Venetian Fest

Here's a shot of Elspeth and Alyssa in downtown Saugatuck on Saturday, July 26.

We were there to watch the Venetian Festival lighted boat parade and fireworks. The parade had some nice entries -- a 007 boat with a roulette wheel and a "Wizard of Oz" display. The girls liked the "Happy Feet" boat that had the movie showing on a large TV and penguins jumping down a slide -- all on a boat in the Kalamazoo River. I liked the "Gilligan's Island" S.S. Minnow boat.

The fireworks were longer than the Fourth of July display! Very nice.

Of course, town was packed. We had to park behind the high school and ride the Interurban to downtown. The kids loved the bus ride.

In other business

I recently finished reading "Oliver Twist." It's still powerful. I can see why Nancy's murder scene made people swoon and run in terror when Dickens read it aloud to Victorian crowds.

I've read the novel four or five times but find new details to amaze me. This time, I really put my focus on the symbolism of Oliver's innocence and how his violation is key to the plot. Odd how the plot is about Oliver but he himself does very little action. He's like a leaf floating in a raging river, always in danger of being swamped by the evil around him.

Funny how the musical "Oliver!" was spun from this. That's such a light handling of such a dark, criminal novel.

Now I'm just skimming through a history of the consuls of the Roman Republic.

Also, roof repairs continue at the house. The crew should be done this week. One of the workers handed me a piece of cloth on Saturday. That was the original roof, however many years ago, he said. People have just tarred over it and added wood on top of it.

Thought: Consider yourself at home.