Friday, May 25, 2012

The Lake

I’m packing up to go to the lake this weekend, like I’ve done over a hundred times before. As I place the two basic necessities in my duffel bag, a swimsuit and sweats, memories begin to flood my mind.
My family has been journeying to our Bear lake cabin for so long; I can’t recall a single summer when I didn’t have a fling with this big cold mass of water.
As a kid I remember the three hour long drive taking forever. As our Astro Van cruised through the last few turns of the canyon my Dad would challenge us, “After which bend can you first spot the lake?” Our eyes glued to the window as we tried to be the first to witness the blue brilliance.
Bear Lake and its surrounding beaches taught me how to create the perfect sandcastle. It allowed for barefoot softball games. It fed us with hot dogs and S’mores roasted to perfection by our home made fire pit. The lake has, on many occasions, blessed me with its graces, a break in the weather and suddenly the water is as smooth as glass and the only single cut is made by my ski. Nothing feels better.
Some would say, “It’s too choppy, too cold.” Yet for me, it is ever the opposite. It is stillness and peace.
***Blogger's Note***
This was a prompt inspired by Write on Edge.

13 comments :

  1. This definitely brings us into your memoir and is very well written. I guess for the prompt you could have given more of a description of the lake/beach itself, but for purposes of the story I feel your desire to get to the place of peace.

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    1. Thanks Melissa,
      Yes as I read through the prompts today I could see, I had failed on describing the lake. This piece had more feeling and less description, for sure.
      Thanks for reading!

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  2. I could feel the fresh water splashing on my legs. :)

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  3. I loved this because I'm a lake girls, too. "swim suits and sweats" EXACTLY! Have a great time and make more memories. I can imagine you there by the picture. You know that shower pic showed in my story, that's at the lake house. Special places, they are.

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  4. I wish that I could have heard a little more about how the lake gave you peace, but I loved your description of the the car ride!

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  5. I want to go! I especially like the image of that ski cutting the perfectly smooth water.

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  6. It sounds absolutely wonderful. The detail of the Astro was particularly striking b/c it's not made anymore (right?)--in one word, you anchored us in time. Good job.

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  7. I have the same sort of affair with the back (high desert side) of Big Bear where my late uncle had a property adjacent to the Bureau of Land Management in the San Bernardino National Forest. This post was lovely and a nostalgic read for me. I'm thrilled you can find the same solace year after year.

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  8. I want to be on the shores of the lake, you make it seem like such a peaceful and wonderful place!

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  9. It's wonderful to have a place that evokes such great memories from childhood!

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  10. Being a Southern/Tropical girl, you totally threw me at "swimsuit and sweats." I had to pay attention, visualize a totally different water world than what I am used to. Very nice!

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  11. That photo makes me homesick. Very nice.

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  12. Oh my gosh! I remember playing the same game going up to the lake here. It was always a race between my brother, my sister and I as to who could see it first! This piece reminded me of that so clearly. Great job!

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