Double Door County I

With natural beauty like this,
how could I not be inspired?

I have been very blessed these last two weeks! I was able to go to Door County two weekends in a row. The first visit I traveled with my brother, sister-in-law, and mother. It was only overnight, but we filled every minute. "It is all about the journey." 

The pond with beautiful water lilies at The Flying Pig in Algoma was one of the highlights of the drive up to Bailey's Harbor. I had never been there before, but I found a fuzzy new friend. She allowed be to photograph her and she promised not to sting me.  She continued drinking nectar while I sipped my spiced warm chai.

The journey was made in order to attend the Plum Bottom Pottery Summer FEAST. We arrived too late to help plate the food or set up. For some reason, a five-hour trip takes at least eight by the time we stop here and there for food and photos. 

It was just lovely… as always. Savory Cajun delights such as jambalaya, etouffee, smoked salmon and bread pudding entertained our tastebuds; but the wonder of the evening was Chad Luberger's latest ceramics and Angela Lensch's new bead work inspired by her trip to India. I was able to talk with Davide Toffolon, a talented pen and ink artist who uses salt in his wonderfully detailed pieces. I found he was a passionate professional cheese maker! Who knew?

Chad is a member of the American Folklore Theatre and after their performance at Peninsula State Park, the troupe arrived one by one. I stood right next to "Doc" Heide, but couldn't bring myself to say, "Hi." I was too afraid my mouth wouldn't work and it would come out like a bad Saturday Night Live skit. So I just stood there feeling my face flush. I was definitely starstruck having seen him perform for 20-some years.

All good times comes to and end. We left just after midnight and I felt like Cinderella. Torches lit our way through the darkness as we followed the winding, painted path created by Dylan Lauger. We passed ceramic and cement sculptures in the flickering light. When the path ended billions of stars greeted our eyes. Each of us saw a shooting star before we drove back to the motel room at Journey's End.

 The next day we stopped at The Ridges Sanctuary where they were setting up for a Raptor Exhibit. There was the small, parrot-like kestrel (above), a snowy white barn owl, an intense red-tailed hawk, a turkey vulture who showed off by stretching out his wings and a rather cross screech owl who preferred to stay within his crate and hiss at people walking past. They were each wonderful in their own way and it was a rare treat to be able to photograph them up close and personal.

"It is all about the journey."