Monday, August 27, 2012

Sunrise, Pie, Rollercoasters, Bingo, Water, Sunset.



 Well, it comes to an end.  Summer break for the unencumbered woman.  Today I have meetings, and will for the next few days.  It's time to go back to work.  Go figure!  I'm pretty conflicted about this whole daily work thing, as friends and loyal followers know.  I have a lot of interests, outside of school work, and it's not my hobbies, alone, that get me into trouble, it's the pile of responsibilities and ways of living that require my attention. Then again, the work I do is fun, important, I'm good at it, and, actually, I'm still afforded an amount of independence that many employment situations don't offer.  I'll take it.  But this, a farewell reflection on photos, is my goodbye kiss to a fabulous summer season!!!!
photo cred. ashby

beading!

Our walk to Lake Michigan.  It becomes visible right here.

We gotta getta kayak, yeah!

LOVE!

And...what else is there?

An evening at Jens Jensen's clearing. Beautiful.

Girl is proud of mom & her guns.  Mom is so amazed by this goofy brilliant beauty.

Sunrise! Never not amazing.

Sometimes it's so perfect inside that we run outside to see what's going on!

Pie. Pie. Pie!!!!! Come on everybody, say it: "PIE!"

Great America.


Wow. 

Already PT is a thing of the past, but I was there for one of Dad's last workouts.  Did me proud.

BINGO!!!! Teen goes with Grandma every time, willing, polite, loving, even winning!!!!

A girl and her magazine.  What can I say?

The delights and wisdom of sand boarding.  Teacher Addie.

Auntie crimps hair...this will Not be happening at home.


Lighthouse window.

Thordardson's Gate.

sandy beach, good morning sky!

Washington Island Ferry.

Sunset, LOVE. Skipping rocks.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

saved!

My love affair with all things midcentury continues.  Driving to Door County, for the past few years, has exposed my aesthetic to numerous disappointments.  The replacement of beautiful midcentury lodging options by more "up to date", always gives pause for a little sadness.  This past weekend, however, we witnessed the beginning of a terrific victory!  This sweet little motel has been sitting for sale on the outskirts of Sturgeon Bay for quite a few years.  Every year when I drive by, I think to myself, "how can this place possibly be saved?" After all, it's not in a very pristine location (highway) and is surrounded by new development (Target, McDonald's, American Suites (sp), BP, and so on). 

check out the fabulous car parked right in the lot where it belongs!
LOVE!


  I've always had my own fantasy of rehabbing a smallish motel, taking care to enhance both inner and outer design elements.  The pure and simple beauty of a roadside motel, where visitors could pull their car up to the room in which they would sleep, is as timeless as any other American Dream.
The beginnings of uplift, dabs of test paint, spruced up, loved, SAVED!


Can't wait to see what happens with all this!
  Growing up with parents of the generation that drove great distances and bargain shopped for just the right motel, I have so many memories of my own, inhabiting these motels, often themed appropriately to their greater locale.
Ever willing to take part in the fun! Peering into the office windows.
 Closer to home in Northern Door County, I have a friend in love of midcentuy design and marketer extraordinaire.  She has helped rebrand and save the classic Rowley's Bay Resort.  If you love this stuff, or if you're simply looking for a great holiday, active getaway, please give this resort a shot! It's meticulously cared for, and salvaged forties decor and design that made it so terrific on the gorgeous Mink River!
Joyful life. Joyful aesthetics.  Fantasy continues.
Walking around the sign to find some alternate views I found the amazing pronouncement: SAVED!
I don't know who bought the place or what they plan on doing with it, but I see the beginnings of paint and repair, and of course the presence of the vintage auto indicate that a person from my own planet is working this thing.  Delightful!!!

SAVED!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What are my earnings, loyal age group triathlete?

