Pure Michigan

Today was a beautiful day on Walloon Lake, Michigan.

We purchased a new tube called The Revolution which we will break in tomorrow on the lake.  It spins, which makes me dizzy just thinking about it.   




 Ernest Hemmingway  based his famous "Nick Adams" stories on his summers spent at Walloon Lake.


Golfer Tom Watson   (five time British Open Champion)  also spent summers here at his family's lake house and comes back for the Walloon Lake Member Guest golf tournament.  My son bumped into him buying sweet rolls at the "foot" .   

The Watsons Celebrate 75 Years at WalloonLake  

by Dave Barry

The lakes, streams, hills, dunes and pine and hardwood forests long have been a magnet for writers like Ernest Hemingway, Civil War historian Bruce Catton, Washington Post columnist David Broder and novelist Jim Harrison, television stars like Tim Allen and golfers from Walter Hagen to Tom Watson.

"I love that country up there," Kansas City native Watson said. "I love Walloon Lake. It's one of the most beautiful lakes there is. 

"And all the lakes are different _ Walloon, Charlevoix, Round. I started going up north when I was five years old. My dad (Ray) had roots there. His father had a place on Walloon Lake."

"I first went up there in 1923," Ray Watson said, "and kept going-up for 35-40 years."

"When I first started going up there we'd stay for two weeks," Tom Watson said. "Then it was three weeks, then it was a month. I went up there every summer through high school and college.

"I love that country. It has a wonderful feel and the old Hemingway influence. 

"Walloon Lake Country Club was a nine hole course when I first went up there and it was a perfect course for me. I was a kid and I went around and around it _ there wasn't a whole lot of play in those days.

Watson said that after he joined the PGA Tour he went up north for vacation, not to play golf.

"My dad would want to play and I'd say 'Naw, I'd rather fish every day.' Then when I'd get ready to go back to the Tour, I'd play Belvedere and Walloon."

Up in Michigan, to borrow a Hemingway phrase, the weather can turn fast, from going fishing weather, to playing golf weather, to eating hot dogs weather to devouring fudge weather. Young Tom Watson found it perfect for all of the above. And still does.

The "17"
---  sailboats of yesteryear built specifically for Walloon Lake . 

    There are still enough of these boats to race each week in the summer

This boat, #24 used to be owned by my cousin George Tayloe Forkin of Jackson Ms.   The number refers to the order in which the boats were made.  This one was the 24th.

We are  an hour away from Mackinac  (pronounced Mackinaw) Island and the famous Mackinaw Island Bridge which spans 5 miles!  

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

                          

My favorite view of Harbor Springs, a little town on Little Traverse Bay off Lake Michigan.      The peninsula is referred to by locals as "The Point" .   No cars are allowed.

The town of Harbor Springs

Picture Perfect Flowers

Horse Show by The Bay-   

has some of the prettiest jumps of any horse show in the country and blooming flowers are everywhere.    

The Bridge

Horse Show by the Bay's Signature Jump

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac is the longest, annual freshwater sailing race in the world. It takes place on Lake Michigan.

The race departs from Chicago and finishes at Mackinac Island in Michigan.

Endings are Beginnings

My son, David Curran III, is currently traveling around the world with friends on his way to The University of Cape Town in South Africa.     I know very little of South Africa.    The World Cup just ended and South Africa has been taken off the State Department's list of "no travel" countries due to high terrorist possibilities.


He is so excited about what he will experience there.     

He was on staff at "the ranch" for six weeks

 Among his duties was working the wrangler breakfast everyday.   He woke up at 5:00 AM  each morning in the California mountains near the Oregon border.   He  loaded all the ingredients to cook breakfast for 20 people onto a 4 wheeler and headed up one of the mountains.  


  The guests would come on horseback an hour or so later where he and other staff would be waiting to cook omelettes to order with cheese grits, coffee and juice. 
(JH Ranch is owned and operated by people from Birmingham, thus the Southern breakfast.  They got so many questions about the grits David explained they were a Southern staple at his welcoming talk each morning)

   The ranch has no cell phone or wi-fi service.  No internet, TV or even mail --not so much as a sports illustrated can be accepted by campers.    


  After an hour ride the guests climbed off their horses and were served breakfast


Evan Zeiger, a fellow staff member, would give an inspriational talk each morning.


Evan lost both his parents this past spring in a plane crash.    His faith in God is unswerving and he is so busy asking and counseling others he seems to never concentrate on himself.


When the guests leave, the staff members sit down to their own breakfast looking over the Mountain valley below.
When finished they load up their 4 wheelers and head back for their next task which might be coaching a group of 15 year olds or facilitating a ropes course.    He had a wonderful experience there and tells so many stories of healing.    Various programs include teens, parents and couples.           One boy was camping under the stars and said he was asking God if he was really there--and just at that moment saw a star go shooting off across the night sky.    

