Freshwater Sharks

So far, no sharks have turned up in Burt Lake. We’ve had no sightings of the Brutusaurus (our local Loch Ness monster), either. But there is definitely wildlife to be seen, and now that I’m back to work in my new “office,” I’m more likely to be sitting still to spot it. In my present work routine, my laptop and I start the day at the dining room table looking out on the lake. In midafternoon, we usually move to a patch of shade on the porch, still just within range of the wireless. I’m currently editing a story on coral reefs, so if I do start seeing sharks, that’s my excuse.

In reality, the first “wildlife” I’m likely to see is Maisie. She definitely has her wild moments, mostly when we’re down on the beach and I have a frisbee in my hand. We've decided she is a golabalope – golden retriever and lab crossed with antelope. It’s the best explanation for her truly impressive running and leaping. She’s agile, speedy, and definitely more graceful than your usual galumphing lab.

But I’ve also been hearing a loon tremolo, and today I spotted the bird itself. It was paddling far out in the lake, so Mom and I got out the binoculars for close-up confirmation. Then, minutes later, we saw a bald eagle soaring high above the water. We’ve also been noticing some curious scat many mornings on the bridge over the creek. It’s large, and very seedy. I suspect it is raccoon, but haven’t seen the culprit. Meanwhile, something must be living in the muddy banks of the creek, as Maisie has taken to digging with great gusto and then sticking her entire head into the holes, sniffing like mad and emerging filthy. So then I have to fetch her frisbee and send her leaping into the lake to clean up, which brings me right back to where I started.