For a lot of people, summertime means lake time. “Lake hair, don’t care,” sunblock, wet bathing suits and the relaxed tiredness after a day at the lake; all of it combines to form warm memories that help take us through the winter.
Husband Dan and I co-own one wave runner and own another one. With a double trailer holding both boats and friends in tow, off we go to clean Norris Lake.
We generally start with a fast fly across the waves, me holding on for dear life, off the seat more often than I am on it, and after a few minutes, land at our favorite boat dock. There is food, drink and the occasional live music. Sated with food and beverage, we then smoothly glide away, headed to the deep green water, passing imposing rock cliffs, and sometimes stopping in a cove to watch the rare eagle, or the paddling of a turtle, or the stealth of a swimming snake.
Cypress forest in Norris Lake
The sun grows hot, and we slide off the wave runner seat and dip into the water. One can choose to be secure in one’s life jacket, but one can also, with a little maneuvering, take off the jacket and sit on the back of it, forming your own chair in the water. After a while we become thirsty and pull out the cooler stowed in the front of the boat. We drink water or ginger ale and feel refreshed.
We note the time because wave runners cannot be on the water after dark, and we realize there is just enough time to go to one of our favorite spots on the lake; a small cove filled with cypress trees. We slowly maneuver through the trees and feel the wonder of a deep forest in the water. It’s growing later, but we aren’t very far from our launching spot, and we take a few minutes to watch a nearby group of four very small children in very small life jackets playing on a large floating water mat. We slowly go by and ask the kids if they would like us to send some water their way. They cheer and Dan carefully maneuvers the boat so that a gentle spray of water covers them. They laugh and laugh.
As we near the dock, I begin to feel anxious; I have recently gathered my courage and started launching and docking the boat. As we touch the dock, Dan hops off to get the truck, and I back away to await his return. The dock is very busy with two launch pads and multiple people coming and going in. There are boats both large and small.
The lake is rough and as the large boats launch or land, their big waves splash over to the other dock space, creating mini tidal waves for smaller crafts trying to do the same thing. I cautiously head out in the water to create space for others and wait for Dan to return. I tell the people in a nearby ski boat that I am new to docking and they might want to back away, perhaps cover their eyes. They laugh and tell me I’ll be great while I assure them I most definitely will not. When Dan backs the trailer in the water, I amazingly dock without a hitch (no pun intended), and the ski boat people cheer.
Back home, we shower, rest and talk about our day. We relive the funny things our friends said and did. We settle into contentment and talk about when we can go again.
Summertime, lake time, fun time, relax time; out there, or in there, whatever “there” nourishes you. Participate, create, strengthen yourself with the armor of joy. After all, it’s summer!
Cindy Arp, teacher/librarian, retired from Knox County Schools. She and husband Dan live in Heiskell.
