Ghost Day

Rainy days are great days for working on art. Maybe because on sunny days, you seem to notice how the day passes, seeing the sun race across the sky. But on cloudy days, the light doesn't change. Its always the same.
I call them ghost days, the day goes by slower, with an almost surreal feeling. Days like this, I like to turn the phone ringer off. Light candles, escape into the day and my art.
But today started at the lake. Not at my shop.
We'd had a whole weekend at the lake planned out. But family Drama Saturday morning put an abrupt hold on things. It was stressful for me and after weeks of shop stress, my insides are not handling any stress too good. PB and I talked it out and decided to go to the lake anyway. I know for certain family members, the lake is not too fun. There is no Internet, no YouTube, no tv. Its a 10 by 16, 30 yr old cabin set into huge hardwoods, on a high point overlooking the biggest lake in the state. The views are incredible. Ivy covered terraces drop down to a dock and a screened gazebo. If you're into swimming, boating, reading, relaxing in peace and quiet, then the lake kicks ass. If not, you're SOL.
My kitchen is a flat spot in front of the cabin, cooking over a charcoal grill or wood fire. I love it. Our place at the lake is like camping but with a cabin to sleep in.
So we get up there late Saturday afternoon with the boat. I swim, even tho the water is getting too cold for it. I grill up some NY strip steak and veggies. PB relaxes and fishes from the dock. The weather was kind of nasty, cloudy and windy. But I still went for a late night row on the lake. I got tired of fighting the wind after an hour and came back to the dock to find PB cuddling with the Z dog. I moved her over and cuddled with him. The 3 of us, up on a lounge chair.
PB did caught a little catfish Saturday night. Zoey went nuts, She wanted that fish! She was ready to jump in the water after PB set it loose. She spent the rest of the weekend, bugging PB to catch another fish. Howling, yipping and jumping around whenever he would mess with his fishing rig.
Sunday morning, we rode in the boat to breakfast, then went to Zoey Island so the Z girl could run sans lease or any kind of confinement. She got 2 hours of running free and acting silly. It was just a beautiful sun shiny day.
I love looking at the houses on the lake. Little fishing shacks next to multi million $ mansions. Who are these people who live in these palaces? So many of these enormous mega piles sitting empty. Windows curtained up, covers on the lawn furniture. Everything all buttoned up all nice and neat. Not a soul in sight. I mean, what do they do to afford that much house and only use it once or twice a month?
I never get tired of looking at the lakeside. So many interesting things to see and wonder about.
After the island outing, I went swimming. One guy who was boating asked me if it was too cold to swim. I said, almost. After swimming, I cooked grilled veggies, noodles and shrimp Sunday night. It was very yummy. Then I went for a nighttime row.
We woke up this morning to a cloudy sky. I made steak sandwiches for breakfast and started packing up. I put on my swimsuit but totally wimped out and went for a row instead. I made it across the cove and into another cove and was having a total fun time of it, looking at life going on at the lake shore. I started exploring the far end of Blue Heron cove when the rain hit. I rowed to a dock and hid out under the walkway. PB called me and asked if I needed rescued. I had hoped the rain would ease up but no dice.
So he comes to get me with the boat. I bring the raft onto the boat and then we take off, but have to go back for the ladder which fell off the boat. This guy on the shore is giving us this nasty look, like who the hell are we disturbing the peace in his cove, dropping ladders and such. We are now lake/boat and lake/boat people wave at other lake/boat people. We waved at him. He did not wave back.
It was full on rain as we packed up the truck, closed the cabin, and got the boat out of the water.
We got back to town and went to the bank, only to find that it is one of those fake holidays, when the bank is closed but everyone else still has to work. Unless of course you work at a backwoods motorcycle shop.
We grabbed a Quiznos, got home and are currently under a fleece blanket. I started up the heater in the shop and soon will be out there. maybe ANTM will be on tv. Now that would be perfect.
PB is sleeping at one end of the blanket, a handsome hunk of man. The Z Girl dry and warm next to the couch.
Bad news? We broke the boat. Massive crack in the back by the motor mount. Was it there before? Don't think so. We didn't hit anything.
So I start up my computer to find that the motorcycle world has gone on in my absence. Cyril posting on his blog, keeping everyone current. Good old Cyril.
30 years in my m/c business. Of course if we won the lotto, the shop would be closed in a heartbeat and we'd be full time lake people. Of course there'd be a wicked chopper waking up the neighbors every now and then.
But here its the real world and money must be made. So into the shop I go, a week of ghost days ahead.
Then next weekend, Hurricane Barb makes landfall on her road king.