Those of you who’ve been following me for a while know that I have a lake house. We actually started shopping for it at the same time that I was researching Lake News. If you’re familiar with that book – or have read my recent blogs about Lake Henry – you’ll know what the appeal is. Time spent at the lake is very different from city time. Lake time moves at a slower pace. The smells are of hemlock and pine; the sounds are of loons. The night skies are alive with stars we can't see in the city. The local country store is well stocked with cookout fixings.

Our lake isn’t always quiet. Fireworks are legal in New Hampshire and well-used, particularly in July – and the light shows are fabulous. The occasional noise at 1 AM isn’t as welcome. But we do love hearing the sounds of summer guests visiting families around our cove. They’re joyful, excited sounds. And we never complain, because when our own clan gathers, it’s our turn to make noise.

They’re coming in batches through much of this summer. That means lots of prep work on my part. Some of the groceries have to be bought at the last minute – 2% milk for this one, light chocolate milk for that one, whole milk for the other, formula for the baby. Items with a longer shelf life I buy in the city and take north with me – favorite granola bars, favorite breakfast cereals, favorite Yo-Baby flavors. Frozen yogurt is something else. With precious little to be found at the lake, I buy quarts of our favorite soft-serve, freeze them solid, and drive them up in insulated bags. Forty seconds in the microwave and the quart is soft-serve again. Over or under fresh, plump, sweet blueberries? It’s the best dessert.

We always hope for good weather, which means having plenty of beach toys. I’ve just bought a supply of new ones to replace broken ones, and we’ve cleaned up the water tubes, inflatable floats, and water skis. New Hampshire weather is not always good, though, so I’ve also bought a fresh supply of crayons, construction paper, and Play-Doh. I bought Zingo, which is the kids’ favorite game right now (a version of Bingo, but with pictures of a foot, a house, a cat, etc., in place of numbers). I’ve stocked up on paper goods for our nightly cookouts and have transferred sippy cups, straw cups, and plastic dishes from city to lake. Same with bed rails. Same with tricycles. Same with the bin of rubber balls.

Are we exhausted yet? Better not be, because the fun starts soon. And I say that in all seriousness. There is nothing better than having family with us at the lake.

The loons may even cooperate this year. A pair is currently nesting in our cove. If all goes well, we’ll have a loon chick or two soon. And watching those tiny furballs riding on their parents’ backs? Given that loon health is thought to be a harbinger of human health, I’d call that priceless.