It began with a butterscotch sun. A carpet of white diamonds spreading across the water from east to west still retained a slight strand of pink from first light.

Dog and I sat on a bench in the radiance of that Morning Show, its drama forever unrated by Nielsen. We were held in sublime quietness and peace. Just the water rippling, the sun shimmering, and the gulls luffing up and down on the waves of an invisible wind.

A small sadness ignited as I acknowledged the recent absence of herons, ospreys, and eagles. You may remember if you read this column with some regularity, that herons were ubiquitous earlier this summer. Ospreys were not as common this year, though, at least not from where dog and I sit by the lake. Still, eagles and ospreys always frequent the State Park just two miles up the lakeside path.

I didn’t........

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