Lake Michigan

During this time of the year, I often find myself thinking about Lake Michigan.  Many of my fondest memories as a child involve this lake.  I never lived more than a few miles away during the first few years of grade school.  My sister and I (and sometimes my brother) used to ride our bikes down to the beach.  Or we would occasionally walk.  We walked along the rocks or ran over the sand.  Swimming was a must, though never done for long.  For those of you who don't know, Lake Michigan is extremely cold! One of my memories involves my mom and step-dad paying us to get in the water; the water was too cold that day to just jump on in.

Other memories include boating and fishing.  One of the biggest fish I ever caught was on Lake Michigan.  However, I didn't know I caught it until we were done for the day and I started reeling in the line.  Was I ever surprised by the fish; it was almost as big as I was! I remember another time when our parents put our life jackets on and tossed us into the water.  Many good times!

Those early years, Fourth of July was spent at the harbor, running along the docks and watching fireworks.  Food from the hot dog stand and ice cream parlor was a necessity.  When I was older, my parents lived at a marina and held a party every year, which I always enjoyed.  My parents moved away from the marina about seven years ago so I haven't spent July 4th there since. I miss watching the fireworks there, and I'll be wishing I was up north this weekend!