Sitting on the western shore of Lake Michigan, on a bench dedicated to a lady who passed away a year ago (born in my year, 1947), with artist paint on my fingers, I take up the computer as pen to try to project this amazing beauty that Miami and Key West mimic, and sometimes best. The besting part is that one can sit by southern waters 365/24/7 and never need more than a light coat. Several Wisconsinites have stopped by my bench to comment on my painting and to say, “That light coat you’re wearing… multiply it by 3 for our winters!" With a gesture towards the harbor, they finish with, "This will be ice.â€Â The thought of ice from my cozy bench all the way to the 2 light houses makes me shiver in anticipation. It will be cold tomorrow I think as we search for a place to sit outside in St. Ignace at the top of the Michigan peninsula where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. As a self taught artist, I look at my painting of the lighthouse and think “the perspective is wrong… it’s really not that color… etc†but what counts is trying to receive the beauty and save it. Everywhere we go (museums, stores, restaurants) we try to support local work.  Like today supporting the Ice Cream Parlor that has been active since the early 1900s as a family business and the Maritime Museum where we visited the submarine Cobia who sank 13 Japanese ships worth about 20,000 tons of enemy shipping. She was restored for the waterfront here. She is faithfully restored and beautiful and we thank the people of Manitowoc who love her. When the Cobia stories are told, included is a story about a sailor named Ralph Clark Huston who was killed on the Cobia by Japanese gunfire in a "running gun battle" and buried at sea. The Cobia was driven into the mud by depth charges by the Japanese ship that sank the USS Losarto, but the Cobia survived. Also celebrated in Manitowoc is the USS Losarto who was built in Manitowoc and sunk by a Japanese ship in 1945. There is a day of remembrance here in Manitowoc, and the USSVI (the convention we just attended) was formed by WWII vets to "remember." As congressmen men and women debate marching into Syria with our bombs, I wish we would "remember" and stop going to war. … In our tolling of the boats ceremony, we celebrate the lost submariners and say they are “On eternal patrol.â€Â Well the young man supposedly stayed with the Cobia for lost things are returned, and other mysterious events occur… Let us say thank you young soldiers and sailors. I’m looking up at 2 lighthouses… this is the western end of Lake Michigan and I guess she blows here sometimes to need 2 lighthouses! I tried to paint them… (This was written at sunset on Tuesday evening) … I also watched sunrise and we’re packing to head north around the peninsula on Wednesday morning! God bless you.