A Restful Weekend

No, not this weekend, which is rainy but warm and sticky. And which will only get more so, what with the remnants of Ike on track to bluster through starting sometime tomorrow.

Now, LAST weekend, that was a keeper. The perfect last gasp of summer at the Michigan shore, our annual weekend at Gintaras Resort in Union Pier.

Although at first we had to contend with the remnants of a previous hurricane--Gustav--that brought some clouds, some sprinkles, and some very rough water. This year, our room overlooked the beach, so we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waves. Thing is, they were so loud we could hear them even through the closed windows!

The next morning, though, was lovely. It was sunny, but not hot, so rather than swim, we decided we'd go antiquing. Or rather, I dragged an accommodating Jeff with me to explore the local treasure hunting.

He was rewarded by a chance to strum down memory lane on an old Silvertone electric.

The only treasure I found to take home was a small print of a cabin amidst a snowy birch forest (it was a comforting scene, and comfort is very important to me these days...), but the photo ops were rich this trip.

Skeery dolls AND bronzed baby shoes... ah, a tableau after my own heart.

At close to two grand apiece, I could never afford to have my own Timothy Treadwell Memorial (and yes, I know that these are black bears and not grizzlies), but a girl can dream, can't she?

This is one of the great joys of treasure hunting: discovering the bizarre juxtapositions of American culture placed just so for our edification.

I don't think anything can beat this strange assemblage: a reading primer, its cover graced with a frightening clown and the title Many Surprises,, presiding over the head of a roughly decapitated mannequin. I think the placement of the head was not really intentional, as I could not find a price tag anywhere on said cranium. But you knew I looked, right?

It was a lovely, calm weekend spent with an eclectic mix of folks. Bittersweet, because we were still aching from losing Shelly (and we are still), but restorative. A nice walk on the beach can soothe many an ache.