Yesterday we arrived in Porcupine County -- fictional site of my Upper Michigan mystery novels -- then opened up the Writer's Lair and settled in well enough for me to snap the sun descending into an oncoming storm from the northwest that rattled us most of the night with thunder and lightning.
The drive up from Chicago took nearly nine hours instead of the usual eight, thanks to keeping at 63 mph on the four-lanes and 55 mph on the two-lanes to save gas. The old Odyssey, as thirsty a beast in the city as there is, actually achieved 28 miles per gallon with the light-on-the-throttle touch that the auto experts advise.
There was nearly no northbound traffic on US 45 north of Antigo, Wis., and the motel where we stayed in Antigo was barely 20 per cent full. When we arrived in Porcupine City, the town seemed almost empty. Looks like the gas crisis is severely crimping tourism, one of the few ways Porkies are able to make money, and somehow I will have to work this unhappy development into Hang Fire, the novel-in-progress.
Desperation can drive people to murder.
Welcome back to the UP!
ReplyDeleteBased on the sunsets posted a few days ago, it looks like the tip of the 2nd point comes pretty close to being a Stonehenge-like autumnal equinox predictor when view from your your beach.