After May comes summer, but these days I’m a little confused by that sequence. I have a new granddaughter – her name is Summer Mae. Even though she lives in the mountains of Colorado where summer comes late, right now, the sequence for me is Summer then Mae.
Excuse my digression. In our neck of the woods, it is not an overstatement to say that people live for summer. When it’s summer time in the Finger Lakes, the living is wonderful and easy.
Water has always attracted me like a magnet, and during the summer months, that same magnetism draws folks to the Finger Lakes for fun
and relaxation.
My favorite water activity is fishing, and I enjoy sharing it with kids, friends, or just about anyone who is willing to listen to my fishing stories. Fishing can be both relaxing and exciting, and is also considered a sport. By definition then, if it is a sport, it must follow that I am an athlete.
Both boys and men seem genetically programmed to brag about their fishing achievements. Fibbing is as much a part of fishing as politics. Incidentally, all anglers and politicians are born honest – but they get over it.
And if you’re not lured in and hooked on fishing, not to worry. There are other ways to relax and have fun in the Finger Lakes.
Kayak on the more tranquil waters of Canadice or Hemlock Lakes. For the more adventuresome, windsurf or sail on the windier waters of Seneca or Cayuga Lakes.
Join friends for a ride on a pontoon boat on Keuka Lake, and wave at everybody in boats and along the shore. For some reason people always seem friendlier when on the water.
Take a dip, splash the kids, catch some rays, and read a book. At the end of the day, while sitting by the shore campfire, watch the moonrise over the hillside. In July and August, partake in the Ring of Fire celebrations as people along the shorelines ignite red flares and settle in to enjoy spectacular fireworks.
From sunrise to sunset and beyond, people will be saying, “It’s summer time and there is no season like it here in the Finger Lakes,” but then comes fall.
by Bill Banaszewski
Bill specializes in outdoor photography and lives on Keuka Lake with his wife Michele.
