You don't turn 75 every day. Those five-and-zero birthdays are sometimes a bit of a kick in the pants. Rick wanted to do something special for my birthday and I wholeheartedly agreed. After all, between his trip south and my lake time, we hadn't seen each other for almost a month! So, he suggested meeting half-way between Lansing and Gaylord in Gladwin, Michigan. He would cycle up, I'd drive down, and we'd head back to the lake together a couple of days later.
I'm sitting on the love seat on the porch, a book in hand, legs wrapped in a soft, aqua throw to keep the evening chill from setting in and sending me inside too soon. The sun is a brilliant orange and as round as that on the Japanese flag, and it is beginning to dip behind the tree line. Why is it that it takes hours and hours to go from one side of the house to the other, but when it hits that tree line across the lake, it seems to dip in lightning speed, as though some unseen being was playing with the fast-forward button on a recording.
It started out down the road when my cousin David welcomed a group of his friends dating back to high school for their annual Otsego Lake summer reunion. I've met all these guys over the years and while I'm not part of the "gang," I delight in their company.
This time, that included a pontoon boat ride around the lake. I hadn't done this for a long while and it was fun to see what had popped up over time, and be reminded of places I'd forgotten, like the old Arbutus Beach hotel that is now a private residence. We also said farewell to their friend, Bill, who recently passed away.
I only made it through six books in July, but when one is over 500 pages and another close to 1,000, I submit to defeat with a bit of grace. (My own personal goal was to read eight in July. Why I make goals like this, I have no idea.)
I'm pleased to say that five of the six are highly recommended. The last? It was fine. Just not memorable.
