mirror: a photo challenge

Labor Day weekend – 2016. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for three weeks. We’re up north at the lake for the last weekend of summer; and while it makes me happy to be here, it does make me bit sad.

the lake, the fog, and Shamu - the Seadoo - standing where the dock was....
the lake, the fog, and Shamu – the Seadoo – standing where the dock was….

I awoke this morning to a fog shrouded lake. It was still and cool outside and the temperatures were in the forties. In late summer, the lake is still warm, or relatively warm and the cool nights cause the fog. Before long the cool nights will chill the lake. This morning surface was like glass, almost a mirror, and the quietness of the lake made my morning coffee special as I remembered the mornings sipping coffee with grandma talking and gazing out over the lake.

I have many memories of being up North for Labor Day weekend. I was scanning the guest book and came across grandma’s handwriting about the time W and I came up to help grandpa and grandma in 2003. B stayed home with O because she didn’t want to deal with a baby in the car and the awful Labor Day weekend traffic. She remembered W and I sailed through and made the trip without traffic jams. And then there are Labor Day weekends like this year when traffic was snarled and we crawled out of Chicago before breaking out of the traffic when we got past Lake Michigan’s eastern shore near Holland.

The year is a cycle – summer – fall – winter – spring and over and over again. Each year brings us new ends and new beginnings and it seems sometimes, as if I am peering into a mirror reflecting on the past.

The last weekend of summer always means the last of the warm days by the lake. It means taking the boats out of the water, cleaning, waxing, and storing for winter. It means the dock and lifts out, furniture stored away, plants trimmed, and all sorts of chores. It means cool nights and warm days. It means it’s time to get ready for fall.

Yesterday we pulled the boats out of the water and got the dock and the lifts out. They’re piled next to the pump house waiting next summer and warmer days. Today, there’s the deck furniture and cleaning the boats before hauling them to storage for winter. Then tomorrow, we’ll load the car and head home, hoping to beat the traffic and resume our lives at home. All the while, we’ll be dreaming of coming back in the fall, the winter, and longing for next summer.

Today’s gonna be a great day, I know it and I can feel it. So, I had better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count one day at a time, dreaming of days gone past and the days to come.  

What have you seen lately that made you think about the past?

Today’s post is inspired by last week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror. This week, show us a mirror. You can take this photo challenge literally, and find reflections in mirrors, or in the stillness of a natural body of water. Live in an urban area? Some skyscrapers are beautifully reflective of the cityscape around them. Or, use this challenge to take a photo of yourself in the mirror. Self-documentation is important, especially for those of us who are usually behind the lens. Enjoy!

4 thoughts on “mirror: a photo challenge

    1. Thank you. I have seen countless sunrises, sunsets, and mornings by the lake and they never are the same. We are indeed looking forward to visiting in the fall and taking in the color. It is indeed a special place full of memories and warm days and a few cold ones. Have a wonderful week. Peace.

    1. Thank you – we got all the boats, the lifts, and the dock out. We even squeezed in some gardening, a Sunday evening campfire, and fireworks! Tomorrow – reality. The memories (and photos) will need to sustain me. Have a wonderful week and bon voyage!

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