According  to Christopher Bacon---" I can still believe that  a day comes for all of us however far off it may be, when we shall understand; when these tragedies that now blacken and darken the very air of heaven for us will sink into their places in a scheme so august, so magnificent, so joyful,that we shall laugh for wonder and delight."


My middle George will leave for college in the fall.    It is easy to be sad for me but I gain strength thinking of Mary, the mother of Jesus.


When Mary sees Jesus on his way to crucifixtion, his blood is mixed with sweat from the exhaustion of the weight of the cross  he says to her, "Behold, I make all things new"


Don't look at what you see.  Remember what you know. Remember what the angel said. Remember the prophecies.  Don't forget that I was born to die.  For I am the final sacrifice  I lay the path to eternal life upon this road to death.  And because I die, you-and all who come afterward will live.  I make all things new. And that includes you.


"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them"  psalm 34:7

June 14th Flag Day

"Freedom: Pass it On"

Pastel on Paper 

Flag Day

On this day in 1777 the American Continental Congress declared the stars and stripes  the official flag of our fledgling new nation.    Forever in peace may she wave!


2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (NIV)

Also on this day in 1975 the song Sister Goldenhair by the band "America" hit number one on the music charts.

Vintage Satin Show Ribbon

                                      




                                       Pastel on Sanded Paper

The Franklin Flood Franklin Tn Portrait of an equestrian pastels and oils

They are calling it the 100 year flood.     Nashville was declared a state of emergency.   Franklin had a dusk to dawn curfew.  


We left Memphis Thursday night for a trip up to Franklin Tn to attend the  Brownland Farms horse show.     The Harpeth River flows straight through the town and this weekend overflowed.


 We knew rain was in the forecast.   Liza has ridden in the rain before.   Her friend Seymour said Lark, her seasoned pony,  was good at "riding through the slop."  

The weather was gorgeous on Friday.  Liza was there in time to check out the showgrounds and shop at a few vendor booths with friends before tacking up Lark  for  schooling classes.  She won 1st and 2nd Place ribbons and ended up with Reserve Champion.  She was all smiles and hopeful for a fun show weekend. 

There was a show alright.  But not the kind we were expecting! 


Severe weather caused Brownland to cancel the weekend activities.


We  decided to stay in Franklin rather than go home because Memphis was supposed to be hit much harder. The tornado sirens there were already sounding. 


 Water was creeping up to the barn and gathering all around us.  We never dreamed how much more was to come.  At this point the rain was fun and we were glad to have an adventure!


  We took a few pictures and went into Nashville for lunch.  We came back to Franklin around 3 PM and the showgrounds were just beginning to flood.      


We began to realize as we made our way back to our hotel the situation was getting dangerous.  Cars were washing away and backyards were turning into lakes.    120 cars were abandoned on one road alone.


Things were getting out of hand.


 Police were beginning to block roads everywhere.  


We turned on the tv and the coverage showed the devastation.  Nashville was in a state of emergency.  
Franklin was just as bad and getting worse. 




Saturday night Brownland Farms Security  moved the horses several times to stalls on higher ground.    The horses needed to be evacuated-quickly.


  Police were allowing only heavy Semi's to move through the closed roads in order to get to the barns.   


At 3:00 AM  our drivers headed for Memphis after salvaging floating trunks waterlogged gear and wet  horses.      They were unable to find an open route out of town and after five hours had no choice but to go back to  the Franklin Ag Center.      They unloaded tired horses at 8 AM.




 On Sunday more rain came and waters rose.    The Cumberland River was at 50 feet and rising.   Downtown began to flood.   Churches everywhere were filled to capacity with stranded motorists.


The mayor asked  everyone to stay off the roads as they had their hands full with rescues. Many homes were completely flooded.     It was a  very scary situation.     The Opryland hotel was under six feet of water and had to be evacuated.    More and more areas were flooding.  


Downtown was awash.


On Monday the sun came out again.   


 We went to Nashville and visited with my son Daivd, who was in the middle of  Vanderbilt exams.   However they were cancelled due to flooding.    What luck!!!!


    What a  crazy weekend.  


We met up with our fellow weary horseshow travellers at The Germantown Horse Show Fairgrounds.  As everyone cleaned and assessed their  waterlogged tack each recanted their own tale of the weekend.   We all listened to each others stories as we remembered this whole harrowing ordeal of a weekend.     Small things seemingly important on Friday suddenly in the wake of such an event didn't matter.     


 Many  equestrians good naturedly bemoaned missing items.  Lists were made  of needed items for  the upcoming show this weekend, "Memphis in May".


After all, The show must go on!

A Pretty Day Friday

We are thankful  to be safe.  

