Postcards from the Lake: The Beach, The Cherries, The Books, The Storm

There were bunnies in the sky at the lake this past week! Just another nice sunset!

But a few hours later the windows were rattling as a big storm came in. It really wasn't that late when I took this photo -- but the sky and lightning flares sure made it look that way!

The porch was a mess the next day as water blew with what I called "gale force" winds. They probably weren't, but it sure felt like it at the time!

It's been a productive week here at the lake since Rick left -- he's back for the weekend, yay! I managed to tackle cleaning the dreaded utility room and three trash bags and two Goodwill bags later it's looking much better.  Meanwhile, while I was working outside, my kind neighbor was doing this and later came back to rototill what he couldn't get with his tractor.

It's looking much better!

I had a few good swims, going longer and farther each time, and have been enjoying time to read, since there's no telly or internet at the cottage this summer. I finished the wonderful new Maisie Dobbs book (this British-set mystery series is one of my favorites.)

Then onto two very different books. The first, "The Swerve," by Stephen Greenblatt, tells the true story of how an ancient document was discovered that revealed the concept of atoms making up all matter. This was in the BC period and the manuscript was rediscovered in the 1400s.  Fascinating in many ways. This is not an easy "whip right through it" book but it delivers and is well worth the time spent.

I'm also enjoying a wonderful book about Avebury Manor in England and it's restoration, thanks to the BBC and National Trust. It's a wonderful story of saving a beautiful property and restoring it to the various periods in which people lived there. The rooms are furnished in several of the periods that people resided in the manor so one goes through the Tudor Period with the Tudor Great Hall, "Queen Anne's" bedroom, to the Neoclassic, then Victorian and finally art deco/20s-30s. The photos and text on how they accurately created reproductions down to textiles and wallpapers as well as furniture is fascinating for one who loves old houses and Brit history as much as I do!

And there are a few others on the shelf for times to come.

I've been painting as often as possible as part of World Watercolor Month. This one isn't quite done, I think. It's a scene from Paris.

And we've been eating cherries!

July is cherry season in Northern Michigan. And you grab and savor these babies while you can.

Meanwhile, we've been doing some swimming and some relaxing. (I've been doing the swimming; you can see who best relaxes.)

I leave you with another lake sunset, shortly before the storm.

They never cease to amaze me.

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