Campfires

I've recently given up watching the news, since the media is so determined to give air time to the clowns and posturing that now seems to pass for serious political discussion.  Wake me up when the spoiled children have gone home and we can have substantive discourse with respect and consideration for each other's narratives.  Especially the misogynist with the particularly lamentable hair 'do, can none of his sycophants convince him he looks more than a bit ridiculous?

It would be The End Times if that prevaricating narcissist held any type of office, I would seriously consider retirement in another country.  It is a challenge to keep the campfires of gentle people glowing, amidst the onslaught of such vanity.

 Well - I do have issues with taking myself too seriously, so to lighten the mood here are a few more pictures taken during our holiday travels.  There is a home along the North Shore right off the big Lake that I imagine the owners have spent decades gathering driftwood and rocks to build these enormous piles.  On our first pass of their house I was horrified by what appeared a jumble of tacky junk just piled helter skelter.

But if you stop and take time to look more closely, you will see each are has a theme of animals or birds, and each rock and piece of wood was deliberately placed to create an image of a woodland habitat.

Click on the photos to enlarge, we were fascinated by the amount of detail the owners went to in building their tableaus.  There is an eagle perched on a tree, with a nest constructed of sticks and chicks on the cliff in the background.

Fox, moose, deer, raccoon, rabbits, wolves, squirrels, and all manner of birds are featured, although some of them verge on cartoonish and caricatures but taken as a whole it works pretty well.  To think of the hours devoted to this creation is a bit mind boggling, and I can't help but wonder who would ever buy their property.

This was one of the many falls we saw on our hikes up and down the shore, we've never gone in Spring when the levels would be much higher and the current even swifter.

There is a lodge that was a private club back in the 1920s, and it has the most fantastical painted decor one can find anywhere on earth - a pseudo Cree Native American design that has to be seen to be believed.  It was to have a membership of 1000 but the crash of 1929 drove it into bankruptcy and disrepair.  The dining room has soaring ceilings atop a room lit by many windows and unique lights, with a lake stone fireplace to anchor the head of the room.  The food at the Naniboujou Lodge was divine, it will definitely be a place we return to on future trips.  There are no phones, tv or wifi in the lodge to enable their guests to truly embrace a quiet vacation unconnected to work.  It is a simple and restful spot designed to renew the spirit.

Wish I could steal this label!

A friend sent me this picture one morning, while I was having breakfast.  I laughed so hard that coffee may have come out of my nose.  I won't confirm that, since it is an undignified image, but I did have to change my shirt.

The beer growlers I made for a friend who runs a fundraiser for an Autism support group came out of the kiln last week - I think I'm in love with yet another form.  They'd be great for any type of beverage, and the nice thick walls would keep it well chilled.  These hefty boys will hold 48 ounces of your favorite brew.  I'm going to make smaller versions as oil bottles, and have fun playing with the textured patterns.

That's the news from the edge of the Prairie.  Namaste