A Change in the Weather

Oh, for a nice warm day... and when will this infernal rain stop? Ok, that was just for effect but seriously, it is cold and wet out. I guess that this means I'll be mowing the lawn later this week.

This past weekend was spent up in Pentwater, Michigan. This picture was taken out the back door of the summer home of Marlee's grandmother, Margaret Dearth. What you can't see is the big, pristine beach on the other side of that dune grass-covered hill. Marlee, Mary, Abby, Casie and I hung out here Saturday to Sunday in hopes that the sun would come out and we could splay out in the sand and splash in the water. The girls mostly stayed indoors playing cards and games. Mary, Grandma Dearth and I got in one very nice walk before the rain started coming down in a serious fashion. We strolled along water's edge to the pier and then cut inland to a private boardwalk that straddled the wooded hill that was the setting for all the cottages and homes on the south side of the Pentwater inlet.

The end of that walk was the cue for the heavy rain that did not let up for the rest of the weekend and still has not let up. This meant reading our books and playing indoor games with a couple of car excursions into the village to explore their tourist fare. For those 13 years and under, this manifested in exploring the depths of a candy shop and sampling the various sweet and sour liquids, powders and gummy substances. We could tell from the faces of our charges that this rainy weather and indoor activities pretty much equaled a boring way to spend a weekend. We barbecued chicken, boiled fresh sweetcorn and played an extended round of that game (the name escapes me) where you mold clay, draw pictures and act out words on your way around a game board. That was our Saturday night.

Sunday morning was French toast and watching the birds at the feeder. For the girls it was "How soon can we go home?" We had lunch in the village at a House of Flavors. Crappy service, mediocre sandwiches and limp French fries but delicious ice cream treats. We were back in Grand Rapids by 5:30.

I should also mention that we had house guests. Skip and his girlfriend Marlene came by last Wednesday and just left today (Monday) at around 1:00. They are in the middle of a move from Maine to California making perhaps their last visit to Grand Rapids. They were excellent guests, very popular with Marlee, Abby and Buster. They watched our house and fed the pets while we were up in Pentwater. We're sad to see them go but know we have a place to stay in Santa Barbara, California. Marlene also will make the contact for Alice to have a host in Sydney when she decides it is time for a capital city visit.