Marie and I made many trips to favorite sites to find the September bloomers, like these Bottle or Closed Gentians.
We find this same plant in a white variety, they are all very amazing plants. So beautiful and just growing in an old gravel pit in Ottawa County Michigan.
Below is a visit I made to Bass River Rec Area with "our" new dog, Max. As you might know we have gone through a few pets in recent years, and I was determined not to have another dog. But then Max decided to move in with us. We really did not adopt him. He has lived next door with Mike's brother for 12 years and one day last summer he just moved in, so again we have a dog.
Marie and I also fit in a visit to some fens to see Fringed Gentian and more.
Mike and I visited the cabin in Manistee County. We hiked some different areas along the Manistee River - backwaters of the Tippy Dam. Some of the best hiking spots in Michigan, I think. 
For 10 days I went to Texas all on my own to visit and babysit our granddaughter Finley Rose. Ten days is a long time for me to be away from home, this was my 4th visit to Texas in 10 months!
Eight of those days I got to play with Finley, it was great! I would take her to the park every morning before it got too warm. And then we played and rocked and played. It is a time I will always remember.
And a trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/dinosaur-valley
It was a long drive home from Fort Worth, dark, and with driving rains at times. We saw many accidents along the way.
I got back to Michigan very early on a Saturday morning (1 a.m.),
But that wasn't the end of my vacationing for the month! The next morning we got up bright and early to meet up with my sister and brother-in-law, for a trip to Mackinac Island. The four of us brought our bikes, and stayed three nights at The Inn on Mackinac. What fun!
