What I did for my summer vacation
Between protecting my mongrel horde from the Thunder Monsters, photographing nature spirits, and taking a wrong turn through a Faerie Gate, it was an otherwise uneventful and restful week. We rented a cabin with some close friends up in Door County, Wisconsin for nine days. It started with the predictable shoveling of frogs to get everyone up to the cabin. My family is not easy to organize for getting out the door for anything. Each moves at the speed of his or her own drummer and there is no way to adjust the speed. I can sometimes bring them to a complete halt by deploying a brick wall but speeding them up is another matter entirely. I long ago determined that its a matter of shared agendas - I'm not sure there is one. Oh, we discuss plans and time lines then come to agreements but then it appears I missed the fine print. Our friends, on the other hand, were very organized by virtue of the fact they had to pack and get out the door the day before to come up to our place. Therefore, they were ready at the appointed time. The solution was simple. We were taking to vehicles anyway so we dropped the caravaning portion of the programming. A third vehicle was added to ease further departure schedule conflicts. A minivan, a car, and a truck load of stuff arrived over the course of Saturday afternoon. This is not a solution we can deploy for just any occasion but it was a fine low-stress way to start this particular vacation.
The cabin itself was beautiful. Its an older home built as a very large open area with exposed rafters. There is a bedroom and bathroom at one end and the generous kitchen at the other.Two of the bedrooms were in lofts at each end of the cabin and accessible only by Stairs of Doom that were only slightly better than ladders There was a flurry of activity and bed shuffling as we settled into the three bedrooms after determining the bunkhouse over the old barn to be quaint but too musty for comfort. It was a very good idea but any room built in the upper area of a barn is going to have issues with mustiness. The best part of the cabin is the back deck with an amazing view of Hedgehog Bay, Death's Door, and Washington Island beyond it. It also came with a totem pole and various moose related decorations. The jackalope was probably my favorite item as I had been researching the origins of the jackalope story earlier this summer.
Sunday was spent settling in, buying groceries for the week, and watching thunderstorms roll in over the lake. This was also the night that the Thunder Monsters attacked in the early morning hours. My border collies, aka the mongrel horde, had bravely barked away raccoons and squirrels that evening. They had scouted the woods around the cabin to clear it of any and all dangers to the family. But these fearless and brave creatures were shaking with fear when the Thunder Monsters crashed down upon the cabin. We, of course, were sleeping soundly when we heard thump, thump, thump, thud .... thump, thump, thump, thump, thud, thud, thud .... The Good Doctor got up to tell the mongrel horde to stop wrestling and get some sleep. That's when I felt the cold wet nose of Zena on my arm. She had braved the Stairs of Doom to petition our protection. She then confirmed the legend that while a dog will climb up a ladder, it won't climb down one - especially if there are Thunder Monsters around. Splash milled around down below, unwilling to climb stairs that were little more than a ladder. I'd like to think he's smart enough to know he would have a difficult time climbing down but I'm probaby giving him too much credit. Seeing as it was two in the morning, we decided to bring a kennel up the Stairs of Doom and put Zena in it for the night. We also kenneled Splash downstairs before he overcame his trepidation. I finally fell back asleep around three a.m. while planning just how we were going to get our little warrior princess back downstairs in the morning. Most of our plans involved ropes and lowering down the kennel with her in it. We had placed bets on whether we'd have to clean the kennel when we got it down and if we'd ever get her back into the kennel afterward.
Come Monday morning, I decided to try coaxing Zena down the stairs. The Good Doctor expressed much skepticism about this endeavor. I found this encouraging since any Pronouncements on his part generally lead to the opposite and immediate effect. For example, as we drove home from our honeymoon many years ago in a major thunderstorm, he informed me that lightning never strikes a moving vehicle. As soon as the words left his mouth, a bolt of ligtning hit a horse trailer in the lane next to us. Another time, he told me that tornados don't form over Albuquerque because its between the Rio Grande river and the mountain. A few minutes later, we saw one form over the city. It didn't touch down though so he was partially correct. So his determining it impossible to coax Zena down the ladder based on his attempts the night before didn't deter me. I figured it was a matter of technique. I also counted on whatever gods mess with the Good Doctor at such times to tip the odds in my favor. I first ordered Zena downstairs. She looked over the edge and laid down, thwapping her tail on the floor and looking at me as if to say, You've got to be kidding me. OK - on to plan B. I went down the first two steps and called her. She hesitated then started down the steps. She built up momentum and crashed into me, unable to control her rate of decsent so I put a hand on her chest to slow her down and we worked our way down the ladder, one step at a time. She hit the floor and went to taunt her brother. The Good Doctor just sighed, knowing someone somewhere was having a laugh at his expense.
The dogs slept in their kennels at night after that.
The rest of Monday was spent shopping and exploring. I discovered good coffee at three different places which was much appreciated after the antics of the previous night. I also found a very fine amber necklace that the Good Doctor bought me for my anniversary present. It has turquoise beads at the center and a drop of chain holding a number of shiny objects that include a slice of a geode, two crystals, and a bit of fool's gold. We're calling it Crow Bait. I added a coyote claw charm to it, figuring it would either deter Crow or encourage them to gang up on me. I also added a nice chunk of turquoise and a gold leaf as offerings of appeasement. The amber may have some protective value as well. Then again, it may only encourage trickster activity in my life. They are rather unpredictable.
We crossed Death's Door using the passenger ferry to Washington Island on Tuesday. Death's Door is the name of the waterway connecting Green Bay and Lake Michigan between Washington Island and the Door County Penninsula. There are over two hundred ship wrecks lying under those waters. It was named by the Potowanamie natives that inhabited Washington Island before it was so named by Col. John Miller. He named it after his ship, The Washington, was sent there to establish a garrison and after the recently deceased President Washington. Death's Door passage is a reference to the losses of canoes and warriors during a battle between the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk Native American tribes. There are over two hundred shipwrecks in that passage alone. Its waters are fast, dark, and deep. The wind was up that day due to the storms so the water was choppy enough for the waves to have white caps. The water looked like liquid obsidian.
We took a tram around the island and saw an ostrich farm, a cemetery, a white pebble beach, and a farming museum. This is where we also discovered one of Santa's original sleighs. It was identifiable by the way it still floats in the air despite its aged state. I also located the remains of an even older sleigh. Only the runners remain. There were several cool machines with large gears. They will make great reference photos for our steampunk projects.


