I HOPE ..

MAKE NO MISTAKE .. I FULLY REALIZE HOW BLESSED AND HOW LUCKY AND HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AS I DO. THE ENTIRE POINT OF MY WEBSITE HERE IS TO REALIZE MY DESIRE THAT .. IN SOME SMALL WAY .. ONE OF MY POSTS OR ONE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHS WILL MAKE ONE PERSON'S DAY JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

TO FEEL GOOD .. DO GOOD !

I HOPE THAT SOMEONE VISITING MY WEBSITE WILL SEE SOMETHING ON IT THAT THEY WILL NOT EVER BE ABLE TO SEE OR TO DO OTHERWISE .. AND THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WILL MAKE THEIR DAY OR THEIR LIFE JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER !


IF YOU HAVE YOUR HEALTH AND ADEQUATE MONEY TO FOLLOW-YOUR-DREAM .. WITH DISCERNMENT .. FIND THE COURAGE AND HAVE THE GUTS TO DO WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO!


TRULY THIS IS MY DOXOLOGY .. MY PRAISE TO GOD!

YOU CAN ALSO VISIT .. http://babakaps.net .. TO SEE MY OTHER WEBSITE.

Monday 27 November 2017

NOV 27, 17 .. IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN .. WWII GLIDER MUSEUM

The very name of this city, Iron Mountain, reveals one of its most important assets, the mining of iron ore. The below link will show some basic information about Iron Mountain.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Mountain,_Michigan

In the above Iron Mountain link, you will also note reference to the Millie Mine / Hill Bat Cave viewing site that I showed in my last Post.

The time has come to view the WWII Glider Museum.


The WW Glider & Military Museum here in Iron Mountain, Michigan, is actually a joint attraction with The Cornish Pumping Engine and Mining Museum. 




We did not visit the Cornish Pump and Mining Museum. But because it is housed in the same museum complex with the WWII Glider Museum, I wanted to, at the very least, acknowledge it. You can also read about this massive pump in the above Iron Mountain link.



In each of the next two photos, notice the green and white sign.




In the below photo, is a close up of the green and white sign.



As I said above, we did not visit the Cornish Pump and Mining Museum. The pump museum is housed in the building you see above and below.



The below photos show some of the equipment used to mine the iron ore.



Below are two close up photos of the iron ore in the above left mining car.


From this collection of rocks, iron is produced. Amazing!






Now I will show the WWII Glider Museum. 

In the right foreground of the below photo, you can see the side of the building that you saw in several frontal photos above. This building houses the Cornish Pump and Mining Museum.

Also, in the below photo, notice that there is another, dark gray, building to its rear.



The dark gray building (above and below) houses the WWII Glider and Military Museum.




As you enter the building, the below honorary plaque is on display.

Clyde Unger. Without whom the Waco CG 4A glider you will see below may not have been restored.


Several general, non-glider, displays in the museum. 





The WACO CG 4A Glider.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_CG-4

The Kingsford, Michigan, plant mentioned in the above informational link, is immediately connected to and adjacent to Iron Mountain. 

A model of the glider gives visitors a good overview of what it looks like.




The Waco CG 4A Glider.







I was amazed that, in addition to the pilot and copilot, one of the Waco CG 4A Gliders could only hold 13 combat troops.








I had read about the use of gliders in various historical journals of WWII battles, especially in the European Theater of Operations.

I really enjoyed visiting the museum. 

Smiles, 

Cap and Patti who waited outside, comfortably in our truck. 

Tuesday 21 November 2017

NOV 22, 17 .. IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN.. BATS IN THE BELFRY??

After completing my medical appointments at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, on our drive East to Royal Oak, Michigan, Patti and I spent a fair amount of time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Iron Mountain, Michigan, was one city we stayed in for a few days.


Tom Izzo (basketball) and Steve Mariucci (football) are two sports coaches of significant stature. Iron Mountain is proud to call them 'native sons'.



"About the above title Captain? Bats? What on this good earth do you mean?" / sign me 'Zilla /

Gee I thought you'd never ask 'Zilla.

What is a Bat? Bats are mammals.


Below is a closer look at the upper left side of the above information plaque.



Why Do Bats Hibernate?




Below are closeup photos of the above information plaque.

Let's begin with the below extremely interesting Bat Fact.


A close up of the Cool Bat Facts.


The various species of the Millie Mine Bats.



Below is a close up of the above photo.



Below is a close up of the above photo.


Below are photos from a distance of the informational plaques that I showed in the above close ups.




"The time has come" your Captain says "to begin at the beginning."

We owe all of this to Trip Advisor. Patti and I looked for 'Things To Do In Iron Mountain, Michigan'.

And up popped, can you imagine this, visiting the Millie Mine Bat Viewing Site.

The Millie Mine is a now abandoned iron ore mine.



A spelunker, such as Steve Smith, is a person who explores caves, especially as a hobby. As you can read below, Steve Smith discovered the Millie Mine colony.
  

The Millie Mine site also has a very pleasant hiking trail known at the Millie Hill Trail.




Below you see the informational plaque above in the distance.


Your reward for hiking out to the end of the Millie Hill Trail are overviews looking out at, and down upon, Iron Mountain.






The walk back to the Millie Mine site.







And we are back to the parking lot and the Millie Mine site.


It is difficult (almost impossible) to see clearly, but on the upper extreme right edge of the above photo is the actual Millie Mine site. You can see the fence that surrounds the entrance to the mine.

The below photos show the barricaded entrance to the mine shaft.





At last we have arrived at the purpose of visiting the Millie Mine Bat Viewing site.


Where exactly do you see the Bats? 

If you are extremely lucky to see them at all, you will see them at dusk as they are coming up from and returning back down into the Millie Mine site at the security barricade.


I did not even catch so much as one instantaneous glimpse of a Bat and I was out there at both dawn and at dusk. Your very own Captain may have a case of Bats in his belfry.

Smiling, 

Patti and Cap.