Along the Lake

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 18, 2015

Spending four too short days in a cabin on a lakeshore provided me with the opportunity to watch the changes as the world wakes and how it affects the beauty of the world that I am watching.

This morning, for instance, I am watching the sunrise behind the hills as the world wakes. The colors are building as the dawn creeps closer and I can see autos driving along the roads across the lake from me.

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 16, 2015

It is quiet, more quiet than I am used to back home. And it is cold this morning, 31 degrees here, but I am sure it is much colder up the hills away from the stabilizing microclimate that the lake provides. There is a frost! The leaves are turning to greet the rushing end of autumn.

Soon the trees will be naked and stark in preparation for the harvest celebrations and the winter ahead.

Geese over Seneca Lake
October 17, 2015

But just yesterday, I stood on the dock and watched a flock of geese fly overhead. Their squeaking and honking filled my heart with excitement as they gathered together in flight and headed off to find food in preparation for their trek south for the winter.

The lake was calm and the sky clear blue as I stood there. I wished, as I always do, that I could experience flight the way that they do. Together in a flock working together against the elements not even aware of the laws of flight working to keep them in the air. They are just free and flying.

I admit, I have seen the lake slate gray and cold as well, although I did not take an image of it. It was a foreboding sight.

I have appreciated this long weekend because I have reconnected with the scenic beauty of upstate New York and enjoyed one last visit before the harshness of the dark season begins. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY