Wednesday, October 1, 2014

my little slice of heaven

I have been a lazy blogger.   I am not ready with an art post, so to appease you, I'm going to post about my lake.  You've seen it here before, and will see it again.
view of town beach from my kayak
I've been smitten with lakes most of my life.  My first teaching job was near the shore of Lake Champlain, and it was there that, besides spending summers swimming and sunning, I also learned to windsurf and became a certified scuba diver, both activities which I enjoyed for many many years.
lake panorama, from kayak
When I first met my husband, and he told me he had this 'camp' on Loon Lake (one of many such named lakes), I was very excited, because it was at the same lake where my family vacationed many summers, and where I first swam, and where I first rowed a rowboat by myself.  Lo an behold, his property turned out to be a stone's throw from where my family used to vacation!  I can walk or swim there!
abstract ripples, as viewed from my lounge chair on dock
For many years, I poked around the shoreline in a little inflatable boat, or a canoe, until my son went to boy scout camp and came home telling us he wanted a kayak.  We bought one second-hand, and that is the kayak I have used extensively ever since.  We still have the canoe, and another kayak, and also a cute little rowboat that my husband likes to use.
 Above, a lone loon.  We have several loons currently on the lake, and it is always magical to hear them and see them.  For those of you curious about the fate of the loon with the fishing line in his mouth, the answer is simply "I don't know."  The loon expert was unable to locate and rescue him, and I haven't seen him again, but just a few days ago a neighbor told us he was still around, and had been diving and feeding.  So - fingers crossed that he is able to survive.
Loons - we awoke the other morning to their haunting calls!
Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago, in my kayak, I was daydreaming and recalling a trip to Alaska many years ago, where they told us to always look for 'white golf balls' in the trees.  That's how to spot eagles!  So, while daydreaming, I casually looked up above me, and this is what I saw:
 A half hour later, I was relaxing in my kayak at the marsh at the end of the lake, when a huge shadow passed over me.  The great blue heron landed nearby, and here he is:
Anyhow, here's a few more recent pictures of 'my' lake. 
 This is my favorite time of year - autumn in the Adirondacks is beautiful!
These photos, by the way, are NOT edited.  It's really this pretty here!  I can't locate any photos, but I always loved doing elementary color-mixing art projects in the fall, because none of the colors we see are 'straight out of the bottle colors'.  We'd sponge-paint leaves, and reflections, trying to mix the varieties of gold, amber, ochre, red, burgundy, olive, mustard, tomato, and so much more, that we see all around us.
A few days ago, we hiked up nearby Stewart's Mountain, an easy climb.  Here's a couple of views of my lake from the top of the climb.
 And finally, a couple of weeks ago, before the colors started changing -

8 comments:

  1. What a lucky woman you are - and a fabulous photographer too - I love the colours around the lake

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Neena. I am lucky to live in an area with trees that turn so spectacularly in the fall.

      Delete
  2. Your fall leaves are spectacular. Except for one street up the block from me where the trees turn before losing their leaves for the winter, the trees around here remain green and leafy all year round. I'm jealous!!!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha Christie! That's what you get for living in a state with perpetual Summer! Just remember, you have those spectacular ocean views year round, and I have to travel to have that.

      Delete
  3. really awesome, phyl! my in-laws live on a lake outside portland, maine. they love the daily and seasonal changes that occur on and near it. those fall colors are spectacular. kayaking is such a great way to get around. ive been doing some ocean kayaking with a buddy of mine. seeing the coastline from out in the ocean is pretty sweet. thanks for sharing a taste of fall:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Don. I've never done any ocean kayaking, though my brother who splits his time between New Hampshire and Cape Cod kayaks frequently on the New England coast. And I'm guessing that Portland Maine is beautiful this time of year!

      Delete
  4. Congrats...you are the winner of the Sept. 2014 Comment contest on Art Room Blog. Please contact me at doodleallday@hotmail.com where you would like your prize sent.
    Your photos are amazing, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Thank you! How exciting to win something, even though I can'tremember what the prize is!

      October 4, 2014 at 11:18 PM

      Delete

Due to spam/phishing overload, comments are no longer being accepted on this blog. You can find There's a Dragon in my Art Room on Instagram if you wish to react to this blog or contact me.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.