Brad and I took our first, real vacation since
Flashes of War was published and escaped for 4 1/2 days to a small lake in Ontario. Thanks to the generosity of dear friend and author Anne-Marie Oomen and her husband David, we joined them at their two lakeside cabins that are off the grid and right up against the northern, undeveloped shore of a spring-fed lake about 20 miles from Sault Saint Marie. Much relaxation was had with long dinners, sauna sessions, lake swimming, fishing, paddling, and hours of silent reading. My body and mind were able to exhale and, as difficult as “re-entry” feels tonight, I’m able to close my eyes and easily conjure the peace of those four days. Here are a few snapshots or our time:
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| Snapshot outside our cabin at Interlochen Center for the Arts on Green Lake. |
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| We crossed this 5-mile long, historic Mackinaw Bridge between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, en route to the Upper Peninsula and Ontario. |
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| …and arrived at David and Anne-Marie’s private little spot on the water, off the grid. |
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| Dear friends, fine company, and all the warmth of a cabin with a woodstove. |
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| The Poet’s Perch cabin we got to stay in for a few nights… |
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| And our fave reading spot in the Bard’s Cove cabin we stayed in on colder nights… |
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And one of my fave things about Lake Country–the parallel lines and patterns
between water and sky. |