The flood waters come so quickly they truly take you unaware.     It is best never to underestimate Mother Nature.              

Early Saturday morning

The Harpeth River rising. 

The barn entrance facing Hillsboro Rd --- closed  hours later.

The Show Ring

Heading Towards Hillsboro Rd

Franklin

    

Downtown Nashville

Street near Vanderbilt University




  

A Woman Before her Time-Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun

Self Portrait
of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Vigee- Le brun      Born:    1755 


Truly a woman before her time, this artist lived quite a spectacular life.    During a time when most women were restrained from the workplace this pretty woman artist, born a commoner, began painting many members of Europe's royal courts.  


 She broke all rules of the day for women to became one of the most popular and well known artists of the 18th century.



A revolution, parties, gaiety and  royal merrymaking-all the makings for a Hollywood blockbuster.  Thus was the  the lifestyle Mrs. Le Brun.


Hollywood couldn't make up the story of this woman's life and times.


She was taught by her father who was an artist until his death when she was 12.


 At 15 she was contributing significantly towards the family income due to portrait commissions.


Her gender prevented her acess to prestigious art schools.  


However her friendship with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette helped her gain admittance to the notable French Academy     


She painted Marie Antoinette at least 25 times.  


This association and friendship  launched her extraordinary career and caused her to be in great demand by European Royalty.   She painted the most exquisite women of French society who were living carefree opulent lifestyles.    The French Revolution soon put a damper on things! 


Elizabeth was one of the most beautiful and glamourous women in her own right and painted the other members of elegant aristocracy before the violent and terrible revolution. 


Elizabeth was afraid for her life due to her close ties to the French monarchs.    Desguised as a scullery maid, she and her daughter  fled to Italy under cover of darkness.   This same night Louis XVI and the Queen were being brought  from Versailles to Paris to face the guillotine.


While exiled In Italy  she studied great works of art by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rubens. She continued to be seriously diligent in her pursuit of excellence in art.
        

She spent several years in Vienna attending society balls and concert halls.  Her work there was  in constant demand.   She  continued to be as beautiful and witty as she was talented. 


Her popularity exploded.




Rome, Florence, Naples, Vienna and everywhere she traveled, Le Brun was  besieged with portrait requests from  European aristocracy.  




In St. Petersburg Elizabeth was invited to dinners, balls and numerous gay social events in the city.   She attended so many social engagements one wonders how she had the time to paint.     


 Welcomed and honored by the Queen of Prussia, Le Brun  painted two portraits of her in pastel.


Elizabeth painted many members of the family of Catherine the Great at the peak of her power and prestige.  



In England she painted  British notable Lord Byron.

In Switzerland  she was made honorary member of Socite pour L'Avancement des Beaux Arts of Geneva.

Her  beloved daughter Julie died of pneumonia in 1819.



This amazing mostly self-taught artist overcame remarkable odds during a time of profound social unrest and turmoil in 18th century Europe.   



 Le Brun has paintings in major museums  including The Hermitage, London's National Gallery, and the Louvre in Paris.

"A Quiet Moment"      

Charcoal on Paper

"Cowgirl"

Pastel on Paper

Head and Shoulders

Dressage

Pastel on Paper

Every Summer for as long as I can remember my family has visited northern Michigan and the quaint town of Harbor Springs on the cool sparkling shores of Lake Michigan.

One of the our favorite things to do is get fudge at a  100 year old store with  wonderfully creaky wooden floors and a tall ornate tin ceiling.    Visitors can watch as the most delicious  chocolate is poured out of huge copper kettles onto cold marble slabs where it is worked with a spatula into fudge which they sell warm and fresh.

In 2008 there was a collection box for  Harbor Springs Native, Courtney Cox on the counter. 

 Donations were to help defray costs for shipping her horse to China in order to  participate in the Olympics. We excitedly dropped coins in for this young Michigan athlete.

This pastel is of her in a dressage competition.  

Dressage comes from the French word dresser which means "to train".     Riders give body signals for their horses to obey and work in precise movements.  Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping are the three Oympic Equestrian events. 

We are extremely saddened to see Courtney has suffered a serious head injury.

Our  prayers  go up  for her full recovery and  we hope to see her ride in the Olympics another day.

"Country Church"        Oil on Panel

Liza makes the rounds!

The Gulf Coast Magnolia Classic

Lots of Love!

Equestrian portraits oil and pastel Germantown Tn

"Pink Plaid Ribbons"
pastel
sanded pastel paper

Rebecca says "Lets go again" and JellyBean says "let's not!"


The littlest equstrian

Lacrosse

"Waiting for Spring"

Pastel on Paper

Pastel

Caleb and Buck

Proud of their morning's work!  

Pastel on Sanded Paper

18x24

Peppermint Treat!

Trumpet's reward for standing 

still during braiding practice.