I'm in full summer mode here at the Curio Cabinet. This means a lot of exploring outdoors and very little writing or artsy-fartsy. But the exploring part also means collecting -- I have some interesting rocks from the coast of the Upper Peninsular in Michigan to add to The Cabinet. None are agates (or chlorastrolite for that matter), but they are colorful and pock-marked and spotted with amygdules, which are vesicles formed in rock that are filled with another type of mineral. It's also simply a fun word.
Due to a canceled ferry (cause: gale-force winds), I spent a full day in the tiny town of Copper Harbor, MI. It's a beautiful place and at the summer solstice, it was filled with the largest blooming lilac bushes I've ever seen. Horseshoe Harbor is where I picked up my rocky treasure trove. There's also the Keweenaw Agate Shop in town and the proprietor is awesome--she taught me all about agates.
Wildflowers were also in bloom and in Isle Royale National Park, I added to my list: pink lady's slipper, thimble berry, Eastern columbine, pale corydalis, starflower, bunchberry, wild calla, bluebead lily and striped coral root. Other lists have been created as well, most notably a growing to-read list thanks to friends, social media, and strangers on airplanes. Here's to long summer evenings, full of exploring, list-making, and list-doing.