Hanging out in Nirvana with Ina and Kevin

Turning off the main road on to the street where Ina lives felt as if I was entering a different world. The houses are lovely and old and tended with care. I couldn't spend too much time lost in reverie though as I needed to pay attention to the numbers.

I knew when I'd arrived as the window boxes were familiar to me.

I pulled into the drive around back and found Ina waiting to give me a big welcoming hug. It was so nice to finally be there, and to know that I was parking myself for the evening. I'd gotten a later start than I'd expected and so had been offered the guest room for the evening. (Yes, she has a lot of shoes, many of them live in the guest room.)

While the front of the house is inviting, the backyard is the place to be. The gardens are truly lovely, and done in a relaxed style that I find calming.



Ina invited me in and took me through to the front porch (where Ruth resides) where we sat and chatted for awhile, getting over that initial awkwardness of meeting someone new. It certainly didn't take long. Soon, her husband Kevin arrived home carrying a bottle of red wine that came from the region. He was also warm and welcoming (yes, these two really are as fun in person as they are here). After a glass of wine we took off for a stroll through the neighborhood.

On the way out there was a Gus sighting. Yep, I was going to get to meet all the celebrities.



I took a shot of the cow as well, though later when Ina repeated the story behind it, I decided that perhaps it was best that I had merely admired it from afar.



The late day light was perfect for bringing to life the magical little neighborhood that surrounds their home.



This charming doorway captured the pride of most of the home owners in the area (there is after all, the neighbor).



And then we were at the lake, which feels much more like an ocean harbor given its vast size.




Kevin was full of stories about the area which truly brought to life all I was seeing before me (yes, The Amazing Kate C. would love the historian that came out in that man).

Soon we were standing before another notable stop on the Ina tour - the Great Tit.



There is a lime plant along the shores across from the pier where we were walking. Perhaps it is not the most attractive sight but the photographer in me had a blast capturing the uniqueness of the place.



Also, I was entertained by the small nautical touches that were to be found along this inland sea.



We encountered the "dying brontosaurus" barge whose wail had somehow been fixed and was sounding lyrical enough to be rechristened "Lemmy" (after the Loch Ness-like creature that is supposed to inhabit Lake Erie).



I noticed that the entire area was inhabited by birds.



Now given that Ina has a deep and true phobia about birds, I have to believe that her willingness to subject herself to their presence on such a regular basis is indeed a testament to the depth of love she feels for her man.

I mean - they were everywhere.



We chatted comfortably as we ambled down the pier and reached the sight that both had wanted me to see - the Light.



The light was perfect.

Soon though it was time to turn back. Kevin had band practice that evening, and well, I was getting hungry. I snapped some more shots along the way having fun with the light




and the moments that made me think I was near the ocean and not a lake.










When we reached the end of the pier, Kevin headed off to his band practice and Ina led the way down the road to one of their favorite local spots. This fellow seemed to be hanging out, just waiting to set the tone for the evening.



Dinner was at a place called I 5's (Ina please correct me if I got that wrong). If you ever find yourself there, I recommend the crabcake sandwich with homecut fries. Man that was good, and well washed down with a couple of beers. Also I got to meet Ina's baby-faced son who just happens to work there.

We lingered long but eventually it was time to take the stroll back to her home. I was eager to arrive as Ina had graciously agreed to light a bonfire at my request. There is little in life that is more relaxing than sitting around a fire on a cool evening, watching the flames dance as we enjoyed a couple more beers and some animated conversation.



Thanks again Ina and Kevin for gifting me with such a relaxed and fun stop during my travels. You are even more of a delight in person and I can't wait to make a return visit, this time with Deb.

Oh, and as for the reference to Nirvana - I'll let Kevin show up and explain that one.