Loon Song

We returned to our lake house on Sand Lake, Rideau Waterway, Ontario on May 6.


Have you ever heard a 'loon song'?  It is a song unlike any other, a song that pulls at the depths of your soul, a song you will never forget.  It is the song of a unique waterfowl called the Common Loon who spends its springs, summers and autumns living on the northern  lakes of the US and the southern lakes of Canada.

An unusual bird, the loon has large bones which make it difficult to walk on shore.  They literally waddle or sliver only a few feet onto their nests.  We retired to Sand Lake back in 1991 after yearly vacationing there since 1969 and fell in love with the loons.  Here we are, back again on Sand Lake this year and listening to loons.  They are nesting now (end of May) so they are quieter.  We took a ride in our pontoon boat this morning and saw two loons swimming near the eastern point of our land which gives a hint they are nesting in our back bay.  Sure hope so, as it will be such fun to see the little loon chicks, soon after hatching, riding on their parents' backs.

Last week we had a treat.  A pair of Canada geese waddled up our hill from the beach with five newborn goslings in tow...adorable, light cream colored baby geese.  They are doing well because we saw them again this week swimming in the lake. Driving out our lane on Wednesday a young doe stood staring at us for a few moments before darting back into the woods.

All these encounters remind us of the beauty of God's creation!  That's why we enjoy our opportunity to spend time here at a northern lake and savor the quiet majesty of the gift of nature God has given us.  We sit on our screen porch and view the lake, clear blue in the bright sunlight with soft ripples from the light southern breeze.  Of course it is early in the season so we rarely see boats traveling the waterway....only maybe a local fishing boat hoping for a fresh catch of pike.  Bass season opens the end of June to protect the nesting time.  The pine trees that grow in abundance on our acreage are pushing forth buds, an insidious messy yellow pollen which covers the porch furniture now, resulting in cries for a washing.

The utter quiet of the natural surroundings is a joy.  In this age of technology we rarely experience total quiet in our lives so it is with breathless wonder that we can sit on the porch or in the house, with the windows and doors wide open, and hear the light breeze rustling in the birch, oak and maple trees.  Or hear the kingfisher gently flap his wings as he darts from the nest under our porch.

The screens on the doors and windows are a necessity this time of year.  On a warm day with little breeze, the mosquitoes are in abundance buzzing around in hopes of a tiny rich bloody snack.  However, there is a balance.  The dragonflies, recently hatched from their winter domain as a water nymph, dart silently in the sunshine, devouring every bug they encounter.  This time of year the clouds of dragonflies are swarming all over the open lawn and we cheer their presence.

At night there is a special treat.  We see millions of stars in the sky twinkling in wonder all the way down to the horizon.  In fact, on quiet nights, with no wind, the stars are reflected in the clear water! And of course, we have seen the wonder of northern lights, that awesome sight of colored shafts of purple, red and yellow beams waving upward in the northern night sky.

And the display of flowering bushes, trees and plants!  As you know, I am a flower lover, so one of my first priorities upon our arrival was to visit the local plant nursery and purchase the latest blooms. Thanks to my helper, Deborah, the containers and planters are filled with geraniums, lobelia, pansies, alyssum, petunias, begonias (in place of impatiens which is currently suffering from a blight), etc....all colorful additions to the backdrop of lilacs, rhododendron, roses, clematis, daisies, iris, lily of the valley, and other perennials.  We even hung two flowering baskets on the gazebo, first in five years, to prove my health has improved!

This year as I reflect on the troublesome and horrifying news in the Middle East and in our government, I am stunningly reminded of the absolute peace and beauty of the creation surrounding me.  It is a message loud and clear!  God is in control!  Man may continue to make wars and commit senseless atrocities but God has chosen to give us a gift...a reminder of what He originally planned for us...a place of utter beauty that continues even to this day.  When my day looks rough, when the daily news is about horror and bloodshed, I choose to listen to the loon...that wondrous bird with the unique song...and I remember my God who created me.  I live in a fallen world caused by sin but the Creation has not disappeared.  God gives us His daily reminder of His glory, His omnipotence, His love in His Creation!  To God be all the Praise!

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.  For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters."   Psalm 24: 1-2 
"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."   Psalm 33: 8-9