Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.
Frankenmuth, Michigan is a beautiful little town on I-75 between Saginaw and Bay City. The big attraction is a Santa’s Village, but it is also known for having a variety of excellent restaurants and parks. It also has its very own brewery, from which you can purchase buckets of beer of various sizes at a convenient window without even entering the building. I know, because this was my first stop.
How did we get there? Well, as usual, we purchased tickets from the Albatross and of course that was the embarking area. Those days, the bar was closed on Sundays, but it amazed me how much liquid flowed. When bar crowds don’t have to drive to their destination, they naturally enjoy their spirits.
The bus arrived and off we went. This trip, we had no problems at the Sarnia-Port Huron border. We stopped at a restaurant shortly after crossing the border and had a snack. From there to Frankenmuth it’s about two hours, a pleasant bus ride of rolling countryside and small towns and villages. The only different between that part of Michigan and our part of Ontario is the license plates.
When we arrived at our destination, the heat got to me and I took a little nap under a tree while the rest of the gang spread out. I awoke after a short time to find a parade passing a block away. My wife disappeared somewhere leaving me without funds. Wandering around, I met my buddy Gig and we hooked up together to watch the parade. When it was over while searching for the rest of the busload, we stopped at the brewery where Gig treated for a couple of buckets. After a time we carried on downtown. We were passing a hotel when, all of a sudden, there was a commotion and the next thing we knew the troopers were escorting old Lawrence out of the establishment. We approached them and asked what the trouble was. It seems that Lawrence was giving the employees a hard time and creating a disturbance. We told them that he was with us that we would look after him. They were kind enough to agree after giving us a warning. Off we went with Lawrence between us until we came to a pretty little shaded park where we propped him against a tree. By this time we were dry again. Gig spotted a store a short ways away and took off. He came back with a brown paper bag containing two bottles of wine. It reminded me of our days in Cyprus on the second tour. Anyway, we didn’t take long disposing of the grapes, ensuring that Lawrence had only a couple of sips each round.
The sun was heading west by this time, so we headed back to the rendezvous with the bus. My wife and her friends were there to greet us. Off we went home. I never did get to see Santa.
Congratulations Bill and Christine, who welcomed Johan Robert March 4, a little brother for Will. Happy Birthday to Rita, April 5!