SPRING THAW

In Kansas City, spring has sprung. I couldn’t leave town before mowing the yard and reprogramming the furnace thermostat. The miniature crabapple tree in the back yard was full of buds, ready to pop. When it does that you can’t see the leaves for the blooms. The choke cherry in the front yard leafs out first, then makes clusters of white blooms. They were ready to pop as well. I know cold weather isn’t finished with Missouri yet but it won’t be long. 

Michigan hasn’t made the turn yet. When I arrived last week, there were still snow drifts if the woods. It felt cold enough but it was heavy rain coming down. When the clouds dry up and shine prevails, the snow will be history. I drove up the lake shore, looking for photographs; spent a couple of hours in Pentwater. Back in ’83 when my kids were 11 and 9 we spent a week bicycling up the lake shore. The night in Pentwater was great, one of the best in my memory. The town was full of college kids and tourists with music coming out of every door. We stayed up late, ate pizza and slept late the next morning. The town had changed some but the deja vu thing was way-cool. 

In Ludington it looked like spring was in the wings. Grass was starting to turn and people were out raking yards. The jetty that leads out to the lighthouse is about half a mile walk and I decided to go out. Looking into the sun, I could see big, dark stuff on the concrete but couldn’t make out any detail. The ‘Ah-Ha’ moment shouldn’t have been a surprise. When winter storms wash big waves over the jetty, the water carries a lot of sand which freezes into the ice. From a distance, the ice is dirty brown and it is still hanging on. Mid April ice on the backside of the lighthouse had some sand on but you could still see some white. 

I”m doing some computer maintenance at the Apple Store today. I’ll get this posted before I leave. I’ll be on the road all day tomorrow, get back to K.C. in time to tear down the Art Show at All Souls Church on Friday. My photographs have been well received and I’m encouraged to do it again. I just have to come up with a plan, where to store all those frames.