Love--in the bathroom of Carmalita's Restaurant in Calumet
You guys are all waiting impatiently to see the picture of the teenage boy standing at the four corners in L’Anse after having–how do we put this politely?–dropped his pants, aren’t you?
I am sorry to say you will see no photos. #1: because Barry and I were so shocked to see the baggy pants fall down–you know the kind of pants–the kind most kids used to wear a couple of years ago where you could view the rear end of said youth if you so desired. #2: The car in which we sat was driving too fast through the four corners and there was no time to grab the camera as the baggy pants simply fell to the ground revealing a nice pair of jockey underwear and #3: I could not have embarrassed the guy, anyway with a photo. No. Not me.
Since he will never–I am sure–find this blog–we’ll only tell his tail. I mean tale.
A flower in front of Espresso on Main Coffee Shop in L'Anse
Yesterday was such a busy day. Its busy-ness came from being married to a weekly newspaper reporter/editor. He had three assignments spread across two counties here in the U.P. (also known as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Because we were aiming for an eventual lunch at Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant in Calumet (maybe an hour away from Baraga County) I tagged along. Tagged along with my camera. He took the official photographs. At one point–when I was snapping photos yesterday–I murmured to the people with raised eyebrows, “Oh I’m just following him around taking pictures.” They smiled and nodded, like that was expected behavior.
At the Keweenaw Bay Kids Fishing Derby
We went EVERYWHERE. Who can remember all the places we visited in six or seven long hours? Here are the three official assignments where we had to take pictures. I mean where he had to take pictures. #1 The Farmer’s Market in downtown L’Anse. #2: The annual Keweenaw Bay Kids Fishing Derby and #3 a baseball game played up in Hancock.
Many of my photos basically turned out Just Awful. This doesn’t happen too often. Usually I can find six or ten or twenty photos that I like. Some that are liked a lot. But not yesterday. Err… The sky was too gray. The sweet dear loving little Sony CyberShot didn’t compensate like she was supposed to. Or she didn’t focus clearly enough. We’re having relationship issues…
Kids' shoes
Barry and I surely did have fun, though! There must have been 300 kids (or more) at the fishing derby. They all looked like they were having a grand old time casting in the ponds behind the Sand Point Lighthouse. You had to park half a mile away from the activity. That’s how many folks mingled about. It was good to see so many happy kids.
Elvis? Coming to da Copper Country?
After that we did our weekly shopping, bought organic vegetables, found supplies like eye drops and Q-tips, and meandered up to Carmelita’s for lunch. I brought my camera in the bathroom again. Sigh. It’s unavoidable behavior, apparently.
What do you think of the Elvis Presley sign? The romantic couple? Isn’t it wonderful when a bathroom can be so entertaining? (As for the rest of the photos in Carmelitas–the Sony CyberShot was sticking its tongue out at me and refusing to produce anything but blurs in the dim light. I started talking to Barry about the possibility of one of those fancy cameras. You know, with a birthday coming up and everything…)
Eat, sleep, read. Is there anything more to life, really?
We stopped at the North Wind Bookstore in Hancock just before we headed home. I was looking for the second book in the Conrad Richter Awakening Land trilogy, but alas. No Conrad Richter. So I bought a different book called “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford. A New York Times Bestseller about a Chinese American boy who falls in love with a Japanese American girl back in the 1940’s before she’s sent to an internment camp.
Yep, the book is already read as of 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon. I can’t help devouring books like they’re exquisite full course gourmet meals. Yum, yum, yum. Eat, sleep, read. Yep, that sounds like THE life!
Better than losing one’s pants. 😉
Lake Superior Spirit 
I like the pile of kids’ shoes! Sounds like a busy day in the UP – and that bathroom art! I can’t believe I didn’t notice it when I visited last summer… I use a Cybershot and also a Sony DSLR. I like both – the Cybershot is lightweight and handy for hiking.
Barb, did you stop at Carmalita’s last summer? Did you try one of their thimbleberry margaritas (not that I did, but they always look intriguing…) Your camera selection sounds wonderful.
Exquisite! All of it! You certainly got some awesome shots in spite of relationship issues with Ms. Camera – thanks for the laughs, and the fun, as always …
Susan, why do I suspect that you might actually know the unfortunate teenager whose pants slipped down? Just kind of thinking you might…
I probably do, Kath … and I would have “busted a gut” laughing, too … ah, the humiliation….
When you really want pictures to turn out is when they don’t. There’s a rule, you know. Does sound like a very busy, but yet fun, day. How neat to just drive places and click at whatever strikes you.
I’ve read the “Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” and liked it. Although I do like happy endings, I realize life is not always that way.
Carol, I guess I’m lucky to be able to follow a camera-toting husband around and click without “having” to produce. Unless you count this blog as having to produce, LOL. You read the book too? Wouldn’t it be nice if ALL of life could have happy endings?
You’ve done it again. You’ve put a smile on my face the camera :). Only you could say something like that. The boy losing his pants was that accidental?
Kryssy, it was TOTALLY accidental! He was talking with a girl–maybe a friend–and suddenly his pants just…fell down. In a puddle by his feet. (It was actually very funny. I hesitate to say it–but we both laughed out loud!)
Kathy – The pile of kids shoes is my absolute favorite (although that flower is a stunner!). What a great time the two of you had outing-and-abouting.
