This was October 10th on Long Lake, paddling back from Ghost Bay in the morning.That’s me near shore in my yellow kayak. I was checking out a tangle of sunken branches at the water’s edge that sometimes shelters schools of rockbass. They weren’t there.

The trees are at peak fall color.

The motor boats are almost all tucked into their shrinkwrap for the winter.  A few diehard fishermen move about. Nick the water skier gets some chilly twists and twirls in as the day progresses. But we own the beautiful quiet October morning on a still Long Lake.