October 18, 2014 Photo (291/365): "Cana Island"

I hadn't been to Cana Island for years. In those days, the water was much higher and the often deserted island was free to visit. I remember wading out, my wet Keds and jeans heavy as I trekked across the narrow causeway. Today the island is covered in zebra mussel shells, the causeway is paved over, and admission is a $6 donation to the Door County Maritime Museum. At home, we have a water color painting of Cana Island by renowned local artist, Gerhard Miller, hanging in our dining room. The lighthouse stands watch over a man and his child as they troll the island's shoreline with their fishing poles. I always image it's me and my dad, while Eric sees himself and his grandpa. Today, the keeper's house and tower are undergoing restoration and it was challenging to take photos without scaffolding marring the view. Time has taken its toll on the lighthouse and on me, I suppose. However, the island still feels wonderfully familiar -- like the rest of the Door Peninsula -- a place of nostalgia, of little girl memories; a place where my dad feels closer, ever present.