Natures lessons and advice from a Rhino

I was feeling a bit down tonight for no discernible reason.  I knew I needed to get outdoors and get moving. So Baxter and I took a walk down one of our favorite country roads.  Nature had some lessons to share.

Tiny daisies grew in profusion along the road.  They thrive in the dry gravelly soil that is next to the hot asphalt and nowhere else.  I was humbled by their beauty.  "Learn to bloom where you're planted," they sang.  "You can thrive and be happy no matter what."

I stopped to inspect some vines that climbed up an old cedar tree beside the road.  Intertwined and strong, they held each other up and reached unimagined heights with the help of the ancient tree.  I thought of all the wonderful, complex and sometimes tangled relationships that make my life worthwhile and how much we all depend on each other.  "Love and appreciate your family and friends," they whispered.  "We're all in this together. You're never really alone."

After that, I enjoyed a sunset ride around the lake in the peddle kayak.  I stopped and chatted with some friends at the end of their pier.  It was warm, calm and peaceful.  On the way back I took a picture of "Rhino Point" which has been called that for decades for obvious reasons.  "Spend time enjoying the view," he muttered.  "It really IS the whole point."

The lure of fishing and catching memories

Two weekends ago, we had a little belated birthday party for one of our grandsons at the lake.  He wanted to go fishing with his dad, grandpa, little brother and a friend.  The day started out rainy but cleared up upon their arrival.  The fishing was very good that day and they had a great time.

But the best catch was right off the end of the pier just before dinner.  The birthday boy landed a big beautiful sunfish.

He and his brother proudly showed off their catch and then released it back into the lake.

The only glitch was when little brother jumped the gun and blew out the candles on his big brother's birthday cake leftovers, but we quickly lit them again and did a retake.

I don't fish anymore, but I remember fishing with my dad when I was a child.  My parents built a tiny cottage on the other side of Golden Lake when I was 4 years old.  They only kept it for 5 years, but over 60 years later, I still have vivid memories of those summers.

Dad loved to fish and even after the cottage was sold, he kept a boat and took me fishing with him often.  He was a quiet man and looking back on those times I remember rocking gently in our boat and fishing for hours.  Few words were needed.  We were content to be out on the lake together, waiting for a bite.  I loved those times with him and wish we could have had more of them, but dad has been gone now for 30 years.

Recently a dear friend of mine who is Catholic, arranged a Mass to be said in his honor and asked me if I wanted to attend, even though I haven't attended church for many years.  Only that morning, I had seen on Facebook that my cousins still celebrate their dad's birthday, even though he has been gone a long time.  He was my dad's brother, and I thought how nice it would be to do the same for my dad.  It turns out that the Mass was scheduled on July 16th because that was one of the few dates they had open for Mass requests.  It also turns out that July 16th is my dear dad's birthday.  He would have been 97.  Perhaps it's a coincidence, but I prefer to think that dad is still looking out for me.  So, we are going to church and then out to breakfast to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Dad!  Thanks for sharing your love of the lake with me.  It is alive and growing.

Addie and the Magic Water Carpet

We had a quiet 4th of July at the lake.  When my 3 sons and daughter were younger, it was not unusual to have a couple dozen extra kids around on most summer weekends.  The lure of the lake is not to be denied, especially when lots of water toys and good food go along with it.  30 years ago, I would spend Thursday grocery shopping, Friday cooking, and Saturday and Sunday feeding the crowds.  Monday and Tuesday would be spent cleaning up the house and catching up on laundry.  If I was lucky, Wednesday might be open to a few moments of quiet reflection.  Then on Thursday it started all over again.  Looking back on it, I remember it as being great fun along with a lot of work.  In retrospect, I know it really pleased me to see my kids and their friends having such a good time.

My children are all grown now, and one son and daughter have families of their own.  Most often our weekend gatherings include some of the grandkids.  We celebrated our 4th of July weekend on Sunday the 6th.  I still do most of the food preparation for the family gatherings here.  Three huge pans of Chicken Divan were ready to pop in the oven when the gang arrived and other contributions were brought along to add to the feast.

No day at the lake is complete without an afternoon of shenanigans out in the water.  Whenever my 3 sons or my son-in-law are around, the grandkids know that much mischief will ensue.  In other words, if you don't like being flung around in the water, you better not even think of putting on your bathing suit.

This year we were sure that little 1 1/2 year old Addie, our newest granddaughter would not be ready to join in the usual water mayhem that the 6-8 year olds love.  Seems that we were mistaken.  She couldn't wait to join in.  No worries....there was a "responsible" adult standing near her at all times.  She especially liked the big blue magic water carpet.

Even after a tumble off of it into the lake, she kept begging for more.   She also likes being flung high into the air which helps a lot if you are going to swim with your dad or your uncles.  In other words, she fits right in!

They all worked up quite an appetite for the feast which was followed by ice cream sundaes.  As the sun set over the lake, little Addie and her two big brothers were tucked into the car for the 30 minute ride home.  I was told that she was asleep 5 minutes into the trip.  Looks like we are still making happy memories at Golden Lake, even after all these years.  I am a very lucky woman!