27 days of impacted sinuses, ear infections and migraines have kept me away, well, from most everything. We are still not quite sure what set me off- the usual suspects are present and accounted for: diesel trucks plowing the roads, the outgassing of the freshly painted market or that darling old lady at the recycling center that replaced her bath water with 10 gallons of eau de toilette. Perhaps a combination of all the aforementioned. Having chemical sensitivities at any time is a bit rough on the social aspects of life- having chemical sensitivities in the winter is brutal.
Summers on the lake is graciously accented with a constant breeze- moving and refreshing. Days are flung wide open and most are spent out of doors. Winter life on the lake is frigid and isolated. Weeks of below zero temperatures finds one running from dwelling to dwelling. when social events are available- people tend to (as the Great Southern States exclaim) put on the dog.
A simple trip to the market during the summer finds people in shorts, bathing suits, sun bleached hair and sun kissed faces. That same trip in the winter finds people in make-up, hair spray, colognes, perfumes and freshly fabric softened clothing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge the ritual- life can get lonely here in the north during the long winters- and seeking out other humans can keep one from going stir crazy- I just wish I could open a window.
Arts of the Bay 