Bright September Sunshine on Lake Leelanau

Some professional painters and photographers are disappointed on bright, sunny days. They prefer the more subtle moodiness of fog or mist, gleaming rain and threatening skies. I like all that but must confess that I found Monday's sunshine more than welcome after a string of moody days. The world was washed clean and bright, and all its edges, those of water and of plants and animals, seemed to tingle and jump for joy -- metaphorically speaking, that is -- in the stillness of a calm September evening, every tiny detail a miracle of beauty.