Reflections

Day 24 (11/8/09)
After a month of cold and rain we finally have our “Indian Summer”. Yesterday it hit 71 degrees in Milwaukee, a record for November 7th. Although not as warm as yesterday, we decided to try to sneak in one last trip to Gerber before winter sets in. As expected, it was quite different. By now almost all the leaves are off the trees. It actually makes the lake look a lot smaller somehow. Even the water lilies and other surface plants were absent. You could still see weeds growing below the surface. The next thing you notice is the absence of shore birds and birds in general. We saw a few small song birds and a hawk but that was about it. Later in the day as we were getting ready to go I heard the call of possibly a heron. It was a day of reflection which was echoed in the landscapes. Since Gerber had been our go to lake for the summer (eight visits in all) it was a fitting way to end the summer. We visited each of the more memorable places that we had come to value over the summer including but not limited to the bridge on the outlet stream, the female figure, the scene of the battle of the Ents and of course the corner were I had caught my big northern. Looking back on the summer I am content with the amount we used our kayaks, 23 trips in all but disheartened that the year is over. On the other hand I have something to look forward to for next summer. I still want to navigate as much of the Onion as I can and finish my trip down the Buffalo. On our way home we were already planning a cross-country ski trip to Gerber and the Kettles. I can’t wait for next summer.