Michigan my Michigan

Oh land of the sky blue waters,Oh land of the lakes and streams,Michigan, my Michigan,Home sweet home to me.
It's an old song I learned as a child. Wish I could remember more of the lyrics.
I hadn't been back to Michigan in four years. Shame on me. At the end of October I remedied that, however, with a trip back for two weeks. Heike joined me for the first week. It was a wonderful trip, and I really enjoyed seeing my family and friends on the visit. Made me homesick.
My brother Mark's birthday was coming up, so I took him to see a Michigan hockey game. College hockey is more fun than the pros, in my view. The atmosphere is great, the hockey is top notch, and heck, it's my alma mater. Michigan defeated Boston University (a highly ranked team) two straight, including the game Mark and I attended, which the Blue won 6-2. The Wolverines were impressive, especially considering they have 12 freshmen on the roster--more than half the team. Their passing and positioning was exceptional. At the game, I was also able to meet up with a couple of the guys I played with in the Snoopy Tournament last summer: Ross Childs and Frank Wilhelm (aka The Kaiser).
It was also great to see my good friend David. He is the kind of friend that, even if I don't see him for quite awhile, we can pick right up where we left off. David's girlfriend Jill was kind enough to lend me one of her guitars while I was in Ann Arbor. Very thoughtful. We got together one night for a little playing and singing, which was fun.
My friend George and I were able to get in a day canoe trip down the mighty Huron. The weather was perfect and the wildlife was out in abundance. It's amazing to see such fauna so close to civilization. We saw lots of wild turkeys, Great Blue Herons, hundreds of trout and pike, and most spectacular of all, lots of deer. One huge buck crossed the river right in front of our canoe. Canoes are so silent, the deer don't easily notice you coming. A fine autumn day in Michigan.
The trip would not have meant much without visiting mom, though. Although she is almost eighty, she is doing very well physically and mentally. In fact she has a better memory than I, which is great for her, but is not so great for me. She's a wonderful woman: thoughtful, loving, generous, kind, and rational. I was also able to visit with some of my cousins, Jon and Sue, as well as my aunt Gretchen. We hit a tavern on Whitmore Lake for beer and pizza. Was also able to rendezvous with Sue, my sister Meg and her daughter, my mom, and heike at the Zukey Lake Tavern. Fun place, decent food for pub grub.
Fortunately, I was also able to see all my nieces as well. Mark's girls Meredith and Lydia are sweet little girls. Meredith plays violin beautifully, and Lydia is a fine dancer. The visit with Meg's girls was briefer. Kelsey was on her way back to college, but at I was glad to be able to see her and her sister Jenna. I was long gone from Michigan when Jessica was born, but now she is old enough to get to know. She's a smart little lady. (You can see her in the group picture from the Tavern, above.)
Won't wait so long to return again. I'd like to make it a yearly trip if possible.