Summer has come to an end in the Copper Country. The fall colors are peaking this weekend. I've been getting the house ready for winter. Snow scoop, shovels, salt, roof rake ready. Today I must tie up the bushes before they are covered in snow. The fire pit, campfire wood and doghouse are covered with tarps. Preparation for winter... the southern states do not experience this to this degree. The changing of the seasons. A feeling of accomplishment and a deeper experience of living. I'm just not explaining this right. I suppose I could spend my lifetime trying to explain this deeper process of living. I lived in Arizona much of my life. Some in the valley, some in the mountains (where it snowed), but the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the copper country and Lake Superior take living to a whole other depth. Remote, serene, survival, the people, the roots their past. This place is not transient.
Now on to the subject above... The grande Vertin Department Store. 4 levels of Sandstone architecture. This store was closed years ago (due to shut down of mines and economy)...then sold out of the family. Today, the owners have been maintaining this property, but now have begun to open this building to the public during 1st Friday (and also 1st Saturday of month). An art gallery and antique showroom. I will be playing music here next month. Hopefully representing Calumet is my goal. My family "the Shute's", have quite a history in the bar down the street. My Uncle Bernard Shute, married to Claire. Claire worked at Vertin's Store for over 30 years. She told me her job was to dress the windows. I walked around inside this building imagining what it must have been like managing these window displays. So many windows. I will post a picture on the instagram portion of this website. I am excited to work with the folks heading the management of this building and Main Street Calumet.