Sunday, August 29, 2010

Visiting Lake Cherokee

Nestled at the foot of a mountain, at the edge of a national forest, one discovers-if one has been given good directions- a little jewel amongst the virgin pines and firs and dogwood. It’s hard to find without knowing it’s there. It’s private. It’s secluded. It’s a little bit of heaven on earth. The lake is small as far as lakes go; small enough for a canoe, but not a mighty motor-run boat. In the winter, the level of water is lowered so that folks may repair their docks and clean up the shore line. It appears desolate and abandoned, yearning for activity and the happenings of warmer days. But by summer time, the mountain springs replenish the cold water until it reaches the limits of the dam. Morning light shimmers off the surface, giving a mirror-like glow to the whole landscape. Ducks and geese abound, loving the quiet sanctuary the lake and its people provide. The swishing of a canoe going by is accented by a “hello” from its passengers to the newly arrived folks on the bank. The summer-time visitors have arrived to spend lazy days without the stress and cares of making a living. Full-time residents welcome the opportunity to visit with old friends that appear in increments of one or two at a time, catching up on all of the new babies that have arrived since last summer- good things and bad that have entered their lives since last they talked.


The woodsy smell permeates the surroundings. Occasionally the faint odor or charcoal drifts across the lake, announcing the fact that someone has gotten hungry, regardless of the time of day. The little cabin sits within a stone’s throw of the water’s edge. A screened porch makes it seem as if one is participating in everything that is going on outside: children are fishing and hunting frogs and looking for “ginger-pigs” hidden beneath the moss, the neighbors are raking leaves left-over from the winter. The enclosed part of the porch provides a sanctuary for quiet reflection and cozy warmth on cool and wintery days. A good book lying on the table convinces the reader to pick it up and discover the places to be visited while sitting on the shores of Lake Cherokee.

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