I wonder if anyone else uses the Adirondack vernacular that my family uses when they refer to “dock days”—those beautiful days where you find yourself on the dock for the day, in and out of the water, never having to get out of your suit.
My memories as a child were that every day seemed like a dock day! Either my family struck it just right in terms of the weather while we enjoyed our weeks in the woods or else every day as an eight year old became a dock day due to the call of the water and the 24 hour desire to be in it.
It didn’t seem to matter whether the sun was shining or the temperature of the water was “like bath water,” as my Dad would say.
I started out the day determined to have at least part of a dock day, taking my books and towel down to the dock hoping to camp out for a few hours at least. Rain had become a natural part of each day and I watched as the clouds seemed to darken at the end of the bay.
Powerless over Mother Nature, I watched the gray clouds come closer and the rain quietly came. I looked to the right toward Inlet, still believing that I saw sunshine.
I picked up my books and towel and quickly headed to the car hoping that I could perhaps beat the rain and plunk my chair into the sand at the Inlet Beach and just enjoy some reading, writing and people watching.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw other families heading to the beach, hoping also for at least a little bit of beach time.
I settled myself into a spot, looked at the sky and realized that I probably wouldn’t have a lot of time to soak up the sun and look out at the beautiful vista of water and blue sky.
Still, I put on my lotion, hoping that the rain would move a different direction and that my few minutes could become a few hours of a dock day/beach day.
I opened my book to read although quickly became distracted by the middle-aged father who was creating a Fourth Lake Sea Monster in the sand, complete with claws and fangs made my natural elements from the trees above.
The two boys to his left and his own older boys seemed oblivious to this very cool sand creation, yet I watched with interest and a smile as he seemed to complete his art object with a look of satisfaction on his own face!
The clouds were moving in although the swimming lessons continued and people continued to sit as if their beach posture could ward off any rain that just might force them to leave.
Finally, however, the drops seemed heavier, as if they were making their statement and so I headed for the car, knowing that tomorrow was another day!
I have decades of memories at the Inlet beach. I have beautiful pictures in my mind of my own children digging in the sand, loving nothing else than creating whatever work they seemed to imagine and build!
My book didn’t seem half as interesting as the creation of the Fourth Lake Sea Monster or the work of the two boys, who , not knowing each other, combined their forces to work and build and create!
Dock day or not, rain or not, there just is something in this place called The Adirondacks that calls to each of us to simply rest, to enjoy the simplicity of sitting on a dock all day, doing nothing but soaking up the sun, the water and the incredible vista or planting ourselves on a beach to create, observe and reimagine the joys of a child’s—or grown child’s—work as they feel their hands unite with the sand and the water, not forgetting that the majesty of The Adirondacks is all around them.
I love my dock days as my family refers to those sunny days where we live on the dock until children start to say “I’m hungry…what’s for dinner?!”
I also, however, love a beach memory, where the feel of the sand and the joy of watching future sculptors or middle-aged engineers digging and creating to their heart’s content also writes another Adirondack memory of which I hope there will be many more!
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Ann Mulford Kent of Yellow Springs, OH is a fifth generation, seasonal Adirondacker who enjoys vacationing on Fourth Lake whenever she gets the chance. During her stays she is inspired to write down a few of her notable experiences.
