Near Northport, this spit of land projects out into Lake Michigan and once was a natural pier for commercial fishing boats. It is a delightful spot, mostly inhabited by shore birds - gulls, herons and occasionally an eagle. This day the sky was bright, the wind was gusting strongly, making painting conditions rather difficult. I had to hunker down close to the ground and paint as quickly as I could to avoid being blown over. The wind, however, finally overcame my little setup, overturning the easel, brushes, paint, and pallet, everything into the sand. I surrendered, brushed off the equipment and went home to finish the painting from memory. Now, as I look at the finished results, I feel the weather of that day can somewhat be sensed in the painting - the most a painter can hope for. Gene Rantz