We have returned to my wife's family cottage on Sandy Lake this week. A moderate-sized kettle lake in the glaciated Appalachian Plateau of northeast Ohio, it is always a pleasant retreat in summer, offering cooler air and a reliable breeze.
While our grandsons relish the chance to fish, swim and kayak, I am content to wander around the lake or sit on our lakeside deck, enjoying the escape from urban congestion. Ospreys, herons, cormorants and gulls are regular visitors and a large colony of purple martins reside in apartments along the shore. A female mallard and her attentive brood have been plying the open waters, oblivious of snapping turtles that cruise below the surface.
The modest humidity is a welcome change from the Front Range climate and a few heavy downpours have broken the local drought. More thunderstorms are forecast for later today but most of the week should bring pleasant conditions. Any unusual observations will certainly be reported but I anticipate a relaxing and relatively blog-free visit.
While our grandsons relish the chance to fish, swim and kayak, I am content to wander around the lake or sit on our lakeside deck, enjoying the escape from urban congestion. Ospreys, herons, cormorants and gulls are regular visitors and a large colony of purple martins reside in apartments along the shore. A female mallard and her attentive brood have been plying the open waters, oblivious of snapping turtles that cruise below the surface.
The modest humidity is a welcome change from the Front Range climate and a few heavy downpours have broken the local drought. More thunderstorms are forecast for later today but most of the week should bring pleasant conditions. Any unusual observations will certainly be reported but I anticipate a relaxing and relatively blog-free visit.
