The Honeymoon Moon
Maryann and I wed June 3, 2001 and honeymoon’d on the Old Mission Peninsula circa Traverse City, Michigan at the Neatawanta Inn. This old lodge is owned by Bob Russell and wife. We were largely eating left over hor’s d orves and drinking opened bottles of wine at a picnic table on the bluff overlooking the small bay when Russell approached and said that there was an expected full moon to rise about 10:00 p.m. right over the little bay. Great we say.
That night we traveled down the peninsula and up the East side to the Rowe Inn for dinner. The Rowe is a fabulous rustic French restaurant with a great wine cellar Northeast of Ellsworth, Michigan near North end of Torch Lake. We rarely get there and love the cuisine and wine. Lots of wine. Perhaps we will get back to Neahtawanta to see the moon….or not.
I had just purchased a new VW and took over the drive “home” and assigned Mare to watch-for-deer duty. Being June sunset came later and as the light faded so did Mare. Happy spouse now asleep I took over deer recon.
Traveling South on M31 and looking for bovines I was excited to see a bit of yellow glow on the horizon. The Moon! Well, we will not get back to the Inn to watch the moonrise, but it is pretty clear as we travel. This sliver of gold came and went depending on the angle of the road (Paralax) and obscuring trees, etc. But it is coming!
We pulled into one of the small towns that we passed through on the way to the Rowe and I am convinced that once we clear the single stoplight and go up this steep hill the glory of the full moon will reveal itself! So…. I nudge sleeping Mare at the stoplight and advise that the Moon will be visible just as soon as we climb this hill…
Up the hill and to the right we see it there in the sky. Whereupon Mare in a profoundly sleepy voice asks the following question: “Bob…..why does the Moon say ‘Elk Rapids’ on it?”
Yep… the “moon” was in fact the Elk Rapids watertower. Oh… and yes, it “rose” in the South unlike our celestral neighbor which rises in the East. Duh…
Pretty clear that the “Honeymoon Moon” will haunt yours truly for a rather long time.
