A visit to the USA, summer 2013

Dwight Peck's personal website

More annual lakeside fun in the Northwoods

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Madison and Spring Green

Leaping down the gangplank at the Madison, Wisconsin, airport, late July, to join Kristin, visit the university, and do some Shakespeare

First, a guided tour of some of the university, courtesy of friend David . . .

. . . and an introduction to the textiles museum in the School of Human Ecology, where David was finishing up his work on a thorough inventory project.

Nearly all of the vast collection is very beautiful -- the Victorian-era hair wreaths are just creepy.

Then out to Spring Green, half an hour west of Madison, to catch tonight's show at the American Players Theatre (just up the road from Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin)

The APT, founded in 1979, has two theatres -- the 1,200-seat Up-the-Hill amphitheatre and the 200-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre, as well as park-like picnic grounds, educational facilities, and whatnot. Everything we've seen here has been brilliantly done.

This is the Up-the-Hill Theatre's stage set for Two Gentlemen of Verona, a great performance of a mediocre play. We'll be back later in the summer for some more good stuff.

Up North

'Hats Off, Gentlemen!' to Kristin's indefatigable driving north through Baraboo (home of the International Crane Foundation), Portage, Stevens Point, Wausau, and points north: Kristin's cottage on the lake.

A congeries of inspired improvements and additions over three generations

And a good lawn for recovering from jet lag on, with an improving book

Kristin and Carol out for a drive on the lake

Time to coax the float boat back into its den

Lining it up for a straight run at the shore station

This is the tricky part.

A birthday tour of the lakes

Welcome bikers! The Bloody Mary bar is already open.

Eric has arranged an elegant rental for the birthday cruise -- we're late but, apart from our driver, the first ones here.

We've just got time to view the historical photos inside.

Memory Lane, when The Boathouse was called Bosacki's. That's Kristin in the centre, with the long braid, back in the day.

Lakeside bar/restaurant-wise, this is the main competition, the Thirsty Whale.

We're off on a leisurely cruise through a chain of northern Wisconsin lakes, celebrating Joellen's birthday. This is Lake Number One.

The local country club and golf course (Lake Number Two)

Settling in for a few more lakes

A long channel through to Lake Number Three

Invasive alien species

Between the lakes

Detour around the invasive alien species

Entering Lake Number Three

Chomping back the invasive alien species (a losing battle)

A disused canal, from the 19th century lumbering days, through to Kristin's lake -- mostly silted up now, and choked up with invasive vegetation, which is a good thing: no boats can spread the contagion in that direction anymore.