I spent my childhood summers at Fishing Lake, immersed in the noisy chaos of my grandparents' large extended family and their very small cabin.

The lake has played a central role to life there. The lake provides water to the cabin, giving us the means to wash our hands and do our dishes. The outhouse was replaced with a septic tank many years ago to protect the lake, so in a sense the lake made midnight trips to the loo a lot easier! In recent years, the lake has risen several feet and now on windy days the spray from the waves hits the front window. The shoreline has shifted and the deck supports have eroded away, meaning that each spring we have a negotiation with the lake to set the terms for the coming year.

When we're not occupied by working with the water, we're loving it. The kids cast off the dock to catch the pike that the lake provides; we swim every day that we can; we have built (and lost) rafts and platforms); we find little treasures on the beach or under the water; and we listen to the lapping of the waters as we enjoy a cool breeze and fall asleep at night.

Fishing Lake has been a focal point of my extended family for over 60 years. The cabin has changed and the lake has changed, but the memories are still being made.