Tag Archives: Ausable River Canoe Marathon

W^2 – big shoes

adventure, Cooking, Family, Learning, Teaching and Learning, Weekly Photo Challenges, Wordless Wednesday, Writing, , , , , , ,

W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, July 22, 2026

It is canoe race week, and I am back at the lake for the weekend, and my son and his family will be joining us for the long weekend. It will be the first time they’ve been here since last year and we are all excited to see them explore the cottage and the lake.

I remember those days when it was a once (or twice) a year trip to the lake and back.

Here are a couple of posts about the canoe race, from fifteen years ago (and I had to edit and update them, too), if you are interested……

Last Saturday evening; I packed up a culinary experiment and headed over to my son’s house to have dinner with he and the grandies.

I had come across a recipe which I thought might be a good dinner at the lake this coming weekend and I wanted to try it out. It was a takeoff on a Chipotle’s chicken bowl – rice, beans, chicken, salsas and other toppings.

store bought shredded cheese, guacamole, pico de Gallo, beans, chicken, corn salsa, and brown rice…

I had tried it out the previous two evenings for dinner and thought it could be a solution for a quick choice for dinner. I figured it could be served buffet style, and we could eat before racing out to catch the start of the canoe race.

As it turns out it was a hit! My son and the grandies loved the food. The boys are pretty good eaters though one is partial to dips – especially ranch and they ate well.

Weston tries out my shoes….learning and growing

But it turns Weston was more interested in wearing my shoes. They were too big, but I am not worried. The boys are growing quickly, and they will fill big shoes someday, but for now it is fun to watch them learn, grow, and develop. First words, big steps, and so much more.

Fortunately, the weather is cooler and the smoke is mostly gone. It looks to be an amazing weekend, but first today. It is Wednesday morning and today is going to be a wonderful Wednesday. Today could be a million and six times better than yesterday. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, getting ready for a big weekend.

 What are you looking forward to this weekend?

W^2 – pretty girl

adventure, Photography, Teaching and Learning, Weekly Photo Challenges, Wordless Wednesday, Writing, , , , , , , ,

W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, July 24, 2024

It is Wednesday, almost Thursday. Fern and I wrapped up our business in Illinois and we loaded the car and drove back to the lake this afternoon. She was a fabulous driving companion and slept most of the trip curled up in the front seat or laid out in the back seat.

Fern with her paws on the guard rails looks down on the Au Sable River, Grayling, Michigan, July 21, 2024 10:18 AM

Last Sunday, Fern and I met B (my wife) at Stephan Bridge several miles downstream on the Au Sable River to watch the canoe racers pass through on their trip down the river to McMaster’s Bridge. It is a timing station for the BIG canoe race this weekend. It is also a great place to watch the canoes approach from down river, and if you are hungry there is an amazing restaurant on the south bank. Continue reading W^2 – pretty girl →

the race

Family, racing, sports, Writing, , , , , ,

It’s race weekend in the town near the lake where we spend much of our summer. Actually, as I am about to press, PUBLISH, the race is complete. If you watch the video, winners are the third canoe to pass and while the canoe in the lead finishes in second place. It’s a long race.

The race creates excitement for Grayling. And for us, too.

Yesterday was busy. Our kids, led by W, decided they were going to scuba dive in the lake. Both are scuba certified but that didn’t make my wife, or I feel any better about diving in the lake off the pontoon boat. But they did and they had a wonderful time.

our kids, on the surface
returning home….

Afterwards, they spent time on the lake, and we gathered at the table for dinner – ribs, beans, and salads (not pictured, but delicious).

Then it was off to watch the start of the race, the AuSable River Canoe Marathon. Town is only minutes from the lake and the river source is in the highlands north of the lake. Two other rivers have their sources in the highlands around us and all three are known for their trout fishing and canoeing. Continue reading the race →

Narrow: a photo challenge

adventure, Family, travel, Weekly Photo Challenges, Writing, , , , ,

Friday afternoon getaway traffic all boiled down to the last mile.

the lake is directly ahead, one more turn and a one lane dirt road...
the lake is directly ahead, one more turn, a right, and a one lane dirt road…

The roads get smaller and the trees make them narrower. The last road is the narrowest with trees towering to the sky. The road bends to the left and I go straight, onto the one lane dirt road.

Leaving Chicagoland on a Friday is always a gamble. Accidents and construction, or both. I never know. Yesterday’s drive took over seven hours. It could’ve been longer. Regardless, the drive always ends with the last narrow mile and a one lane dirt road.

I am here. By the lake. It’s race weekend on the river.

Today is gonna be a great day. Summer is winding down, it’s the last weekend in July and Monday is August 1. Gonna make the day count, I always try, especially when summer is narrowing like the last mile of a drive to the cottage.

How’s your summer? Is it narrowing, or widening?

the second to last mile, a slight right turn, then another right, and the lake.
the second to last mile, a slight right turn, then another right, and the lake.

Today’s post is inspired by last week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Narrow. This week, let’s keep things narrow (but not narrow-minded!): share a photo with your take on the theme. You could focus on a slender object, or shoot an image where your field of vision is restricted. Alleyways and half-open doors, seesaws and water slides, spaghetti and electric cords… the world is full of narrow things. I can’t wait to see which one you’ll pick for your entry.