Ludington, MI Zero Miles, July 4th

We have been having a beautiful time today. Ludington is decorated even with red, white and blue flowers. We have enjoyed exploring the bronze sculptures in the city park as well as an old lighthouse which the town is raising funds to restore.

I was amazed to see the beautiful pristine beach and water on the shore of Lake Michigan. Even with all the people and the boat marina there was no evidence of pollution. I began talking to a woman, Sue, sitting on the beach. She talked so much about how special the Great Lakes are, that I just had to dip in for a swim. It was quite refreshing at 62 degrees. When Pam and Carol came by and saw I really had gone for a swim, I was able to convince Pam to do the same. She agreed it felt great and the cold was not THAT bad. We had our pictures taken, hit the local grocery and got ready to watch the parade.

The joke was that because this is an election year, the July 4th parade is extra long. The highlight was THE SCOTTSVILLE CLOWN BAND. They have been in existence since before WWII. During the summer they have about 50 appearances. They pay for a band bus and any money left over goes for scholarships for music students. We have heard that the waiting list to join the band is approximately 12 years. A person has to wait for a member to die before a place opens up. The band members wear whatever they choose, and most decide to dress as women. We left the parade on a high, packed our gear and were ready to spend the evening with Pastor Evans and his wife, Judy.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner, then we were treated to Tom's passion which is ice cream. He had his own house of flavors. Everyone was invited to choose their own flavor from many cartons. When all had served themselves in very large bowls, Tom chose his own carton which he brought to the table to enjoy with his own fork. We were all jealous, because he is able to indulge and stay thin and not worry about cholesterol.

Judy shared her own passion with us which is quilting. She brought the quilts out one by one as we oohed and ahhed at her ability to put together stunning color combinations. We couldn't have planned a better place to enjoy July 4th.