With One Small Step...

726 miles, 14 hours on the road, and we have arrived in Three Oaks, Michigan at my mom’s summer cabin to begin our tour of this great country of hours. The journey was long and traffic-filled, but otherwise uneventful. The boys watched 7 movies or so, and we listened to about 2/3 of a mindless Clive Cussler mystery on CD. We know this route like the backs of our hands-- 287 South for about 10 miles, and then 700 or so miles on Rt. 80 through Pennsylvania (65 miles per hour, strict police enforcement), Ohio (less strict), Indiana (70 glorious mph, nary a cop in view), and then up into Michigan for a few miles. We spent the first full day sleeping late and hanging out at the pool, and then the evening was pizza and salad at the pavilion here on site, followed by a few games of bingo with 125 people or so. The community here at the cabin resort is so nice and laid back; both boys made friends instantly and were able to wander around safely and worry-free. We finished the day with a bonfire I made near my mom’s cabin (thank you, thank you very much, I’ll be here all week!), smores, and the good company of 4 other really nice couples that my mom and my aunt (also a “camper” as everyone around here calls themselves!) have made over the years. A totally fun and relaxing first day-- especially since we didn’t spend a moment in the car!
Yesterday, we slept late again (yeah!), and then went into Three Oaks proper for a breakfast that couldn’t be beat, and a visit to the town’s charming Farmers’ Market. There were twelve stalls or so-- every one with exclusively local farm products, and almost all produced without the use of pesticides. Fascinating that almost no farmers I’ve spoken with this summer (including Kayam or Farmer Rich, the synagogue’s CSA partner) participate in the federal “Certified Organic” labeling program. Every last one says that the program is filled with loopholes which allow “certified” farmers to actually use various pesticides. So for the “privilege” of massive paperwork, a hefty fee, and random and uneven oversight, a farmer can choose to associate themselves with a certification program that compromises their principles. Or, as most of these farmers have, they can simply avoid claiming to be certified, and simply talk to their customers, telling them (as they do) that they grow their goods naturally, without the use of pesticides. It’s a real shame that this process has been co-opted, but it simply underscores what I believe more and more all the time; we’ve got to get back in real relationship with one another, and then we wouldn’t have to worry quite so much about official labeling requirements.

I loved chatting up the farmers, hearing their stories, and sharing my experiences at Kayam. We bought organic eggs, as well as sweet corn (non-organic; haven’t yet found any organic sweet corn), potatoes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, onions, garlic-- all good things we can grill tonight!

After a brief stop back at the cabin to drop off the produce, we headed up to Saugatuck, MI, where we met up with the family of a woman who Elyssa had spent 4 summers with when they were young teens at a Wisconsin summer camp. After 25 years, they reconnected last year on Facebook, and they reunited yesterday! We had a great time with them. They’re super nice folks, and our kids got along smashingly well. We then wandered the charming town, picnicked for dinner by the Kalamazoo River, and enjoyed the “Venetian Night” festivities which included a Boat Parade and fireworks over the river. Another terrific day and late night.

Today will likely be another pool day. It’s a rough life, let me tell you!