To the members of the Royal Order of Racoons:
The 4th July is a day that we are filled with National pride, those of us who were born American - and perhaps even more, those of us who have chosen to become American.
This 4th of July was perhaps the most special 4th of our lives, when the ROOR stepped up and offered help to us, stranded in Benton Harbor with a broken down car.
With no reason other than that of kindness, you came to our rescue and provided us the means to have a magnificent 4th July long weekend. The pride that we feel in living in a country where strangers come forward and go so far out of their way to fix the car and take us all the way to Grand Rapids - is overwhelming. And I for one did not keep dry eyes.
David and I would like to thank you most sincerely, both for what you did and for who you are. Having thought about how to "repay" you, I think the best repayment may be to tell you we will not forget this - and we will pass it on whenever and wherever the need arrives - and like the 5 fishes and 2 loaves, the deed will swell as we pass on the kindness. One other way that we can thank you: Let us tell you about the wonderful weekend we had, and hope and expect that when we know we are going to be up at the lake next, we would love to entertain you for a day trip.
Dave Rhodes dropped us at the Zoo, and Jill bundled us into her Jeep and took us up to the cottage. There I made the bed, while David went to turn on the gas and light the refrigerator (a tradition - we must do these simple chores before we allow ourselves a canoe ride). Once in the canoe, all stress and concerns melt away as we make our way through the yellow and white lilies that line the lake, before slowly paddling down to toward the swamp where the blue heron hangs out - disturbed, he spreads his wings and moves silently down the lake. The noble pines are heavy with cones on the top 6 foot or so and their branches bow down with the weight - giving a little of the shape of the fireworks that will come later that evening. On down to the corner of the lake, where earlier in the year the dogwood was blooming, now superseded by the wild rose. Earlier this spring we saw a deer down at the water's edge, but now we see a group of cedar waxwings eating June berries. We pass a couple of fishermen sitting in their boat, and looking down into the water saw a 12 or 14 inch snapping turtle feeding at a fish nest - those are some young fish that will never be. On again, disturbing the heron once more, and she turns and heads back to her original perch. The water is clear, and I see an old hollow stump under the water that was there the first time that David came up here, more than 45 years ago. Now we have passed the quiet stretch, and come to the home of the blue canoe and Jo and Charlie. Dave! Elizabeth! So glad you made it and could you come to dinner and bring your famous scalloped potatoes ? Of course we would love to. Funy how we eat so differently up at the cottage: wholesome, old-fashioned food - with a little broccoli thrown in for good measure. Paddling on, we pass the red cottage - and hear that John and Linda have not made it in from San Francisco - they were coming by train, the recent floods have knocked out a bridge and without any ROOR in Colorado, they are driving and will arrive tomorrow. On past the Sauer's cottage to find out what time the fireworks will start, then to the brown cottage to see that Roger has made it from Colorado and his family has come up from Ohio - all 11 of them in their tiny 1-bedroom cottage! Past Jill and Peggy Mahaney's little white cottage with the new dock that Sauers built, and Jim Montgomery's where a pine fire is burning, smelling sweet - and home to make the potatoes, then sit with a cup of tea and marvel at the beauty of the evening light on the lake. Our cottage sits up a little, surrounded by pine trees - with a dining porch, a living room with fireplace, two bedrooms and a small kitchen - yes, the outhouse is down the path, but faces the lake and has the most beautiful view of any outhouse you could imagine J
Dinner at Jo and Charlie's was for their extended family - coming from Seattle and Chicago - and friends Richie and Ellen from the white cottage. After dinner and stories about the year, we canoed back across the lake, to share wine with Jill as we watched the fireworks. What a magnificent 4th - all because of your incredible generosity. The 5th and 6th were likewise filled with sitting quietly enjoying, or canoeing, or sharing a glass of wine with old friends. On Monday, Jo and Charlie offered to drive us down to Benton Harbor to meet Dr. Fred and Norma Jean. We stopped on the way to have a look a Holland, something I'd never done before, then drove on down the road. Jo and Charlie are our rather special benefactors also. Back in the 20s, a group of Chicago school principals bought the land for a type of Thoreau's Walden pond experience - and later changed their minds, one by one selling out to Charlie's grandfather. Since that time, their family "rent" the cottages to the rest of us, charging only tax costs - and we in turn maintain our own cottages. We are all grateful to them for making this our own form of paradise.
So back to the ROOR. I don't know when, but we'll turn up some morning at Big Boy's I'm sure. We love you for what you did.
Dave and Elizabeth