Northport was full of holiday-makers on Saturday evening when our big village tree lights were turned on, and before that a fair number of revelers found their way into Dog Ears Books, making for quite a lively day. People seemed to appreciate the sale prices, which I’m continuing through this week. A kind friend, Kirk O’Green, sent me the wonderful photo below of “Christmas horses.” Rides through the village in the horse-drawn wagon are another annual Northport tradition that goes along with tree-lighting. See my building in the background, just behind the driver?
As the northern hemisphere approaches winter solstice, there are a few complaints in northern Michigan about days ending so early, but bright lights hold darkness at bay in our little village. Doesn’t the Garage Bar & Grill (my next-door neighbor) look welcoming?
Following the weekend, Dog Ears Books joined indie bookstores across the country in celebrating CIDER (please, not ‘cyber’!) Monday. We had cookies and the appropriate beverage. That was fun! Now, however, the end of November is at hand, and Friday, November 30, will be the last day of our 2018 season. That’s right, you’ve only got three days left to visit the bookstore in Northport and shop the holiday sale and greet the bookstore dog and share cookies and season’s greetings with us! We’ll re-open in mid-May. For now, I’m both happy and sad to see the year end.
The Artist and I have had a somewhat grueling summer and fall, and we look forward to our time away from work — our “seasonal retirement,” as I’ve taken to calling it. Still, we will miss friends here at home. But our neighbors the sandhill cranes left long ago, and it’s just about time for us to migrate, as they have already done, to a winter home. “Your last week?” one customer cried out in alarm. “Last of this season,” I hastened to assure. God willing, we shall return in the spring, along with the cranes.
Meanwhile, keep safe, friends! Stay healthy! Drive defensively, don’t take any falls on the ice, enjoy your winter holidays with family and friends, and keep reading good books!
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