All Things Bright and Beautiful

All day the air has been alive with tiny pieces of white cotton. I have never seen so many at once and for so many hours at a time, so I went out and caught a couple as they sped by. One had a seed attached, the other didn't. I'm sure these are simply dandelion seeds and not the romantic vision I have of all flowers at once needing to pollinate to mark the springtime. But, I know that romance must be in the air, since I saw a confused white moth approach one of these fluffs thinking it was another of his species. Or so I imagined at least.

The air has got that slightly astringent pine scent that signals summer is coming – even though it is still in the 30s at night. The air up here is very special. Whenever I come back from the Cities or another trip outside the area, and I am about 30 miles from home, I open the car windows wide and drink in that smell. I imagine it is clearing out the 43 years of urban living that my lungs have suffered.

It's not hard to imagine why the leaders of organized crime came up here from Chicago in the 1920s and 30s to "get away from it all." Little humidity in the summer, vast areas where you might not see a human for hours (probably weeks back then), healthy air, few "coppers".... In fact, not too far from here in Manitowish Waters is Little Bohemia, a resort (still open) where John Dillinger and his gang had a shootout with the FBI, which he escaped from, only to be killed at the Biograph Theater in Chicago less than three months later. Here is an article about Dillinger and the Little Bohemia shootout.

Ironically, Little Bohemia is where I first smelled that odor that I would associate with home. There is where Joyce Ryan held her "Water Workshop Weekend," a water rescue training Newfoundlandands, where in 1994, at less than 8 months of age, my dog Bozeman pulled a boat in with me in it (no mean feat!).

All Creatures...
A snowy egret just landed in the water in front of me and is now dining at my nice waterfront restaurant, where there is a variety of fish on the menu.

I guess the great-smelling air isn't the only thing that keeps me here.