Summer in the Middle

When SummerFest ended, the streets of Ann Arbor seemed empty, and I was missing my outdoor music venue! Fast-forward 10 days, and it was time for the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair of more than 350 known and emerging artists from across the country. Now in its 58th year, it draws over 300,000 people during four days to see (and buy) newly created works, from life-size sculptures to photography to jewelry, and much more. What stunned me is that the Fair lines a dozen main thoroughfares near the campus and downtown, yet somehow the city still runs! I perused for two days (without a purchase), and took in some live music, too. Within days, the Kerrytown Concert House presents a "week after Art Fair Song Fest". The entertainment goes on.

While I've been in town for more than two months now, I'm still working on my "to see and do" list. As the calendar turns to August, I'm wondering if I will ever pass this way again. One never knows, right? There are three small towns nearby that I hope to fit into my itinerary, and last weekend, I spent a day cycling and walking, while playing tourist in Saline. 

​Named by French explorers for its salt springs, Saline is dear to my heart because it's where I've enjoyed cycling every Saturday morning with a small group from the local bike shop. Just four miles from "home", it was founded as a village in 1832, flourished with the expansion of the railroad, and by 1875, Saline was the principal agricultural shipping point in southeastern Michigan. In 1931, it became the "city of Saline", and today, with a population around 10,000, it's holding on to its small town feeling, while rural life diminishes.

As I continue to work, play and explore, I am also itching to roam. I've pondered Banff and Jasper, a return to New Mexico, a cycling trip around Lake Michigan, and travel abroad. With no definite decisions for the remainder of the year, I will say two things with absolute confidence -- I'm not ready to settle in one place, and I'm never going to live too far from the sea!