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Flights of Canada geese heralding the spring; and
then, all too soon, the end of summer;
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Anticipation of the season’s first trip to the lake,
and then, the sadness of leaving;
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The call of the loon late at night, or seeing the
osprey lifting off the lake with a trout in its talons;
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Memories of the first time you could take the canoe
out alone after passing your swim test;
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The first time you made it “up” on water skis, and
soon, the thrill of jumping the wake; water skiing tandem, and the
thrill of swinging ‘way out’ on the inner tube;
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Beautiful views of the lake, different with each new
day and season; indescribable sunrises and sunsets glimmering on the
water;
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Stars on a cool, clear night or the harvest moon
rising above the eastern horizon;
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Fish caught and the fish that got away;
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Hikes taken around the lake, nearby mountains climbed
and rare sights seen by only a few fortunate people;
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The joy and laughter of children swimming, playing on
the beach or feeding the ducks;
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Fireworks on the 4th of July, parties on the sand
bar, picnics on the raft, bonfires by the shore, and visiting with
good friends and neighbors;
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The morning swim, or the early morning row on a quiet
lake when the only sound is the rhythmic groan of the tholepins;
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The wind in your face and the quiet rush of water
past the hull as you reach across the wind with sails full, and the
Labor Day Regatta;
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Nature’s fiery brilliance of autumn leaves reflecting
on the glassy lake under a clear, blue sky;
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The quiet solitude of the lake as it progresses
through fall, preparing for another winter;
-
The big snow of _____ (fill in the year) or the
winter that wasn’t (2001-02);
-
Ice fishing on a crisp winter day, or cross-country
skiing to Streeter Lake, or snowmobile trips to Stillwater;
-
The white blanket of snow held on out-stretched white
pine branches, or draped around the hemlock, and a warm and cozy
fire;
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And, too, a place of constancy in our transient
world; “home” to come to throughout the years.
