Fun, fun, fun (when it’s zero degrees outside)

Old gnarly tree along lake

Oh my goodness I love to go visiting the city!  This morning, in the motel, I opened one eye and thought, “Not getting up.  Not getting up until much later.”   The Mind wanted to worry about a snowstorm.  It wanted to fuss about the possibility of a blizzard.  I refused to let it.  “Go back to sleep.  If it’s snowing, it’s snowing.  You’ll make it home.”

Suddenly I heard the sound of scraping snow.  The motel owner was shoveling with a Yooper Scooper.  That meant it had snowed.  (The weather forecast taunted us with five to seven inches last night…a prediction which would have kept me safe & sound at home had I heard it before hopping in the car to spend the night in Marquette.)

Finally, about 8 a.m. I pulled myself out from in between the cozy covers and dressed.  Refused to peek out the window to ascertain the snow scenario until it was time to go.

Hurray!  Only a couple inches of snow on the ground and a light fine snow blowing like a fog in the early morning air.  Hurray again!  It was a nice, navigable day.  Even though the thermometer read zero degrees. 

Ice wrapping itself against tree

At one point this morning I found myself along Lake Superior, dashing out of the car into the frigid wind.  Brrrrr!  But look at this beauty.  Trees etched against the waves and icy landscape.  I laughed at the sheer beauty of it, the sheer audacity to be outside attempting to snap photos.  It was exhilarating!  I laughed again.

The motel mirror

These photos are arranged in a strange order in this blog.  I wanted to show you the tree photos first.  But now we’re backing up to the motel.  So you can glimpse the inside womb-like cave of warmth before we head back outside.

First stop:  coffee at Starbucks.  Last night I suggested a possible breakfast date with my friend Sonya.  She lives in nearby Ishpeming.  However, we never really connected to confirm our tentative plans.  When I plugged in the little laptop, Miss Ellie, there was a message from Sonya.  She would love to have breakfast!  The morning kept getting better and better.

Starbucks lady

We planned to meet at Sweetwater Cafe at 9:30 a.m.  Oh good.  I could finish drinking my coffee and respond to emails and play on the computer for a while. 

Finally time to go.  I passed a milk delivery man while exiting the store.  But guess what?  The HUGE milk delivery semi truck blocked my car.  Hmmm….what to do? 

I waited.

He finally arrived.

“Are you leaving now?” I asked.

“No!” he said, “but you can back up.”

He pointed at a tiny space to the rear of his truck, maybe a couple feet wider than my car. 

Milk crates

 

Sigh.  Good thing I was wide awake after all that coffee.

And, sure enough, the milk man was correct.  The car made it!  No crashes!  No making accidental milk shakes! 

When he returned to the Starbucks to deliver more milks, I leaped out of the car to take a photo of the milk crates.  They looked so interesting.  What a fine pattern of milk crates on a zero degree morning.

Hi Sonya

Sonya was waiting patiently at Sweetwater Cafe, studying the menu.  However, we started talking non-stop so quickly that the poor waitress couldn’t get our order for a while.  She finally ordered the feta cheese omelet and I opted for the arame spud plate.  (to die for, blog readers, to die for.)

We laughed and chatted until 11 a.m.   One and a half hours!  It was lovely to see each other again.  We promised to meet again soon…on the next run-away trip to Marquette (of if she heads over to Baraga County where her mom lives.  Hi Susan!)

The moral of this story is:  Don’t let a zero degree day keep you inside.  There is fun to be experienced!  I can guarantee it.  (As long as it’s not blizzarding.  Then I can’t guarantee the same degree of “fun”…)