On Lake Time

I never really knew what that meant till I had a house on a lake.  It is amazing how relaxed we are up here.  We wake when our bodies are ready to wake.  Our coffee is already brewing due to the amazing invention of coffee pots with timers.  We have coffee in bed, on the balcony or at the table looking out at this view.

We lounge around in our pajamas until it's time to put on bathing suits.  Yesterday Rod and I took the opportunity to go out for a paddle together in the double kayak.  The lake is so quiet in the morning.  It looks like glass.  Perfectly reflecting the world around it.  It is the tail end of summer.  Kids back in school.  Very few people boating.  A few doing yard work or drinking coffee on their docks.  We paddled to the end of the lake away from Rod's brother and sister-in-law's house.  We are usually headed in that direction to visit, show friends, pick blueberries, go the the turtle rocks.  We saw ducks, turtles, rock cairns, lily pads, and chatted about ideas for our own cottage as we checked out what other people have done with their lawns, docks, gardens.  What a wonderful way to spend a morning.

We've talked about a picnic table or a spot for outside eating.  Maybe a stone one? 

When we change out our dock for an easier to install one maybe we'll add
an extra section at the end for chairs, fishing, another boat tied up.

Any friends looking for a getaway?

When we returned we did a little fishing.  The girls were really into it yesterday and tried at various points throughout the day.  They were trouble shooting whether the time of day, size of the worm, or location had the biggest impact on their ability to catch fish.  A few frogs were found as well.

We eat when we are hungry here.  We are definitely not on clock time but on "lake time" when it comes to meals and snacks.  After lunch we went for a bike ride around the neighboring dirt roads to check out all the cottages we see from the lake from the roads.  The girls were bombing around on their bikes with gears and normal brakes.  I was learning how to use coaster brakes again on an old Columbia bike and worried about what would happen when my face hit the dirt road.  It was not a relaxing ride for me.  Although it was fun to see the lake from another point of view.  And the girls felt like they were back at camp again cruising the dirt roads.

When we returned from the bike ride it was time to float in the lake for a few hours.  The girls played "wipe out" where they tie our rafts and their cousins rafts all together and try to cross them without falling in.  The girls left on the dock are throwing buckets of water at them or squirting them with squirt guns.  Rod and I were sipping our ice coffee in our floats and enjoying the sunshine between bursts of big puffy white clouds.  I never knew I could be as relaxed as I am as I float in the lake, staring up at the clouds as they swirl and twist and change shapes as they cross the sky.  When I manage to crawl out of the floaty and on to the dock I am a amazed each time at just how relaxed I am.  We laugh and wonder if the neighbors up here think we are lazy to spend so much time just lounging in the lake.  But we don't really care.

In the afternoon Rod and I head off to do a little shopping at a garden shop.  Still looking for a little more outside furniture and could use a few plants.  They are having a sale this weekend so we skipped the plants and bought this ceramic stool for our side deck.  Perfect for relaxing with a cup of coffee.  We are all very content here.  Reading, writing, relaxing.  The dogs are quite taken with lake living as well!

Rod and I came home from shopping and cracked open some cold beers.  After the girls did a little more fishing and I started a fire we decided to head out for another sunset paddle as we missed it by minutes the other night when we tried.  We hop in the canoe and double kayak and head to the lighthouse.  Another gorgeous sunset on the lake.  We head home to cook hotdogs rather unsuccessfully over the fire.  We lost a few to the fire but everyone managed to get one to eat.

Rod and I stayed outside chatting by the fire and staring up at the miraculous stars above us.  The milky way is plainly in view up here and the sheer number of stars that are visible is astounding.  We ended the day with a quick refreshing dip in the lake!   I think we are following all the rules: Life is good on lake time.  Off for a morning paddle with the girls....