We cooked out that night and watched the meteor shower. The Perseids streaked white, gold, and red across the sky. Somewhere in the middle of it, the moon rose red then gold over the water. This drew our sky gazing to a close since the moon outshone all but the brightest of the falling stars.

Wednesday was spent kayaking. I'll start by saying that kayaks aren't supposed to have holes in the bottom that let the lake inside with you. Call it ocean-going if you like. I still reject the concept. Other than that, we had a great time paddling around the cove. My son demonstrated he could indeed handle a kayak on his own. We've always taken him in a two-person rig before. Afterward, we had lunch at an outdoor cafe and learned that a hornet can carry off bits of shredded chicken. I suppose it will be buying lunch for us next time.
Thursday was Girl's Day. While the boys went sailing, the ladies went to a girly bistro and enjoyed fancy girl food followed by fancy girl desserts. Then we went to an art gallery and spent millions of imaginary dollars. Upon our return, my son told me of his trepidation in ever going sailing again. He apparently found tacking to be worrisome. But they didn't capsize the boat so I figure it was a good day for all.
Friday brought more friends and a photo shoot in Newport Bay state park. Between thunderstorms, my son and I took the dogs to the park for their own adventure. They were quite excitable and sang the entire walk. I was able to shoot pictures despite a border collie pulling on her leash. My son is developing an eye for interesting shots. I'll have to remind him to bring his own camera next time.

That evening, we were joined by friends from Chicago. We spent Friday evening and Saturday evening staring into the Milky Way, watching strays from the Persieds, and the moon rise. Saturday was spent bumming around the small towns that dot the Green Bay and Lake Michigan coasts. That evening we were treated to an amazing dinner at an exceptional restaurant. The swampwitch asked for ketchup to put on her steak was an incredible study in self-control. She did let him off the hook though rather quickly by telling him she was joking. I know people that would have dangled him just a bit longer to see how he talked his way around it.
Sunday was spent packing up. The truck and the car were loaded up and sent off home, our friends were lovingly sent back to Chicago. Three of us remained behind to clean up the cabin and tend to finishing details. After dinner, I decided to go for one more walk in the Door Bluff County park. Unlike the previous walks, the woods were dark. I found that images taken with my flash were actually much darker than those without. Yes, the flash was working - I could see it go off. I continued through the park figuring I'd get a few shots of the sunset on the bay. I also picked up shots of the rock structures along the beach and of the tide pools. The camera was still picking up some strange shots in the lighting so I figured it was time to turn back. I saw a trail going off along the cliffs so I followed it, reckoning it would lead me back to the main road. It was a very easy trail to follow. I passed under an arch made by two trees and continued along the trail. I slowly realized the wind had stopped blowing and while I could see the waves hitting the rocks below, I could no longer hear the water. Hmmm. I continued on a bit further, looking for passage up to the road. There was nothing but dense undergrowth and the light was getting poor. I then decided that it might be better to go back the way I had come. Curiously, the easy to follow trail was much harder to pick out on the way back. I've read stories like this. I was careful not to think about ways this would end in a story; no need to give anyone any ideas. I took a deep breath and pressed on, passing back through the arch and finally finding a way back up to the main trail then to the road. Though the sun was setting, the light was actually better up on the road so I made it back to the cabin just before full darkness fell.

- This was taken with the flash seconds after the rocks picture. The water is behind the unfrienldy face but you can't see it now.
The drive home Monday was uneventful. It was great to spend a week unplugged and in comfort with good friends.