Most of the time lakeside living is ideal. The sound of gentle waves lapping the shore is tranquil and soothing. In fact it can be mesmerizing like looking into the flames of a fire. You’re captivated as though in a trance.

Sometimes when people come to visit we forget how much pull the water has. Guests are immediately drawn to the water and we are reminded how fortunate we are. It’s true that the water view never fails to amaze. There’s nothing more zen than a good cup of coffee while watching the sun rise over the bay. Since we are in a shallow bay near Northwinds Beach there is little motorized water activity. Except for the d-bag who got a new seadoo and likes to parade along the shore like a peacock. Would that make him a sea-cock?? A fitting handle.

However the waters can turn quickly with the wind. One minute paddlers are peacefully gliding by on glass-like water and the next thing there’s a few ripples. The bay stallion (our neighbours weather vane… I will digress in a post script) starts to swing slowly announcing a weather change. Then the water starts to churn. White caps appear and the tempest arrives. Fasten your seatbelts.

In warm weather watching a storm roll in is a natural wonder. The sky changes colour. The sounds signal a frenzy as waves roll and crash. The wind arouses the scent of precipitation. It’s a sensory overload if you dare to face it.

However, December 1 means colder climes. Last weekend we sat outside on a calm evening enjoying quiet water, libations and music beside the outdoor fireplace. What a difference a week can make! The storm rolled in as predicted last night. Fierce bitter cold winds turned driving rain into frozen lashes that sprayed frosty flurries. The water whipped into a thundering blasting cannon against the shore. The roaring surf and wind letting us know that Mother Nature is on a Rampage. She’s the boss. Take shelter. I wonder what our homeless are doing and where they are taking shelter. Even our dog Molly is frightened by the onslaught.

Rudy braves the elements to tape down some flapping noisy deck thing. When he opens the door I realize how much noisier it actually is without the barrier of windows and doors. It’s howling and snarling like a pack of wild dogs on the hunt. I’m grateful for the cozy warmth of the family room snuggled under a heap of blankets. With the tv playing festive movies. Cue the holiday music and hot cocoa. Sigh.

When we head upstairs to bed on a stormy night the sounds are amplified (and there’s no buffering tv noise). Normally we would open the bedroom window for fresh lake breezes and meditative water melodies. But when the lake is angry and pounding it does not evoke relaxation. It is by its very nature agitated and mean.

Like the line from a famous tv series: winter is coming.

Good. Bring it. We are leaving.

Post script: when we were setting up our internet last year a wifi network popped up as “Bay Stallion” … immediately my thoughts swayed to the lowest common denominator as I assumed the name was for someone who had a Napoleon complex (sea-cock dude??) … I didn’t dwell on it too much at the time. But while at our neighbours house last summer the conversation turned to weather (Canadian predisposed condition) and he mentioned the weather vane fastened to his deck railing. It’s a galloping horse. The Bay Stallion. Apparently it’s an iron work of a famous race horse which my neighbour rescued from atop a chalet being torn down. He rescued the vane not the actual horse from the chalet in case you wondered. So my dirty thoughts were stymied. The stallion is in fact a horse. The end.