If you were I, what would you do?

This is a snapshot of our days, well, a snapshot of Kathy sitting on the front deck, under the rollout canopy shading from the mid-afternoon sun, yesterday. Today is not so sunny, we have had thunderstorms and showers, and have spent most of the day indoors, not online as a fiberoptic cable was cut near Colinswood so all the internet came to a halt for us. However, we do have Books, and we read Books, surprise, surprise. A morning visit by the Lutomski's and a visit by Bill Tyler to talk about drilling a well, a trip back to Bill's to talk with the well drillers, an after quitting time visit by the well drillers to help us locate a place for them to drill our well, and finally a dinner of grilled chicken, broccoli, and popcorn. Tomorrow, breakfast at "Mom's" in Ferndale and then Kathy and Clara drive off to Keadi and the Keadi farmer's market, Bill Lutomski and I to erect our Spartan weathervane on the front deck. Good natured companionship; priceless.

This morning there is beauty all around. The day is warm, there is a gentle breeze off the water, the sky is cloudless and the sounds, oh the sounds, are magnificant. The cry of the gull, the tweets of the birds flittering from tree branch to tree branch, the buzz of the bees.

Up on the front deck, a spring chicken landed in the chair next to me, coffee cup in hand, smiling and relaxed.

Other birds of spring are busy carrying nest building materials, disappearing into the cedar bows. Mr. & Ms. Robin are getting bits of moss from the watery rocky area just East of the cottage. Flying in a straight line, they make a bee line for their lair and return for another round of building material & nest building.

The humming birds are back, apparently chastizing us for not getting our plants and humming bird feeders out like last year. They seem to remember from year to year.

Yesterday I went for my first sail of the year, on Bill Tyler's boat "Little Pike", gentle breezes from the Northwest, sunshine, full sails, and just ripples on the water; quiet and intermittent conversation.

Last night at the Lutomski's for dinner which included the Theurigs. Walk back in the twilight, my "torch" used only to navigate the rocky ledge from Devil's Glen Road, torch off, then on again as Kathy heard some noises along our road. Something likely moving around, heard us, and mosied on.

This morning, coffee & conversation with Lutomski's & Theurig's on our front deck, then, after they had left, Kathy and I are off to buy some red flowers and fill our hummingbird feeders, summer will have officially begun.

When the journey is worth it

From where I am sitting, this is a beautiful day. Since I have been here, there have been three consecutive days of sunshine and warmth. The first two days have been very warm, mid-80's inland although cooler here by the shore. Nights cool off giving lazy under the covers sleeping. Today, after a flat calm morning the wind has picked up, blowing through the front door, through the cottage, and taking the nast winter closed up smell out through the bedroom windows. Last night, I fired up the barbeque for dinner, toated the sunset as it slid behind the horizon, and drank in the evening glow of first orange, then yellows, pinks, purples, and then fade to darkness, stars, and a rising moon.

One hitch in the idyllic Canadian escape. The 50 year old water heater has succumb and yesterday I traveled to Owen Sound, to Home Depot, next to Walmart, up the hill on the other side of town towards Medford on route 26, "its on the right you can't miss it" to get a Mexican made GE brand 10 gallon water heater. Sorry kids, nothing bigger will fit in the pump house space. Your stuck with "Navy showers." Other than I really shouldn't go out in public, I guess I will clean up with new hot water, the weather looks good for the weekend too.

A gorgeous Saturday afternoon

Today is the East Lansing Art Fair spilling out of parking lots into the streets and sidewalks. To begin touring the more than 200 booths, we fortified ourselves with a lunch at El Azteco: beer, topopo and botana. Roof top open, a darkened morning and threatening thundershowers gave way to billowing clouds, a fresh breeze to cool you as you baked in the sun, oblivious to the tanning rays. Down the crowded passageway from rooftop to street level and out into the heavy beat of a band: waaaay to much base: abump, abump, abump. Kathy is on a mission of sorts, to buy birthday gifts for co-workers at the Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic, whom we will see at the Cystic Fibrosis Walk-a-thon tomorrow, held in Dewitt. More walking, biking, chatting and catching up.

I will not be going to the Cottage tomorrow as planned as Big Red developed an electrical problem and the mechanics can't figure out what's wrong so they will have to wait until Monday to speak/with the "tech center." I am sure all will sort itself out. Kathy is glad this problem occurred while we were at home and not during out crossing of the upland California dessert or at Vail Pass, 10,666 feet, or even at Warren Dunes last week. There is a rainbow after every storm.

As part of the looking for presents for others we stop-'n-shop.
Kathy stopped at a hand dyed hand made clothing shop and she tried on some cover overs and a hat. We discussed the merits of how she looked in various outfits and hats, both agreeing upon some flattering threads that she could wear to work as well as her upcoming trip to China in the middle of June. During our tour de force we stopped and chatted with people we knew, and those whom we didn't, although they had cute kids and we told them so. As it had rained significantly last night, there were pools of water spread around and one child sat down in one puddle: looked good.

We all need to give Beth Murphy a hardy Congratulations as she has graduated from High School and will go onto college; Tennessee, did I get that right?

I will be heading upto the Cottage just as soon as Big Red is ready and able.

The progression during retirement

It should come as no surprise that the first images of grandparnethood is that of the grandchildren. Marcus at Potter Park Zoo during the Ahlfeldt US tour in anticipation of their getaway to Sweden. Hear Marcus roar!

Ellen with her green (most important is the color) back scratcher, on her head, dazed by the flurry of the changing times.

I struggle to capture the intensity of the moment, the absolute, the mind boggling speed of life as it passes us by. Behold, Kathy and I around the fire pit, next to Rudy at Warren Dunes Michigan on the South side of Lake Michigan, near the Indiana border.

And here am I, on the down

side of the dune, as I look out, I can see Chicago, almost as a mirage on the distant Western shore more than 60 miles away. Much like Sleeping Bear Dunes to the North, these are massive dunes, trampled by feet of adventurers. In front of me, about 1,000 feet, are the shores of Lake Michigan, placid for now, clear water, and barely a ripple. For four days and three nights we lingered, a fire every night; meeting up with Justin who was in the USA for a business meeting from Shanghai, leisurely meals either straight out of the camper or just down the road a piece, and some stops for some road side antique shops. Nice work if you can get it. More news and film at eleven.