Friday began like the past two days, cloudy and overcast with the lake still, but no rain. We had had rain overnight Thursday leaving the ground moist. It is good for the Ausable Canoe Marathon because it raises the water level and allows paddlers to race faster. The forecast called for clearing Friday by midday and rain on Saturday. It will be a wet parade and wet start to the race. But, for Friday, it looked to be dry with time to be outside and enjoying Michigan. We had William’s race at ten and we needed to be ready to go at nine.
The three anglers work the lake Saturday morning near Big Bear Point
It is Sunday morning at the cottage and the past two days have gone quickly. It is overcast and rain is in the forecast. The past two days have been warm, sunny, and breezy. Today the lake is calm almost lake glass with gentle ripples. Our guests departed this morning and everyone except for Olivia woke to wave goodbye. Sunday is the laziest day of the week and everyone, including Ivy, is taking their time getting around. The television is on and I am watching CBS Sunday Morning, then the Tour de France. One of the best parts of the month of July is each year I get a bicycle tour of France courtesy of the race.
With our guests here, we have been busy with boating, fishing, swimming, and enjoying the cottage. It has been a great time well spent: certainly, the days have counted. However, I have fallen behind on writing and other chores. Sunday will be a catch up day with all sorts of tasks and looking ahead to the coming next two weeks. Continue reading Day 49 and 50: Two days on the lake→
The moon and the sun set on another wonderful day at the cottage.
Thursday began with overcast and light rain. It remained that way until midday. However, we found a way to have a great day, anyway. Sometimes your weather is internal.
Mark’s family, mom, dad, and older sister, had arrived the day before and had played on the water yesterday evening and everyone slept late, including me. We woke hoping to get out on the water in the morning, but we had to wait. It would rain, then, stop. After breakfast, mark’s dad suggested we visit the Michigan CCC museum in Roscommon. The CCC is the Civilian Conservation Corps and was in operation during the Great Depression from 1933-1942. The museum told the story of the CCC in Michigan. The corps’ responsibilities were to reforest Michigan and fight forest fires, which plagued the regions vast forests. The CCC was a program initiated by FDR to combat the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression. The museum buildings were restored from CCC camps in Michigan and had detailed explanations of the jobs performed in the buildings and explained the overall purpose of the CCC. The museum was well done and I walked away with an understanding of the period. It must have been bleak. I wish I could spend more time walking and reading, but it is difficult with children who want to be out on the lake. William, Olivia, and the rest of us returned to the cottage for lunch. Continue reading Day 48: Rain, rain, go away…→
Tuesday night and Wednesday morning blended in to one, and I did not get much sleep. I woke and slowly started moving, made coffee, and woke William. We loaded the car and checked our list, twice. What we did not check was whether we had everything we needed. We turned around twice to get Beth’s clothes and letters, which needed mailing. Fortunately, it only delayed us twenty, or so, minutes.
Six hours is a long time and it gives me plenty of time to think, listen, and talk with William. For William it was time to watch a DVD, sleep, or talk to me. Yet, this time he was reading. I had purchased Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka and he cannot put it down. It is all exciting to see. I just hope I can find another book that has the same appeal and same reaction – he reads! I recommend it! Continue reading Day 47: On the Road, again.→
Monday looked to be a busy day. On Saturday, after breakfast, we had stopped in The Bicycle Shop to look at bikes and the two bikes William was looking at – were gone. The staff said it could be at least a couple of weeks before they expected to receive more bikes from Trek. Therefore, Sunday afternoon Beth looked at bikes online and found a dealer that had two bikes in stock – one for William and the other for Olivia. However, the store was in Traverse City and it was over an hour away, so we made plans to drive over Monday morning. In addition, William and I were diving home to Wheaton Monday afternoon so I could attend a planning meeting at school and William could attend the Tuesday scout meeting. We would be coming home after sixteen days away and we would complete our trip around Lake Michigan. I would be in the car quite a bit on Monday. Continue reading Day 45: Traverse City and the Great Circle is complete→
Sunday at the cottage is usually a lazy day. Even for a place where days are nameless and time is measured by meals, Sunday is always the day when we all sleep later and the pace is usually slower. July is warm, sunny, and the days are longer at the cottage with the sun setting near nine and darkness coming closer to ten. The month of July usually brings the best sporting events and this year is no different. July is the month of countless auto races, the Tour de France, and this year, and every four years, the World Cup. The month of July ends with a local sporting event – the Ausable River Canoe Marathon. The canoe marathon takes place on the Ausable River starting in Grayling and finishing at Oscoda where the Ausable drains into Lake Huron – 120 miles away. Continue reading Day 44: One fish, two fish, Olivia catches, blue gill→
I slept until ten and awoke in a panic. I went down the stairs to find Ivy waiting patiently for me. I took her outside and noticed Mr. Weaver’s truck was gone; and I had seen Beth and Olivia were up and out of their room when I got up. I assumed they had gone to town and let William and me sleep. I was worried Ivy had had no one let her out all morning long. Ivy did not seem stressed and after she finished, we went back inside, Olivia and Mrs. Weaver appeared, and reported Grandpa and Beth had gone to town grocery shopping. I got coffee and began to wake up. Ivy settled in on the floor and chewed on her bone. I was about to serve breakfast when Grandpa and Beth came home and we all enjoyed a ham and egg scramble. It filled everyone up.
