The best of summer

I love July in Michigan.  I love July in Michigan on the water even better.  It has been an absolutely glorious summer on the lake.  A summer full of good friends, great food, and amazing pictures.

Sunrise. Seriously this is the most amazing sunrise I have ever seen EOTE.  So glad I got up at the crack of dawn.


Clouds.


Our neighbor. He is a good looking neighbor.


And our favorite time here. We love the Au Sable Race, the racers start in Grayling at 9:00 pm, paddle through the night, and arrive in Oscoda at about 10:30 am.  They don't stop, they portage their own canoes, and they are rockstars.  50,000 spectators will watch this race at various points along with way. This year, after 120 miles, the finish came down to a nose. We couldn't believe it.  It was the most exciting finish I have seen in my six years here.



Congratulations all around.


The wind has been rocking and rolling here.  A little carnage but we love it here.


Cheers to summer!

standing at the edge of summer

Spring was a busy time for us.  While I didn't anticipate the changes in our life, I can't imagine doing anything differently.  We opened EOTE late and have been north only a few times. The few visits we squeezed in were magnificent.

There is a perception that we don't have sunsets on the sunrise side.  That's completely wrong. 

We have a hand-held radio and nerdy as we are, we like to hail our passing freighter friends.  Paul, in the beautiful gloaming of the evening, is hailing the Dorothy Ann as she heads south.  

Our Handsome Boy never misses a chance for a good nap. 

While it looks delightfully warm, it wasn't.  It was soooo cold, we were wearing coats, hats, and gloves.  

I love this old tree half buried in the sand. 

So we will enjoy the cold, lugubrious day with a fire, books, and of course, the obligatory nap!  

Cheers EOTE! 

winter

It's cold and dark.  And cold.  But surprisingly, there is very little snow.  Given the past few years, I can take a pass on the snow.

We took a drive north to visit our little slice of heaven.  We were surprised to see very little snow and no ice. We could pull in the driveway without having it plowed.

It's still beautiful. So beautiful.



It will be a couple of weeks before we head north again.  It's lovely to see EOTE in good shape.  We are counting the weeks.

Cheers!

2016

There are times when I still remember Y2K and think that technology is so new and exciting.  And now?  It's 16 years later.  Sigh.  How is that even possible?

Nikon has some new cameras out; I am eyeing them enviously but I also am weighing the options of mirrorless cameras. Not sure if I upgrade or wait. So many options and so many wonderful pictures yet to be taken.

December was a blur.  I had a flurry of work and then the annual Christmas break during which both of our employers completely shut down.  We had the absolutely perfect blend of family and friends, breakfast, lunch, and dinners out and in; wonderful time up late and sleeping late and up early and to bed early. Just the right mix of books, sports, and movies.  I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful and relaxing break.

We got no accumulating snow until well after Christmas.  Until 12/24, it looked like this:



With all the driving we did, we were perfectly happy to take it!

After Christmas, the sleet and ice came. Because of the weather, we never made it north to our happy place, and we have pushed that out a bit. Soon enough. We will need a mid-winter check to make sure our little slice of heaven is still there.

Until then, we have this:


and this:



and need we be reminded of the glorious sound of pounding surf, this:


Cheers to you and this new year!