Postcards From the Lake: That's All Folks!

Well, lake time is over for this kid. It was especially hard to leave this time. Rick and I had a wonderful ten days there, excellent weather, and even though I couldn't do much of what I'd hoped because of my foot, I still reveled in being at the lake and seeing fall emerge.

 

Above is the cottage from the road and below, looking from the back door toward the road and garage. The color soared in the past few days. 

 

And, a lake scene. The two dogs on this fisherman's boat amused me. 

 

I loved their little life jackets! 

 

Yes, fall "emerged," finally. When we arrived, this road (my favorite) has turned into an archway of color.

 

Every time I go down this road to my cousin's I feel immediately more calm and centered as soon as I turn the corner. But at no time is it more beautiful than in the fall.

Believe it or not, it's still not peak, but much closer than before.

On our last evening, we took a little color tour and both agreed it had really come on. My photos aren't the best, most taken from inside a moving car! So I skipped most of those!

 

One of our favorite spots to visit each fall is Treetops, a ski and golfing resort. 

 

This time was no exception. Although it wasn't quite as splashy as in the past, it still had plenty to love!

And even a spot to rest!

The view from this hill looking down was lovely. But you can tell the effects of the ice storm if you look at the sort of "blank" spot between the two bands of color near the top of the photo. Those are all tall trees that lost their tops and most of their branches.

 

After our tour, we headed off for a farewell dinner. Where we had seen deer a few days before, we saw them again -- this time with friends. There were five altogether.

 

It was hard to hit the road this time. After Rick's long bike ride, we needed some one-on-one time together and you couldn't beat the beautiful weather and wonderful colors. But all good things come to an end, so off we headed to home.

 

We decided to take the scenic route and traveled the old roads most of the way. For close to the first half of the trip, the color didn't disappoint.  

 

A quick stop at a roadside park gave me a couple of minutes to capture another few photos.

 

We enjoyed lunch at a cute cafe in Clare, Michigan and then stopped at a fruit stand where I got some apples. Apple bread will soon be on my menu!

 

I got a little pumpkin too. I'll get outside pumpkins this week at home.

 

I served as a substitute book on tape, reading my travel journal from our trip during these very dates last year aloud to Rick! In what felt like no time at all, we arrived at the cider mill!

 

We got a few donuts and of course I had to get a photo or two!

 

And a selfie.

 

 So, now it's back home. Rick's off again, this time to kid-sit for the weekend, which I'm sitting out due to my foot. Then he'll head to the cottage again to close it up for the season. I don't think it will look like this after he's back -- at least not for long.

 

Thanks again for following my Postcards from the Lake. (And also, thanks to you to whom I can't reply personally via email because I don't have your addresses -- and some, with no blogs to follow or visit.) 

 

I appreciate every comment and so again, thanks! 

And a final note about the foot! Thanks for all your kind words on my foot. I CAN (and do) walk, usually using my walking stick except at home. I'm just not supposed to be on it very much, so I am limiting those times to necessary things. I'm on prednisone now, too, which is helping with the discomfort -- in fact, today, hardly there (which is why it is hard to remember "the rules." But I'm minding them! I've been ruptured before and another tear means surgery so I'm not messing around! Your words mean a great deal. Thank you!