7/30/16

FLOATING on a Summer Day


I found this image several years ago. It reminded me of a couple summers as a child when my family lived in Maryland while my dad worked in D.C.

Two summers in a row we went to Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks and stayed at a lovely little cabin that was right along the shoreline. It had a screened in porch where I slept and a lawn which ran down to the lake. There was also a small dock with a couple of rowboats.

I spent my days floating on the water on an inflatable air mattress, sitting on the lawn reading books and coloring books, and going for rides in the boat. Just as in this photo there was a bridge to the left of where we stayed.

On one occasion after I'd gotten out of swimming in the lake and laid down on the lawn I was told by my dad to stay perfectly still. I had no idea what was going on but knew it wasn't good from the sound of his voice. Turns out I had leeches all over my back. I don't remember how they got them off of me and I can't say for sure I ever went back in Tupper Lake.



Click on image to see it larger.

This is my contribution for this week's Sepia Saturday post.
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16 comments:

  1. Oh ugh - leeches. I don't think I would have gone back in the lake either!

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    1. Creepy crawlies crawling on me drive me crazy. I once awoke in the middle of the night at my families cabin in the Sierra's to have those huge carpenter ants crawling all over my face, hair, and bedding. I freaked out and ran from the room. They were crawling all over the walls. Next day I was in Truckee buying spray then left for home. Shiverssssss!

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  2. That sounds a ghastly experience; no wonder the lake wasn’t so inviting after that!

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    1. It's a lovely little lake, but it is named after a surveyor who drowned there while fishing. For some the lake is a problem.

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  3. Floating around on an inflatable raft is my idea of a good time!

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    1. I would love to be doing it right now. To be floating around Lake Tenaya in Yosemite would be perfection: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenaya_Lake

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  4. I also floated for hours on a lake on an air mattress, and the wind blew me a long way from the beach area towards woods. Since it was in Florida, it's possible some alligators saw me floating around too! I've always wondered and been grateful I was able to paddle back to the beach.

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    1. See, that's why I'm not going to Florida. Between the no-see-ems and the crocs and gators, oh and the snakes, I'm staying away. I did live there when I was very young, but have no memories of it. My mother did and they weren't good. There was a pond behind the house and neighbors told my folks to never leave the dog unattended outside.

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  5. ACK! Leaches! ugh, ugh, ugh!!

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  6. Eeeek! I didn't know leeches could get you while you were swimming, thought they were just a hazard while bushwalking through damp areas.

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    1. So you never saw any of those movies where people are covered when they get out of the water? I always thought quicksand, dust storms, and leeches were part of life according to the movies. One out of three for me.

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  7. Okay, I think you win the Humphrey Bogart African Queen award for ickiest story. Clearly no one should never go outdoors ever.

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