I arrive at the put in to Little Trout Bay in Canada at about 8:30p.m. and by 9:00p.m. my kayak loaded, I'm on the water. As I paddle into the bay, the sky behind me is filled with wisps of scarlet clouds, the effects of the setting sun.
The water is glassy and tinged a deep green. As I get closer to the open waters of Lake
Superior the call of Loons echoes through the air. The night sky is dark before me now and I am gently rising and falling with the swells on the still glassy waters. Every so often I approach a group of floating gulls and as I near they take wing and call loudly as they rise above me.
I'm not sure exactly where the moon will rise tonight so I head further into the lake
to be sure the islands before me do not block my view. Suddenly ahead and off to my right a bright pink glow alights on the horizon. The night breeze on the lake is comfortably cool and I stop paddling to fully enjoy the spectacle that is unfolding before me. As the moon
continues to rise it's shape is sometimes slightly distorted by a distant fog bank.
By the time the moon is fully off the surface of the water it is still a bright pink glowing orb in the sky which is reflected onto the waters below. Soon though the colors will
change as the moon continues it's ascent into the night sky.
As the darkness grows, stars begin to appear. I resume my paddling now and head toward the
cliffs and trees that form the towering dome that is Tiger Island. With increasing clarity, I hear the sound of the waves gently pounding the shore and the smell of the pine trees wafts through the air.
The gulls are present in much greater numbers here along the rocks and the air is filled with their raucous calls. The moon by now has slipped from pink to orange to yellow and now a brilliant white. I am bathed in it's glow and the trees are silhouetted on the islands before me.
As I experience the beauty of the night, I think how fortunate I am to be able to have this
experience and so many others like it. Thoughts have been filling my head since my arrival on the water, actually they've been there for quite some time now. As I revel in this splendor that surrounds me, I think of her and wish she were here to share this with me now. :o)
Gregg Berman :o)
7/30/99