Alpena tail on Miss Chicken

We've actually been back for a couple of days already, but it's taken a while to sort through the photos and deal with WORK after nine days away... I believe the astronauts would call the phenomenon burning up on re-entry?

My wife's family have been coming to this camp every year for a long time, and it's worth the dedication. It's located on Lake Esau, off to one side of the weeny town of Presque Isle, and the amenities were more plentiful than I expected, for "camp cabins." but no complaints here...

...apart from the weather. Still too warm. I'm a big fan of crisp autumn air, and summer was still hanging on. But we built fires anyway because, dammit, we had a fireplace.

A few canoe trips out on Esau, a few excursions into town for food & weirdness, and suddenly it was over.

Returning to civilization involved a leisurely drive down Route 23 through some wacky small towns. We encountered a few classic roadside oddities, including a peeling and rather inbred-looking Paul Bunyan, and a colossal figure of Jesus Christ perched atop a turquoise pedestal and brandishing the Earth like a bowling ball...great stuff. Gas prices have all but killed the Great American Road Trip, so this was a treat.

The flight back to DC was another treat, as there were only 12 people on the plane. This meant that everyone was upgraded to the First Class compartment. Also of note: It was my first flight in ages without being surrounded by screaming wee people... and of course, the free amenities of First Class seating (Dewars on ice and a magazine seem to make the miles fly by much faster).

And now, the healing powers of the north Michigan woods will be tested to the limit, in a small cubicle on Capitol Hill...