AS I WANDERED #74 LOONIES

Tags

Adirondack Mountains, Adirondacks, Alfred Billings Street, Bobbet & Hooper, Chateaugay, John Augustus Hows, Loon Lake, Loons

While we were in Chateaugay Jim McFee suggested we go to Loon Lake.

He had heard that it was a beautiful lake and there were some pretty girls whose father’s had cabins there.

That Jim McFee – – – – he sure likes the ladies.

He then said “The real reason I want to go there is to hear the loons.”

I asked him what a loon was.

Jim said it was like a duck but not a duck.

Bogdan pressed him on the issue.

Jim told us that it floated on the water like a duck but it sat much lower in the water. And sometimes it would dive under the water and disappear for a long time. Then it would pop up in a completely different place.

“Sounds like a duck to me” said Bogdan.

“Not at all” said Jim. “It sounds more like a railroad engine slamming on its emergency brakes.”

And then he demonstrated;

“EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee“

“Why would we want to hear THAT?” asked Bogdan.

“You have to be there and hear it” answered Jim. “It is really beautiful” he added.

So we found a fellow in Chateaugay with a buckboard who was willing to take us there.

 

 

And this is what we heard – – – and saw.

 

 

It was beautiful – – – in some weird loonie sort of way.

I think that it is not only the sounds that the loon makes but also the evening sun and the context of a peaceful lake. Yes – – – that is it. It is the context. You seem to see everything that nature has given us and are able to put it into perspective.

I almost teared up when I realized what I was experiencing.

But since Jim and Bogdan were sitting next to me I couldn’t let them see me do that.

I don’t know what I was worried about – – – both of them had their heads turned away from me – – – maybe for the same reason.

 

 

No wonder Hows and Street made an etching and added a poem.

 

~

©W. Tomosky♠