The transition from living in an urban megalopolis like New York City versus living in rural Michigan has been interesting to say the least. When new people we meet find out we lived in Brooklyn they immediately remark, “Wow, how are you managing that change, how are you adjusting?” For over a decade, we have been visiting our lake home 5 - 6 times a year and I knew very well what the experience would entail as I was no stranger.
I think the biggest adjustment is how far we need to travel to go food shopping, go out to eat, or basically do anything - because we live in the sticks surrounded by farms and dozens of lake communities. The pace is decidedly slower as compared to NYC and my access to hard-to-find ingredients, fresh seafood, and quality produce is limited.
On the flip side on a positive note, we are tucked in among a hundred plus acres of woods and have ample lake front to enjoy. We are excited to ‘wake up’ our pontoon from its seasonal daycare and get it back into the water. We think in a few more weeks we will have it delivered to us and then we will be buzzing around the lake soon.
We are excited for the spring season to fully kick into gear, we’ve had some warmer days and we’ve had some dustings of snow. Last week, the ice melted away from our lake, it was amazing to see ducks and loons return almost immediately. The loons are my favorite wildlife ‘attraction’ on the lake. Each year, we have a pair of Loons that call Windover Lake their home. It has been a few years since we’ve had baby loons so our lake association decided to move the floating nest built by our neighbors to our cove. Maybe a change of scenery and a less busier boating area will result in some chicks. The best part is how loons communicate, it’s hard to explain if you’ve never heard one so I’ve dug up what Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted.
“Common Loons are famous for their eerie, beautiful calls. Among these are the tremolo, a wavering call given when a loon is alarmed or to announce its presence at a lake. The yodel is the male loon’s territorial claim. Each male has his own signature yodel. If a male moves to a different territory, he will change his yodel. The wail is the haunting call that loons give back and forth to figure out each other’s location. Hoots are soft, short calls given to keep in contact with each other. Parents might hoot to a chick, or one mate might hoot to another.” (Source: www.allaboutbirds.org)
My partner, Marc, has turned me into a bird nerd. His love of feathered friends – I believe – stems from his grandmother’s affection for these winged creatures. Bluebirds, Flickers, myriad Woodpeckers, Blue Herons, Owls, Wood Ducks, Goldfinches, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red Winged Blackbirds, Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos, cute little Black-capped Chickadees, Mergansers, Purple Martins, Hummingbirds, majestic Eagles, and of course the Loons.
At night, if we are lucky and the loons are chatty, we will hear that haunting wail. For me, it’s incredibly moving and reminds me of what a special place we now call home.