The forecast for Monday was rain and I need to catch up on home stuff – bills and balancing the checkbook, but not in that order. Grandpa was working on his egg cards so we sat at the table and worked together. William and Olivia were in and out and Beth baked in the kitchen – rhubarb bread. I finally finished the balancing and needed to go to town to get a fast internet connection at the library. We can use the dial up service at the cottage but it is slow and long distance charges apply. I had updated the blog at the cottage; it took much longer for uploads and I needed a quicker connection. Continue reading Day 38: Livy ski skims for the first time→
The last day of camp, or a vacation, is always somewhat sad and happy, all at the same time. We are sad because we are leaving and our time went quickly and we are glad to go home to see our families and friends who did not come with us and we have missed. Our time at Tesomas has been special and we all have enjoyed our time at camp and the time with each other.
Saturday morning we got up at six and started to break down camp. We wanted to get personal gear and troop gear packed before flags, breakfast, and the final video showing after breakfast. The scouts worked together packing their gear, cleaning, and rolling their tents. By the time we left for breakfast, all but one or two tents were down, packed, and staged to be loaded into the troop trailer. Breakfast was quieter than usual, perhaps because so many scouts felt like us – excited to go home but sad to leave. Traditionally, when breakfast ends we watch a video of the camp experience and it is fun to watch. The camp staff compiled pictures and video setting them to music to create the show; a few of our scouts made appearances and the scouts watched and cheered to show approval. Advancements in technology have made creating videos and slide shows much easier and I cannot imagine what would have been shown ten, twenty, or seventy-five years ago at the end of camp. Whatever it may have been, I am sure it left the scouts with a feeling of completion, a feeling of no regret; making the transition from camp life back to real life easier. Continue reading Day 36: No Regrets→
Routines are what make camp so much fun and yesterday’s post started with the flag ceremony; even though I did not explain the evening flag ceremony. Routines are everywhere, such as the dining hall, I was on the phone with Beth telling her about the day and she could hear yelling and shouting in the background and asked what it was and I told her – we were being greeted to come and dine. Continue reading Day 35: The Mile→
Daily life at camp has its rituals and routines. At the troop level, each day starts by rising, cleaning, dressing, and in general getting around. Sometimes we rise alone, other times we are greeted by others and we talk about the day before and the day ahead of us. Some mornings it is time to look out over the lake and enjoy the peacefulness of nature. Thursday morning was cool, but warmer than Wednesday morning, it had been a late night for our scouts. The Order of the Arrow ceremony and the fellowship afterwards had our scouts walking back into camp close to ten and lights out soon after. The activities of the week had tired our scouts and they were content to sleep. In camp, the next group to wake is usually the SPL or other scouts who get up and shower, clean up, or just get ready for the day. At seven the SPL begins to wake the scouts, there is a little grousing but, most scouts simply wake and are excited about a new day. The hoppers are the first to leave for the dining hall because they need to set up tables before breakfast. By 7:35 to 7:45, the rest of the troop begins to walk or cycle down to the dining hall and form up at the flagpole for the flag ceremony. Troops can sign up to lead the flag ceremony in the morning or evening, but we did not sign up this year. The camp staff assembles on the steps above the flagpole and the officer of the day calls attention and orders the color guard to advance and post the colors. The color guard marches the flag toward the flagpole attaches the flags to the halyard and awaits further instructions from the officer of the day. The OD orders the scouts to attention and to salute the flag or hold their hands over the hearts as the color guard raises the flag while the bugler plays reveille. Then the OD leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all. Source: Section 4 US Flag Code.
The scouts release their salute and can stand at ease while the color guard retreats. Once the color guard retreats, the OD dismisses the color guard, staff, and scouts all walk over to the dining hall. This is how we start; it is routine, and a great way to begin each day. We will form up at the flagpole for evening flags later, but we have much to do in between and we will start all over the next morning. Continue reading Day 34: Flags→
