Lions, Tigers, and Boys Oh My Summer Cottage

Hi! I am so glad you found me!

I am on Beautiful Lake Huron in Northern Michigan for the summer. Each day is pretty relaxing-You will find me here at the beach, or reading.

Before I take you on a tour of our summer cottage, I thought I would show you where we are spending our summer and what we all are looking forward to:

(That was my Tin Man, just speeding by on his Sea Doo~If he is not working- he is here on the Lake, golfing, or fly-fishing...or cooking for company.)

This is my Dancing Boy and he is ten. He loves to warm up in the sand and builds sandcastles. And going to the Dancing in the Street on Tuesday nights.

His favorite thing about summer is eating marshmallows by the fire. He doesn't believe that people were meant to wear shoes. So, I always ask to check his feet before he goes inside...and I have been known carry him to the bathroom (or encourage him to use "outdoor facilities"...)Really. I am not kidding.

This is my Nature Boy who is twelve.
(Twelve-a-half, actually! Holy Cow! Where is time going?!?).

At the cottage, he is in his element. He can deal with swimming in the cool water temperatures of Lake Huron and loves handling all the wild animals that come his way. (Frogs, especially-) He convinced me to set out dog food on the deck one night so he could "study" the raccoons. He also hid a toad in a gift bag under his bed...Oh yes he did.

(He is my future biologist-and yes, we stayed up and watched the baby raccoons eat dog food. It was so interesting-I recommend it!)

This is my Happy Boy.

He just turned seven, and about three years he finally enjoyed the beach...Swimming, playing in the sand, running into the waves at the shore-.

This year will be even better yet, I bet! He somehow keeps up with all the big boys: swimming in water over his head like a fish, jumping waves, kayaking even, and catching sand spiders, and tadpoles. You name it, he's doing it at the beach. And he is my sleeper. So after a long day of 'beaching' it, he has been known to fall asleep at the dinner table. Right into his food, bless his heart!

This is our beautiful Lake Huron beach where we will be if you can't find us inside the cottage:

We spend as much time at the beach as we do in the cottage. That is why I thought I would show off the beach first.

Scroll down and take a peek inside the cottage.

Enjoy your summer,

Well, you have made it all around our cottage.

There is one last place I haven't shown you yet. Here it is:

The last part of the cottage is our back deck. We spend a part of every day out here. I guess you could call it our summer "Dining Room". We eat out here most evenings, play cards, or watch the kids on their swing set. It is one of the most peaceful spots around. You hear the birds chirping, the frogs croaking, and you see the squirrels running from tree to tree to tree.

Of course, there is a spot for showering.

The back deck is where we spend a lot of time-eating, reading, and showering...Yes, read it again.

Showering.

We installed a hot/cold shower on the back deck so after a day at the beach, the sand stays outside, and not where I need to clean it up.
The water falls on our blueberry and raspberry plants and they are fantastically huge by end of July.
So it is a win-win. My house stays clean, and the plants are watered.

We maximize every bit of the cottage and the outdoors. If you see someone under the age of five, there maybe nudity involved so, the following sign is reallly for them. (Gotta get the sand out of all the cracks and crevices!) Everyone else must keep their bathing suits on! (Please!!)