Yesterday was the last lake day of the summer, and I never ever not once brought my camera to capture the fact that I was returning to the lake of my childhood, the lake where Jen and I once let ourselves drift in an inner tube until we were in the far, reedy corner and refused to put our legs in a paddle because it was too gross so someone had to fetch us.  Besides, the lake isn’t all that photogenic.  There’s a lot of shallow water, and some ducks, and lovely shade trees, and picnic tables.  But there, that spot on the way out is where we once stopped to pick some kind of berry that must not have been poisonous because we’re still alive.  And there are the paddleboats we begged our mothers to rent, probably the very same paddleboats, and the little shack selling sweets.

The people who run the park have not updated their website to say what will happen to the park – drained, filled, allowed to turn into a West Nile haven – now that the dam that created it is removed/being removed.   There are no signs at the park itself.  But, chances are, that was the last lake day ever.  People with kids are starting school, and that means that I have to get ready to start school at the end of September.  My warning signal.

Fortunately, the weather is finally summery again.  The tomatoes keep ripening.  The sunflowers won’t stop growing taller.  I could still go play badminton in my parents’ back yard.

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