We just got back from our trip to Paradise. I am pretty sure its the last for this year. Wow was it busy. I have never seen so many people in Paradise. Lucky for us we got there just at the end of the Blueberry Festival. What a great weekend for the local business. We went for burgers at the Klondike Bar, best burgers there yum. Well "Sorry no French frys and before you ask no onion rings either" said the bar tender. Thats OK we had deep fried mushrooms instead. They were out of so much stuff. They had over 6000 people go through Paradise that weekend. I am sure they have never seen so many people before. Its not like that can get supplies as quick as we do down here. The cabin was great, we just love Curley's. What does it matter if there was no hot water and barely and water pressure who cares.
The house had a very large living area and kitchen dining all in one. Two large bedrooms too. Very comfortable. I could live in that house.
One of the days we went to Taquamenon Falls. We have been many many times but its a nice walk and I have a digital camera now so just had to get a few more pictures
We only went to the Upper Falls though.
One day we went to see a lady who has a pair of wolves. She has had wolves for many years. I have always wanted to go meet her but this was the first time it worked out for both of us. Her older wolf died last year. The two remaining wolves are now 13 and 15 years old, so I was very happy to get to see them. She also has sled dogs. She does not race them but got them from people who do. I guess these guys were too slow. They live a good life and get a lot of freedom, even though when we saw them they were penned. Nice and clean pens too. They get to go out at night and run, and she also does sled with them, just not racing.
The wolves are still wild and have always been so. They are beautiful. Kenai is an Arctic wolf. Just look at those feet. They are huge so that they can walk on snow
The other wolf is an American Timber wolf Nahanni
These wolves are in a compound in the woods. Although surrounded by 10' double fencing they have a lot of freedom. They are healthy and happy. You can tell. Nahanni was flirting, too shy to come to the fence (we were inside the double fence) he would come real close and as long as I didnt look would keep coming but if I moved or looked would go on by like he never intended to get any closer anyway.
This is Reina with Moki who is the house pet and is a real lover.
Another day we went to Oswalds bear ranch. They keep black bears who are either orphaned or given to them. They do not breed bears. All these are rescued and very happy. They have a huge place to live with in special fences and electricity. However as babies their job is to have pictures taken with children. They are given treats and you can tell they could care less about the pictures just give them the treats. This is my husband with Tristen and Reina and the curent baby model.
Then the man went in with one of the females and had her pose with a sucker. Just look at that face.
While the gates were open I got a good shot of her. What a beauty. While walking around some of the bears came to greet us at the fence because people give them treats of cut up apples. We had neglected to get any but Gabby had a sucker and as they get suckers we threw one over. That bear followed us the rest of the way in the hope of another treat. Now dont get the idea that they are fat and lazy, they are not. They are well cared for healthy bears.
While we have very seldom seen bears while we have been in the Upper Peninsula we have had several around town where I live. Imagine that.
One of the best things to do is to walk on the beach at Whitefish Point and look for Agates. Tristen prefers to throw them. Do you like his camoflage?
Here Reina and Tristen look out over Lake Superior. This is outside the cabin. Today she is in a calm mood but don't ever take this lake for granted she is a wicked bitch. The shipwrecks and storms here are just horrendous. Remember the Edmund Fitzgerald.
We lived right opposite Wimbledon Common. To get to work we had to go into Putney, walk or thumb a lift, or if lucky a bus. From there the underground. It was quite a trip to get into work. It was fun because all of us were going to the same place. Some days the girls would report seeing an up an comming young actor on the bus in the morning, soon everyone would know Oliver Reed.
So once I settled in to living and working in London eventually I didn't go home every weekend. London was calling. What a wonderful city it is. Exploring the city at night and walking where ever we wanted with no fear for safety. Sitting in the subway in the early hours of the morning no one ever bothered us. This was the time of the Mods and Rockers. The birth of the mini skirt. Walking the streets of London seeing the models so tall and beautiful shopping along Bond and Oxford street. The West End. Going to shows.
we would go to the overseas club and see the Arabs who were going to the London colleges so exotic to us in their robes. So romantic we thought. We met all kinds of people. The streets in London had their Buskers and street entertainers. So much to see and do.
We could sit in the middle of Picadilly circus and watch the world go by, the lights of the huge advertisements overhead. Eros overlooking everything.
Trafalgar Square was also a good starting point because we could walk down the Mall and through the parks in the evening. A calm in the midst of all the hustle and bustle.
I could write forever about life in London. In the 1960s the British music scene was just beginning and by the time I was living there it was in full swing. Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton set the styles, the music was The Stones and Marianne Faithful then the Liverpool lot but I was faithful to my London bands. Mick Jagger had been going to the London School of Economics and some of the new bands were upper class kids. Rebellion was in the air. Not violence but change...........London was the place to be.
