Early August Days on the Water at Donner Lake

Early August at Donner Lake, and the boat spent most of the day tied off at the dock with the tow tubes floating alongside — the red GO GO one bumping against the hull, the blue one hauled up onto the boards. Towels drying over the seats, water clear enough at the shoreline to see straight down to the rocks.

Inside for a stretch in the afternoon, I noticed again the painting on the pine wall — three bears running a wooden speedboat flat out, flag streaming off the stern, "Bear Craft" lettered on the bow. It suits this lake better than most things hung in cabins around here.

Went back out in the evening and the sky did its thing over the west end, orange over the granite above the far shore. Cabin lights were just starting to come on along the water when we turned around. The bow line was still coiled where someone dropped it that morning.