Blue skies, blue water, temperature near 50 degrees. February on Lake Michigan? It is so far this winter. Last year we had ice piled against the shore. Yesterday? Looked like spring was on the way. Last year February was nasty cold. With plenty of snow. A cold spring, a cool summer. I miss the pancake…
February 3rd: World Champions
I was a Kansas City Chiefs fan since the very beginning. In 1963 as a five year old in front of the little black and white TV with my family. So many memories tied to the Chiefs. Family memories and the Chiefs intertwined. When the Chiefs of the American Football League defeated the Minnesota Vikings…
February 1st: Real beer and no ice
Last night at Old Boys Brewhouse, we couldn’t help but hear the guy at the table next to us inquire loudly, “Do you have any real beer?”. He was disappointed by the plethora of lovingly, locally brewed beer on the menu. The waitress kept any thoughts to herself, smiled and replied, “We do have Miller…
January 29th: Droning with the dog
Winter sunshine and calm winds living on the shores of Lake Michigan is so elusive. Just can’t get a break. Calmness seems to always come with heavy clouds. At least I found one useful hack. Froze my fingers droning until I realized I could sit inside my parked car. Launch and land my Mavic Mini…
January 28th: North Beach Update
When last we stopped by North Beach, rock and boulders stretched from one end of the long parking lot to the other. Heavy equipment was deployed on the shore and in shallow water. With the wind subsiding for a day or so it was perfect timing for a North Beach update. I was anxious to…
January 24th: What to do on a cold, rainy day
Yesterday’s snow is melting in the constant rain today. What to do? Writing is good. Yeah, yeah, the book. Also a little research on Michigan road trips to come. I was surprised by the dozens of great restaurants on the water that we have somehow missed in our first two years. Many closed until May……
January 20th: Fifty Years
Fifty years ago, I was an elementary school kid in northwest Iowa. Transplanted from Kansas City. The only Chiefs fan in Vikings country. I was mercilessly ridiculed… surely the Chiefs had no chance against the mighty Vikings in the Super Bowl. I held firm. Wore my Chiefs gear to school the week before the game….
January 11th: The two types of happiness
So many people do not understand that there are two types of happiness: One hedonistic. Pursuing happiness. The short term orgasmic rush of pleasure. The other eudaemonic. Building happiness. A flourishing oak tree, rooted in rich soil. Both are important. They conflict at times. But that is fine. Take steps to build, take time to…
January 10th: Sand and rock
You would barely recognize North Beach now. The sand drifts are up to the the tops of the fencing in places. Lake Michigan has taken a huge bite out of the beach. A sand cliff dominates. Now, the parking lot is covered in an enormous field of rock. I had thought the massive effort underway…
January 6th: Where’s the beach?
Our morning at the ever shrinking beach. In the picture below, you can see the hood of my car, the little strip of beach, and the waves almost to the sand fence. I wonder what it will look like with the lake a foot or more higher in the spring? Yes, this is the narrowest…