Fun, Boating, Friends...and Weather

My friend Susan came up on Monday, August 5th to spend ten or so days cruising with me.  Plans for crossing Lake Michigan were cancelled due to predictions of high winds mid-week (as soon as we could even think about beginning to cross) -- so, we moved to Plan B.

Sometimes, Plan B is just as much fun as the original.  We take off on Tuesday for Elk Rapids -- a nice, sunny day, with low winds (thus little waves).  The marina was chock-a-block, so we ended up in a slip that was a little too short and definitely too narrow for a graceful entrance -- so, after taking a nice hunk out of the piling with my port side rub rail, we settled in for two nights.  Beautiful days, long walks, visits in town to all the stores -- and another round of purchases at my favorite vintner.  In the interim, the predicted weather out on Lake Michigan materialized for one day.

On Thursday, we motored around Mission Point and down toward Traverse City -- once again sunny and low wind (almost glass on the water).  We couldn't get into the downtown marina, so we ended up at Elmwood Township about two miles outside of town.  A great marina, with comfortable docks, nice on-shore facilities, nice staff -- BUT, just the smallest strip of grass to walk Sophie (after we found out that the nearby park was off limits to dogs) and the convenience store is across busy M-22 which is the major route between Traverse City and Suttons Bay, Northport, and Leland (with no cross walk).  First evening, did walk over to a Tuscan Bistro where we had a good dinner but the noise level was a little hard to take (why is it that people believe you have to yell across the table when you are a party of four?)

Friday, our friends Jay and Phillip showed up bearing gifts from Shanghai, China -- silk jewelry bags for Susan and I, and a pearl necklace for Ms. Sophie.  No, I am not kidding, real pearls -- just not perfect nor perfect size match!  I'll post picture of the prima donna later.  Apparently not all that unusual, the lady who strung the pearls assured Jay that they have lots of requests for pet necklaces -- I just bet it's for pocket dogs not rough and tumble Airedales.  Afterwards, the guys took us to a winery on the Mission Peninsula -- Bowers -- where we sat in the bright sunshine consuming two bottles of wine.  Then into Traverse City for a delightful lunch at OM, a local vegetarian eatery that has gained quite a reputation for delicious food -- well deserved.  Back to the boat, and Susan and I just relaxed for the balance of the day.

Saturday, our friend Jan drove up from Arcadia -- and we went on into Suttons Bay for a delightful lunch and visit at Martha's followed by an afternoon of shopping (window and otherwise).  Then back to the boat, wondering around the marina and the nearby Yacht Club to boat watch.

Sunday, we motored in the same weather conditions back to downtown Charlevoix to stay at the City marina for one night.  Rounded up friends, Oat and Rosemarie (ALMOST HEAVEN), Fish and Sue (FISH TAILS), Chuck and Joann (MOKU HALE) and drove to Horton Bay to have dinner at the General Store.  This is a functioning general store which in the last three years has brought in a chef to do small plates in the evening for dinner -- delightful food, shared around the table with a few bottles of wine out in the back garden.  Ernest Hemingway used to hang out here as a young man, so there is a lot of history and I'm sure wild stories to go along.

Monday, we left Charlevoix around noon for the "strenuous" two hour motor over to Harbor Springs on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay.  Another resort community with private home owners' associations of lovely big homes on the water front.  MOKU HALE is also here, a couple of docks away at Irish.  We went out for dinner last night with Chuck and Joann.  Today we awoke to cold, blustery winds and dark grey clouds -- although it hasn't really rained yet, we've had sprinkles and it is still cold.  Lunch today with Rich and Sandra (TRIFID) who drove over from Duncan Bay -- otherwise it would be next summer before we would see each other.  Tonight, dinner on MOKU HALE, and tomorrow plans are for brunch with some of Susan's good friends from her childhood before we head back to Charlevoix -- or not, depending on the winds and weather.

More Cool and Wet Weather

Friday night fireworks became Saturday night fireworks -- really a very spectacular show for a relatively small community -- and everyone (Fish, Sue, and Rosemarie -- later Oat) came over to my boat to watch.

Sunday, a return of the drizzle and periods of sun that have characterized most of the last two weeks.  Charlevoix did send off the second round of fireworks on Sunday night, but we all stayed hunkered down in our boats because of the cold.

Then there were a couple of days where it looked like it might be promising enough to venture out -- only to have the evenings and nights punctuated with strong winds, thunder, lightening, and RAIN.  It is now Friday, the second of August, and as I sit here it is drizzling again and there is a definite chill in the air.  So, no plans for today except to keep dry and warm.

Have, of course, not suffered for lack of things to do -- including a day of shopping in Petoskey with Rosemarie (where naturally the sun came out after we had concluded that boating was out for the day) and a pleasant dinner on Lake Charlevoix with Oat and Rosemarie later in the week.  There are some talented chefs in this part of the world, so the diet has gone with the wind.

Hope to be out of here Tuesday morning for ten days or so of boating with my friend Susan who is driving up from Florida this weekend.  Sure hope the weather holds!  And, NOT THIS WEATHER.