In April 2013, I moved into a condo overlooking a lake. And when I say overlooking, walls on two sides are filled with big windows through which you can see the lake.
It’s not a big lake. When I walk to the other side and back, I travel a little over a mile. But it’s lovely. The wildflowers growing by it change by the week. I regularly see birds and bunnies when I walk by and have also seen squirrels, deer, and foxes.
And those birds! I never get tired of seeing a great blue heron who likes to hang out here. (More on that later!) But I also see great egrets, goldfinches, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, woodpeckers, robins, mallards, Canada geese, and other interesting or seemingly ordinary birds.
What’s more, the lake gave me back my health! In August 2011 I had a stroke. I had the stroke because of an accident, not from lack of fitness — but the stroke itself destroyed my fitness level.
When I moved into this condo, the lake was so enticing, I was able to get myself to walk around it regularly. I had never in all my life done a regular exercise program before. I feel much more fit than I was after the stroke and before I started walking.
My lake is a daily blessing I’m so thankful for.
