Friday Favorite: Lake Art

Lake season is here! Get out the wasp spray, flip-flops, and life jackets in preparation for days of blissful relaxation. I'm looking forward to lingering on the deck with friends and family while holding an icy beverage. Let this be a warning to those of you who get frustrated and misbehave when trying to launch and load your boat. We're watching--and laughing.

 

Having a place at the lake allows one to experiment with yard art that might have some neighborhood associations showing up at your home with torches and pitchforks.  On the contrary, lake neighbors brag on the objets d'art as if a pink flamingo wearing a lei is the funniest, most original concept since the The Big Bang Theory. 

Last weekend we took a walk and checked out the neighbor's places. My uncle took some pics. One of the neighbors, a former college professor, is especially skilled at creating lake masterpieces from driftwood. They make me smile every time I see them.

"They should start biting any time now."

The artist is a fisherman. My guess? These are fish he wish he'd caught when he gathered driftwood instead.

What's not to love, right?

Journal

On Easter weekend, we drove to the Jersey Shore. Point Pleasant Beach was calming, beautiful... and cold. We bundled up in our warmest coats, and it was so worth it. For the weather being so frigid, people were plentiful on the sand enjoying the bright day. We even saw toddlers with their Easter baskets collecting seashells. Adorable.

When we first arrived, we drove up and down the street nearest the beach. It was fun to see all the old beach houses. Some of them were so enormous, they must have housed 20 bedrooms. I loved the wrap-around porches. It was easy to imagine bathing beauties of the Victorian era with all their pals heading to the beach to cool off. Many of the shops were closed for the season, but a good portion of them were open. We enjoyed a seafood feast while looking out at the docks, the seagulls, the ducks, and the working fishing boats.

All afternoon, a poem by e. e. cummings repeated in my head. maggie & millie & molly & may is one of my favorite poems. It inspired me to go home and journal. Before you write, read the poem several times. If you've never been to the ocean, simply use your imagination.

Journal topic: What do you find in the sea?