In this second of two posts, we're back in Stratford, Ontario, and this time we're going behind the scenes of this remarkable theatre company to see how the sausage is made. (This is a long one, so settle in!)
But first, a little walk in the park. I decided to skip a restaurant, got some tea and enjoyed my breakfast in the park adjacent to the theatre. You couldn't have asked for a lovelier morning. The sun was out, lighting the trees.
Now hear this!
Before we return to Stratford, here's our last postcard from the lake, I wanted to take you on the Skeleton Walk we enjoyed in Harbor Springs, Michigan. All of these were either in front of shops or in public areas, like the waterfront. For the most part, just photos.
What a great few days! I returned the other night from Stratford, Ontario, where I enjoyed two productions and the lovely town!
After one of the most magnificent drives I've had in a long while (alas, no photos because -- well -- I was driving in new territory), I arrived in Stratford. It was a four-hour drive through loads of beautiful farmland and the lighting was so perfect there were moments it almost took my breath away. I immediately headed for my hotel for early check in before the play.
On my last morning at the lake, Rick and I did our "color tour." Our plan was to venture north to the town of Petoskey, lunch with our friends, Pat and Susan, meet up with oldest kid Greg and then just fool around, ending up the day back at the cottage. Alas. It wasn't raining, but it wasn't glorious sunshine of the two days before. The colors were muted.
But they were still lovely as we made the 45 minute drive north, occasionally seeing blue sky, the farther north we went.
Winding down at the lake. We've been lucky. It's been brisk most days of my visit but there have been some warm and sunny ones too.
Above is what you see from the lakeside, with the neighbor's oak bringing in some wonderful color. Below is what we see when we come in the driveway in the back.
One of the things I love most about the change of season is how the landscape evolves, turning from the brighter greens of spring, the golden brilliance of summer to the softer tones of fall. Acorns are everywhere.
Pine cones, too.
But it's still early. Peak should be in a few days and I will (hopefully) be here to see it! Meanwhile, I'm savoring what I can -- and really, it isn't too shabby!
Before I went back to the lake, I took a couple of jaunts to the ditch. It was still early, so color hadn't fully kicked in but you could see the promise of it in some of the golds and a bit of red.
There were plenty of brown tones, too. Those soft browns of tall reeds that have turned.
Well, it was quite a week or two! I'm healing well from the dental surgery, and thanks for your support. I still can't eat popcorn or seedy things (I miss my granola and certain breadsticks with lots of seeds!) but it's healing well.
Some of you know I had a 14-hour ER visit on Sunday night/Monday morning. I went into Afib -- considerably higher (and then way lower) than usual and was a little worried. We thought Sunday night wouldn't be bad. Think again!
When I came back from the lake earlier this month, it was to head to some appointments and enjoy some time at home (if you call looking at the house that needs to be downsized and putting away much of a summer's worth of stuff enjoying!)
But it was also a treat to spend some time with far-away friends. Rick (below) and Zara live in California, but have family roots and friends in town. Fortunately, we were able to connect for a lovely lunch.
I'm home for a bit, as lake life slows and life here picks up with appointments and gatherings. But in the midst of summer, life on the homefront was (at least for Rick) a mess. At least for Rick!, as he engaged in the art of home rehab. I, on the other hand, was enjoying the lake and missed much of this!
It all started out when the wallpaper was removed from the wall to fix some moisture. The moisture had been around for a bit and -- well, ignored. (You know -- doesn't seem bad at the time!) It may have been helped along by when the tree fell on Rick's roof during the tornado. The holes were patched but it was some time before the actual repairs took place. Boy, was it damp! The wood had rotted from water and carpenter ants. A builder came in to repair this, building a false wall of studs to support the ceiling until new studs and wood could be put into the wall. Then came the dry wall.
We're wrapping up peak season at the cottage. Yes, there will be more visits, but they will be shorter and the weather will be colder. Soon it will be time to close up. I always dread that. Yet, these later days have their charms. There have been evenings when we could eat dinner on the porch -- or enjoy some snacks as we watch a sunny day turn into twilight.
There's something about the light at this time of day. It's perfect.
Some things just make me happy. For example, when I'm riding up north and straight ahead I start to see this sight!
I mentioned the sunflowers growing in the median of the highway going north before. I forget about them until late August when all of a sudden they burst into bloom.
We may not technically be into fall, but it certainly is beginning to feel and look like it. Mornings and nights are cooler, sometimes downright cold. And we're beginning to see all the signs in nature too.
Not long ago, it was time for Queen Anne's Lace.
Good morning! People use use the Blogger reading list (google followers on the blog) are noticing that for almost 48 hours (maybe more, now) the list is not updating. When I posted this last night (for example), it does not show as a new post. (Today it isn't even letting me load photos to make this more interesting! The ones in here are via copy/paste.) NOTE: Photos are now loading again from computer, google or blogger.
Till they get this figured out, I'm going to take a little lake break. There's plenty of content here, though, that you might not have seen and you can find it on the menu bar tabs.
Biggest sigh. Another art camp wrapped up. Of course, the art doesn't stop and neither does the fun. Yet it remains one of my favorite events of the year. And yes, we're all worn out!
Years ago, I did this version of a gate in Giverny near Monet's house. I did three in gouache and one in color pencil and thought "maybe I'm better now," so I did it in watercolor. Here they are in my journal from 2016.
NOTE: Blogger comment issue appears to be solved! Thanks for checking back!
I didn't have high hopes for August being a great reading month. There were a lot of things on the agenda. Part of the time I was home with appointments; then I was doing some online art workshop tutorials. They were only available for a short time, so I couldn't save them for a more convenient. And then there was company -- always good! But busy. And during art camp, I only read a night before bed, for the most part.
Surprisingly, I knocked off six books: three mysteries and three memoirs. And there wasn't a disappointment in the bunch!
Every year for maybe 20 years, quite possibly more, my friend Kate and I take two weeks (now; when we were working, it used to be a weekend!), and head north to the cottage to focus on art. We call it Art Camp.
Over that time our art has changed -- and it hasn't. We're better now. (Kate was always good -- art was her profession; I'm better. than I used to be) We did collage, painting, polymer and every combo thereof. My cottage guestbook is a journal I made during art camp. And of course we do other things. Read. Walk. (Well, this year my walking is hampered but Kate is walking. I did some.)
I promise the next post will be about art camp (unless it's a book wrap up!) But I thought I'd wrap up earlier events first. You may remember that my friend Suzanne came to the cottage for a visit in late July. Most of the time we hung around home, talking, puzzling, farm marketing.
But on one beautiful day we opted for a road trip to Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was a castle, yes, but a relatively modern one. Architecture, garden design, collections -- the place was art in itself.
