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BeachDay of Bliss
Jun. 4th, 2022 09:12 pmWe got home in the late afternoon, unpacked a bunch of things, went to church, had a bite to eat. It was supposed to start raining this afternoon, but now it's been put off until after midnight. I checked the plants I put in the ground before leaving. They were starting to wilt, so I got a bucket and gave them some drinks to tide them over until the rain comes. I didn't have the wherewithal to drag the hose out of the garage where it has been residing all winter and hook it up. Tomorrow, maybe. I slept badly last night, and now I'm really crashing. I may have to abandon ship in about five minutes and head once more for the luxury of my own bed.
We were pretty tired this morning and laughed at our own inability to move any faster. Eventually we packed up our stuff and checked out. There were some tearful hugs with the lady who runs the desk and other functions at the motel we stay in. We've become friends with her over the years. She's always so nice to us and gets us our favorite room. She has some health issues, and we always feel happy to find her still able to be there.
We got our coffee and headed out for one more peaceable wake-up by the river. Then we moved over to the Lake Michigan beach, loaded up with chairs and umbrella, and walked down the beach a way. When we arrived on Wednesday, we noticed they were having a fish die-off. This famously happened with the alewives back in the 60s when I was coming here with my parents as a child. It's not as bad yet, but there were quite a few beautiful little silvery (but DEAD) fish at the high water mark. On Wednesday, there was also a snapping turtle rolling about in the waves. I was worried there might be something wrong with him, but he seemed to be gobbling fish, so at least he was still eating. In any case, I went the other way, having no wish to have my toes mistaken for a snack. So today we picked our way among the fishes and found a fish-free sitting spot. I eyed the water speculatively. It was 59 degrees, which is above Buddha-temperature (the temperature at which one must be VERY enlightened to stay in) but barely. I just couldn't resist, and eventually I waded out past the dying fish zone and threw myself in. Three times, in fact. The first time was just jump-and-scream. The later two times, I actually swam a FEW strokes. Then I was freezing. There was a fresh breeze, and it was quite hypothermic. I'm a certified expert at changing discreetly back into dry clothes on the beach, though. Soon after that, we headed home.
We were pretty tired this morning and laughed at our own inability to move any faster. Eventually we packed up our stuff and checked out. There were some tearful hugs with the lady who runs the desk and other functions at the motel we stay in. We've become friends with her over the years. She's always so nice to us and gets us our favorite room. She has some health issues, and we always feel happy to find her still able to be there.
We got our coffee and headed out for one more peaceable wake-up by the river. Then we moved over to the Lake Michigan beach, loaded up with chairs and umbrella, and walked down the beach a way. When we arrived on Wednesday, we noticed they were having a fish die-off. This famously happened with the alewives back in the 60s when I was coming here with my parents as a child. It's not as bad yet, but there were quite a few beautiful little silvery (but DEAD) fish at the high water mark. On Wednesday, there was also a snapping turtle rolling about in the waves. I was worried there might be something wrong with him, but he seemed to be gobbling fish, so at least he was still eating. In any case, I went the other way, having no wish to have my toes mistaken for a snack. So today we picked our way among the fishes and found a fish-free sitting spot. I eyed the water speculatively. It was 59 degrees, which is above Buddha-temperature (the temperature at which one must be VERY enlightened to stay in) but barely. I just couldn't resist, and eventually I waded out past the dying fish zone and threw myself in. Three times, in fact. The first time was just jump-and-scream. The later two times, I actually swam a FEW strokes. Then I was freezing. There was a fresh breeze, and it was quite hypothermic. I'm a certified expert at changing discreetly back into dry clothes on the beach, though. Soon after that, we headed home.
