(There are just some time/space coordinates that make perfect images. Water, leaves, angle of the light. This is one. And with a rambling story to boot).
Some years back we tried to get people around our up north lake interested in a project to improve fish habitat. The "fish sticks" program involved dropping trees into the lake to form better shallow water habitat. With an appreciable stretch of public land on one side of the lake this could be done to good effect, with individual property owners also setting down structure if they were so inclined. It seemed a non controversial idea, everyone likes to catch fish, no?
No.
When we raised the idea at a lake association meeting there was little support. Some people like to water ski and thought the tree sections, though anchored to the shore, might break loose and be a hazard. But most people just did not want anything to change. For them The Lake is a constant, one endless warm summer afternoon. Let's keep it things just as they are. Always.
Well one does not want to be a bad neighbor, so the project was dropped. I was thinking of it one bright fall morning when out for a walk. And on my return, saw this:
A massive oak tree had fallen in full fall glory. Turns out the trunk had been damaged years ago and that time, insects and changing water levels had weakened it further. Splash! Fifty feet of fish habitat.
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