Saying goodbye to summer was difficult for me this year. Our summer was cut short by a major surgery and also by the sale of Big Sky Transfer and the resulting new jobs for both Vern and I. We had a few really fun outings early in the summer - mostly hiking and rafting. While I really enjoyed the new raft and the little bit of hiking we did, I missed out on the one activity I love more than almost any other ooutdoor activity - waterskiing!
Early in the summer, the lake was too cold to even think about skiing (I guess I have become a little bit picky) and by the time the lakes warmed up enough to ski in, it was time for my surgery. I can't believe that we didn't get out on the lake even once this summer! Neither our little fishing boat nor Kelly's boat (which we use for skiing) touched the water at all!
It's hard to explain why I love being out on the lake so much. Number one, I LOVE to slalom! I started skiing when I was about 8 (?) and was up on one ski by the time by the time I was 12. I was already addicted to water skiing, but learning how to slalom took my love of the sport to a whole new level! I am never content; I am constantly trying to perfect my form and lean a little further in order to create a bigger "rooster tail." I'm not an expert by any means, but I do a pretty nice job! I can't imagine ever getting tired of water skiing and hope that I can continue to improve.
Aside from water-skiing; I love being on the lake for many other reasons. I think that my love of the lake comes from the emotional attachments I formed to the lake as a child. I have so many beautiful memories - from as young as I can remember through high school and now as an adult. These memories are triggered by the sights, smells, and sounds of the lake. While THE lake is Swan Lake, the sights, smells, and sounds of most any lake invokes the same happy, warm, fuzzy memories within me.
The feeling of the sun beating down - warming my skin - and the gentle rocking of the boat as the waves pass beneath it is a feeling that makes me undescribably happy and content. There aren't many other scenarios in which I can really let go and relax as fully as I do when I am in the boat out on the lake. As I lay on the boat soaking up the warmth of the sun, I hear a mixture of sounds: other boats buzzing by in the distance, kids playing and swimming, and the delighted squeals of people flying by on tubes. Sometimes there isn't much to hear other than the sound of the water gently lapping at the sides of the boat and maybe a bird off in the distance.
The lake has a special smell. Most people will think this is really weird - unless you have experienced it personally, you won't understand what I am talking about. The "lake" smell I am referring to is a combination of the outdoors - trees, water, grass - and the smell of the boat...the wet, musty smell of the boat upholstery and lifejackets with a hint of boat oil. All of these "boat" smells topped off by a layer of Coppertone sunscreen are my idea of aromatherapy! Like I said: if you haven't experienced it first-hand, you won't understand - you'll have to trust me on this one!
Anyway, to make a long story short - I really love all of the outdoor activities we engage in, but none quite as much as being on the lake. Being on the lake - smelling, seeing, feeling, and hearing everything that defines the lake experience - transports me back to some of the happiest, most carefree times in my life. Ahhhhh...the lake!
