God's Country
Last week my family spent time together in the northern woods of Wisconsin. My brother and sister-in-law invited us to spend the Fourth of July holiday week with them. Their beautiful cabin is situated right on the water’s edge of a charming lake; not too big, not too small….but just right. It happens to be one of my favorite places on the planet and I’ve often referred to the area as God’s Country with its tall pines, rustic birch, stunning sunsets, millions of stars and plenty of wildlife.
Being on the lookout for the abundant wildlife was a hobby of the entire crew. The first day we hadn’t been on the dock for more than 30 minutes when a mama merganser duck was spotted in the weeds moving along the shoreline with 18 ducklings following closely behind, HOLY COW…..18! She also reappeared a short while later and swam right under the dock with her brood while we tried getting a closer view. She was thrusting her head forward while warning her little ones to stay close by.
Within another 30 minutes or so, a crane was spotted sitting on a nearby dock that looked as if it wasn’t set up for the season yet and the bird was taking advantage of the height the stacked wood provided. The merganser family showed up again right next to the crane as if they had a mutual understanding of sharing the area. We saw and heard loons, listened to bullfrogs, watched families of mallard ducks, deer and many chipmunks scurrying around the cabin.
For years, the neighbors to their north have had trouble with black bears eating out of and destroying their bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds. They have to repair them several times a year. Each year I hope to see a bear near the cabin, but haven’t spotted any except alongside the road one year. A few years ago we saw mama and baby bear paw prints in the sand along the beach which was awesome to find.
We also watched bald eagles soar over the lake and the tall pines on three different occasions swoop down into the water and retrieve substantial-sized fish. Each time they were victorious as the strength and power of their wings were visible. A few years ago the bats had suddenly disappeared due to a disease but are slowly making their way back to gobble up the mosquitos…..Hip Hip Hooray.
My family and I look forward to spending the week in the North woods each year with my brother and his family. We spend our days on the water and our nights in the woods by the campfire or around the table in the cabin watching and listening to the sights and sounds of God’s Country. What are your favorite times of summer? Cheers to tradition!
xoxox…..Sheryl