A Charlevoix walk – and artsy bears

It’s hard to imagine a more lovely place than Charlevoix in the summertime – especially when you factor in a pair of equally lovely grandchildren who happen to live there.

Taking a walk out to the lighthouse pier is a great way to start the day: blue sky and water, bright sunshine and a cool breeze blowing off Lake Michigan.

Gus waits patiently for his fellow, human walkers to catch up. He’s eager to fetch sticks that are thrown into the water – that is his job, you know. It’s hard work being a Golden Retriever, but someone has to do it.

Ella is more interested in making good use of the slide on the playground near the pier; sliding down, and climbing right back the same way she went down is no problem at all for a dexterous three-year-old. I guess that’s her job right now – being three and having fun.

At age 19 months, little brother Jack manages to find something new and exciting in just about anything – small rocks along the shoreline provide lots of opportunities to fine-tune that throwing arm for a future football career.

Mom and Dad may be hoping for a shooting point guard, but I still have my heart set on watching a grandson drop back into the pocket and loft a touchdown pass into the endzone for a high school state championship victory.

We’ll see who gets their wish on that one.

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Some highly decorative "bears" are on the prowl all around Charlevoix. The artworks are part of an innovative project that provides funds for American Red Cross, Disaster Relief. Local artists submit sketches for painting the life-size bear ‘statues.’ A limited number of designs are then selected, and the bears receive their colors. Businesses and civic organizations serve as sponsors for the bear statues which are placed at various sites around the city – like the Charlevoix Public Library where Ella was delighted with the map of Michigan painted onto the ‘growly bear.’

Some of the bears are purchased by individuals or businesses in a pre-sale format, while others are auctioned off at the end of the summer season.

Pretty nifty idea, I think. Maybe something that is worthy of consideration for our own hometown?