Autumn Coming In

Our weather forecast here in the northwest lower peninsula is calling for several more days of sun, with just enough clouds to give the sky character. Monday was so delicious I couldn’t help saying greedily to David that I’d love a whole month like that, and that reminded him of the year he built his houseboat (for years a feature on the Leland River, just upstream from the Riverside Inn) when, he claims, the weather was sunny and calm and warm and perfect from September through November. Well, that’s unusual for northern Michigan! Still, we take what we get, and we’re grateful for beautiful days and grateful to get through the days and nights when Mother Nature is wilder—and there are plenty of broken tree limbs around to remind us of recent wild winds.


My camera batteries gave out yesterday morning after only two exposures, freeing me up to enjoy the rest of my outdoor time with Sarah in a more Sarah-like manner, more immersed in each passing moment. Walking and driving at this time of year in the morning or evening--that is, just after sunrise or just before sunset--is challenging when headed into the sun. Is the sun brighter, or is it simply that it rises almost directly in the east, rather than in the blessed northeast or gentle southeast? I remember driving to meet a friend in Pentwater two years ago and arriving on a stretch of road headed directly west just as the setting sun flamed blindingly across my windshield. There was no place to pull over, but it was a terrifying few minutes, and I was astonished that most drivers didn’t even slow down.

David and I are moving ahead on all fronts these days, with three important weekends almost upon us. The first event will be his month-long show at Circa Estate Winery, with the opening reception this coming Sunday (Oct. 3). See below this week’s ad in the Northern Express.

I’m also moving forward with preparations for Dean Robb’s book signing and reception at Dog Ears a week from Saturday (Oct. 9). This morning I delivered invitations to the school for faculty and staff, as author Matt Robb did a project with students there two years ago.


And thanks to my good friend Sally Coohon of the shop Dolls and More (102 Nagonaba, one of several former Dog Ears locations), the scarecrows and other fall decorations are now up all over the village. Notice how two of them are pointing the way into the village? Sally and I could not have asked for more beautiful weather for decorating yesterday morning. Northport's modest but sweet little Fall Festival will be Saturday, Oct. 16. Village eateries, from Barb's to Stubb's, will be offering fall specials on that day (not just apple cider but plenty of apple cider), and the beautifully decorated wagonette from Abraham's Carriage Service will be here again this year with a team of gleaming horses. Too tired to walk? Enjoy the ride in old-fashioned style.


Here online I’m featuring a different book this week in my “Recommended” slot and have added a new blog to my blog list.

I’ve also started re-reading L. E. Kimball’s A Good High Place. I won’t put it on my “Books Read” a second time, but this beautiful and unusual novel deserves to be read more than once.