My husband and I have owned our cottage for a quarter century. In that span, we’ve experienced the best of times and the worst of times.
The loon is a big reason why we purchased our cottage. We’d been invited to a golf course opening in northern Michigan and, as our kids were quite young, we took turns watching them so we could play the course and learn more about the new tract and its designer.
When my husband was on kid duty, he and the boys discovered a sweet 1960s lakeside two-bedroom cottage for sale.
He arranged for a Realtor to meet us there and while we toured the cottage, our boys frolicked outdoors, dipping their toes in the water and marveling at frog sounds, loon calls, and shimmery dragonflies.
Once we were home in metro Detroit, I kept thinking about the allure of the cottage. Urban living was great for all of us, but we also needed to get away, to look up into dark skies at the glittering stars and planets, and gaze into waters where minnows darted and turtles bobbed.
So, we became the owners of a little slice of nature’s paradise. The best of times!
Our location made it easy to get to other great spots in the north, too, including the North Country Trail, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, and challenging golf courses. On one memorable trip we headed to Munising’s Pictured Rocks for a boat tour and hikes, taking in that Grand Island lighthouse and all the natural beauty before heading to Seney to spot the legendary loons. (Those loons are showcased in this issue’s Photo Essay, page 43, by Teresa McGill, and on the cover.)
Fast-forward a couple decades and it’s become the worst of times as cottage owners. In March, an ice storm — followed by extremely high winds — swept through parts of our beloved state, taking down trees, breaking limbs, and blanketing yards with pine boughs a foot deep, embedded in ice-coated snow and frozen ground. And then came the massive flooding in April!
On March 17, we headed to our cottage, which had lost power, to assess the damage. As we turned off the road onto our driveway, we saw nothing but chaos — including huge fallen limbs. The tops of long-standing old pines, and thousands of branches and boughs covered the ground. Tree limbs were leaning against the house, while big branches poked into the roof. It was a surreal scene.
It was maybe 20 degrees, the snow was blowing, and in the distance two figures appeared. They were tossing tree limbs onto a pile. Realizing it was our son and his girlfriend, who took a day off and drove up from Detroit, I began to feel the burden lift.
We made several more clean-up trips while the tree service crews did the heavy work over three separate days. I would take over wheelbarrow and burning duties, while my husband sawed limbs and hauled wood for future fires. We were thankful for days when we had a cobalt blue sky, sunshine, and the calls of waterfowl in the air.
One day, I grabbed my camera and went to the water’s edge where I stood amid strewn boughs, pine needles, and even more limbs. A mélange of black-and-white feathers, cinnamon crests, and vermillion bills filled my lens. The ducks were so calm, while I was thinking of the cost of taking down trees, fixing the roof and siding, dealing with insurance companies, and hearing weather reports warning of the upcoming serious flooding.
The mergansers and buffleheads comforted me as they glided atop the water, which began to take on shades of lilac and pink in the late hours of the day. Listening to the ducks’ calls, I heard the unique haunting song of loons — woooo -oooooooew- woooooh, wooooh, woooooh. Could they be here already? I took a look at the photos I’d taken and, bingo, I spotted two white-speckled black waterfowl.
Loons! They’re a sign of harmony and serenity, and symbolize a reawakening of old dreams. Once upon a time, our dream had been to own a cottage. Watching the loons, I came to the realization that it’s important to recall your dreams and recognize why you had them, if you want to reawaken the joy — even in a dismal situation.
Yes, cottage owners have to be willing to take the good with the bad. We experience the best of times — and, occasionally, the worst of times. But through it all, don’t forget the dream, and appreciate the importance of staying stable and buoyant — just like the loons. 
