Midsummer Night's Eve

Tonight is Midsummer Night's Eve, also called St John's Eve. St John is the patron saint of beekeepers. It's a time when the hives are full of honey. The full moon that occurs this month is called the Mead Moon, because honey was fermented to make mead. That's where the word "honeymoon" comes from. It was traditional to furnish a newlywed couple a month supply of mead to insure happiness and fertility. Midsummer dew was said to have special healing powers. Women washed their faces in it to make them beautiful and young. It's also known as Herb Evening. Legend says that this is the best night for gathering magical herbs.

Does'nt Get Better Than This

When everyone is out to the cottage, when the meal of Morroccan Chicken is on the table, when the corn has been prepared with loving hands, when the salad has been vinegared and oiled, when The Prairie Home Companion is on the air and when the family is gathered all around and the food has been blessed ... then you can truly say that Gods blessings abound.

We praise you Lord for this good, good life
And praise for the day we were born
And the gifts you have given including this Heavenly fresh sweet corn.

There's a surprise in this picture ... if you "click" and enlarge it, you can see the little "hummer" visiting the feeder just outside the porch screen.

Too Much Sand and Not Enough Pie

If you spend too much time on the beach in the sand, like Joe did, this is what happens to you. It took hours to dig him out, and when we finally extricated him, he was exhausted and starved and kept asking for a SANDwich. He already had eaten all of the Pecan Sandies.

When blackberry season is upon us, and you are fortunate enough to have either Katie or Ellen around, they will make a most delicious blackberry pie. There never seems to be enough, however. When it's warm and just out of the oven, a little Hudsonville vanilla ice cream will make it disappear.

Yellow Lambs and Yellow Butterflies

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucas) was willing to pose a few seconds so I could capture its beauty while warming up on the sand. Typically, they are very wary and stay at a very long arms length. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail often rests with its wings fully spread, particularly if the sun is out. On the medial margin of the hind wing next to the abdomen, notice the small red and blue spots.



The Yellow Lambs Ear (Stachys citrina) is just beginning to bloom. Its color is more brilliant than the sun. We see it growing on the forested side of our daily constitutional. Again, its color is most brilliant in the spring when the rains keep it fed and the cool nights help to maintain is fresh appearance.

Beach Strolls and Salmon Steaks

Every beach walk is different. Each day there are new things that wash up and appear in the sand ... a piece of sea glass or a fishing lure. Occasionally there are spots where a stream from the land enters the lake and provides for a beautiful stoney discontinuity in the sand.

The long walks work up the appetite. The smoked salmon from Bortells is well worth the wait and fresh potato salad and vegetables provide a most delicious reward for hours of beach walking.

Hummingbirds and Hollyhocks

Actually this photo is of a hummingbird moth. The small moth was shy and made it difficult to get a closeup picture. From what I can determine, its a Nessus Sphinx (Amphion Floridensis), a species that does in fact feed during daylight hours. The bands around the abdomen and the tuft at the end help to identify this particular creature. If you "click" the picture, you'll get a much better look at its markings.

These hollyhocks (Alcea) are on our walk and provide for a wonderful backdrop to our exercise regimen. Spring is a magnificent time for many varieties of beautiful flowers. The spring rain and cool evening temperatures provide for their brilliance and lasting quality.

Flora Abounds

The Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) shown in the photo is about seven years old. Its life is spent flowerless until the seventh year when it blossoms and then dies in hopes of continuing to enhance the dune blow with its stark beauty for another seven years.



The Hairy Pucoon (Lithospermum caroliniense) blossoms again as well and appears to be a potted plant that someone simply set on the ground so as to be seen by those who stay in the cottage.




The Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) appears along the roads and trails to brighten up the day and to provide us with a beautiful profusion of colour.

Big Weekend

FRIDAY - Big weekend planned. It's time for spring cleaning, and one of the most grueling jobs is to wash all 800 windows in the cottage. The task has been put off long enough and now is the time. MONDAY - I lied ... I wrenched my knee and the window cleaning took a back seat to reading a book. There really are'nt 800 windows but when you're washing them it sure seems like it.