Vector Charley

FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS

After some eleven years in the blogosphere, I am retiring my blog. I want to thank Linda Heller for getting me up and running, in 2010, and I am so, so grateful to all you, gentle readers, for your faithful support all these many years. I am back to the old manual typewriter of my youth, and would be happy to send you some of my recent writing. All you have to do is send me your snail mail…

CAT OF THE DUNES

Flyboy checked out the beach Wednesday afternoon when the surf was up, from a safe vantage point. He wasn’t about to dive in, but he saw someone who was. Gully the Gull had no problems with the surf. And he sure wasn’t worried about Flyboy, up there in the dune grass.

This is how we knew fall was about to befall southwest Michigan. All five calendars in my office agree: 9/22/21—fall begins.

WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE . . .

All together now: “When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s . . .”

RIP: A.V. (LONNY) SMITH III

I am saddened to report the death of my dear cousin this morning of my dear cousin, A.V. (Lonny) Smith III. Lonny served in Vietnam and was a distinguished attorney in Oregon. Fair winds and following seas, Cousin.

Our dear friend Mary took this picture of us at Clementine’s on Wednesday. Great shot, Mary!!!!

A SUBLIME SOJOURN IN SOUTH HAVEN

(South Haven, MI) We met Mary and Dave for a leisurely luncheon at Clementine’s yesterday, in a booth by a window. And then, of course, we strolled around town, from high to low and back again. It was a beautiful late summer day on the west coast of Michigan, and we just grooved on it. And we have been grooving on South Haven ever since we first “discovered” Van Buren County’s seaside resort, at…

THE COURSE OF A GAME

At least we saw some fireworks. (Chicago, IL) My friend Joe Rochetto and I had every intention of attending Saturday night’s game featuring the two Sox: the hosting Chicago White Sox vs. the visiting Boston Red Sox. Always a great match-up, particularly late in the season with the Red Sox vying for a Wild Card slot in their hotly contested AL East division. Yes, the White Sox appear to have the…

RETURN OF THE NATIVE

Bridgeport’s beloved native son, Joe Rochetto, returns today to his childhood Chicago neighborhood for a grand tour. He is shown here by the pond at Palmisano Park. He remembers when it was Stearns Quarry.

Flyboy celebrated his successful visit to the vet last week by strolling down to the beach for some down time in the dune grass. Nobody comes down Dune Road without Flyboy’s permission.

HESSTON STEAM & POWER SHOW

(HESSTON STEAM MUSEUM, IN) On Labor Day, there were three different railroads to ride: narrow gauge, vintage amusement, and craftsman railroads. We rode the first two, and found the line for the third to be too long, so we went back and rode the narrow gauge again. But we shall return to Hesston before the end of the year, most certainly for the Hesston Ghost Train, which will shock-and-roll the…

Summer’s movin’ on down the line. Happy Labor Day, and safe journey home, space fans.

(Harbert, MI) I spent a lot of time in the surf at Surf City, New Jersey as a kid. Now, as an old fart, I get to hit the salt-free, shark-free surf in Lake Michigan at what I call Surf City, Michigan. And, as a bonus, we can hear in the night if the surf is up for a morning splash. How cool is that? What’s a little surf to a seasoned kayaker? A surfin’ safari in Lake Michigan.

We see a lot of barns in our travels around southwest Michigan, but this one, just east of Three Oaks, Michigan on U.S. Hwy. 12, stands out in its field of dreams.

Day is done; gone the sun. Summer is slip-slidin’ away.

Flyboy takes five in his Mondo Deluxe cat bed.

By Golly, a basket full of begonias basking in the morning sun. By Golly!