Vacation Adventures

Hello again my friends!! I am back from a week long respite with my family, enjoying a relaxing time on a small lake near Hale, MI. An old cottage, a quiet lake; who could ask for more.

When we arrived, everything was not good. The cottage had not been left in a clean condition. The screen porch was not swept, the fire pit was full of trash, and I won’t even mention what the rug was covered with. That rug has since been trashed (suffice it to say, a previous renter had a dog with intestinal problems.

But a bit of cleaning, and we were all set to enjoy ourselves. Saturday, our first full day, dawned gray and rainy. The lake and sky were dark and misty, but it was still a treat to wake up and watch the lake come to life while enjoying my morning coffee.

Here is the cottage, as seen from the lake…

But soon, the weather had cleared, and the weekend crowd were out in full force, enjoying the water and enjoying life.

Personally, I prefer quieter recreational pursuits. Some quiet fishing, if only from the end of the dock. Here is yours truly, showing what was up to then the largest fish I had caught on that lake (Ok, I am not much of a fisherman. I am of the opinion that nothing ruins a relaxing fishing trip more than catching a fish). Thanks to my wife Wendy for taking this picture.

Monday brought beautiful weather, clear skies and a calm lake.

By now the weekenders had gone home, and the lake was quiet. My family all enjoyed themselves. Alex spent a lot of time catching frogs…

And he and his brother Will even took time out to play chess (who are you, and what did you do with my children?)

Even Psychodog loves the cottage. Hey, who wants to play ball???

On Sunday, we woke up to quite a surprise. A picnic table had floated across the lake, and wedged itself against our dock.

Apparently, some partiers across the lake had thrown it in the water, and the wind pushed it all the way to our dock. The owners eventually cruised by in a pontoon boat and found it (Will and I had pulled it out of the water, and set it by the lake). They returned with a truck and took it home, grateful we had found it.

Shelby (aka Psychodog), our wire haired fox terrier, loves the cottage. After playing hard, she likes to cool off in the lake…

She loves the water, as long as it is not over her head. She is the only dog I know that cannot swim. But after a hard day of playing, she is ready to relax….

And as the day ends, the rest of us relax around a small campfire. At least until the mosquitoes get too thick…

Our lake is also home to many birds, including Loons and Eagles. I have much more to share with you. Stay tuned! And thanks for visiting.