. That's just scary right?...

So as I stand and wait for other washers to fail or pass their verifications...

It's time for quick catch up from this last weekend.

I originated and asked about a camping weekend with Kim a while back, only to find out that she had been coming up with her own camping weekend plan. So I intruded:). I actually had promised her she'd get the peace and quiet she so wanted but, because its with me, I think somewhere in her head she doubted it. But she immediately replied yes - what a good friend!!!!

As mentioned - we left on Friday and the plan was Washington Island as I do love it there and if peace is to be found in Door County during the summer, its on the Island. We camped Friday night and then leisurely did breakfast and I then told Kim I had to intro her to my new favorite spot on the Island (sadly it did not exist the summers we spent up there so long ago) We got in the car and drove over to Red Cup Cafe. Got coffee, a new bag for Kim and a new headband for me. And then we just sat on the front porch getting our summer on!

See - even middle easterners are clamoring for the deliciousness of Red Cup!

Next door to the Red Cup is the bread company where, if you get there early enough, you get your choice of fresh, hot bread. As the morning progresses, they start crossing the best breads off the white board:(. We got the thyme and olive loaf (which we actually never got a chance to eat but I brought it home and mom has been cutting away on it).

And then on the other side of Red Cup is the epitome of bliss - sigh - a wonderful bookstore. It's just the thing to do while you've got coffee. I've bought so many books there but I've never really talked to the owner as its usually been a little busier. This time, Kim and I had a nice chat with Kathleen (in the picture below) bought some books, and were actually given some books! Apparently bookstore owners are sent preview copies of books from publishing companies and asked to read them and then send their opinions. They're complete bound books (the front book Im holding is one of them) and the only way you know it's not "real" is it says its only a preview copy and hasn't been edited and there may be changes made to the final version so don't sell it or quote it. It's just another amazing reason to own a bookstore!

I finally had sat for long enough and I dragged Kim off to kayak. Kim still needed some r and r but when the water calls!... So I decided to push off on my own and kayak across from Washington Island to Rock Island. I'd never been to Rock Island and had always wanted to go but you have to take a ferry there so I just never had... Until I got my own "ferry":)

I don't even know how long it took me to get across to Rock, but I finally pulled my little yellow kayak up on shore and then meandered down to the ferry dock and park entry.

There's a huge building that they use as the park entrance. Apparently there was a wealthy Chicago electrician named Chester Thorandsen who had bought Rock Island and had started building a resort/retreat there for his family and his employees. It was never finished but the basic part of the "great hall" was and is still there as a tribute to Chester's Icelandic family roots. The fireplace and the furniture all are odes to Iceland!

I walked around inside and outside for a bit and then I started to worry about Kim - and the trouble she was probably causing on the mainland...:)

So I jumped back in Yellow and furiously paddled back to check in on Firestarter!

And later I tried to rescue her from some very angry crocodiles! Wait - that was a different trip....

But back to the Island and the peace of a lavender farm that never existed when we used to be regulars. This barn was falling down for years and then one trip I come and it's a beautiful lavender farm and a dairy store.

And then the next trip there's another flourishing lavender farm! And now it's a huge island business - lavender everywhere!

And lets say this is the reason I didn't post right away!:). One of the books I apparently accidentally picked up to buy hadnt actually even been released yet so I was forbidden by Kathleen to say anything about it - but I was so excited to start reading it! It's the biography of Harper Lee and the book wasnt actually released until July 15th:). But I had settled onto the shore of Schoolhouse Beach on July 12th and took this picture before I started reading - sadly knowing I couldn't post the picture for 2 more days! I guess my time is up!

Dinner - by this time we were feeling lazy so. I suggested that I buy dinner - also because I was wanting to go by the water and relive memories of Sailors Pub by Shipyard Marina where we spent many miserable - I mean - memorable hours as nannies back in the summers of ... Can't even remember.

There she is all pretty with a new coat of paint! And a totally new inside and a new menu! Melissa and I wouldn't have even been able to afford a coke here now let alone a meal. AND they even have reservations and waiting lists! WHAT! Never! It was all scruffy old sailors and frazzled boating help (aka Overbo and Behn) that ate here!

Now you can get all the local favorites..

Cocktails with Deaths Door vodka...

Whitefish.....

Fabulous cherry pie (actually the last piece that was ordered by a guy sitting at the bar with us and then when Kim told him it was my favorite he insisted that I take it because he comes back every weekend and can always get it - I wasn't foolish enough to not accept it:)

And then the morning of our departure, we broke out the bikes and peddled over to another favorite haunt of Mel and I... Findlays Holiday Inn. We used to always get the oatmeal here because it was amazing ... I actually opted for something different but I should have just gotten it for old times sake... Oh well. Everything had changed at Findlays - except the bathrooms:)