DEC-B-8
ON THE RUN IN JENISON AND GRAND RAPIDS
FOR THE PRE-HOLIDAY CELEBRATION:
IN TIME TO VISIT ALL THE FAMILY
EXCEPT FOR MARTHEEN’S, NOW OFF IN ONTARIO
Dec. 20—23, 2001
I have run for the first time in over a week, while the ambient temperature is still not that bad—it was 20* this morning and will be more like deep freezing temperatures later as the long-delayed winter arrives in Michigan where people have been awaiting it. I ran around Hager Park in my new French Air Force warm-u suit as the temperature was about freezing at mid-morning. I then met Shirl who had also come over to Milly’s house to see the new sunroom and improvements on their house. We visited for a bit and then I was about to proudly display to them the versatility of the computer and plugged in the CD player to plug in Virginia’s new CD from Christmas at Del Rio. No way. The machine proudly announces that the disc is playing, but there is no sound, even with the volume turned all the way out. “I am sure that she sings beautifully,” said Shirl as she left, and I am still frustrated with this machine, which is wonderful when it works, and a boat anchor when it does not.
I have also had to occasions for the theatre in my Michigan visit—one that of the Calvin Alumni Players at the “Lab Theatre” under the Gezon Auditorium in the Fine Arts Center, and the second in the new Imax theater just opened in November in Grand Rapids at a “Celebration Cinema” in one of the new malls opening everywhere around the city.
I went with Milly and her group from Church to the performance in the theatre at Calvin, which was a theater in the round and was well done. It was very interactive, including getting the audience wet with Super Soakers in the rainstorm for Noah and the flood. The title was the Creation Mystery, from the creation through the fall, and Cain and Abel, and Abraham, to the coming of the Nativity and the reign of Herod, the Shepherds and angels and the Hosanna to the newborn king. It was a good Christmas time performance, with a medieval flair for acting out the Bible stories for those who could not read, or interpret the stone icons in the cathedrals.
Milly and I had gone to Meijers—a massive store like that, which is everywhere in the Sam’s or Walmart or Shopper’s Warehouse types, except that no membership is required. We also went to the new Galyans here although did not get what was needed at any spot. The shoe repair took my shoes to sew the small gap in the suede—and missed it. Milly fixed the only place that needed fixing.
On Saturday, Doug thought of going fishing in Black Lake, which he has
been doing before ice and whitecap season, while big Lake Trout come in to spawn,
fish that are to be returned while fishing for walleyes and smallmouths. But
it was just on the borderline between the extraordinarily warm fall to this
winter solstice shortest day, and now the arctic supercold air released by the
“Arctic
Oscillation” is now letting that cold blanket down over the Great Lakes to deliver
the “Lake Effect” snow everyone has been waiting for to produce the White Christmas---all
week, beginning as I leave.
We went to see the African Elephant IMAX movie. IT is a good filming story of the elephant herds of Amboseli, under the shadow of the “White3 Mountain” they refer to---the one I know from both bottom and top and every point in between—Kilimanjaro. It made me realize that I am past due to return to Africa, as everything everywhere is constantly deteriorating, but there is still a basic goodness of African wilderness—however the dwindling amount of what is left is mismanaged---elephants themselves being destructive of some parts of their habitat.
We drove out from the theatre to the Grand haven area, as a few early white caps started kicking up the lake surface. We visited the newly complete3d remodeling job of Gwen and Troy’s house, and I met baby Britta Marie, who is a tiny and good natured baby. Troy got to see a few of my hunting pictures after I had seen a few of his. Oddly, neither Gwen nor Amy and Kent had received the year-end letter I had mailed them with the pictures I had taken last year—despite my mailing it 12 days ago. Both Milly and Shirl received theirs the day I had arrived on Thursday—so that the letter was eleven days in transit thorough the mail, but it would not even arrive in time for Christmas for Brenda and others, who had called in without yet having received it. The contrast between the last Christmas visit in four feet of snow would be apparent enough to cause a number of those pictures to find their way onto refrigerator doors as souvenirs of “Christmas Past.”
Saturday night I went to Arn and Shirl’s for dinner, with Amy and Kent and very verbal Hannah Michelle. She looked up when Britta Marie was dropped off so that Gwen and Troy could go to the same theatre performance we had gone to the night before, and she burst out, “Oh a baby, Mommy, how cute! Mommy, Mommy, can we have a baby too?” This cute comment comes at a critical time when it is not the most admirable thing little Hannah and her chubby cheeked charm can produce, since Amy would have been due the same time as her sister-in-law Amy will be due in May, but for her second miscarriage.
Kent, who had admired a few of my adventures last year, was one of the people I had sent the story of Kamchatka, so that he wanted to see the pictures of the hunting trophies. He was quite curious as to how much such an expedition would cost since he would really like to go on one of these hunts someday. We talked a little about Michigan hunting, which has been varied, but everyone has venison in the freezer.
My sisters have been curious about two major issues, the fate of Derwood and the status of my interest in Virginia. I am eager to watch these events develop myself and the first parts are coming up soon on at least one of these fronts.
Upon leaving Doug and Milly’s church at 11:00 AM during their special pre-Christmas service, we went to GRR which has the same increased security systems that every airport does—a lot of which involve a lot of standing around idly by a lot of people in inclement and very boring conditions. After I was on the plane, I met Cliff Orlebeke and his family, coming to visit their daughter in Wilmette for the holiday.
As I left the plane to get over to the big 777 heading first to IAD and then to Brussels, I got a phone call from Russ Elwell. He said he was making some plans for my coming year, and wanted me to come up and spend some Christmas time with him. I have just been contemplating the drive to North Carolina to visit George Poehlman and family to work out our visit and helping in Malawi in February, which may take place either at their home in Pinehurst after Christmas or at Morehead City on the beach in the weekend forthcoming after ward. I am also going to see Paul Gibbs in Atlanta before the hog hunt on Cumberland and Craig Schaefer at Cambridge. I have still to figure out if I can see Donald and family after the Christmas holiday and before the hunt on Cumberland. Now Russ Elwell has invited me to come up to Lake Erie4 Mayville New York as soon as Christmas Eve—so perhaps I may drive the faithful Bronco from one end of the US on its North Coast to the southernmost part in Florida with multiple stops along the way—all in the winter of the high temperatures and low gas prices—all subject to change almost immediately upon my return through Dulles airport –as I land about a mile from the two Geelhoed Twin Grandsons before their return to San Antonio.
So, the coming week may se some serious mileage in many directions—so stay tuned for the next series of Dec-C-series coming up next!