THE GALES OF NOVEMBER COME IN SEPTEMBER

Michigan's West Coast started rock and rollin' early this year.  It is usually November before the gale winds whip up Lake Michigan.  This week a weather monitoring buoy out in the Lake registered a 23 foot wave!!  This definitely was an opportunity for taking Lake pictures. However, my picture taking partner is no longer with us. Christy and I have finally looked inside his big blue bag that contains his camera as she would like to use the long range lens to take pictures of Erin marching in the band at football games.  We looked and touched; it was all Greek to us. I have searched the bag and the house for the instruction book. I have found booklets on a mosquito killer that went in the trash years ago, a popcorn maker, and other stuff that is no longer important in my life, but nothing on the camera!  Why does junk follow us everywhere sticking like glue while important things fall to the wayside like dirt off of the Peanut's character Pigpen?


My blog is really about recipes and I have some great ones in the works like Leon's Potato Salad, a Michigan classic.  However, Michigan is so beautiful in the Fall that I find pictures express my thoughts more than recipes but pictures can be so difficult to capture.  My camera is a little point and shot thing.  Yesterday I arrived at Tanner's Mighty Mite football game as the National Anthem was being played.  It was early on a sunny, cold morning.  The shadows were long streaks across the field and Tanner, 7 years old and in his football uniform, was standing at attention with his hand on his heart next to his coach.  In my hands I had Izzy on her leash, a blanket, the cane I need to walk, my car keys, and a bag with my purse, cow bell, air-horn, phone, and camera in it.  With Izzy pulling on her leash to get to Tanner, I dug around in the bag to find my camera to take a perfect All-American picture.  As I dug, the song ended, Tanner ran off to join his team, and all I had was a picture taken with my heart-----something difficult to share on my blog!!!!


As Izzy and I got settled in the stands the game started.  It was cold with a strong wind making it even colder.  The little players left on the sidelines were holding big quilts around their shoulders.  All you could see were feet in cleats, quilt, and the top of their helmets.  A great picture, but to add insult to injury, when I tried to take it the batteries in my camera were dead.  No problem.  I always carry spare batteries in my "31" bag from http://www.mythirtyone.com/thirty1baglady/.  I searched through my football bag and discovered the battery bag must be in my farmer's market basket. 

I tried to get a picture of the waves hitting the pier head.  Tom would not even have tried for this picture because he would not have let his camera get sand in it.  I stepped out of the car and felt like I was being sandpapered.  An hour later I still had sand in my back molar teeth.

 I tried for a picture at another area in the State Park where I could still get the car.  I opened the van door and thought that the door and I were going to pinwheel down the beach because the wind was so strong.  I am substantial, a much nicer way of saying large, as substantial can also mean significant and important.  However, I wasn't sure I was a match for the wind so I quickly snapped this "poor" picture while holding onto the door of the van so it wouldn't get ripped off by the wind, and headed home.  It is too early for such wild weather.