Marks Blog

Sun Shinning , winter first full day 2009

2009-12-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well, on the first full day of WINTER, we had a welcome guest up here in Traverse City, the SUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have not seen much of him lately, it has been snowing almost everyday for the past 2 weeks.

It's going to be a white christmas for sure.

Some pictures of our snow .

Also .this year I am going to try to keep the area in front of my 5er clean of snow......................the last few years I had to dig it out, to attend my first spring rally in April .

Oh, and of course, my new rig looks like it's resting in a blanket of snow.

First Big Snow 2009

2009-12-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

The pic with no snow on the ground, was last wed.

Well, after a slow start........winter hit us with a BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got a fooot of snow, the past few days, we had nothing on the ground last thur, and we had a storm roll in tue eve.

We had about 4-5 inches on the ground, as of tue morn, packed down a bit due to a sunny day ...but this storm hit tue eve starting about 10:00pm.

Well, we are sure to get more snow this winter,, but it is amazing how we go from nothing, to about a foot and a half on the ground, in a matter of days.

Cardinal Plant tour.

2009-08-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

A while after I bought my "New Cardinal", I went down to Elkhart to buy some "stuff", for my rig ( Duhh, you have to get some goodies), and after I finished shopping at R.V Surplus, a GREAT STORE in Elkhart, I stopped by the Birthplace, of my rig.

I showed up un-announced and inquired if I could get a tour.......The Folks at Cardinal ( A Forest River Division) were MORE THAN HAPPY to help me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found out a lot of interesting things about my rig, and how it was Built!! I was impressed with their Quality control, and saw some of the Engineering staff, on the line, looking things over....nice. I found out a number if things, to identify which features a rig had built into it, and learned a lot more about my own rig. Thanks Guys!!!

Soo Trip.

2009-08-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, shortly after I bought my NEW RIG, I set out to clean it up, swapped the tires for NEWER ones, etc................... THEN..............It was time for a ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!

I went up to one of my Fav. Places,.... Soo, St. Marie , Then a stop at the Mackinaw bridge.

My view out the bedroom window, of a Freighter Upbound at the Soo Locks.

More pics, at Home and Inside.

2009-06-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

You can see my Old Rig, in background. Just a little change.Huh??

More Pics of My New Rig.

2009-06-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I had to fix the fun day night shade.

What I like to do on my "Day's off"

2009-06-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

When we say we are a "Full service" Fire Dept, we mean it !!!!!!!!!!

Ok, Here's more "Before, and after Pictures" .More to follow.

2009-06-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is my completed mount, for the Honda Genny.

This set up would be pertty expensive, unless you are creative.

The angle steel, 2x1/4 I hunted up in SALVAGE piles, while I was at a Grand Rapids steel recycling place.

The alum. plate, for the cover, I came across, as a Machinist was cleaning out his garage, as he retired. The Diamond plate, which would sell for at least $50-$80, as I looked at Tractor supply, menards etc. I paid a whole $10 !!!!!!!!!!

The angle, one piece was close to $40.at a new steel suppply outlet.............. I got from salvage for a whopping $13.50 TOTAL...ALL the angle, plate..etc.... , course , I had to buy the bolts, etc. But, at T.S C , you buy for bulk.(tractor supply Co.) The bolts are grade 8., most of the main ones.........It ain't going anywhere!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Honda EU3000is Generator mount, on my old 5er

Christmas Lights

2008-01-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Heartland Tour

2007-05-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Tank placement in a BIG Toyhauler

Heavy Duty Framework!!

Factory tour

2007-05-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

More pictures of our tour.

Heartland Tour, 2007

2007-05-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well, when I am down in Elkhart , at our spring rally, I like to go to R.V. Factories , and see how well (or poorly) they are built.

This spring, when we were down at the 2007 Elkhart Rally, we toured the Bigfoot R.V. Plant. Scott, one of the owners, took a group of about 15-20 of us on a COMPLETE tour of the plants- all the product lines.

Scott spent a couple of hours with us, and let us TAKE PICTURES !!!! ( most tours do not let you , are they hiding something?? ) We went from start to finish, on 3 lines that were in production that day.

They are very well built, and the workers are committed to their jobs. They do not appear too rushed, and I , and others , saw MANY quality control items in place, that we had not seen in many other plant tours, we had toured, at other times.

They are a little more expensive , than some other R.V.'s , but now we know why. You do get what you pay for.

My Rig

2006-02-14T04:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a Picture of my ( OLD NOW SOLD 5th wheel) rig, on a recent trip to Minnesota. This is one of my Favorite stopping off places, for the night.

It is just east of Odanah, Wi. , at the Bad River Casino. They have FREE water, and Elec. Hookups, the Casino has a nice ,small diner inside, and the casino is open 24 hours.

There is a gas station, and grocery store, on site. A hiking trail, orv trail is right behind the parking lot.

It is in a nice central location, in the middle of Upper Wi. I go up to Minn. every few years, I like to visit Duluth, and watch the Freighters come and go, in the cannal to the harbor.

There is lot's to do, in Northern Minn.!!! The Iron ore mines are easy to view, and there is a lot of lakeshore, senic places to visit. The Hockey hall of fame, is in Elventh, and the Worlds Largest Hockey Stick, is downtown(it is HUGE) and worth seeing, in itself!

About Me

2006-02-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

I live in Traverse City,Mi., My dream town! Why ,you may ask? is this my dream town??

I will tell you, since you asked!! I have loved the T.C. area, since I was a child. My Grandparents had a farm(now part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore) on the Leelanau Pennisula, on Port Oneida /Pyramid Point.

I spent time there , as a child playing in the barns,exploring the orchards, trails, bluffs of Lake Michigan on their Homestead Farm. On their passing, the land went into the National Lakeshore, and the only thing on the old Homestead still standiing , is that very barn, I played in, so many years ago. That makes it a special place,for me! My parents Retired to Traverse City, and I had always hoped to get back to my Favorite place, in the world for me.

I ended up living in the middle of the state for a number of years, doing what you need to do, to survive. I had a good job, was on the local Fire Dept., and things were good ,for a long time, but I always went up to my Favorite town, whenever possible.

A number of years ago, I became more and more resolute to move to my favorite area. As situations changed with my job, and I had always had Allergies downstate, a number of things happened(for the better it turns out)to cause me to completely change my life around!

I now live in Traverse City, have a great job, and still am excited about living so close to the water(a big help, with my Allergies)!

I got involved with R.V.ing and met a Great group of people, that I get to hang out with, several times a year-Life is great!!! I bought a 5th wheel camper , and "fell into" my Dream truck, a Dually Cummin's pick-up!, Bright red) I, some day would like to find a Medium-Duty Truck, that I can make into a nice 'Big rig hauler" !! but for now my "cummin's" suits me just fine, never dreamed I would be so blessed with so many great R.V.ing friends,Living in My Favorite Place, in the country!!