Door Trip

Time to get caught up, blog-wise. Mid-August, I flew to Wisconsin for a week in Door County, visiting Mom. Both sisters and their husbands were there, as was my niece Emily, her husband Seb and their adorable baby Noah. It was a pretty relaxed visit - all of us have been there so many times before that we're not too concerned about going shopping, except for food, or seeing the sights.

Jill put this arrangement of wildflowers next to my bed. 

Chairs were set up for meteor viewing my first night, as it was the Perseid meteor shower. I only saw two meteors before it clouded over, still, that's more than I've seen in years.

We visited Mom every day, usually bringing treats for fika. Noah was always the star attraction.

There were several thunderstorms, and this one had really spectacular clouds as it wrapped around the peninsula. 

Noah enjoyed the baby swing hung between two trees. His parents prefer that his face not show in social media, but the movement blurred it pretty well here. 

On my last night, we went to the fish boil at Rawley's Bay. Fish boils are a Door Co. tradition, and Rawley's Bay Resort has enhanced the experience with a storyteller prior to the boil-over, and a buffet table for the dinner. So you're not stuck with just boiled whitefish, which is pretty bland (and full of bones!) 

Trip to Door

October's almost over, so I'd better post some pictures of the trip to Door County that I made in the middle of the month. I flew to Chicago this time, and met up with my sister Ann coming from Stockholm. We spent what was left of the afternoon driving out to St. Charles and seeing what's changed and what was still the same. We stopped at Potowatami Park, where we spent many, many hours learning to swim, practicing with the swim team, and eventually teaching and lifeguarding. The stone building, built during the Depression by the WPA, looked the same, but the pools had been modernized and added to, with water slides and basketball hoops.

We also drove through Geneva. The Gift Box had this display in the front window, honoring Lennart Jonsson who passed away in August. I worked at the Gift Box for a couple of years while going to school, but our family's association went beyond that. I remember Dad buying a Swedish tent from Lennart when we were kids, a big orange job that the whole family slept in on car camping trips through the west. And after I moved on, both Mom and Dad worked occasionally at the Gift Box during their retirement years, especially during the busy Christmas season.

After spending the night in St. Charles, we drove out to the Turner farm in Lily Lake and visited with our aunt Doris and cousin Dan. It was great to see them. Then we had the long drive north to Wisconsin and Sister Bay. The weather was beautiful, about 70 degrees and sunny. It felt more like summer than fall, but the leaves were starting to turn. Jill and Bob drove up from Iowa the next day and we had a nice few days together. We had lunch at the Chef's Hat one day, and went to a performance of Victory Farm at the American Folklore Theater on Saturday. Monday we went to Al Johnson's for lunch. 

A country road in Door County. Ann picked bittersweet.

I distributed the remaining 2013 family quilts, for Ann, William, Martin and Mom.

Catching Up

It's been a busy two weeks. I can't believe it's September already, and really almost the middle of the month. Two weekends ago was the big regional quilt show, Pacific West, in Tacoma. I had asked a few friends if they wanted to go, but it seemed everyone was busy. So I went by myself on Sunday. It was very good, but overwhelming. Fantastic quilts, but now that I've been admiring the simplicity and usability of modern quilts, they seem a bit over-done. I did take pictures of the ones I liked best, but I haven't had time to go through them and identify the photos.

Because the next day, I was getting ready to fly to Wisconsin and visit my mom in Door County. After a long day traveling, I was picked up at the Green Bay airport by sister Ann and her son Martin, who had driven up from Chicago. We had a good time catching up, and then a day or two later, my other sister Jill came up from Iowa with her daughter Annie. And then later Bob came. So we had a good group for activities, including playing Mexican Train Game in the evenings.

The view at the cabin. The light rocks at the water's edge are normally under water. The lake's water level has been going down for several years, and even more so this year. A combination of the drought conditions and communities using Lake Michigan water as though it's an inexhaustible resource.

We were there for the full moon rising over the lake, but I only had a camera phone with me that night. So you have to take my word for it, that is the full moon, with a nice reflection.

The next night I brought over my other camera, with good zoom.

I think it was Saturday that Jill, Ann and I went to galleries: Fine Line, Hardy Gallery and Edgewood Orchard. This piece at Fine Line definitely caught our attention, in a 'oh my, what was he thinking' way. It's made of one or more old braided rugs, reshaped and laced together over a form. Since we all grew up with braided rugs our Grandma Denker made, we recognized that the fabrics were of that era, and showed the same kind of wear in places. 

Also at the Fine Line, the current exhibit featured quilt/textile art by Sue Benner. Among a number of pieces featuring her trademark layered florals (now more simplistic with paint creating some of the layers), was this larger, more abstract piece.

Fish Creek & Peninsula Park

On the last day of my trip, Mom, Jill and I went to lunch at White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, a favorite of our family. This old Episcopal church is nearby. It had a small but pretty garden in front, surrounded by the stone walls so common all over the County.



This is the Eagle Bluff lighthouse at Peninsula State Park. Mom has worked there giving tours one day a week for years, and is now a substitute.

Peninsula State Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and is the home to American Folklore Theatre. In all these years, I had never been to that, so on my last night, Jill and I went to see Cheeseheads, the Musical. It was great fun.

More Ephraim

The Hardy Gallery is a famous landmark. An art gallery inside, boat and tourist graffiti on the outside (encouraged), and located on a jetty that's a popular fishing spot.

Off to the left side, these windsurfers were getting into position for a race. With their transparent sails, they looked like a flock of dragonflies.

The Ephraim horse.

Happy 4th!

