Category Archives: family

A Cabin in the woods

October 22, 2014

These pictures make it look like the middle of summer but these are from our trip to Michigan in September. The weather was a bit all over the place but we got a few beautiful days of sunshine and warmth. We had planned to head up to my uncle’s cabin in the upper peninsula for some truly restful days and boy did we get lucky. His cabin is wonderful and this is only the second time I’ve been and I was really excited we were able to fit it in the schedule.

The cabin is relatively remote and situated on top of a bluff. It’s a one room log cabin that has an octagonal shape and is pretty rustic. Perhaps one of the best features is the sauna on site. There is no running water in the cabin but my uncle built a sauna for bathing in the Finnish style. A wood stove heats both the room and the water that is attached to it. On my first visit to the cabin it was a very cool fall evening and the sauna was just what I needed. This time around it was warmer but we still took advantage of it.

We explored in the woods a bit. Walker tried fishing and I tried panning for gold. We both failed but we are also both pretty impatient. Finally we decided sitting on the deck of the cabin and drinking a beer would be the best way to spend the day. And I’m pretty sure it was. In the evening we looked at the stars and tried yet again to figure out if we were looking at constellations.

After a couple of really nice days in the woods we hopped back in the car and got Walker to the airport just in time. Our mad dash to the airport was totally worth spending one extra night and it all worked out just fine. Although I was sort of secretly wishing Walker would miss his flight so he could stay one more day. Hehe…

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A couple of lighthouses

September 23, 2014

While Walker was in Michigan with me earlier this month we were staying pretty close to a couple of lighthouses I used to visit a lot as a kid. I’ve always been fascinated with lighthouses and I’m not sure if that’s because I grew up in Michigan or my fascination with living in irregular buildings. I tend to think it’s because I think it would be so cool to live in a lighthouse, I mean the view alone would be well worth it not to mention the cozy interiors. (I also, at one point, I thought living in jail cell would be fun although I’m sure the view sucks and it would be far from cozy.)

lighthouses stairs ohsoantsy.com
The first one we visited we were told about the ghost that is said to linger around the place. We were even shown a few photos taken my tourists where an eerie reflection of what looks like the original lighthouse keeper. The other theory is that the ghost is of the more recently passed docent who worked in the museum for many years. Who knows but despite my best effort I didn’t capture any ghosts on camera. lighthouses dad and mago ohsoantsy.com
The second lighthouse we visited has over 120 steps to the lookout area. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a lighthouse but if you have you know the the stairs are always winding and sometimes grated making the ascension and descension a little difficult spatially. Anyhow once I made it to the top I was a little freaked. I have an issue with heights and add to that a strong wind and I pretty much tried my best to glue myself to the inner wall. Of course when I asked Walker to take my picture he wouldn’t do so until I walked to the railing. Ah! It was fine though and the view was incredible. Well worth the slight fright.

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Swimming in Michigan waters

September 22, 2014

Earlier this month Walker and I traveled to Michigan. We planned the trip to get a few things settled for our wedding next year but we left a lot of time for fun. Luckily the weather at the beginning of the trip was warm enough to swim because it was almost all I could talk about. I had been swimming a few times over the summer in Seattle but there is just something so refreshing and healing about swimming in a familiar lake and setting. I probably dived in about 3 times on our first night there. Walker decided to kayak around the lake a bit first and then after a game of tennis Walker, my dad and I all jumped in for a spontaneous swim!

Not only did we have an amazing time swimming in the lake, the surroundings were perfect for getting some wedding details figured out while warming up by a fire. I probably won’t be sharing a lot of details ahead of time but I’m super excited about it and I hope its warm enough next year in September to swim also.

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