Family Moment

 

These family photos were taken on the final day of our summer vacation at the cabin on Sweet Lake, less than a month before dropping Sam off at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities for his first year of college. It was a bittersweet respite, with Sam struggling to "be with" us while trying to stay in contact via sketchy WIFI with his friends. I was sad that I couldn't get him or Tom out to kayak with me on the lake more, a sacred ritual for me. On the water I watched the loons guiding their chick, reminded of my similar role as Sam's mother. I am conflicted by my fear of that ending while excited for his new beginning. 

Last Breaths

A sadder moment of vacation at the cabin on Sweet Lake was when this sharp-shinned hawk crashed into an upper window and broke its neck. Sam and Tom sadly witnessed it taking its last breath. We buried it in a pile of leaves in the woods. 

Becoming Pears and Apples

 

Little Waves on the Big Lake

In a nod to the death of songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, I felt the need to get out and see the Big Lake (gichigami or great sea in Ojibwe). Hampered by a fractured foot, I took these shots from an overlook on the North Shore. Even from that distance I was invigorated by the breeze (and spray) off the lake.