Don’t start analyzing focus, composition, etc. because it wasn’t meant to be the one National Geographic is looking for to have as their photo of the month. This is just my memories of the beautiful roadside parks along Lake Superior. It is all the memories of picnic lunches, kids building sand castles, skipping stones, and playing with water pumps, while I am soothed by the ice cold, crystal clear water as it laps the shore.

We are heading west, to Glacier National Park, and the “wrong” with this picture is that I put tons of energy into getting ready. I purchased new long sleeve tees for myself so I would be warm, I made the down comforters smaller so they would fit our beds better, I packed the flannel sheets and comforter covers, and made sure we had plenty of layers because we are going to the mountains, to the great northern tier of states, we were going where it is cold while my daughter returns to the sweltering heat of Texas in August. I feel so bad for her but so happy for us.

What is wrong with this picture is that we worked on the shoulder of Highway 2 yesterday, in North Dakota, in 95 degree heat, changing a tire that had blown out (exploded) on the trailer. We were thankful the truck held steady, that my hubby is good at changing tires, and thankful that it was on the passenger side. We were thankful that there wasn’t much traffic and there was a relatively cool wind with low humidity. But still, we were down to our last layers to take off before we risked arrest.

What kept our spirits up was knowing we had freshly purchased sweet corn in the fridge for supper and there was a good-sized city about 50 miles down the road. I was silently (I know how to avoid fights) bemoaning that the tire chose to blow at a very boring stretch of highway after passing lots of very interesting photo opportunities where stopping wasn’t possible. I couldn’t resist (in spite of guilt) taking a few photos while hubby was working but none had enough interest to be keepers.

Last night it was boy-this-flannel-covered-comforter-feels-good cold and today is predicted to be in the high 70’s. Hubby is in town getting a new tire for the trailer and then we will be off for Montana. Go west, old folks, go west.