Lakeside Memories

 Lakeside Memories Sept. 16, 2011




Autumn has arrived in Minnesota. I’m happy and content with the quiet...this is where I belong. I hear only nature’s noises: cardinals and woodpeckers flying through the trees and bushy squirrels gathering nuts, the crunching pine needles and brush under my feet and rustling leaves somersaulting through the crisp air. Solitude is relaxing. Yet, my meanderings in the woods also inspire me with new ideas to write and read, to bake and paint.



Christmas ornaments, Santa figurines, and strings of lights have appeared at Home Depot and Costco. When the calendar flips to October, even Target and Macy’s will don their holiday trappings of red and green. We haven’t enjoyed the pumpkins and ghosts of Halloween yet, much less a Thanksgiving turkey! Because Nordstrom at the Mall of America keeps Santa under wraps until November 25, I’ve decided that’s where I’m going to take my shopping dollars.



Meanwhile, here on the lake Buddy, my Beagle pal, and I are enjoying the turning colors of the maples in our woods. Nestled deep in the wooded park are fading wild flowers scattered along our walking paths. I notice how dry our dirt path is, the fallen limbs, and shriveled weeds; Buddy pays attention only to the smells. He enjoys sniffing any greenery for doggie odors sprayed on the purple asters and goldenrod, which makes him sneeze. We spy white flowers resembling Queen Anne’s Lace and a few clumps of black eyed Susans. But the lady slippers and marsh marigolds have closed their leaves, shivering with dropping temperatures. Jack Frost has arrived and worked his magic.



The north woods wedding we attended last weekend combined a joyous celebration of marriage with friends along with the quiet peace of the woods. Only the loons sang their haunting song, and acorns bounced off the trees onto the forest floor. It sounded like the squirrel population had exploded. Neither cars nor boats roared on these back roads as we slept in the cozy cabin on Gull Lake. The cabin’s knotty pine walls reminded me of the basement recreation rooms of school friends where we danced at those memorable boy-girl parties. I relaxed, reading my favorite Nelson DeMille thriller in an Adirondack chair, mesmerized by the quiet of the peaceful lake.



The row of tiny lakeside cabins brought back the good ol’ days when Mom and Dad, Barbie and I piled in Dad’s sleek, blue Hudson to drive to the north shore for a few days of fishing and campfires. And yes, we also had nightly visitors...mice and the black droppings they inevitably left on the floor and in the cupboards. But none invaded my peace at Sandy Beach Resort, a family resort near Nisswa, where memories of a lifetime are made for vacationers lucky enough to find this gem. It was nothing like a Motel 6 or Red Roof Inn.



As Buddy and I meander through the trees, I wonder where the red fox is hiding and the family of little Bambis. Some mornings I find a young deer venturing out of our wooded park into my neighbor’s bushes to find more berries to munch on. This morning I discovered droppings from raccoons on my deck and a few mouse tidbits have appeared in the laundry room.. Cold weather always brings these critters inside for warmth. Even Buddy forgoes his all-day squirrel hunting trips in our yard when the weather is only 40 degrees. He prefers to curl up close to the fireplace nesting in his favorite blanket.



September and October always remind me of why I love living here in Minnesota’s changing seasons. Maple leaves form a crazy quilt on the lawn; we cruise the quiet lake, now deserted by most boaters; and I smell the curling smoke of campfires where folks are roasting marshmallows. Who can resist those heavenly smells of roasts and casseroles baking in the oven, warming the kitchen, and supper topped off with pumpkin pie or a big piece of spice cake smothered in cream cheese frosting? I’m excited about getting out my flannels and corduroys, sweaters and down comforters. It’s time to find a challenging jigsaw puzzle to spill out on the puzzle table, build a fire in the fireplace and pop popcorn. This is the season to savor every autumn day of Mother Nature’s fleeting splendors. 728 words