Postcards from the Lake: Not Quite the Last Hurrah

It's only mid-September, not quite the last hurrah at the lake. But you can feel it in the air. Days are cooler; nights are much cooler. Quite often, the mornings find the lake mirror-calm, reflecting the treeline on the other side and the quiet fishing boats, a far cry from the noisy jet skis of summer. Sometimes it is too cool or windy to paint on the porch, all the better to curl up with a book or needlefelting project, with an extra layer of fleece, hoping for an early visit from Harry North.

Harry, I have discovered, has a friend. Harriet, perhaps? I've yet to capture the two of them together but I have seen them flying in tandem on occasion. It's a striking sight. And now, I never know who I am photographing!

I had hoped for a long while to catch a photo of Harry (or Harriet) flying in the sunset. The other day I took a walk by neighbor Jim's and found my Big Bird standing alert on his dock.

I must have startled him, try as I may to creep a bit closer, for he took off, and rounded the point, heading straight into the sunset. 

They were rather magical moments and he was flying low enough not to disappear in the shadow of the trees across the lake.

Patience, they say, is a virtue. I didn't particularly feel all that virtuous, but I did feel incredibly grateful to be able to capture this sight -- not with the camera clarity it deserves but definitely within the heart.

Rick took a few days off the bike but took a long ride -- 85 miles -- on one of the rare days when the temperature was much warmer. He hopes to make a few more long rides before the snow comes, including a trip to Cleveland for my cousin Jeff's wedding.

Yes, there has been a little painting -- not so much as I would like, but that's OK. Earlier this summer, cousin Mark was up with his family, including Baby Ben. I think it was Sheri that said I should paint one of the photos I posted and I did. 

We decided to celebrate the end of what was a hard summer for us (Rick's kidney surgery and recovery, issues on the home front, odd weather) by a late summer Happy-Hour-Dinner at my favorite up-north restaurant. When your sharable plates are mussels, shrimp and risotto balls, you don't leave hungry, even if it's just appetizers! 

Rick and I welcomed friends Pat and Susan for dinner. They are former Lansing friends who moved north a few years ago and we missed seeing them last year in the Covid melee. It was good to catch up. 

 Earlier in the day I made loads of pasta sauce to freeze up for the winter. This is the first batch with a half-bushel of tomatoes,caramelized onions and mushrooms. I'll probably do another next week. Bet you can't guess what we had for dinner -- complete with Rick's fresh baked bread.

I leave you with another sunset. Sometimes they are just unbearably beautiful.

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