Playin' hooky

Working 10 days straight can do a number on your brain, not to mention your body. And here in northern Michigan, the weather can be temperamental this time of year (well any time to be truthful), so when the forecast for Friday afternoon was beautiful, we quit work early and headed out for a ride. But where to go? Well. my first choice is always to head towards water, and there is a state park nearby on Lake Michigan we hadn't been to yet. Plus we bought that new park pass for the bike so off we went to Fisherman's Island State Park, just south of Charlevoix.


                                     
                                                                          
                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                           

                                             
           
                 Just look how clear that water is. 

It was a good choice; other than the swarms of gnats that have hatched from the recent warm weather, we had a great time. Just being out in the sun and wind was a much needed break from work.

  

                                                                                                             
                                                                         



The park is named for a small island just offshore, which, due to falling lake levels is now actually a peninsula that you can walk out to. But I didn't know this when we were there, and in any case, we probably didn't have time as it was very late afternoon, and I'm not a fan of riding after dark.

 
Fisherman's Island

 

                                       

   

We had dinner on the way home at the excellent, but pricey, Rowe Inn in Ellsworth. Great food and vino, but I fear it will not be on the list of regular places to eat dinner out.  All in all, a great end to the week.

It's Winds...day

Windy and cold (well, for Florida) here today. Sunny though and our last day this visit, so off we went for a short walk on the beach.



These two were having a great time at the dog beach.  The smaller one in the red collar would bark at his companion if he didn't get the toy until the other one would give it up.  Every time.




There was even a dog in the sky.



                    

I hope I look this good at 91. And can still walk the beach... on a super windy day.





 

Walks on the beach

I managed to get out to the beach four more times while I was in Florida, and made it a point to go to a different one each time. Since I hadn't taken my camera, I had to dig around in my computer files for some appropriate beach photos. It wasn't difficult. All these photos are from previous trips.

My second week there I went to Brohard beach, on Venice Island. I hadn't been there in quite a while and thought it might be less busy than some of the others. I wasn't disappointed.

We used to go there quite a bit when our girls were younger because it's a few minutes closer to their grandparents, and we would be hurrying to get to the beach for the sunset.

The day was beautiful and sunny, but windy and cool, so although I was there during the usually busy afternoon, there were few people to disturb my thoughts. I was able to find a spot out of the wind where I could relax to the sound of the crashing surf and the sight of the waters of the gulf that were like diamonds from the sun.

Time flies...

no matter what you're doing. Hard to believe it's been over three months since I've posted. I don't do New Year resolutions, but I have made some goals for myself for this year, and posting more often is one of them. If I can do at least one a month, I'll be happy.



North Jetty beach at sunset

I find myself in Florida again, visiting Mom. Although "visiting" may be generous, as Mom has little to say these days. But we are comfortable together, so the silence is OK. The ladies that come and care for Mom during the day keep the conversation going, and my nephew came for dinner last night and brought Karma and they livened us up for the evening.

Yesterday I walked the beach at the North Jetty. It was very windy and somewhat cool, but I love those sorts of days. Other than the serious walkers and shellers, I had the place to myself. I rarely pick up shells anymore, but the heavy surf brings in lots of new ones, and the lack of people to pick them up meant that I found things I hadn't in over 20 years of beach walking. Sea urchins lay on the beach by the hundreds, I could have picked up a bucketful. And different varieties of clam shells, still hinged together, which is very unusual when thousands of shells are being washed together every day and scrubbed by sand and waves. I threw a few live ones, and some live conchs back into the surf, so perhaps they could live a little longer.










Dolphins between the north and south jetties

I didn't take any photos, a bit out of character for me, as I didn't bring my camera along on this trip. At some point in my packing, taking the camera seemed liked just one thing too much. So of course I regretted it yesterday with the crashing waves and the birds and the shells. But I do have my laptop here and have photos of the same beach, taken a few years ago, although at sunset instead of morning.