This morning I woke up thinking about being up at the lake . . . even though we’re not up at the lake this week . What a lovely and contemplative place it is. And how lucky we are to be able to return to it each summer . . . as often as we choose.

We’ve had our little cabin on the lake for 30 years now. Technically longer than that. But it took us awhile to get it built and ready for “living.” In earlier times, when I was much younger, I used to head down to the lake in the middle of the day so I could hang out on the dock in full sunshine. (Back then, I liked working on my summer tan — something I’d been doing all my life.) Mostly, I wrangled my kids and the dog (Jake The Wonderdog) in those early days, but sometimes I got a little time to myself. I liked taking one of the kayaks out by myself. Sometimes I read a book or maybe a magazine. Mostly, I just marveled at the way the lake mirrored the sky . . . and thought about how glorious it was to have a place like the lake to just get away from “regular life” for a while.

I still feel the same way . . . though now I head down to the lake after I know the sun is well beyond the trees and the dock is in full shade. Later in the afternoon. It’s cooler. And less buggy by the lake. (And having a tan doesn’t matter to me anymore; comfort – and healthy skin – win every time!) The lake still mirrors the sky. I usually see the loons. Turtles. An eagle if I’m lucky. Maybe a heron or a muskrat. I almost always have a book with me – which I may or may not read. Sometimes I bring some knitting, although it rarely leaves my bag. JoJo always goes for a short swim. She loves the water, but she’s old now. And tired. And prefers to cool off in the lake and then nap on the dock under my chair. Tom often comes down for some fishing. It becomes a full afternoon . . . of a whole lotta nothing.

At the end of the day, we all climb into our ancient pontoon and cruise around the lake for a while. We now (officially) have the oldest and most . . . ugly? basic? can’t-believe-that-thing-still-floats? . . . pontoon on the lake. We bought it from a lake neighbor in 2006 — and it was quite ancient then! It still has its original motor from the mid-1980s, which (unbelievably) consistently starts up every time. Anyway, it wasn’t always the oldest-pontoon-on the-lake. There used to be other even more decrepit pontoons out there, but over the years, more and more lake neighbors have “upgraded” to shinier, newer models. Maybe we’ll do that, too. Someday. But for now, our little old pontoon with its tiny old motor gets us around the lake safely and reliably.

For all these years, the lake has been a lovely place to spend my summer days.
I’m lucky to have it. I treasure my relaxing afternoons doing . . . nothing at all . . . for hours at a time.