HANGING WITH THE YOOPERS

Once again I am on the road and this time my travels have taken me to the northern Penninsula of the state of Michigan, otherwise known as the "U.P."  The folks here are known as YOOPERS because the live in the upper part of Michigan and they fondly refer to the folks in the lower part of Michigan as TROLLS because those folks liv"under" , or below, the long bridge that connects the UP with the lower part of the state.  Northern Michigan is a large area containing only 3% of the states population most of which are of Scandinavian decent. It is a unique and secenic area surrounded by three of the Great Lakes.
I only arrived here late last Wednesday so I haven't really gotten to see too much of the area. The fact that we have had torrential rain storms two of the days that I have been here has accounted for the lack of scenic drives. Tomorrow we will keep head North and East to the Mackinaw bridge which connects this portion of Michigan with the main portion of the state. Then we will drive south about four hours to where Dwayne's grand daughter lives with her father and we will visit with her for a day. I am getting to meet members of this family who are all of Norwegian decent, all having been residents of the state of Michigan for several decades. Since arriving here in Gladstone, MI I have met two of Dwayne's brothers who also live here and several friends of the family.  I'm getting to feed the deer each day and chase "DUMB ASS" the turkey around the yard to keep her from pecking any more paint off of the car.  There is a resident female turkey who seems to think she is the loveliest turkey in the county. She comes out of the woods every day and struts her not so fine butt over to the number on Dwayne's truck where she can see her reflection. There she preens herself and rubs herself and talks to herself. We assume she thinks she is talking to another bird but she just is having one very fine time of it. It is quite the show with the exception of the scratches she is putting on the car and truck.
Then there is the skunk who was waiting to greet us the other night when we cam home after dark. He just sat by the barn watching us without a care in the world. Even the deer steer clear of that little guy. The resident bald eagles are by far the most impressive though. There are at least three of them roosting in the tall trees on the edge of the tree line just in back of the barn. They are huge birds and often swoop down to sit on the roof of the barn where they sit to survey the property. You can't see a neighbor to either side of the property and even though the main road is not that far away you u don't see or hear any cars. This is country living at it's best. I could be in Maine, Alaska, Maryland or upstate New York. It's all the same. Small town USA at it's best. Everyone knows everyone and that is a GOOD thing. Your neighbors are there for you when you need them and even though they know all your business they still will give you the shirt off their back should you needed it.

I'm enjoying playing Country Girl for a few weeks. As BFF Jeanne told me and I have to agree, I am really a country girl at heart! I would much rather be in my jeans and tee shirt than a party dress any day! So move over turkey and grab me the tractor, I'm out to pick some apples and bake some pie. YOOPERS here I come!