Mayberry, Michigan

 That 's what you might as well call this place.  You can ride your bike everywhere; to town, to the beach, to the woods, to dinner.  I love it.  The  "cottages" are to-die-for.  I am a new transplant to a condo from our family cottage of thirty-three years.

 I walk everywhere.  This is in Wequetonsing.
 

The kids learn sailing early and get out in the smaller boats on the left about the second day of camp.  What a thrill.

 This is my friend, Barbara's house.  It's actually new but built to look in keeping with the older "cottages".  She has a fabulous view of the lake from her porch and her bedroom up there with the round windows.

 The is the "cottage" we sold this spring.  See, no streets in front of houses in this association.  All cars are in the alley or parking lot.  I have only been down this block once this summer.  Still a little hard to go there, but I am loving life in the condo..

I found this cluster of "lady" bikes on the lawn outside my condo "cottage".  I like saying that better than saying, my "unit". Eweeee!
(photos #1 and #2 by Eliza).

Summer retreat with the Fam

Each summer we retreat to a family cottage in magical Wequetonsing, Michigan. Kids can ride bikes, hit the beach, learn to sail and find out what tennis is all about. It's ok to ride your bike around the block without a parent hovering. Great freedom. Lake Michigan is only about 65 degrees, so adult swimming is scarce, but Zoe and Sophie have been doing cannonballs off the Weque dock and swimming out to the raft with great zest. They are both old enough for the sailing program at day camp. You see them here out with their ten-year-old skipper.

Yesterday was chilly and cloudy until noon. My big kids ventured out on the Third Steet dock to check out the sailing classes. Eliza, my daughter-in-law and in-house professional photographer, was busy shooting away. I hope I get to share some of her shots of the area in my next post.

I never want to go home from this place. Friends come visit, I spend time with friends I've made up here that live all over the country. Lots of books get read, yarn gets spun and the knitting needles click away.