A few weeks ago, my brother said it quite clearly: the sparkling surface of the lake had changed.
That’s what happens in Michigan this time of year: as the seasons roll forward and the great orb of the sun begins its annual recession into the southern sky, the sunlight changes color and reflects off of the wave tips differently.
If you can notice things like this, you can start to sense the seasons changing before the temperature begins to fall.
According to the calendar, there are still a few days left in summer, but in Michigan autumn is now in swing, with misty mornings, comfortable days, and cool nights, with marching band and football Saturdays, and with a deluge of students on the university campus.
And for Butterblogger that means that travel season has returned, but not without a few words of remembrance.
It was a special summer for me, with many treasured hours spent with mom on the porch and at the dinner table. I like to cook, and I love to cook for those dear to me. So of course I did my best to keep mom well fed when I could.
I didn’t get as many weekends in New York this year, but I did make it to Fire Island once, and Dan and I even took his boat from the Great South Bay out to the Atlantic Ocean.
This was the summer that I joined my friend Andrew on one of his bucket-list quests, and we went to the top of the Mackinac Bridge.
The experience was absolutely extraordinary.
And the views were breathtaking
But the best part was spending the time with Andrew – I really appreciate his friendship. I rely on him a lot for my sanity. I don’t know if he realizes that sometimes, but when things get rough I know he is somebody I’ll be able to look to for support.
He’s become one of my bedrock friends.
And last night we celebrated Mom’s birthday, which is why I’m traveling on a Saturday. Because, let’s be honest, there is no way I was going to miss that.
But the time for travel has returned, my friends, and Butterblogger is returning yet again to Italy. This time he will meet his childhood friend, Premila, and we will be spending the week high in the northeastern part of the country, near the Austrian border.
I have been to this part of the country once before, long ago when I started the blog, and I’m looking forward to the return. It is a unique part of Italy, where Austrian and Italian tradition come together.
And I hear the hiking in that region is great.
So join me for the next week, my friends, for some hiking, food, and hijinx. I’m sure it’s going to be a blast.
butterblogger 