Time to reflect in an environment constantly reminding me of its dominance, its unpredictability, and that I am really just a guest in nature, is a gift. Actually, I’m just a guest anywhere on this planet, but in modern cities there is an illusion of being insulated from the overwhelming power of natural forces.
Being on the shore of a large lake in the north woods brings an exposure to nature from several aspects. Power is easily interrupted on a day of severe winds when power lines run for miles through the woods. No electricity quickly means no water for a waterwell-supported dwelling. Temperature in the main cabin begins to drop as the electric baseboard heaters cool.
We had never seen a steady 30-40 mph wind straight off of the lake before. Waves were crashing over the entire dock. Some nearby docks were dismantled and floated by in sections. A large panel of wood decking would not be good jammed up against any object, and we cheered each panel as it went under and between the legs and structure of our dock.
Everything gathered further down the shore, and a couple of days later, on a calm and sunny day, a young man was seen towing the dock pieces back to where they came from.
The power was off from 2:30 in the afternoon until midnight. Going to bed early under four blankets was a good idea. I awoke briefly after midnight to see a table lamp on. We called the power company the next morning to voice our appreciation for the line crews. The rest of the morning was spent picking up twigs, limbs and leaves from the driveway and the yard. Leaf fragments were plastered everywhere and needed to be brushed away before they were glued to whatever surface they landed on.
A whole day with no wind was a relief and very, very restful.
In a dim light... 
Leave a Reply