Hi Laurie! Are we a little bit more awake tonight?? Hope your Reiki weekend went great. I sure like that shoe photo too. All the kids had gone inside one of those jump-up-and-down bouncy rooms. The shoes certainly looked helter-skelter and intriguing.
I love the “Eat,sleep,read” slogan.
I agree what else is there!!!
Kim
Sounds like a good way to spend a quiet Sunday, doesn’t it, Kim? Or Monday…or Tuesday… 🙂
Next time you meander down this way we really must visit Pearl’s in Elk Rapids. You should bring your camera into the restroom. Trust me on this. There is also an entirely satisfactory range of fine vegetarian choices along with the alligator and shrimp and crayfish choices. And I’ll bring a bag of books for you. I am downsizing the literary piles before the floor of my attic crawlspace collapses into my other crawlspace.
Ok, Gerry, we’ve got a date! Pearl’s in Elk Rapids! Oh yes and bring your books. Please. But you will have to share what you would like in exchange.
P.S
Another restroom pic…
You live dangerously!
Lol
Have a marvelous week…
Kim
Ha ha dangerous restroom pictures! Wild & dangerous life, indeed!
I like your diet Kath- books are for me! I am reading Annie Lamott’s new book. I am a huge fan of hers. This book is scaring me. Hope you are well! Love, S
Dear Suzi, I would love to know the title of Annie Lamott’s new book. Her books are great…but the new one is scaring you? Yikes? Wanting to know more…
The flower in front of Espresso looks like it’s a painting…in fact could BE a painting! What a lovely day…weekend..you had. I vote for one of those fancy cameras too…but I bet you still use the point and shoot often! Happy almost sort of birthday!
Dawn, it did look like a painting. Six of the photos looked like blurry resemblances of a flower, but ONE looked like a painting. What kind of fancy camera would YOU recommend?
Funny, I blogged about reading and sleeping and missing photos last night too! Gee, now it seems you can inspire me when I haven’t even read your post yet, LOL! No wonder you were tired Saturday night, but it sounds like a good kind of tired. (Also been trying to “discuss” a fancy camera with my hubby too!)
Hi Karma–I just got lost going to visit your blog–and then clicked on somebody else’s blog–my, how it’s easy to get lost in Cyberspace! Should we consult about the best way to “frame” this discussion with our husbands? LOL!
Kathy, I vote for the photograph of the shoes. That’s my favorite. Thimbleberry margaritas???!!!
Do you want me to send you a copy of THE FIELDS? I have one at the bookstore, along with a copy of THE TOWN. Did you love Saird? Isn’t she wonderful?
Honestly, Pamela. Thimbleberry margaritas. I kid you not. They cost an arm and a leg though. You’ve already received my email reply…Yes, yes, yes! The money is coming…so excited!
I can’t tell you how happy I am to find out that I am not the only nut … errr, photographer … who takes a camera into the loo. Sometimes the best art can be found in public restrooms. Graffiti is one of my favorite subjects.
Having recently lost weight, I’m in danger of losing my baggy pants if I don’t go shopping soon. It’s nice to know that if it should happen in public there are some who won’t post it on their blog.
Eat, sleep, read is a good way to live, in my opinion. 🙂
Who you calling a “nut”, Robin? ha ha… And oh yes! Graffiti rocks! I have only found limited graffiti here in the U.P. but the eyes are always trained for it…
You’ve lost weight? Hopefully this is a good thing! But please, please, put a belt around those pants. Otherwise, there you will be on Main Street, and … you never know who will be driving by at that Very Moment!
Kathy, me too, devouring books like exquisite full course meals. What a great image! Words are so amazing. How everyone puts them together so differently, sort of like fingerprints.
Eat, sleep, read…well, have to admit this describes my last two days. Hope you have some time like this coming up soon. Loved the thought of Tax Collector and Sinner and Prayer and Intrepid Photo Journalist/Writer…. all in the same package!
Hi Colleen, aren’t we complicated people? We’re sort of like exquisite full course meals ourselves! Don’t you think much of our suffering comes when the different selves within us collide? That’s my theory anyway… Thank you for enjoying this.
Again, Kathy, you’ve reminded me of my grandparents, but without the tears this time. 🙂 My grandmother used to tag along, with her camera, with my grandfather, a land surveyor, when he went out in the fields or woods to do surveys for clients. When he needed to spend time researching land records in the courthouse, she would sit in their car and write letters. I got loads of letters from Grandmother! It was fun hearing about their every day adventures and it’s so nice for me to read your blog and get that same feeling seeing your pictures and reading your delightful narratives!
That is a delightful image, Barbara. To think of your grandma tagging along with your grandpa and writing letters to her loved ones. Remember those days when we used to get (and send) letters in the mail? I remember racing to the mailbox not too many years ago. It was the highlight of the day. Twice last week I skipped going to the mailbox altogether. Although racing to the computer…that’s another matter! 😉
Blessings to you!
Yes, I do remember! Blogging is coming close to the thrill of getting a letter… I feel like I have new pen pals these days!
I’d like the window. Looking at it there is a passionate ‘question’ in my brain, a question of: Whats’ activity behind it?, is’t a living room where you can find a tranquility?, a kitchen where you can find someone doing cooking?, is’t a bedroom?, or just a WINDOW FRAME. Very good photos.
http://melysweekendinspiration.wordpress.com
Thank you so much! Those are very interesting questions. I wonder what’s behind that window? I love it when people look and think and ponder deeper… and when we have passionate questions in our brain. Let’s pretend that it is the most tranquil place imaginable…do you think?