Critters at the Lake

One month has passed since we arrived at our Washington state lake house. 

We are enjoying the peace and beauty. But we do spend a fair amount of time reclaiming our house and yard from the spiders and vines. 

I spent an afternoon the first week brushing off spider webs from corners and around windows and under eaves. But the spiders do not give up easily. To my dismay, the very next week, cobwebs were reappearing.  

I’m not sure our lake house is officially in a rainforest, but our neck of the woods is definitely damp and thickly forested. Because of this, moss grows freely on our brick pathway and wooden railings. It looks quaint but we’re on a mission to scrape it from the walkway; don’t want it too slippery.

Ivy and other vines can easily take over the landscaping. Chris can’t seem to step outside without pulling up some wayward vines.

A few of our tree trunks are completely covered in ivy. Chris cut the thick vines at the bottom of the trees and now we’re waiting for the ivy on the trunks to die; could take years.

I’ve been enjoying the fact that I can go for walks any time of day, not just when it’s cool enough in the early morning or evening like in Houston. The fresh smell of pine is a nice treat too.

Some of the wildlife we’ve seen at the lake include deer, eagles, ospreys, rabbits, all kinds of birds, butterflies, small squirrels, and chipmunks. Jack especially enjoys viewing the wildlife. His favorite are the ducks that swim right up to him at the edge of the lake, taunting him until he dives in and chases them off. They quickly return to taunt him some more.

My favorite critter to watch at the lake is the Savannah critter, our adorable granddaughter, when she comes to visit.