257: ‘WAVE ON’ FOR BUDDY’S BIRTHDAY AT A LAKE MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE

Buddy Holly likely would’ve turned 87 years old on Thursday September 7, 2023 had he not been a passenger on the Beechcraft Bonanza airplane that crashed outside of Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959. And I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Buddy’s birthday than to head out on another extended trip; one that was scheduled to take my photographer, his wife Vicki, and me to ten different states and as far West as Glacier National Park in Montana.

Before we hit the road, however, Tom had a few qualms about the rental vehicle we were about to take on the trip. Instead of getting a Ford Edge or Nissan Rogue like we’ve had in the past, his two choices came down to a Chevy Equinox or a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. The decision at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Fort Gratiot, Michigan became quite the dilemma because the Equinox didn’t have enough room for all of my companions’ belongings. To make matters worse, my photographer and his wife despise minivans. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve heard those two verbally condemn minivans and those who drive them. And what made the situation all the more hilarious was when Tom told his wife: “Well, Ellen, we’re stuck with the minivan. When you’re taking the tribe ‘cross country, this is your automobile. You think you hate it now but wait ’til you drive it.” Vicki moaned and replied: “That’s great – an old *bleeps* Family Truckster. We’ll fit right in with all the other minivan morons.”

Tom and Vic had the van packed and the three of us were on the road at precisely 12:29pm. The original plan was to leave St. Clair at 4:30am on September 8th, but my companions decided to get some miles behind them on Thursday so they could sleep later on Friday morning and not get behind schedule. The weather was horrible for most of the trip across our state, but luckily the rain stopped shortly before we arrived at the Great Lakes Antique Mall in Coloma, Michigan where my photographer and his wife spent about a half hour shopping for hidden treasures. They left emptyhanded, but their wallets remained full.

From the front seat of the Truckster, which was still parked at the antique mall, Vicki made hotel reservations for the night. My companions chose the Holiday Inn Express in St. Joseph, Michigan because Tom hoped to photograph a sunset over Lake Michigan, which was across the road from the hotel.

After a 20-minute jaunt down the Yellow Brick Road known as I-94, we arrived in St. Joseph around 5:30pm – but my photographer quickly realized there would be no dazzling sunset that evening. The sky was completely overcast and there was a threat of rain in the air. Once Vicki had registered and Tom lugged their gear to the room, the three of us headed into to downtown St. Joseph for dinner at a place called Buck Burgers and Brew.

Since we still had time to kill before the kickoff of the Thursday Night Football game between the Lions and Chiefs, Tom wanted to photograph the historic St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, which were less than two miles away. When we arrived at the closest point to the lighthouse, my photographer’s wife navigated our van into Tiscornia Park where she found ample parking for the Truckster. Just as we prepared to make the short hike out to the site, I heard Tom ask his wife if they should pay the parking fee. I was impressed when I heard Vic say: “I’m not paying to park here. We’re not going to be here very long, plus the season is over. We’ll be just fine.”

From Tiscornia Park, Tom carried me along a pathway that took us to the sandy beach along Lake Michigan. The wind was strong, and the lake looked violent – huge waves swept over the pier and up against the distant lighthouse and outer light. After I posed for a couple of photos from the beach, my photographer decided to brave the elements for a closer look at the St. Joseph Lighthouse. Tom told his wife he was taking me onto the pier and that his “cat-like reflexes” would keep us from getting drenched by the waves. While the gale-force wind made it difficult to hear, the last thing I thought I heard Vicki say was: “You’re going to get soaked out there.”

Once the two of us got into position, Tom held me aloft as I posed with the lighthouse in the background. Thankfully there were guardrails along the pier’s edge which kept us from possibly being swept into the lake. During the photo-shoot, I felt mist from the lake as it hit my face while blowing sand pelted my resin eyes, which made it difficult for me to see the distant white and red lighthouse. At one point, I figured my photographer would throw caution to the wind and attempt to walk out to the actual lighthouse. After all, it was built in 1906 and played a huge part in Great Lakes Maritime history.

Just as Tom’s hairbrained scheme was on the verge of becoming reality, the two of us were drenched by an unexpected giant wave that engulfed the pier where we stood. While my photographer’s “cat-like reflexes” helped keep his camera from taking the brunt of the wave when he turned his body at the last second, Tom’s entire back, pantlegs, and shoes were soaked. As a matter of fact, nearly an inch of water laid in the bottom of Tom’s empty camera case. I didn’t escape the wrath of the wave either. I was wet from the top of my head to the bottom of my resin base. Thankfully, the water was warmer than I had anticipated. Had it not been for the wind and sand, it would have been a very refreshing moment.

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself when I heard Tom’s wife say “I told you so” after we met up with her on our way back to the van. Seconds later, however, my soaked-to-the-skin photographer had the last laugh. Just as we made our way into the parking lot of Tiscornia Park, I noticed a sheriff officer was standing behind our vehicle. “Is this your vehicle?” the officer asked. That’s the moment my camera guy went to work, primarily because the officer was a young, beautiful, blonde female with deep blue eyes. I don’t think Tom noticed how fine she looked, but I did – and I couldn’t wait to be cuffed and frisked!

“Yes, this is our Family Truckster – it’s a rental, I would never own a minivan. I’m sorry, we didn’t realize there was a fee to park – we figured the season was over. My wife and I were here for only a short time because it’s late in the day and the weather is horrible. Would you believe I was nearly swept off the pier by a wave and now I’m soaking wet.”

The officer replied: “The season isn’t officially over until September 30th and there is still a fee to park here.” Then the cop flashed her amazing smile and said: “You were nearly washed into the lake? That must have been scary. That pier can be very dangerous when the waves are wild. Are you okay?”

I wanted to let her know I had nearly drowned and could use a friendly dose of CPR, but Tom said: “I’m fine, although my pride is soaking wet. We’re headed back to our hotel now to watch the Lions game. Thank you for giving us a break instead of a ticket, that’s really cool.” I noticed a sparkle in her eye as the officer smiled, then she turned and walked to her car.

After we made the four-mile drive back to our hotel, Tom placed me alongside the television set so I could get a good look at the football game. In the meantime, my photographer took a warm shower before he began the process of drying his shoes with a pair of hair dryers.

While Vicki had fallen asleep before halftime, Tom and I watched the Lions hang on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20. When the lights were extinguished at 11:30pm, I was left alone in the darkness with only my thoughts to keep me company. I thought for sure the cute deputy sheriff would visit me in my dreams, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, I thought about Buddy Holly on his birthday. What in the heck-fire is wrong with me?