While the Summer People are in Florida and Arizona and Costa Rica, the rest of us are at home keeping an eye on developments Around Here. Someone has to do it, and Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I don’t have anything better to do this week.
Development 1 – Return of the Steeple
To the surprise of everyone but the proprietor–Leanna Collins is never surprised when things go well–the Torch Lake Café project is moving right along. It seems there’s going to be a steeple on the building again. I am in favor. In fact, I’m hoping for a Golden Bell on top. (For those of you who are mystified, the steeple is an ironic architectural comment on the history of the building. You can see its various incarnations at Hope for sufferers of TLC withdrawal.)
Steeple rising like a phoenix at the future Torch Lake Café
Development 2 – Return of the Tourist Cabin Tradition
Across the highway and south a little bit the Torch Bay Inn is in the midst of renovations of its own, including the addition of six tourist cabins—an excellent contribution to a century-long tradition in Torch Lake Township. Just wait until you see them with landscaping and cute little kids running around in bathing suits.
Cottage units in progress at Torch Bay Inn
Tourist People, you are going to love these nice little places where you can grill a steak, play board games with the kids, sleep with the windows open – and then get up the next morning, walk to Barnes Park and spend the whole day splashing around in the waves on Grand Traverse Bay. This is a good way to spend a vacation, take it from me. I spent many of them that way before I decided that I might just as well live here and save the gas.
Development 3 – Just upscale enough
The Eastport Market has been expanding the offerings of craft brews in the beer cave. I have been sampling, and I can assure you the selection is excellent. The deli’s reputation for fried chicken has held up well over the years, and the case is full of new and interesting sides, along with Boar’s Head cold cuts and cheeses. Not to worry. It’s still a little country store, but even at this time of year you’ll find Stone House bread, Daisy sour cream, fresh cage-free eggs, and good produce. Also, inexplicably, Cowboy Rub.
Which brings us full circle. Miss Sadie and the Cowboy feel that we should go for another walk. I feel that they have my best interests at heart and agreed to go.
Torch Lake Views 
uphilldowndale
March 30, 2016
Well what a gleaming fluffy coat, has someone been to the poodle parlour? Good to see buildings on the up. I remember the very sad sight you posted once of a summer house that had flooded through the winter 😦
Gerry
March 30, 2016
The Cowboy’s coat always shows well in photos. In person, not so much. I rummaged around in my memory banks trying to find the flooded house and finally did. The Free House! The one where the pipes burst. Oh my that was terrible.
It has been a LOT of work to renovate the “old corner bar” but I am beginning to believe it will all be worth it. Leanna is a force of nature.
tootlepedal
March 30, 2016
What a fine portrait at the head of the post. Do many people feel the need to rub a cowboy? I am mystified.
Gerry
March 30, 2016
Thank you, on behalf of the Cowboy. (He cannot type comments, as he lacks opposable thumbs.) Many people do feel the need to rub, or at least pet, the Cowboy, but the rub in question is really a spice preparation that is rubbed on meat before grilling. “Cowboy rub” is thus a spice blend that evokes cowboys gathered around the campfire. The Cowboy, of course, thinks otherwise. He is fond of being rubbed.
tootlepedal
March 31, 2016
I don’t know whether I would care to evoke cowboys round a camp-fire when I was preparing my meat. I think I would tend to princes in palaces.
Gerry
March 31, 2016
I have been trying to envision two scenarios: cowboys around a campfire anywhere in the Scottish Borders, and a prince in a palace anywhere in Antrim County Michigan. Ever.
Nope. Can’t be done. We must resign ourselves to our equally exotic and incomprehensible cultures, ever tourists in each other’s countries. Fun to visit, though, isn’t it! Here, have some grilled venison.
Martha
March 30, 2016
Fluffy indeed! All fluffed up with someplace to go!
Looks like good things are afoot in your area with optimism of a grand summer ahead. Here, there is talk of what the Alaska volcano might do to our summer. That’s a thought I can’t bear to entertain.
