May 3, 2013
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Everyone Knows It’s Windy
Ruthann Friedman
Yesterday was windy, but today was windier. It was 42 degrees this morning and felt like 33! The Weather Channel warned us that there was a Lake Wind Advisory today. We decided not to rush out to the lake right away, in hopes that it would warm up. Besides, Spencer had to get his I.D. card at the university, so we waited as he went over to the correct office twice, only to find that the people were out doing stuff with the seniors.
Finally we gave up on the card and headed out to the lake at about 11:30. The sun shone on the Indian paintbrushes and other wildflowers that were liberally sprinkled over the median and verges of the highway. The grass glowed with life. It was a beautiful drive.
When we got to the lake and stepped out of the van, we realized that the wind was much more intense out there. Although I had warned everyone to bring a jacket, no one was warm enough. Once we got our things to the picnic table, the boys huddled up together on the grass under the picnic blanket. There was lots of laughter as they crawled to the table without losing blanket cover. Despite the cold and the wind, we had a delicious lunch and reveled in being in the great outdoors. I was so glad I hadn’t got around to putting away my thermoses yet. Tea is extra sublime when you are drinking a piping hot cup of it outdoors on a cool and windy day.
After lunch, Lina, Spencer and Jasper all went on a long hike along the lakeshore, while I stayed to hold the fort and Lucy tried to get some sun on her winter white legs. I got so cold sitting in the shade (because I have to watch my sun exposure very carefully) and having the wind blow on me, that eventually I got up to go exploring myself. I decided to go have a look at the cypress trees that I love to photograph when I am at the lake. The last time we were there, the cypress trees really looked as if they might be dead, and I was almost afraid to look.
You can imagine my relief when I cleared the obstructing vegetation and saw the cypress trees covered with spring green leaves. Furthermore, I could walk right up to them because they are no longer in the lake, which is still very low. Not even their tippy-toes were wet. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen these particular trees close up, and I might have taken way too many photos of the branching roots and bright green leaves.
The wind was blowing the lake almost to the feet of the trees, and the lake there was brown instead of blue–the first time I have ever seen it like that. There was wave after wave of little whitecaps blowing ashore.
I also found some fearsome tall spiky plants with pink flowers growing near the lake. I looked them up when I got home and found out they are “nodding thistles,” an import from Europe that has spread over much of the USA, apparently.
Even though we were only at the lake for about three hours, it seemed much longer. The explorers eventually returned and we gathered up our stuff and returned to town through the gorgeous landscape, arriving in town in time for Spencer to finally get his I.D. card, which he will need to have when he begins his summer job on Monday.
I love the lake. I love having it to ourselves. I love the peace and the silence and the semi-tamed wildness of it. I wish I had a cabin at the lake.
