Cottage Week

A few cottages from us--no beach at all!

Tuesday:  Maybe it will be our last week renting this "historic"  cottage right on Lake Michigan north of Tunnel Park.  We didn't rent last year and if we move East next summer, we may not rent again!

Riley Woods

It's a beautiful day right now but Jim and John had to give up golf when the weather was so wet overnight that the course couldn't open this morning. We have had one very cold day and night and then the last two nights were very hot--and no air conditioning.  The breeze off the lake helps a lot but 80 degrees inside at 11 pm is still warm.

Cobb Salad--Boatwerks

We have had three good walks--to Tunnel Park, in Riley Woods, and on the boardwalk at Ottawa Beach. We ate on the patio overlooking Lake Macatawa at Boatwerks twice--with Jim's sisters and spouses on Monday and with Lois and John after a happy hour on our deck today.

We've been here five nights without a spectacular Michigan sunset.  It's been so cloudy that the sun slips quietly away.

Wednesday:  Last night it rained so hard during the night that I woke up feeling rain on my face in bed.  It rained much of the day.  When it cleared in the late afternoon, we walked the trail and climbed the 239 steps to Mt. Pisgah and enjoyed a great view of Ottawa Beach and Lake Macatawa.

At last tonight the sunset was glorious and kept getting better and better over the next 45 minutes.

Thursday morning:  The changing weather has been a factor all week.  Last night was so cold that I put a sweater on and used an extra quilt.  This morning it was 52 degrees outside!

We have adapted to our surroundings when it comes to doing crossword puzzles together.  Without a daily New York Times in print, we go to the archives and do a puzzle together but each on our own laptop.  It certainly is neater when you make a mistake to delete a letter or two.  It is also easier when you are giving up to ask for "reveal" or "check" for a letter or word.

I've missed watching the Cubs which we have been unable to get televised after last Saturday.  I listened to a bit by radio but Jim does not enjoy that.  He gets updates and enjoys (usually) the recap on his phone.  They  won seven in a row but lost yesterday.  A new pitcher (Hamels) and a new infielder (Murphy) have been sparks for them.

Jim finally got on a golf course today.   Meanwhile I met a friend from my childhood, Judy Spanninga Schickel, at Ottawa Beach Inn for lunch.  We had not seen each other in 50 years and had a great time catching up and looking at old photos.  I wish I had asked someone to take a photo of us.  The waiter was very patient with us and said we could stay until closing at 9 pm if we wished!

Friday morning:  The sheets are in the dryer; we'll make up the bed when they are ready. We are drinking our coffee and almost ready to pack up and go home.
It's about a two hour ride and then I jump into my activities--practicing the organ for the service on Sunday, getting ready to tutor a new student on Tuesday, checking out the yard for issues, planning meals, getting groceries, and back to my purging of our stuff.

It's been a good week.  It was good to be out of our usual routines and now it will be good to be back into them.