The lake

I spent yesterday with my friends in a cottage near a lake. We talked. We laughed. We drank really bad beer and wine. We ate too much food. We made 'smores over a campfire. We even had a drunken ride on a pontoon boat. If you've never done it, I'd highly recommend it. We also had a highly contested game of lawn dice for mustard. A friend of mine is obsessed with mustard. His wife tries very hard to give them away: hence the prize.
Lawn dice is another must do before you leave the planet: Two plastic circles in which you try to throw two pairs of large dice. By the time someone reaches 21 you're begging for it to end.
My favorite moment was probably walking out in front of the lake before everyone else had woken up. I just stood on the small pier and watched the tiny fish swimming around, and cowering in fear when the shadow of a large bird crossed over them.
It was quiet, but like all mornings, weighed with the potential of the day ahead. The memories of the campfire, the beer and wine, the pontoon booze cruise will blur together as the day ages. But at this moment, they are crystal clear in my head. In that early morning moment, I could enjoy them.