This Life...

End of the Season

Our first summer at the lake is over. Today, we closed up the cottage, packed up food and other stuff to take home, covered the furniture, and winterized the water pipes.  We can go up during the winter if we choose to, and we probably will to check on things, but our weekends at the lake are done for this year. The park has gotten very quiet as our new compatriots go back their other lives, and after the holidays, some will even go South for three  months to avoid the cold and snow.

We had a great last weekend, though.  One of the five couples that we’ve become good friends with had beer:30 last night, and it became a chili supper with lots of fun, delicious food, and beer and wine. They introduced us to a new fall drink called “Hot Damn”–fantastic! Warn apple cider with cinnamon schnapps–yum!! We ate and laughed and talked and had a ball. They even graciously went along with me when I called our dear daughter-in-law (DIL) to wish her a happy birthday. DIL got a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” from all the lake folks and now she and Son are no doubt even more convinced that all we do up there is party, party, party. (Pretty much, kids, but we’ve earned it!)

I’m a writer. I keep thinking that I should have the words to tell these dear folks how much they’ve come to mean to us and how  we look forward to our time there because of them. But somehow, all the words I think of seem inadequate.

They’ve turned a usually very reserved fellow (Husband) into an almost-vivacious guy. I love to tell people here at home about how he goes up to take the trash to the dumpster and a five-minute jaunt ends up taking an hour and half. “Well, I ran into ____ (fill in any one of the guys’ names here), and we got to talking…” If I go out looking for him, there’s a good chance he’ll be sitting on someone’s deck sharing a beer or perched on a golf cart headed up to the boat barns or down to the docks. They were over today to help him winterize–we couldn’t have done it without them. You guys are the best!

The women have been just as wonderful to me–I’m sorta the punk kid of the group, but they’ve welcomed me into their close-knit circle with warmth and graciousness. They are all intelligent, charming, interesting, and funny women with great stories to tell. They have a good sense of fun and I love spending time with them. This weekend, they all celebrated my good news about being published with enthusiasm that  warmed my heart. Now, I can’t even imagine my life without these dear ladies in it.

We’ll miss the lake this winter–the boating, the swimming, the vacation getting-away-from-it-all, but more we’ll miss our new group of friends. If I haven’t said it lately, guys–we’re so happy we found this place and all of you. Thanks for making us feel welcome and so much a part of a very special community. God bless you all in your travels over the winter. Be safe. We can’t wait to be with you all again next spring.

 

 

4 Comments

  • Thea

    Ah, community. Best when amiable and welcoming. Sounds like you’ve found that kind. Sometime this winter, raise a mug of Hot Damn in toast to your new friends. It will make the days go faster.

  • Betty Fokker

    My husband’s father finally just moved permanently to his lake house. He cannot really do any boating in the winter (Ohio freezes solid) but he can feed the birds and putter about in his workshop. Happiness ensues.

  • Nan

    Thanks, Roben. I was a little teary when we drove away–but spring is only 4 months off…and we’ll drive up to check on things and visit over the winter.

  • robena grant

    Yep. One of those bitter sweet moments. You want to be out of the cold and wet, but you know you’ll be missing the gorgeous summer days and the camaraderie. Just remember, it will be even sweeter to return after the long cold winter. : )