Andi Laidlaw has been following the rivalry between the east side and the west side with interest. Katherine and Babs did well on Torch, she wrote. Then she enclosed an argument in favor of the Bay side.
I am inclined to think she has made a good point. Of course that is because I live on the Bay side myself, and am fond of sunsets. Here, have one of Andi’s.
Nothing like a little winter rivalry to bring out fence-painters in force, leaving me free to spend my time reading Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 to my Civil War veterans. (The part about the town of cats stirred them up.)
If you just dropped in here for the first time and wonder who these people are and why they are going on about sunsets and this side or that side (and of what, you may be wondering) – well, that is how I feel about 1Q84. I recommend you just come along for the ride. Gradually you’ll figure it all out, and by the time it scares you, you’ll be among friends and be comforted by the companionship.
Torch Lake Views 
Heather
February 11, 2012
I’m also fond of sunsets, but perhaps that’s because I’m a night owl and I miss most sunrises? Also I am fond of big chunks of ice floating amid our clear turquoise waters. I think I’ll go searching for those this afternoon.
Gerry
February 11, 2012
Well, now it’s afternoon, and the little patches of blue sky I saw this morning are all gone. We have been having a fair amount of nice fluffy Lake Effect. Dale Reedy is a happy man – he and his teal truck have been out pushing the Lake Effect into piles.
Sybil
February 11, 2012
Love that first photo Gerry. I always feel I’m among friends when I visit your Blog.
Gerry
February 11, 2012
It is Andi at her best, no doubt about it. And I’m glad TLV feels like a friendly place, Sybil.
shoreacres
February 11, 2012
I follow some book-bloggers who were all a-twitter (not in the social media sense, although there was some of that) over 1Q84. There was a good bit of slogging reported and mixed reviews, although I admired all the readers because i have a terrible time with Japanese literature. “I should” and “I ought” always turn into “I just can’t…” My lack, no doubt. But the ones who made it through seemed to do so by their ability to “just come along for the ride”.
On the other hand – a town of cats? That has my interest.
Gerry
February 11, 2012
I had not even heard of the book until I stumbled upon it at the Elk Rapids Library. Rob the Firefighter had introduced me to Murakami, and I’d liked his work, so I lugged the thing home with me. It must weigh twelve pounds. It is . . . pretty much indescribable. I think reading it is more or less like skiing deep powder. It is giving me way too much to think about. I’m glad my Civil War veterans are with me. They fully understand the permeability of time, and they go armed.
tootlepedal
February 11, 2012
Two great pictures. Both sides look pretty good to me.
Gerry
February 11, 2012
I believe you’re right. But we need something to occupy our minds during February.
uphilldowndale
February 12, 2012
From this side of the pond, I just know that is not the book for me!! I’ll stick with the stunning scenery and warm welcome here at TLV ( and now I’m off to the Atlas to weigh up the lay of the land over there).
Gerry
February 12, 2012
The notion of studying the lay of the land is a good one. I should do some map posts. Yes indeed.
Dawn K
February 12, 2012
1Q84? Obviously I am not a librarian anymore! Will have to go find out what it’s all about.
Gerry
February 12, 2012
I found an excerpt about the town of cats in the New Yorker.
My taste in fiction gyrates wildly between the obscure and the tacky, with digressions into magical realism and uber-cool minimalism. It just spoils my fun to read reviews. With IQ84 in particular I can’t imagine most of them would be worth a darn anyway.
Karma
February 12, 2012
Wow, that first picture makes me want to pull my bathrobe tighter and make another hot cup of coffee. The second is glorious. Torch Lake will have to be on my list for that photography (summertime, for sure) journey! 🙂
Gerry
February 12, 2012
Ah. Both those photos are from Andi’s perch on Grand Traverse Bay. But take all the trees down and she and I could climb the nearest sandpile and see both the Bay and Torch Lake. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to fine views. Come see.
Martha
February 12, 2012
Lovely photos. I used to live where the bay and lake meet. I should dig out some iceberg photos to share- because I don’t think I’ll be posting any photos of real time flower buds any time soooooon.
Gerry
February 12, 2012
I’m glad you liked them. Icebergs are captivating – unless, of course, you happen to be out in the wild wild water trying to catch a fish for your supper.
Belinda
February 12, 2012
Absolutely Gorgeous!
Joss
February 13, 2012
What, are those really icebergs? Surely not, you don’t live inside the Arctic Circle, is this a trick? And that sunset? What has happened to the sun? Or is it the moon? Seems like Torch Lake is somewhere on another planet.
Gerry
February 13, 2012
Nope, we live along the 45th Parallel, halfway north. We call them icebergs because they are large chunks of ice broken off from the shelf ice along the shore and floating free. “Large” is always relative, but they resemble yachts moving along on choppy seas. That’s the sun in the photo. The contrast between the sun’s brightness and the twilight gathering in the clouds and shadows is so great that the camera turns the sun into a nuclear explosion. We are also on a different planet, but that’s another post altogether.