Monday, June 18, 2012

wooden boat show

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear in northern Michigan. We were packing to leave for home, but one thing remained on our list: visit the Presque Isle wooden boat show, an annual event for 20 years.


    Tucked in Presque Isle harbor on Lake Huron, the entries reflected not only the shimmering June morning, but also a love of a time gone by. The boats' owners have invested countless hours in bringing flawless, simple beauty back to their wooden boats. 


Just a stone's throw from here, our lake, Grand Lake, is a place just a bit removed from modern scenes. Oh, you'll see the jet skiers during July 4th week, but for the most part it's ten miles of decades-old cottages and boat houses dotting the shores. You're more likely to spot a lone fishermen off the point in the early-morning haze and hear the call of a loon as you sip your coffee. 


You'll still see people cruising by in a wooden boat on occasion: a man driving proudly and a woman in sunglasses, a thin scarf waving from her neck. OK, perhaps an exaggeration!

 
Gorgeous and gleaming,
yet simple and classic,
the wooden boats speak for themselves ...
ever so quietly.




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