I'm in Door Co. for the Fourth this year, visiting my mom along with the rest of the family. The first few days were cool and cloudy, but yesterday it cleared up and was a beautiful day. Maybe the bonfire we had on the beach the night before drove off the clouds. It was to burn up a lot of dead wood and waste lumber, but we also had s'mores and singing. And I saw my first fireflies in a few years. They seem to live in the grass and rushes at water's edge, as we first spotted them low in the grass. Then they started flying higher. This first picture is of the bluffs at Peninsula State Park and Horseshoe Island from the harbor in Ephraim.

This is also Horseshoe Island, but from a lookout at the park.

This is 'downtown' Ephraim, from the other side of the bay. The first day of the 3 day holiday weekend and the first warm sunny day in over a week brought out the water and boat lovers.

Stavkirke

There is a replica stavkirke on Washington Island, built by and across the road from Trinity Lutheran Church. Stavkirkes were built in Norway around 1100 A.D., when Christianity was overcoming paganism, and thus contain both Christian and pagan symbols. The construction is similar to Viking shipbuilding. There are only about 30 original stavkirkes left in Norway, but there are 2 replicas in Door County. I wonder if there are replicas elsewhere?

Closer view of the top, with dragonheads.

Wrought iron is used for fastenings and door hinges. The center rosette seemed purely decorative, but now I see that it is a door knocker. This was on a side door.

Norwegian churches traditionally have a model sailing ship suspended in the nave, to represent their connection to the sea. This one is not a Norwegian boat, but a replica of a schooner used on Lake Michigan in the late 1800's.

The altar.

Washington Island

Thursday last, Mom suggested that we go to Washington Island. Dad was up for it, and so we went. I hadn't been over there for at least 20 years, but most of my memories were from camping there as a kid. We stopped at Mann's store, and had lunch at Nelson's restaurant and bitters pub before driving a loop around the island. This is Schoolhouse Beach. We camped in the park then; it's not allowed now, only picnicking. The whole beach consists of round white stones, 1-2" in diameter. Mom remembered that I led the younger kids in singing a dirge-like song as we marched around the old cemetary.

When I saw the beach itself, I remembered learning/trying to waterski behind Larson's power boat. And Dad and Jack Larson getting invited for drinks by this woman who lived up the shore. Mom said Mrs. Larson was upset that just they were invited, and insisted on some kids going along. I went, but all I remember was a big picture window with a great view.

At the ferry dock to Rock Island, a reminder not to put fish waste in the trash right next to a snack wagon:

These ferries are not like Washington State ferries! The largest held about 20 cars.

It was a windy day, and by the time we went back, we were rocking and rolling pretty good.

On (to) Wisconsin

I flew to Wisconsin last week to visit my parents. It was really great to see them and to relax in Door County. Here are the bluffs of Peninsula State Park across the bay from Ephraim.

The goats were on the roof at Al Johnson's Swedish restaurant, an institution in Sister Bay. This goat wasn't satisfied with the grass on the roof, but was trying to reach the leaves on the overhanging tree.

Shoreline near the cabin. The scattered birch trees add some nice white touches.

The lake level keeps dropping. Despite record rains in the southern part of the state, Lake Michigan just keeps going down. The waves used to lap at the rocks where the picnic table sits in the lower right of this picture.

Betong Kurs (Cement Course)

My sister Ann has been making things out of cement for about 6 years now, and is still fascinated with the possibilities. She even has a small business with a friend teaching classes. Jill and I got a short version of the class and each made a flower pot and a stepping stone. We're not sure we had the right kind of concrete mix, and that led to some problems with the decorations, but we did enough to get the general idea.

First you have to mix the dry concrete with the smallest possible amount of water, just enough to get it wet and mixed together. It's like mixing a cake or cookies, just heavier and harder to stir. It should be stirred almost 10 minutes to get a really smooth textured mixture. Cement is caustic, so rubber gloves should be worn and care taken not to inhale the dust or get it in your eyes.


When it's the right consistency, you should be able to form a ball that holds its shape. When you pat the ball flat, you will see a sheen of moisture on it, as water rises to the surface. For the flower pots, we used a plastic food container (with leaves attached around the inside), put about an inch of wet concrete in the bottom, then placed another smaller diameter container inside and filled up the sides. For the stepping stones, we used a larger plastic bucket, and just put an inch of concrete in and let it settle a while before placing leaves on top. In both cases, we had to keep shaking the containers or tapping them on the table to get rid of the air bubbles that are released in the chemical process.

My stepping stone and flower pot. The leaves I used for the sides of the pot just left a very fuzzy image.



My stepping stone. I used 3 hosta leaves on top, after getting most of the bubbles out, and it made a nice pattern.

Reunion in Door

I guess it's been awhile, but I've been busy with other things, including a quick trip to Door to visit my parents. We managed to have almost everyone together for 2 1/2 days last weekend: all 4 siblings, 2 in-laws, and 5 out of 6 grandchildren (my nieces and nephews). We missed Boo and Emily, who could not attend.

The view from the living room. I could stare at this for hours. The shore is very rocky here, and the rocks are slippery with algae and sharp with zebra mussels. I did not venture out, but did go swimming at Sand Bay.

Dinner on the patio. Mom and Dad at the back table, kids in front. Baumeister Root Beer was the in drink.




Brent and Jill catch up.



The boys spent a whole day creating their own Door version of Risk. Here William and Annie ponder strategy.

There wasn't time for much shopping (and I've seen most of it before), but I did manage quick stops at Gills Rock Pottery and Fine Line Designs Gallery. Fine Line had a couple of silk quilts by Sue Benner, and some beautiful pieces by the new-to-me Gail Pierce.