while visiting my niece’s school
in the beautiful woods of northern michigan
i realized that it wouldn’t be
a real end of their school year goodbye
without a bear to see them off.
—
“but of course, it isn’t really good-bye, because the forest will always be there…
and anybody who is friendly with bears can find it.”
-a.a. milne
—
pathfinder school, traverse city, michigan, usa
and what could
possibly go wrong
or incredibly right
with 8 adults, 6 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog
and an occasional bear
all back in one place again
on beautiful glen lake?
—
“it’s well known that he who returns never left”
― pablo neruda
The “floating Christmas tree” sits atop the water in Glen Lake.
Drivers cruising along M-22 near Glen Arbor are being treated to a little holiday magic this year: A floating Christmas tree in Glen Lake.
The 12-foot-tall Frasier fir is secured inside a small fishing boat anchored about 600 feet off the shore. At night the tree lights up (thanks to a timer and two solar-powered, 12-volt batteries) and appears to be magically floating atop the water.
It’s the third year in a row that Glen Arbor resident Frank Siepker Jr., who lives on the lake, has pulled off this charming and decidedly Up North-y Christmas display. “People dress up their yards for Christmas; the lake is kind of our yard,” he said. “Everybody gets a kick out of it.”
The tree is visible along the east side of M-22; the best spot for viewing it is at the bridge that divides Glen Lake into “Big” Glen Lake and “Little” Glen Lake (a spot sometimes referred to as “the narrows”).
Siepker said how long the tree will remain in the lake depends on the weather. If too much ice doesn’t form, the tree will stay up until New Year’s Day, at which point Siepker will put on his waders, walk out into the frigid water, and bring the display back to shore.
In the meantime, he said the tree continues to delight his two young children — as it no doubt does many who happen to see it while driving by.
—
“christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. “
-charles m. schulz
—
credits: mlive.com, emily bingham, jeff rabidoux (photo)
I didn't have my glasses on.... 