Update from the lake

Lazy days and wild creatures

As I write, a very tiny baby bunny is chewing busily on greens in our abandoned firepit. We began the process of moving the firepit (not the bunny) last week because the cedar trees have grown so much, their branches would now hover a bit too close above the sparks. We have replaced the traditional rock encircled campfire with a steel fire bed and a cover. It’s easier to keep the fire small and sane that way. It wouldn’t do to burn down the cedar trees.

We have an unusual number of turtles at the lake this year. Fortunately, they are all the harmless painted turtles. We see them daily; their small heads popping up above the surface, only to disappear and re-emerge a few feet off. At first I thought there was only one who was hanging around, but it soon became clear we had a clutch of them. I have always thought of turtles as bland, easy-going creatures—not counting the snappers, of course—but one of our visitors caught a video of a turtle fight, which seemed quite intense. So, I am guessing they are territorial, which is news to me.

We also have a family of muskrats. We saw mom swimming along, carrying a leafy branch to her hole in the shoreline. I would like to see baby muskrats, and can only hope that our neighbors are pro-muskrat. You never know with people, and this worries me. So we will not mention the presence of the little family, and hope that they go unnoticed.

We have an osprey this year, whose hunting habits are remarkable to watch. We see her only rarely, but her distinctive arrow-headed dive is impressive. I only hope the fireworks the other night did not frighten her away.

I used to be a big fireworks person, but this year, I spent the show watching a lone duck swimming confusedly in circles, and it broke my heart to think of all the creatures who might be startled or frightened. Our own dogs are at home with a dog sitter who builds them tents to hide in, plays music, and generally distracts them from the noise. Even yesterday afternoon and evening the amateur fireworks continued sporadically. The bangs are far worse at the lake than at home because they are so close, and the water carries the sound. We miss the dogs terribly, and are heading home early this morning to see them. At the community parade on the Fourth, I felt a spasm of longing for Moses, who loved the parade and the guns and the sirens and the fireworks. He came with us every year, moving through the crowds with magnificent dignity, people unconsciously reaching out their hands to touch him as he passed.

The lake was busy on the Fourth of July, with everyone gathered for our neighbor’s rather magnificent show.

Last night the family went to the movies, but I stayed home. I sat on the dock with a book and a glass of sangria until the sun went down, and then went early to bed. There was rain in the night, and more is on the way, so it will be pleasant to go home to dogs and conveniences.

Happy Sunday.

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JFR

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And now for your gratuitous dog photos:

When he was younger, Eli could still curl himself up in the dock chairs. Not anymore.

Eli’s first July 4th, 2020