FRANKENMUTH SHOPS

We are walking from the restaurant across this bridge to outdoor shops.  In the background is a genuine old covered bridge.  The river and all the plants and flowers make this such a special place.

From the grounds of the shops, is this beautiful cascade.

Right outside the restaurant, we were treated to Bavarian music.

FRANKENMUTH MICHIGAN

Frankenmuth is the Bavarian German town in central Michigan.  We had a delicious lunch of Jaeger (lean pork) Schnitzel with a delicious sauce at the Bavarian Inn while us diners were serenaded by an excellent accordion performer.  In the basement they have a bakery and shops.

It is a tourist town with meticulously created scenery.  They have horse drawn carriages for the tourists to enjoy the views.

I had not seen these typical Southern German building paintings since I was last in Swabia.  Most small towns in Swabia and Bavaria have many buildings decorated outside and even inside with these types of paintings.

A slow, meandering river courses through the middle of town.  Tourists can ride a genuine paddle wheeler that navigates under a real covered bridge.

VISITING NEW JERSEY FAMILY

We had brunch at Liane and Mike's home.  Across from me is Mike, next to him, Liane, and next to her is their oldest son George who is 4.  Next to me is my sister-in-law, Janet, holding Benjamin who 2 years old, and asleep in his crib (in another room) is 15 month old, Nicholas.  The food was great as was the company.  As you can see, this is the before picture.

Allison, 11 and Jason, 9, are Janet's other two grandchildren who are enjoying early spring while mom, Aimee, and dad, Jason are visiting with us and Janet.

With Janet in front of Thomas Nast's house.  He was the early 20th century political cartoonist who created the Elephant and Donkey symbols for the GOP and Democratic Party.  It was just one of the many of the lovely homes in Morristown.

Walter and Aimee looking for needed software.  Looks like they are enjoying the search!

DINNER FLOWERS

We invited Marc and his friend, Steve, for dinner while we were in Raleigh, and Steve brought these beautiful flowers for me and wonderful chocolate bars.

GUN SHOW

The gun show started Sunday at 10 AM with fewer crowds than Saturday. Yesterday the large parking areas by the exhibition hall were chock full of vehicles.  I paid $8 cash - no receipt - just out of curiosity.  This is my first gun show.

 There were mostly men in the crowd, although some came with their children, wives, or girlfriends. A few were veterans of WWII, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, etc. Others were local men needing a power-toy to shoot beer cans in their backyard.

The AR-15 assault rifle above, and many variants, were among the most popular weapons for sale. This weapon accepts a large number of accessories, such as sharp-shooter tripods like the one above, a variety of sight scopes, both normal light and night-vision, and laser aided sights.

The Beretta above and similar pistols were quite common among exhibitors. The Beretta M9 is made in the US for the US military under license from the 500-year old Italian weapons manufacturer.

The Mossberg shotgun model 500 HS410, or "Home Security" model, is specifically designed for defensive use. It still generates energy in excess of a .357 Magnum, and the spreader choke produces wider patterns, as well as less chance of wall penetration in the short ranges to be expected in a defensive situation.

HORSE SHOW

We spent two weeks at the North Carolina Fairgrounds in Raleigh with our RV when visiting our children. We had full hook-ups and the great pleasure of walking nearby to see a number of the events being held during our stay.

This is a regional horse show of Western and English riding in various classes.  This was the Western "dress" class.

Beautiful horse with style at a trot around the rink.

Another young lady showing good control of her horse on the "walk" command by the judge.

Contestants waiting for a final ruling from the judge.