Seeking Solitude at the Lake

6 AM at Lake Michigan

I didn't really mean to stay up all night to see the dawn (and I might have dozed off for a few minutes), but last weekend I enjoyed a little more solitude than I had hoped for. (I did fall back asleep shortly after this 6 AM photo was taken).

So even though it was a holiday weekend, it turns out it was very quiet at night, except for crickets and birds. The Energizer Bunny surfer boys, down below--finally exhausted--were fast asleep.

Is it my camera or is it brighter a minute later?

The sunset the night before was a pretty good one, with lots of cloud patterns:

On Friday afternoon, as soon as we crested the dune, caught the first sight of Lake Michigan and inhaled the first whiff of the cool lake breeze, the stress began to roll down our backs and over the sand--disappearing into the lapping waves. Later, one sip of merlot and yes, we were mellow.

But by Sunday afternoon, having to clean up our mess, scrub the toilets, and pack up our leftover food and dirty laundry in the midday heat--the stress was back (and in my back). The last item to pack up--a large trash bag which held the remaining weekend detritus--developed a small leak, lightly spilling black coffee grounds down the deck stairs. All my work to clean up, and yet, I left a dirty little (if organic) trail in my wake. So annoying. I hoped it would rain clean or blow away in those awesome lake breezes soon. The brooms and hoses were all locked up and it was time to go.