Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A completely unrelated summer's day

Overlooking Lake Michigan from the garden behind Legs Inn in Cross Village. I am trying to organize my photographs and move a lot of them off my laptop. With digital photography, there is almost no limit to the photos one can take, this is wonderful and, also, results in many more photos than anyone needs. I just found this one; I'd like to see it as a painting, slightly simplified--but retaining the shape of the tree, the fence, the clouds, the person.
This garden has a special resonance for me; my son-in-law showed me the place near his home town the year before her died. My son and his wife announced their pregnancy to us here. We try to eat here a couple of times a season, often as an anniversary or birthday celebration. I can recommend the dried whitefish, the potato pancakes with stewed apples and the pierogi without reservation. I should take pictures of the food this summer when we go there. The story of the restaurant is very interesting: it was founded by a Polish immigrant, Stanley Smolak (I think this was his name and will verify later,) who formed close ties to the native Odawa people. He was a sculptor in wood, using a lot of driftwood and often following the natural tendencies of the wood. His sculptures are throughout the restaurant and garden. The place is called Legs Inn because the the upended old enameled stove legs that form a sort of crown or battlement on the edge of the roof. Polish exchange students often summer here and work as waiters to practice their English. It's one of America's little interesting byway places.

1 comment:

  1. Love this picture! It's very evocative...the story along with it, put small tears in my eyes. I can see it as a painting.

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