New Members... The Heckman's

HeckWithMyBiz

New Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2025
Messages
7
Location
Mishawaka, IN
Lisa and I retired from the South Bend, IN area mid-2023. We traded in our first RV to purchase a 2023 Reflection 296RDTS travel trailer as our new, permanent, and mobile home. We pull it with a 2023 Ford F-150 XLT 3.5L V6 Ecoboost with a Blue Ox WDS tying the two together.

We've spent the last two winters north of Gulf Shores in Alabama, which isn't as warm as we'd like, but we have a reason to be in this location. But... no snow, no shoveling, no ice! We could do without the storms, though!

We're Michigan Football fans but congratulate the South Bend area's new local hero Head Coach Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish for making it to the Natty this year. We, of course, hate Ohio State, so we've got two reasons to hope the Irish get the job done.

Lisa is an avid upper Michigan, Lake Superior area rock enthusiast. I had no idea such a thing exists, but her new hobby fills her time poring over rocks, even making some jewelry with them.

I'm an old USAF F-4 and F-15 crew chief and maintenance instructor (FL and West Germany) Cold War vet, 2 tours a very long time ago. Enjoy aviation and 20th Century military history. Owned a high-end painting and decorating company for 17 years and then was the HR/Safety Manager for a $200M local distribution company for another 17 years. Now I call myself a consultant.

And here we are! Safe travels and head on a swivel!

Steve Heckman
 
Welcome to the forum. My wife grew up in Fairhope. Nice area you are in. We always stay at Gulf State Park when in the area; we love all the bike trails. Enjoy your stay.
 
Welcome to the forum....it's great to be retired huh! I remember watching videos of the F-4 and thought, what an unusual design and how much black smoke that trailed behind it.
 
Welcome to the forum....it's great to be retired huh! I remember watching videos of the F-4 and thought, what an unusual design and how much black smoke that trailed behind it.


Still less emissions than a Volkswagon...

1736626885311.jpeg
 
Welcome, from a couple that grew up near Kokomo IN, thanks for your service, and congrats on retirement.

The meanest looking F4 Phantom I ever saw was a bird from the USAF painted black and orange. The F4 has a very distinctive profile!
Back in my day the F4 had just left the fleet a few years earlier, replaced by the F14 tomcat.

Navy Vet Enlisted 75-81, VA-147 flying the A7-E Corsair II aboard USS Constellation
 
Welcome to the forum. Another Michigan fan here, while it wasn't as good a year as last, at least we finished the year with wins over Ohio State and Alabama.
 
Lisa is an avid upper Michigan, Lake Superior area rock enthusiast. I had no idea such a thing exists, but her new hobby fills her time poring over rocks, even making some jewelry with them.

I realize this might be a Lake Michigan thing rather than Superior, but is she into Petoskey stones? We’ve enjoyed searching for those (in the lake, not in the gift shops in northern Michigan where they are ubiquitous).
 
Her latest jewelry project includes Petoskey stones and slag. She said you'd know what slag is. Yes, northern Lake Michigan and southern Lake Superior are her (our) areas of interest in the UP. Been there since 2020 and she went a fourth time with her stone buddy girlfriend. Love the UP.
 
Welcome! Tell Lisa she's not alone with the love of Lk Superior rock hunting. I've been hunting the UP for years and lately just started to tumble all the buckets full of rocks. Going to take years with the tiny 3lb tumbler and only near it less than half the year. There is a thread I started in the hobbies section about my newfound tumbling hobby. If it all werent so heavy I'd be dragging it around. (GO BLUE!) If you haven't been to Little Girls Point try it, nice small campground No water but ele. Sits right on Superior with a small bay and warm water (for Superior) to hunt in
 
I realize this might be a Lake Michigan thing rather than Superior, but is she into Petoskey stones? We’ve enjoyed searching for those (in the lake, not in the gift shops in northern Michigan where they are ubiquitous).
You can find Petosky even in the UP but not as many. We've found Petosky in many areas of the state
 

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