As I lay in bed at night, I hear the fan whirring, cooling me. I push off blankets as I look out the wide open window. I see stars dotting the black sky and the outlines of the trees. I finally fall asleep.

I wake up to the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. I see the trees swaying lightly in the wind.  The sky is blue with white, fluffy clouds lining the sky. It is a perfect day for the lake. My dog lays right be me with pleading eyes, while I eat my breakfast in the rustic cabin my family rented.

My family and I head down to the lake. The trees shade us from the scorching heat of the sun. As I walk on the dirt I kick up small stones. My dog picks up sticks along the way and looks for someone to play. The green grass grows scarce and I see the circle of long grass around the perimeter with the chairs, firepit and small sandy beach inside it. 

I take a tentative step into the water. I feel the ice cold water lapping around me feet. I climb onto my float and drift out farther and farther. To my right, I see the pier and hammack, to my right and ahead of me, I see the woods. I raise my eyes and see the blue sky. I almost fall asleep, but I hear the eerie cry of the loon, jerking me out of my own little world. I laugh as I see my mom trying to carry the dog into the water. I bring my float back to shore, and swim back to the raft. My swift motions slice through the water. I climb the ladder, leaning back some because the raft turns in the wind. I jump right off into the water for old time’s sake. 

I can see my mom pulling out the kayaks, even though I don’t want to go, I indulge her. I climb in and almost fall off. I get off to a rocky start, but I have to admit,  this is peaceful. My long paddle slices through the water, creating small ripples along the surface of the water. My long hair blows in the wind. 

 Hours pass and my family and I go up to the cabin. Night falls and we gather supplies for smores. We walk back down to the lake and start the fire.  I look at the lake and see the firelight reflected in the black water. I hear a splash and saw my dog trying to climb back onto the bank. I start laughing. He must have fallen off the pier.  As we eat our delectable smores, I lean back in my chair and soak in the stillness. The night slowly comes to an end and I look forward to the next day.