I’m feeling adventurous but the timing isn’t right. Besides I can’t make the sun shine bright and warm. I wish I could turn back time a few months and enjoy more hot weather but this will have to wait until next year.
sunset
Beautiful Day
The weather was excellent today. Spending my afternoon at the park drinking porter and enjoying good conversation with a close friend.
Cloudy Days
The sun shines bright in Arizona but sometimes there are cloudy days. Even with the clouds the sun shines bright. I see this as a lesson in life. Today is a cloudy day for me in terms of current life events that I can’t control. I could focus on those clouds or I could be thankful for life and the fact that the sun will still continue to shine.
Arizona Sunset
The sun setting in Arizona. As time goes on, things are finalizing, I think more about Arizona and how I’ve always felt drawn to the desert. It’s in my mind to head out there for a long while making it my home. A friend of mine moved there at least seven years ago and has always encouraged me to visit and make it my home. There are things that keep me grounded in Michigan so this will remain my own for a while at least.
Wild Flowers
The cut path at the nature preserve allows you to walk in between tall wild flowers. Just before winter, when most of the grass is turning brown, these wild flowers stand out the most.
Sunset
The sun setting on Lake Michigan. Our dog Otis on the beach making sure things are in order and the family safe for the night, he’s always so concerned about us. I miss this vacation, heck I miss all my vacations. This one was special though, the last family vacation. I think it’s going to always be that week I look back on and smile about. I knew going in it would be the last so the mood was bittersweet but I made the most of it.
Traverse City Michigan
This winter has been brutal. I’m sure there are records that have been broken for consecutive cold days, possibly even snow accumulation. Right now it’s 12°F outside with winds at 30-40 MPH creating a wind chill of -10°F. When it’s this cold it’s almost impossible for me to keep my hands warm. I’ll be heading out the door in a couple of hours spending a little time outside working and freezing.
Back in 2008 we stayed in a little cabin on Bass Lake in Traverse City. The cabin was a small two bedroom with a loft that would accommodate two children but only if they were small. It was comfortable enough but not quite large enough for a family of six. We knew that would be our last visit there because of the size of the place.
Luckily is was right on a lake but it wasn’t really one of those lakes where you wanted to jump right it. It was an inland lake, mucky and dark so you couldn’t see the bottom. There was some sand but mostly it was just muck. Still the kids went out and played on the shore each day as the water was warm and peaceful the entire week. In the end it was a great vacation. We hung out at the cabin a day or two and then explored the area. That was the first year we went to The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive .
Our search each year was always to find a spot on a nice beach. I would obsess for days at a time looking for the perfect spot. Actually I always tried to get a secluded spot on water, preferably with a nice sandy beach and clear water. We had some hits and misses over the years but eventually we did find that very spot in Good Hart a few years later where we stayed for a week in 20011 and again in 2013. I doubt I’ll ever see the cottage again but I have some awesome memories captured in images and video.
Warm Summer Nights
Lake Michigan – Vacation in Good Hart.
It was such a calm and warm night. The kind of night that goes good with a camp fire and cold beer. We sat around the fire, I drank beer and told corny ghost stories. All my kids but the youngest just laugh at my stories, they’re too old to think they are scary. My youngest though put her feet up on the chair and moved closer to me saying, “dad, is that true.” I smiled and didn’t answer.
Sunset
Heading out today in cold snowy weather for two inspections my mind goes straight to days of sunshine and warm weather.
Photo taken at Little Sable Point on Lake Michigan.
Frozen Lake
Completing an inspection of a condo on Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Michigan I chatted with the buyer on the balcony for a bit. We talked about the lake and what a great view these units have. The condos are perfectly situated right on the lake and each unit has it’s own boat dock.
I’ve performed several inspections in this neighborhood and each time tell myself I should own one of these units.
The thing is this portion of the lake is quite busy in the summer months with boats, jet-skis and all manner of water sports. I’m more of a small quiet lake kind of guy.
Still the sunsets are always nice here.
12
The Mystery Meat 