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5 Things to do in May
By Joe Ludington
Spring is in full swing, the days are longer and lovelier, the flowers are popping, and the snowbirds are returning. (For sure, those snowbirds can’t be enjoying spring as much as us hearty folk who’ve wintered in these chilly and snowy climes.) But the biggest clue that winter’s over and done with (good riddance, if you ask me) is that the lads who draw a paycheck from the City of Ludington have begun taking down those blasted sand fences and cleaning up our beautiful beaches. Hallelujah!
The month of May can be iffy – we can be in our short sleeves and shorts on Friday and bundling up again on Saturday, be using our sunglasses and sunscreen before lunch and our windbreakers and umbrellas by dinner. But in the environs of our fair town, there are things you can do now that, if you did ‘em a few weeks ago, you’d be considered dad-blamed nuts. So here are five things you must find time to do during May:
1) Walk the beach. I’ve talked to people who’ve lived in Ludington for years, maybe since birth, who haven’t seen the lake close-up for years. I don’t like those people, usually. The water and the sand are our treasures – so get down there now. Drive out past the first curve, park that car, get down to the beach, and walk. Take off your shoes. Dig your toes into the sand. Turn your face to the sun and the breeze. Breath deep. Heaven, for sure.
2) The Red Door Gallery on Ludington Avenue’s open again after a bit of a vacation, so stop in. See what’s new. Say “Hi” to Nathan and Amanda. Thank them for coming to Ludington, and for sticking it out in a town where having an art gallery isn’t the easiest way to make a buck. Buy something, for crying out loud!
3) Walk out to the north pier lighthouse. Sunset’s the preferred time, but any time is worth the stroll. Everybody on the breakwater seems to be in a good mood. I’ve never seen a frown or an argument or heard a voice raised in anger or hysteria or panic while out on that long leg of concrete. But lots of “Hi-ya” and “Beautiful day”. Maybe you’ll even be out there when the Badger churns by. Wave, now. It’s part of the deal.
4) Plant some flowers. What a cheap thrill. For a few bucks you can get lots of nature’s little jewels for your garden. I just hope you’re a better gardener than your humble columnist, whose thumb is a rainbow of colors not including green. Of course, you could drive all the way out to the strip and buy your flowers from some bazillion dollar, faceless corporation, or you could buy ‘em right downtown at that outdoor place that pops up every summer near the Wesco that I can never remember the name of (apologies to my grammar school English teacher for misusing a preposition that way.)
5) If you’d like to see what tomorrow’s citizens look like, spend a few minutes watching the little tykes squealing, shouting, yelping, running, jumping, sliding and swinging (and quite often running into each other) at the Marina Park playground. Better than watching the monkeys in the zoo, as far as your humble columnist is concerned. When you're exhausted from watching all of that youthful exuberance, take a stroll among the sculptures and catch your breath.
So there you are – your agenda for the month. And I’ll see you in June. |
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