Certified Pre Owned

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A Row of Ford Model "A" s

Motorists passing by Westfield Ford in Countryside on Sunday were treated to a few dozen Ford Model A cars. An interesting thing was that they were shown on the used car lot (enlarge the photo to see the sign in the background). I'd rather have one of these than most of the new cars out today! They've lasted 80 years so far, and I'd be able to work on them too.

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A Sunday Drive

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1931 Model A

All stitched up and bandaged, we headed out on Sunday to a Ford Model A car meet in Countryside, IL. Our friends Jim and Janet had their 1931 Ford Model A pickup truck at the show, and we wanted to see it up close.

Not only did we get to see it, the kids got a ride too. The first thing they were confused about was the lack of seat belts after Janet told them to put them on!

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The Boys in the Driver's Seat

There were lots of other antique cars too, including a really cool wood bodied pie truck and a 1928 Model T. We definitely need to get to the next public show.

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Left Behind

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Left Behind
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Racing toward the last sunset of summer, Danny tries to keep up with mom and Chris. I'm in no hurry for summer to end, but it was a perfect evening for a long walk on the beach - most of which was completely empty.

The wind and waves picked up making our hunt for fossils nearly impossible as the waves covered most the rocks with sand.

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Amber Evening

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Door Prairie Horse Barn
LaPorte, Indiana

The Door Prairie barn in LaPorte, Indiana was built in 1882 and is the last example of a nine-sided barn in the country (and possibly the world). Nine pie-shaped stalls extend from a central feeding silo that extends up to the cupola. Chutes carry the silage down to each of the stalls to feed the horses. While this barn looks rather small when you pass by, it's really large when you stand next to it.

No longer used to keep horses, this barn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is owned by Peter Kessling, an antique car enthusiast who built the Door Prairie Auto Museum next door in 1993, only to donate the building to the county of LaPorte to house the county museum.

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Little Sable Point Lighthouse

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Little Sable Point Lighthouse

Activated in 1874, the Little Sable Point lighthouse stands 107 feet above the dunes along the Michigan shore of Lake Michigan, making it the tallest lighthouse on Lake Michigan. Originally, the keepers dwelling was attached immediately to the east of the tower, but was razed in 1955. Shortly after the tower was automated in 1977, the white paint was removed from the tower, exposing the original brick seen today.

An interesting fact about the tower's Third Order Fresnel lens is that it is divided into thirds, and only the top two-thirds turn. This means the light seen by ships is a constant dim light (from the fixed bottom third of the lens) along with a brighter, occulting light (from the rotating top two-thirds of the lens). It's a rare Fresnel, and especially rare on the great lakes.

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Central Supported Spiral Staircase
Interior of Little Sable Point Light

The lighthouse is located in Silver Lake State Park, between Ludington and Muskegon Michigan, and well worth the drive up. Self-guided tours are given on weekends in the summer, and only cost $2 for adults.

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View from the Top

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Summer's End

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Last Sunset of Summer 2008
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

The last day of summer 2008 was spent with family along the shore of Lake Michigan. I think we visited these beaches once or twice every weekend since April! Temperatures in the high 70s, and no crowds- a perfect Sunday to hunt for crinoid stems and other 200 million year old fossils. We generally get a large hand full each week if the surf is calm enough to wash the sand off of the pebbles along the shore.

We'll still visit each weekend until late November, then the holidays keep us busy until February when we'll start again. Last year at the beach

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Attack

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Garter Snake


An irritated Garter snake shows it's serious about attacking if we get any closer. The recent floods have driven these snakes from their hiding spots, and we found no less than 30 in our 10 minute walk around the lake. Every snake that couldn't slither away fast enough would coil up and lunge at us!

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End of the Road

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The Wife and Kids at the End of the Trail

Last weekend we received lots of rain - around 9 inches or more in 48 hours! One storm was followed by the remnants of Hurricane Gustav so we got a great soaking. This 188 acre lake is usually hundreds of feet from the road and about 30 to 40 feet below it. This rain caused it to raise almost to street level (much higher than the photo) so only the tops of mature trees could be seen.

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The lake that's always there was made to collect rainwater from the neighborhood streets, and is stocked with fish for fishing. The majority of the park cannot be seen due to the overflow of water. It's a good thing, or our homes would most likely be underwater right now!

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Beverly Shores Station

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The Historic Beverly Shores Station
Beverly Shores, Indiana

Built in 1929 by the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (an interurban electric railroad), the Beverly Shores station is a fine example of Spanish Revival architecture, and perhaps the last example of a train station built in this style. During this time, the railroad was owned by Samual Insull who also designed several other stations along the South Shore Line using this Spanish Revival style.

This particular station was boarded up in 1997, no longer fit for use. The station was saved and by 2001 it was restored and turned into the Beverly Shores Depot Museum and Art Gallery. The waiting room still serves as the train station waiting room for the South Shore Railroad.

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Civil War Days

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Dellwood Park's
Civil War Days

A great way to learn about history is to recreate it (as long as you're careful not to repeat the bad parts). Civil War reenactments are a perfect way to understand not only the history of war, but the technology and protocol as well.

At this year's Civil War Days at Lockport's Dellwood Park, the battle and all of the functions leading up to it were described in minute detail by a narrator. This really helped everyone understand how things were done and why.

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Colorful Sunset

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View from our Front Porch

After a hot day running around the shore and paddling the canoe, the boys and I were treated to a great sunset. With lows in the 50's and 40's this week, I hope that wasn't the last summer evening we can enjoy....

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Sunny Side Up

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A Back lit Wildflower
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

While climbing the dunes in the morning sun, I noticed a few of these wildflowers growing along with the tall grasses. They looked great illuminated from behind by the sun .

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