While driving up north you leave the busyness of the city and daily routines behind, and life slows down. The scattered lakes among evergreen trees, blue skies, fresh air, loon calls and the full, super moon reflecting on the water…
Morning has broken…offering an easy, peaceful feeling.
…all its natural beauty reenergizes and restores…and it feels a little closer to heaven.
So, when I saw a coaster with the saying “Heaven feels a little closer at the lake” I immediately purchased it for my friend. Every year she invites me to her cabin on Daggett Lake, near Crosslake, Minnesota, and every year it does seem we are a little closer to heaven while we are there.
And so it was again, this past week, up at the lake.
This year’s summer solstice officially began on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 – it’s the shortest night of the year. The night before, Tuesday, June 20th, the sun set at 9:14 pm in Crosslake Minnesota, with lingering twilight until 10 pm.
Near Crosslake Minnesota – 10 pm on 6/20/23.
I decided I would drive up my friend’s cabin near Crosslake Minnesota after a fun visit with our son and his family Tuesday night. I left the south metro about 8 pm.
Driving by myself, up north, at night, I reasoned; 1- I was excited to get up there so I could sleep on the porch and wake up by the lake on Wednesday, 2- I have a reliable vehicle, 3- my friend was expecting me so if anything happened, she’d be concerned (she was sound asleep when I got there!!!), and 4- the sun set late so there was more light than usual that evening.
Looking out on Lake Mille Lacs – 9:30 pm on 6/20/23.
Since the shortest night of the year was the next evening, I expected it to stay light late but, little did I know I’d have twilight for almost 45 minutes after sunset. Only the last half hour did I drive in the dark. Of course, that was when I was making many turns on back roads to get to her cabin, but I made it, and I felt good!
A large family of Canadian Geese.
Nature abounds up north. Of course, there is always deer, and I saw several including a mama and young doe. We heard many loons the first night – we thought there was a convention right off her dock. We laid in our beds listening to their distinctive calls. We saw 20+ goslings swimming in a row between Mr. & Mrs. Canadian Geese – that is one large family. We saw the resident eagle fly by several times, and we heard (!) 4 racoons under the porch where we slept. They woke us up each night. The first two nights we didn’t know what kind of animal was under there…it’s not a good place for animals to be. Finally, my friend saw the culprits outside the cabin at 4:30 in the morning of the third night…a mama raccoon and her three babies. That’s a problem that needs to be solved…
Me on a jet ski, on Daggett Lake in 2014.
We enjoyed sunny, warm and comfortable weather, by the lake. We did take out the jet skis one afternoon. We sometimes forget we are in our 70’s! But, we did well (after calling her 10-year-old-granddaughter to remind us how to start them!) We trolled along the shore to look at the cabins, then took a couple speed rides across Daggett Lake.
It’s amazing to see all the cabins, all the docks, all the boat lifts with boats in them, on this one not-so-large lake, and then multiple it by 15,000 lakes in Minnesota. Whew! That’s a lot of recreation.
My drive home was not as exciting as my drive up, but I am grateful for the time we had up north, and for a different way of experiencing the summer solstice.
What a wonderful week we’ve had weather-wise…sunny, seventy’s and low humidity. Perfect for being anywhere, especially up in northern Minnesota. I was on the Whitefish chain of lakes with a friend, staying on her porch, with a cabin attached. Our days were relaxing, and among other things we did some boating and a lot of reading.
Looking out in front of the cabin.
We went out on her pontoon which was a highlight for me. We left the jet skis docked this year, and my cell phone in the cabin. In previous years we’ve taken out the jet skis and had some…let’s say…complications. Then there was the year my iPad fell off the dock into the drink during early morning quiet time. So I tried to avoid any type of fiascos this year. Success!
Getting ready for a pontoon excursion.
The evenings were still and cool so we slept on the large porch listening to the loons calling as we fell asleep.
A lot of loon activity on the lakes.
Before I left home for the cabin I had fifty pages left to read in my latest political thriller. So when we arrived at the cabin Sunday afternoon, after unpacking the car, we immediately got out some lawn chairs, set them up near the lake and started to read. I quickly finished the book. I brought along three non-fiction books so I had plenty additional reading material.
One morning’s sun reflecting on the lake that looks like clear glass. Beautiful.
When it was time to leave the cabin four days later, I had fifty pages left in one of the other books I had started reading up there. However, when I arrived back to our house in Northfield things changed… I no longer felt I could just sit down and finish the book right away….there was unpacking to do, laundry to throw into the washing machine, email and catch-up conversations, plus weeding flowers and so forth. So instead of sitting down to finish my book I did chores instead. I felt I needed to get something accomplished before enjoying more reading time.
Daggett Lake, a lake on the Whitefish chain of lakes.
I guess that’s why it’s always good to get away. At home we see all there is to be done (although my friend saw things that needed to be done at her cabin while we were there), but we had a delightful time on our annual trip to Daggett Lake.
One of the few bird calls I recognize is the cardinal’s. I often hear their song outside my window during the summer. It is unique and I love it. Cardinals are a favorite of mine.
Last week I was up in northern Minnesota at a friend’s cabin on Daggett Lake and I heard the loons calling …another recognizable bird call I love to hear. Loons are a favorite too.
I thought about how we don’t hear the loons in town or cities and how wonderful it was to hear their song again, along with the flapping of their wings as they take off across the lake. It’s almost a guaranteed sound when you are up north.
Even though it might be great to hear the loon call all year ’round I am grateful to hear the beautiful cardinal’s song in the city and the unique song of the loon up in the North Country.
I was thinking these thoughts as I enjoyed sitting on the dock (a morning ritual) taking in the beauty of the lake and quietly listening to the sounds when I picked up my daily devotional book and read these words:
“As you listen to birds calling to one another, hear also my Love-call to you.”*
