Silence

This morning as I looked out onto the lake it did not look the same way it had just a few weeks ago. I am not sure if the lake seemed quiet because it was morning or if it was because it was the first cold morning of fall, but either way it seemed silent.

The view from my reflection point had changed significantly from the last time I was able to sit and observe the lake. No longer was it a warm and energetic place, but rather it seemed to be in a transitional phase. The air was crisp and the fog was rolling on top of the lakes surface. There were no ducks in sight, but the geese were grouped together. They swam quickly across the water in a straight line leaving only ripples in the water behind them. The turtles were no longer on the surface. Perhaps they are beginning to burrow for the cold winter months that are ahead of them. The area around the lake had changed as well. The leaves of the trees have started to change colors from a vibrant green to brilliant oranges and reds. Some of the leaves have fallen to the ground, while others will hold on for a few more weeks. This transition period for the animals and plants is natural in preparation for the winter. Throughout the winter, the lake will go through many changes throughout the winter. It will experience and increase of nutrients, due to the precipitation increase as well as the salt use around campus for ice. It is important to recognize that this nutrient increase will inevitably effect the species in the lake.

As winter comes I hope that we do not change our viewpoints on the lake. Let us not forget the life this lake provides even if the animals and plants around it seem silent.