Gerry
March 30, 2016
I remember when Mt St Helen’s blew its top. There were fabulous sunsets all the way over here in Michigan for quite awhile after that, but no nuclear winter/summer. Hold a good thought. (By the way, which “here” is “here” for you now? Up North or Down Southwest?)
Martha
March 31, 2016
“Here” is Wisconsin. I’m not moved yet. I have two jobs to complete this season and a house to sell…Realistically, it could be winter before I move from WI.
Gerry
March 31, 2016
There’s a lot to like in that combination. TWO jobs, summer in Wisconsin, walking/cycling distance to excellent treats, possible autumn in Wisconsin . . . OK, selling a house is not fun. Been there, done that, may be there again one day and not looking forward to it. But the rest is all good. I’m looking forward to hearing about it.
shoreacres
March 30, 2016
“Tourist cabin.” Oh, what memories that brings.There still are a few around, especially in snowbird country: i.e., south of here around Corpus, Port Aransas, and so on. People from your part of the world come down here and splash around in the Gulf.
There still are some teepee-shaped cabins in Wharton, Texas. A little cabin always is worth the money. When I was a kid, we’d go up to Leech Lake, in Minnesota, and spend a week or two. The leeches in the lake were a bit of a downside, but the fishing was good.
Gerry
March 30, 2016
Growing up in tourist country in northern Wisconsin, I always thought there was a good deal of glamor to the tourist cabins. Eventually I discovered that very few other people shared that opinion. I still love them. Leeches no. They are in the same category as pesky midges and ticks.
Martha J
March 31, 2016
I love tourist cabins. Growing up (and even as a young adult with a child of my own) our big family always rented a cabin on Lake Michigan. Most were pretty rustic and there were sleeping bags all over, but it was always fun to have a house full of family with fires on the beach (no permit needed back then), s’mores and stories. They are my best summer memories.
Gerry
March 31, 2016
I believe we should ask Louan to write a song about tourist cabins Up North. It will take her mind off her bruised knee.
Dawn
March 31, 2016
Cowboy you need to have Katie show you how to post. She does it while I’m not looking. Anyway, you look marvelous! Glad you, Sadie and your Mom are keeping a watch on things up thee. I was talking to your Mom a few weeks ago. I think Barnes park is the park she said had camping, but I can’t remember. Memory slips as you get older you know. Ask your Mom if that’s true…about Barnes having camping. Thank you sir.
Gerry
March 31, 2016
While the Cowboy is pleased to be asked for an opinion (and he has many, many to spare) he has deferred to the Human with Thumbs to reply.
Yes, Barnes is the place with camping that is quite near us. In fact, we often (Miss Sadie chimes in that “often” is more like “hardly ever”) – we have been known to take our walk up there and back. It is a very nice walk. If there is enough beach we can do it there and watch the waves the whole time. It’s a very nice county park. And Eileen, the manager, loves dogs. I went to the website (http://www.antrimcounty.org/barnespark.asp) the better to give you a link, and discovered that reservations have already begun. Think fast. If my house is up on stilts I may be camping out over there myself.
WOL
March 31, 2016
Since only people with thumbs are allowed to use my computer, the Fat Boy(cat) is opted out by default. However, he is more content to curl up between my legs on the foot rest of the recliner and copilot.
The mourning doves are Hoo Hoo Hooing fit to kill (I suspect the annual Serenading of Lady Doves is in progress), and a mocking bird is making a mockery of it. I really need to suit up and take a stroll down to the nearby playa lake to see what’s cooking, if anything, with the local wild fowl, but it won’t be till the grass and tree pollen count dies down a little. If we get rain, as promised, that will wash a lot of it out of the air to everyone’s great relief.
Gerry
March 31, 2016
I was just washing dishes and sneezing. Naturally I took that as a sign that I should not have to wash dishes. Oh well.
We had a nice walk this morning and heard mourning doves the whole way, never stopping to think that there might have been a mocking bird in there somewhere. Hmm.