Old Friends
In April, my wife and I ran into Ann at a retirement party. Ann and I had both started our careers as rookie Customs Inspectors in 1971. As we caught up on what was happening in our lives, I mentioned this bike trip. I said that the route would take us through Ludington where Ann has a second house. She said something about calling when we were in the area.
While working on the route and itinerary I realized that we would pass through Ludington around the Fourth of July. Since camping or other accommodations might be difficult to come by, I sent Ann an email in an effort to be invited to pitch our tents in her backyard. The response was positive and we were offered the guest bedroom.
On July 3 we were just north of Ludington. I called Ann for specific instructions to her house. We rolled up about 15 minutes later to find Ann on the porch waiting for us. As I took my helmet off, Ann’s greeting was “Nice tan lines!” She was reacting to the unusual pattern on my bald head caused by the helmet vents. It is always nice to know that you have some unique quality.
After getting cleaned up, Ann drove us to the local laundromat. While the clothes were going round and round, Ann gave us a quick driving tour of Ludington. She grew up in Ludington and was pointing out houses and buildings that are either currently or previously owned by various family members. I had to laugh because Brian does the same thing as we ride around Wyandotte.
Ann also made it a point to show us the route out of Ludington. We guess that she didn’t want us to stay too long.
Even though we had offered to take her out to dinner, Ann cooked a wonderful pork loin with sweet potatoes. Excellent! After dinner, one of Ann’s friends stopped over for a beer. His question to us was, “Why?” We sent Ann a copy of William Least-Heat Moon”s book “Blue Highways” in an effort to answer that question.
As we packed our gear in the morning, the wonderful aroma of bacon floated through the house. Ann had topped off her gracious hospitality with a great breakfast.
Old friends are the best friends. Thanks, Ann.
Wes