Thoughts on Michigan
Friday, March 31, 2006
A 5.7 earthquake in Iran was in the news that morning. That region of the world was prone to such monsters. And Friday saw another automobile accident in front of the church, a short ways down by the fields. A small dark blue car had rolled over to its side into the ditch and the road was backed up both ways for awhile. Collette wondered if the driver had been blinded by the usual intense white gleam of the church building.
And Collette had strained her back somehow, which paled in comparison (most likely) to whatever had happened to the poor souls in the automobile. She concluded, however, that OLeif had squished her too tight and that her ribs were bruised.
In better news, Joe was to have his braces taken off at eleven. And Frances had apparently used up part of his morning removing all his old Cub Scout pins and sticking them into an apple. Now that he was an official Boy Scout, he had other pins toward which he would work. And he would also be a part of a Court of Honor the very next day.
Michigan – that was a good two weeks of goodness. September 1999 – Collette was three months out from her fifteenth birthday. She had not much graduated from the year before – same old flop of greasy bangs and the monotonous khaki overalls which made her look like a plump farmhand. But, again, it didn’t really matter to her. It was the 90’s, and that was just the way most people looked.
And so it was to Michigan. The usual green slug and travel trailer, loaded to capacity. Somehow they managed to make Michigan in a day, having left so early. And they listened to tales of lighthouses and the high seas most of the way there. By evening, they were settled in their first of three campsites. Collette did not recall a great deal of anything in particular during their two days there. A gray lake, reeds and cattails, smokestacks in the distance, gray skies… a trip to an outdoor museum where they toured the reconstructed Wright brothers bike shop, and a hat shop where they all tried on some old-fashioned ditties. There was a carousel ride for a rather grumpy Rose, and the day was cool and sunny. They thought it quite funny that they had to avoid the biting horses attached to the carriages rambling along the roads.
However, their second stop was their favorite – Mackinaw City. It wasn’t really a city to begin with anyway. It was known for its fudge shops and the skies stayed a beautiful gray for most of their stay. And the campground was forested and right on the beach of the lake. The wind was so strong and the stars were so clear, Collette had never seen anything so beautiful. They saw a satellite streak across the sky one evening, and the sunsets… Their first evening they dined at a family-owned restaurant and there, Collette had a bacon cheeseburger. As the restaurant was busy and packed, Collette and Carrie sat at a separate table together. And as things would happen, Carrie spilled a soda all over the table and the floor. Needless to say, she was thoroughly embarrassed.
The next day was their favorite trip – across the lake lay an island. Mackinac Island. And among the flaming red sugar maples and the gray lake, they took a ferry across the way. They enjoyed just the boat ride itself, inside, watching the lake through the windows and listening to the giggling chatter of a dozen or so girls next to them. Somehow, Collette and Carrie-Bri got the idea that they were models or in some sort of beauty pageant on the island. Or maybe they were bridesmaids or on a senior trip. Nevertheless, most of them talked quite loudly while Linnea, who was practically still a baby, cried at the sound of the foghorn…
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Collette was missing a beautiful day of wind, sun, and spring. It was a shame to be cooped up at her desk, but there were windows and the magnificent sounds of the wind through the ancient trees on the farm, for she was able to hear them once, walking out to let the two chocolate-colored dudes into the youth building to strip-seal the bathroom floor. By the afternoon she had opened the windows. Joe stopped by towards the end of her shift to show her his new smile and he looked mighty grand. And that evening there was a viewing of The Office for OLeif, Collette, Joe, Magnus, Wallace, Curly, Rose, and Molly while Carrie-Bri went out with friends.