This is the most perfect morning. I'm sitting on the dock looking over the calm, clear lake, delighting in the small whisps of clouds decorating the beautiful blue sky. There is not a soul to be seen. A deep breath fills my lungs with fresh air and faint traces of pine, lake, and Summer. The sun is shining down, warming me. There is the slightest of breezes, gently caressing me, keeping me perfectly comfortable. I hear fish nibbling their breakfast from the surface of the placid lake. Ducks dine on weeds. Varieties of birds chirp back in the trees. Soon I'll dip my feet in the cool, clear water. Tension is barely a memory.

   I had a wonderful hike this morning. The cabin was enshrouded in a cloud. I walked down Benton Road in the quiet, cool morning. I saw one peaceful soul sitting on a picnic bench in their yard, patiently awaiting the spectacular beauty of dawn. The road curved on and as I walked I saw the end of the cloud beyond which was a hill of trees just behind a river. There were rocks at one end with water splashing playfully over them. It had a shallow shore with a sandy bottom that begged me to come wading.


In the middle of the river, swirls of mist were floating above the water. One was six feet high; a column about six inches wide - mystical. The view downstream was just amazing. I adore the beauty of nature. It offers many delights for those who seek.

   Now on the dock, I can see the sunfish swimming and nibbling. It seems strange to enjoy watching a fish, but I do. It makes me happy. One fish had a large mouth with thick lips, but he himself is small; a baby large-mouth bass? Two ducks approach, hoping for bread, but squawk when they are startled by a noise and paddle quickly away. I'd rather they eats weeds anyway. They hang out near the old beaver hut which now houses playful otters. Two night ago as the almost full moon rose over the lake leaving brilliant reflections in the water, I could see the wakes of the otters through the path of the moonlight. They hid as I approached, so I retreated and allowed them privacy on their lake.

   We did have some opportunity to feed the ducks. A mother duck and four ducklings approached as my husband was relaxing on the dock. Bob could see that one had a fish hook stuck in his bill. He came up and gathered some bread, a pliers, and me. First we lured them on land with the bread and tried chasing the poor fellow down. They're faster than they seem even though the injured one kept tripping on the line still attached to the hook. Then Bob got the idea to use the fishing net. I led them back to the water with the bread while Bob put the net in the water. At first, the ducklings swam right over it, but after one close call, they were hesitant to approach again. With enough bread, we finally succeeded. Bob gently held the duck with his knees and went to work. Mama duck was not too happy and started to come after her little fellow, but was appeased with my offering of bread. Very shortly, the free duck swam away. He flapped his wings in the water to release his tension, or thank us, perhaps. Mama did the same after watching a few minutes to make sure we were done with our tricks.

Copyright © Patricia E. Griesser Strebel, 2008. Photos of the loon and duck by Bob Strebel. Other photos by P. Strebel. All photos other than those of the river were taken right from the dock at Bear Lodge in August, 2008.