Let's Celebrate!

What good is the beauty of nature, if we don't slow down and take the time to appreciate it? Not only that, but celebrate it! It's not every day that you get the chance to see something so spectacular as a lone loon popping up sporadically around a still blue lake.

I had the opportunity over the Fourth of July to go kayaking. My family has a camp on a small lake, in an even smaller town known as Amasa, MI. Every summer, we have a family reunion of sorts, taking place over the fourth. A little R & R, and visiting with family we rarely see. We take advantage of four wheeling, swimming, canoeing, and sitting around the campfire. In more recent years, we obtained two kayaks. Let me just say, I immediately fell in love with them. My all time favorite thing to do at camp now, is to grab a kayak, and venture out onto the lake by myself. There's something so peaceful about the breeze on your face, as your paddles slightly dip in and out of the water with ease.

It was just one of those times; I'd taken the kayak out for a spin, and a little quiet. Can of coke in my lap, paddle in hand. Solitude. But I wasn't alone. I looked to my left. Very near to me, a tiny black head was poking through the surface. I immediately recognized it as a loon. There is only, as far as we know, a family of 2 loons living on the lake. We see them now and then, but it's always from a distance. They vanish just as quickly as they appear. But this time was different. I was a mere 10 feet away from the bird. There was a moment of pure intensity where we both stared at each other, and then it was gone. Not ready to give up our time together (ha ha), I decided to wait and see where it popped back up. I probably spent a good 5 minutes spinning around in my kayak, switching direction to make sure I wouldn't miss it. Soon enough, there it was again, much farther away than I'd expected. I was fascinated by how long it could hold its breath. I paddled closer, attempting to be as quiet as possible. But again, within 10 feet, she dove. We continued this cat and mouse game for nearly a half an hour. I'm almost positive it was playing along with me.

In that moment, I felt so attuned to nature. It was just me, my kayak, and the loon. What's not to celebrate about that? It's truly the little things in life.

EJ