A Leelanau Reprieve


Empire Beach - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Imagine strolling along Empire Beach at dusk, the last golden rays of a summer day shimmering on the lake.

 The cool water caresses your feet.  A lone gull circles high above the blue green forest.

The evening is serene, and all is right in the world.

 Then, ...

 Your eyes are drawn to an unbelievable and terrifying sight - the silhouette of a man hanging by his neck from a tree on the bluff, his body gently swaying in the breeze.

 A true account of this hanging was reported in the Leelanau Enterprise a few years ago.

 Ever since, I've tried to imagine what it would be like to come upon a scene of such overwhelming incongruity ...

 Between the beauty and contentment of one moment, ... and the ugliness and anguish of the next.

 How could this be … in the Land of Delight?

It could not be.

 Evil could not prevail in Leelanau, ... not on this enchanted evening.

 As if by miracle, a smartphone signal alerted the county sheriff to the whereabouts of this distraught soul ….

 And he was rescued from the tree before his life ran out.

It is no coincidence that good is victorious in the most beautiful place.
See You Up North,
Chris
                         Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  Empire Beach - site of 
                         the miraculous "Leelanau Reprieve."  One look, in any
                         season, and you'll know why death hath no sting in 
                         the Land of Delight.  In Empire Village, take Niagara
                         Street west to the big lake. Parking fee may apply.
NOTE:  All advertising revenue from "Leelanau Up North" assists those in need at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.  Just click on the ads and it's done.  No out of pocket from you.  Thanks.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Chance In Leelanau

Image
Photo Courtesy Of Pure Michigan I like to contemplate chance encounters. Like when I'm walking the beach at Platte Bay, ... And another solitary hiker approaches from the shadow of the dunes. As we pass, we might exchange a smile, a greeting, perhaps a few trite words. Just two travelers, on a stretch of sand, in a fleeting moment ... Which will likely never be repeated in the history of the world. Still, I marvel at how we got here - strangers, you and I. How from the beginning of time ... To the circumstances of our births, To the unfolding of our lives, To our decision to walk the beach at Platte Bay, To the precise interplay of our gravity, force and momentum, The universe has conspired ... To cross our paths ... At this very minute. What are the chances? See You In Leelanau Up North, Chris                     Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  Platte Bay - A graceful curve of the                     National Lakeshore unparalleled for its sweeping blue vista.                     Take
Read more

In Leelanau, ... Looking Back

Image
Empire  Beach  Sunset To behold a Leelanau sunset, Is to glimpse a bit of heaven from earth. But not in real time. For to look at a Leelanau sunset, Is to look back in time - About 8.3 minutes ago to be precise. Which is the time it takes for our sunlight To make its 93 million mile journey To the Land of Delight. So, the sun actually sets eight plus minutes before the sunset image we view from our little planet. Indeed, everything we see in this universe is time delayed, By milliseconds to millions of years, Depending upon its distance from our eyes. In other words, ... In Leelanau and beyond, Now is an illusion. See You In Leelanau Up North, Chris                 Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  Leelanau Up North - recently named                one of the top 70 Michigan blogs by the editors at Feedspot.com.                Check out Michigan's most popular blogs at  Top 70 Michigan Blogs . CLICK  'SUBSCRIBE'  AND  ENJOY  A  BIT  OF  LEELANAU  UP  NORTH  BIWEEKLY!
Read more

A Leelanau Christmas

Image
  View From Empire Beach When I was a younger man,  He never told me ... There would be longings without fulfillment. There would be heartaches without healing. There would be questions without answers. But now, as an older man, I remember what He did say ... There would be love without conditions. Nothing else really matters.
Read more