It the blink of an eye things can change.
Poof.
Up in smoke.
The photo above was the one I was texted
in the wee hours of Tuesday morning,
while we were away on vacation.
That's my parents' pole barn
which was aflame due to an electrical fire.
Neither my parents or my family were home at the time
and no one was hurt.
The fire investigators could amazingly trace the origin of it
to a single overhead bulb with this metal shade.
I found it in the rubble.
It makes a sturdy hat.
The barn is actually the second one that was housed on the property.
The first barn,
very similar in size and style to the neighboring barn at 6 Mile Cellars,
was built in 1859.
It collapsed during the weight of a heavy snowfall
on Christmas Eve of 1975.
Young Eloise knew the truth, though.
Santa Landed on it.
Period.
Not much survived,
but we did,
thanks to this lady--neighbor Laura.
She's my friend down the road,
my Team Adrenaline teammate,
and fellow animal lover.
and goats
make frequent blog appearances.
I'm forever trying to convince her that if she's
got horses and goats,
why not make room for a donkey?
If it was not for Laura's keen eye
(she saw a strange, orange glow around the barn door as she drove to a 5:15 am workout),
strong sense of responsibility
(she actually turned around and doubled back, acting on instinct that something wasn't right),
and quick thinking
(she called 911, and set off her car alarm to alert the neighbors),
I would have most certainly lost my house, too, as it sits just 20 feet from the barn.
Because a "thank you" will never be enough
she received this token of our sincere appreciation
for having a Home Sweet Home to come home to.
My parents had insurance on the barn,
and tools can be replaced,
but there was a sentimental charm to the home of my dad's collections
that can never be regained.
The building was one part pole barn,
and one part museum for the odd and unusual.
My dad is handling the loss of his rusted treasures very well.
I'm learning that the older people get,
the more apt they are to take things like this in stride.
You were great models for all of us, Mom and Dad.
Upset, for certain,
but calm,
collected,
and positive.
Eloise is excited about all the projects I have in mind
from the collections of the wreckage.
Plans are already underway for a new building.
The third time is bound to be the charm.
Be prepared for the building of Barn 3
to make the pages of this blog often.
Thank you to everyone who has sent their kindnesses in so many ways.
Volunteer firefighters--we are forever indebted.
Geez, Eloise.
You've been through a lot.
I know!
Actually, I already did.
Mackinaw City, Michigan was all it promised.
It was filled with fishing,
and cottages
and wildflowers
and boats
and water play
and lighthouses
and lamp posts.
Sounds an awful lot like home, doesn't it?
But spending time along the upper great lakes,
Michigan, Huron, and Superior,
you know you are definitely not at home.
This is the spot that Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet
under the Mackinaw Bridge.
The Mackinaw Bridge was very impressive.
We sailed under it
and spent time on Mackinac Island
where no cars are permitted.
only travel by horses
and bicycles allowed.
We drove over it to the upper peninsula
to Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior.
One thing these visitors from Lake Erie noticed right away
was the coldness of the lake temperatures!
We also noticed how clean and clear the waters were in all the lakes.
No algae.
No dead fish.
No murky waters.
I know the shallowness of Lake Erie
has something to do with it.
Erie has an average depth of only 62 feet,
which pales in comparison to Superior's average depth of 486 feet,
with the deepest point being 1,333 feet!
I pondered why Lake Erie was so much more gunk laden
one morning when I sat on the balcony of our lake facing hotel room.
Then I saw this.
This is what the hotel does at 5:30 am
when they think everyone is still sleeping.
Everyone but Eloise, that is.
See it?
What's coming from the pipe at the bottom of the photo?
Even the gull looks concerned.
Good thing that was the morning we left
or my kids wouldn't have been swimming in it.
Before we left on Wednesday,
the kids put their Erie Rocks along the shores of Lake Huron.
When we read the history books in 20 years,
we can mark this action as the spark that ignited the second Civil War.
The whole country aflame because
Natalie put a Happy People Erie Rock on the fire pit,
causing strife and jealousy among the Great Lakes Peoples.
War of Which Lake is the Greatest.
Overall,
it was a really relaxing few days.
The Sambassador made friends with every kid he met.
Hint: Bring a ball anywhere and you have instant friends.
I got some reading time in.
We really enjoyed seeing new things.
It's good for anyone.
This was one of my favorites!
Just somebody's car.
The stickers marked all of the places he's been!
The other that set our hearts aflame was this clever guy.
He spray paints himself to look like a statue,
and even has gold contacts.
People stand around,
trying to figure out if he's real,
and he will wink or wave,
giving most passersby a real startle!
Natalie's reaction was precious.
She thought he was the funniest thing in the world.
It's funny how this blog went from flames to water,
all in one story.
But as with the best stories,
they are born and lived, not written.
Thanks to these few roller coaster days,
I now have the plot outlined for my second children's book.
I'm hoping to have it finished and will publish it on this blog when it is complete.
It sure good feels good to be home.
I saw this art in a cool store in Michigan
and couldn't wait to make a better one for myself--
one with Lake Erie on it.
I actually remembered the project today,
and started out through my garage to the barn
to pick out some wood----
and about five steps out the door I thought,
Whoops!
No wood.
No saw.
No paint.
This one might have to wait a bit.
I'll work on the book in the meantime.
Have a great week.
Find what sets your heart aflame and go do it--
except for an electrical fire.
Take it from Eloise,
those are no fun.
ELOISE
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