Good morning all:

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” ~ Robert Frost

While the coffee was brewing this morning I thought a bit on how to best explain that we did not just hang at the cabin all summer. Then I realized that right in the midst of our stay Marcia and I took a “staycation”; same as any other vacation, just forego the airport, taxi, and DisneyWorld bits. We loved it!

Now the trip home begins and a spectacular summer ends. Life goes on.

Rule of the Lake – is real and a total certainty. The day you lock the doors behind you, climb behind the wheel to head on out, is also be the day that the weather turns perfect.

For two straight weeks it’s been chilly, windy, and wet. Maybe I should emphasize that; Chilly, Windy, and Wet! The only thing missing was a lightning storm. This week it turned autumn perfect.

The Drill – is that most everything on the “Closing the Cabin” list is complete. The living space is filled with an array of plastic bins with their lids askew. Marcia runs from one to another with some item or other—looking much like she’s totally absorbed playing a game of Whack-a-Mole.

The boats are trailered and secure, and their engines winterized. After the two of us took a final Fall Color Tour on the ATV by riding down the nearby logging road I stored that machine.

That leaves today. Moments from now we’re both off in Our Duck for the town of Thessalon for a Cruise and Car Show. I had an idea for the show part; put the top down, and use my iPod and the little Deux Chevaux’s radio to play a CD by chanteuse Patricia Kaas (my favorite French singer). Gives it a bit of a French touch to a French car, don’t you think? I thought Marcia would label it completely over the top, wrong, she’s totally on boards. In fact she’s accompanying me on the cruise.

Now I’ve got to quit looking all over for a beret. My cabin partner is getting very tired of me turning everything topsy-turvy.

After a luncheon in Wharncliffe it’ll be back to complete the packing and loading. Then, finally, lift the water line, and put up the shutters.

Sunday, probably while it’s still dark, we’ll head for the border. Oh, can’t forget the dolly towing The Duck—a northern Ontario winter is not really the best way to store it.

Animal Planet – Hummingbirds have long gone and the feeder has been scrubbed clean. There is only a single Loon left on the lake; probably a juvenile getting ready for its 3-year stint on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. And, finally, I started hearing the massive honking of Canada Geese formations heading south.

For Thought – This next week will be THE highpoint of this four-year long election process—the first debate. For Obama to have any chance at all he has to convince characters like me (and those like our north woods everyman Claire – were he not a Canadian) by dropping all that basketball jive and the hokey “I’m my honey’s eye candy” stuff. He’s gotta convince us geezers, we who sit around a campfire, we who live for watching Carol Burnet Show re-runs. He needs to bond! The way he can do that is possibly to debate using a prop, something which will allow us to identify with him. Perhaps by, say, wearing a Tilley hat!

Wearing a Tilley hat will simultaneously allow him to drive home every Boomer’s concern for skin cancer. Concurrently it might give Michelle a great new cause and get her off her rabbit food kick.

Don’t want to do that? He’ll lose the debate – just you mark my words.

Fini – Make it a great week everyone. Stay safe.
Cheers,
Dirk

From the Archives
Saturday, July 05, 2003
Good morning all:

Already Saturday number two in Canada – and sadly tomorrow it’s heading home time. Now it is morning coffee time – already cup number two, I have managed to get in a morning three mile hike with Dave Mathews Band cranked up on the MP3, and finally a little writing with everyone else chattering away over their morning coffee on the cabin deck. If you think that this will be a lengthy post you’re crazy since that is not what I’m here for. However, what absolutely has to be stated is – THANKS FOR THE HOSPITALITY PAUL & DIA!

The front deck of the cabin has been a feast for enjoying nature. A daily fly-by of both some Loons and Merganser ducks, last night a Beaver swam by the dock, and my morning walks would not be complete without seeing some American Goldfinches. Our youngest member at the cabin even collected a prized and very spectacular Luna Moth.

Talk about our youngest member – at the spectacular age of seven. I have discovered that this is a brilliant age and a bit of a precursor to what Marcia and I are in for now that grand parenting is becoming a major part of our lives. I had completely forgotten that at the ripe old age of seven kids seemingly know everything about everything, they have an answer to about absolutely everything, and have an infinite reserve of energy. On top of all of that their talk is incessant – from dawn to dusk!

Last night was a perfect sunset throwing brilliant oranges over the nearby cliff. Then at 10:30 the camp next door had a 4th fireworks display. Some of our gang stood on the dock to watch the display and found that it was complete with a massive fly-by from members of the Canadian air force – clouds of Mosquitoes.

Now first some breakfast, then “let the day begin!”

Cheers,
Dirk