Water Sports

Living on a lake has many advantages, the peacefulness of the view being the primary one. We are privileged to enjoy beautiful sunsets most evenings right out our back window.

When we moved here seven years ago, we purchased a 3-seater personal watercraft. It has been fun to ride and to enjoy watching the grandchildren being pulled around on various tubes and boards. This season it has had some electrical issues and has been out of commission for the last seven weeks. So here, with the start of school just three weeks away, it is finally running again. Tomorrow it goes back in the lake. We’ll have to make an effort to get a season of usefulness out of it between now and October, before it’s time to put it away for the winter again.

While our boat has been out of commission, a friend has graciously allowed us the use of his pontoon boat for several events this summer. That has been a pleasure, riding around the lake and enjoying conversation and the view.

Our lake is not recreationally crowded, except for the little park at the far end on weekend afternoons. At times, it seems we have it almost all to ourselves. (Well,us and the “low density” population of alligators that the wildlife officer tells me we have! This year’s alligator tags have been released for hunters, so it will, hopefully be even lower density after the catch!)

When we moved here, the previous owner left a floating chair that he used, tying it to the dock to keep from drifting away. Fishermen can be seen moving about near the shore in several spots, especially along undeveloped sections of the lake.

It’s a comfortable place, a sanctuary and a retreat. Some people have said when they visit our little lakeside cottage, that if they lived here they’d find it difficult to go to work! There are times that is the case. But there are also times when I take the beauty and peacefulness so much for granted.

I’m going to be more mindful of the privilege we have in living in such a lovely environment. And enjoy more sunsets over the lake.