What's my reward for a season of Iron-training?  Why, a fabulous camping trip to Rock Island with the girls, of course! Saturday was my last regular training day, with an eighty mile ride (steady, minimal stops), followed by a brisk eight mile run.  The whole affair wasn't perfectly fast or even neat and tidy, but I didn't feel too bad, and any time one makes their way all the way through an iron training plan, no matter how many workouts are altered or skipped, it's celebration time!  

So, my reward, in pictures:
The journey starts, as many family trips do, at Gill's Rock, Door County.
Ahh...the unencumbered woman ponders a bright sunny day on the ferry to Washington Island.
So we park on Washington Island, and head to the passenger boat: Karfi.

friends amongst us.  The parking lot is littered with bumper stickered vehicles.

Not nearly enough recall stickers in DC, oh...the divide...

Mad River Glen!!!! Go fire, Vermont!

Chiaravelli Montessori. What a tiny little world.
 We quickly learn that our fellow campers have a trick to camping on Rock Island. It's called a Dolly.  They pile as much stuff as they can on the small Karfi Boat, then bring a hand truck in order to pull everything to their campsite.  There may be no cars allowed on Rock Island, but it's hard to get folks away from the concept of car camping, which usually includes bringing, well, a lot of stuff on board!
We were proud to carry everything in on our backs.  Great teamwork, great practice, and we didn't gorge ourselves on weird Piggly Wiggly retro food (you know the drill: hot dogs, chips, beer, juice, smokes, cereal).  This was our two day allotment and as it turns out, we still gorged ourselves. What a delight!
What would camping be without gingham tablecloth.  How did this happen?

Tent set up, site ready.  Three girls ready for fun and adventure.  Let's go to the water!

OK, Addie...take a few pictures of me that commemorate the journey to Ironman Wisconsin 2012.

This will be my seventh Ironman.  OK then.  Eight if I were to count that dud year in Penticton...
 And then on to the sandy beach.  Take note, this must be the sweetest, lightest, finest sand I've seen on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan.  A perfect day to boot, sparsely populated beach. We're completely thrilled.  I whip out my crochet while the kids wade around the rocks, swim, play in sand, an generally devour the joy that is a fabulous beach in late summer.  It never gets old in our family.
Looking east. This is about 200 meters from our campsite.
 By the time evening rolled around we were feeling the satisfaction of seasoned Rock Island travelers.  Our neighbors were a curious lot.  Four strapping young guys with enough camping gear to fill the rear of a 4x4 truck.  They were nice enough, and kept the volume down, aided by the fact that the sites are quite well spread from each other.  Our sunset walked revealed some of the best photo-ops for Addie.
Would I ever tire of this?

How did we achieve this color?

Addie, all the way.

Chester Hjortur Thordarson's Boathouse/library.  Keepers of Rock Island history know that this inventor-genius built this great hall to house his valuable book collection.  Restored, beautiful, for the sharing as a Wisconsin State Park.  How's that for public works?


Water containers, portal to the campsite path.

Rock Island.
 Day two we hiked the 6.5 mile loop around the island.  We were tuckered out, but the path is truly gentle and do-able for just about anyone.
Water Tower.


Pottawatomie Lighthouse.  Lovely.


Inside the light housing.

Here we are! " It's too beautiful to photograph!!!" "Mom, you always say that!"

Morning view of our beloved beach.


How precious, this stone?
 And then it's back to Ellison Bay.  No small feat, considering the cleaning, tidying, packing, boat jumping involved.  Throw the clothes into the washer and yes, one more shot at the sweetness of a summer day at my favorite town beach.  Ashby and I are up for it.  Addie has had enough. She wants a bath, a dvd, and a cold soda.  What can I say? She's becoming her own person that we love so much.
It's simply unjust to leave this beach alone anytime before Labor Day. 
 The three of us rally for one last night out.  This summer has seen plenty of great sunsets and this one rivals them all.  The girls are skipping stones and I'm taking photos, watching the other sunset-gapers come and go.  I love it, every time.  The weather is perfect and the sun is just nearing the tip of the town bluff, Fall is coming.
It never gets old.

And then it's gone. Just like anything.  Just like everything.