The Lake and Me

I have given some thought over the years why I like spending time at the lake.  Some like racing up and down in a boat or hanging on behind on a rope.  For me it is different.  I thought about it again while taking this rare picture (for this year) of a Bald Eagle pair giving me an "eagle eye" this morning.  I am convinced they dislike me because with a digital camera, a laser light shines to determine focus.  As soon as I take a picture or two they are off.

Part of what I enjoy is the variety of God's creatures like this Red-Bellied Woodpecker which showed up yesterday. I think my Uncle Carl got me interested in nature and though a bachelor for most of his life, he taught his nephews and nieces to appreciate nature and in my case, to enjoy taking pictures.  He would have loved the digital revolution in picture taking.

Common visitors include this tiny Hummingbird and the Bald Eagle.  The smallest and largest of the bird world in our area.  The Hummingbird migrates far south and the eagle hangs around all year.  Seems odd that the little one has to travel while the big one hangs around.  And how does he know when to leave or find his winter stomping grounds?  I understand his heart beats about 1200 beats a minute and drops to around 35-50 in the cool night while in Tupor.

Our lake is one that has nesting loons.  The DNR is concerned about them and capture and put on tracking devices to discover why so many are dying after visiting the Great Lakes on their way to the Atlantic Coast or Gulf Coast.  On a web site you can actually see when and where they are in their migration.  It won't be long and they will leave.  When they returned this Spring, they found the lake still frozen.  How do they find the same lake without GPS?

These large birds, while not only beautiful, seem to spend their time taunting the loons in the lake who cry their distress calls whenever they spot them. 

This guy, whom I cannot identify other than it is a Dragon Fly, is another reason that the Lake gives me times of what I would call a spiritual experience.  Look at those eyes and those wings like transparent tissue paper.  I asked my parishioners once to simply make me a Lady Bug... it couldn't be that hard, could it?  No one did.  Yet look at the variety and amazing number of creatures that God has made in the world.

These Dragon Flies are part of the cycle of life in the North Woods feeding upon the mosquitoes that have made their appearance earlier in the summer so we are glad to see them.  They all fit into the cycle of life which Someone obviously has planned.

This noisy rascal brings his whole family to get free sunflower hearts.  They are beautiful and sort of bullies as the other birds scatter when they come.

How can anyone deny a Creator when you look at something so exquisite?  This blossom looks like a tiny bouquet of flowers.  All these flowers and creatures fit into a grand scheme in which they are interdependent upon one another and yet live individually in a world in which they know how to survive, how to reproduce, and how to survive the seasons that are pretty harsh in the north.

The tiniest creature and the big bright sky all speak of a Creator who loves colors... vibrant colors.  So while some may not understand, I find myself often in awe at such a fabulous Creator who cares about these many creatures and has made them and this world for us to enjoy.

And we get to enjoy this place with other friends in the same stage of their life as we are.