All right everyone! Break’s over

Stones beneath the surface of Platte Lake

After declaring my independence from this site on July 4, I’ve finally decided to return to duty and to make new contributions to the growing body of information.

A touch of the flu or something in the flu family wandered through my body during the past week, draining me of energy and diminishing my interest in communicating.

Things seem to be back to normal, now. I have been continuing my travels and have been out and about, as new entries to the photo gallery reveal.

I expected to experience a wave or two of nostalgia when I touched base with Platte Lake – the scene of many thousands of hours of family fun for Burkes, past and present. My father and aunt were the biggest beneficiaries, having spent their pre-war teen years at the cottage on the southeast edge of this mid-sized lake.

My last visit was in 1979 and I’m quite certain that I found the cottage. That makes me almost as certain the house that Burke built no longer exists – or has been modified beyond recognition.

The lake has changed over the past 20-some years – including removal of sections of road. Access to the cottages and houses that lie along the shore is now made via one of several entrances, each of which connects only to a short segment.

Driving at “trolling” speed gave me time to search carefully for a glimpse of the one-story building that was once a prized possession of our extended family. It also gave me a chance to experience lake-life as many people were out and about, enjoying a beautiful afternoon.

I had a chance to speak to a few folks. None of them “went back far enough” to remember any Burkes, not even those from the post-war era that included my two sisters, our three cousins and me.

I hope I get to see the oldest of these cousins in a week or so when I pass through Ohio. He no doubt has more clear memories of Platte Lake – and of our grandparents – than I.

As I have met more and more people who live in retirement communities, I have discovered that the more common reason, by far, that retirees settle in any given community is family. Even though few Americans live with their grandchildren, many clearly want to live near them.

Grandpa Burke died long before my 10th birthday. I don’t have any clear memories of fishing with him on Platte Lake, though I do recall awakening to discover that he had arisen long before me and was already out on the lake.

Revisiting the lake and considering what might have been had made my brief visit to Platte Lake a highlight of the trip. The lake has held a sort of mythical place in my life – I was allowed a taste of something special.

For the past week or so, I contemplated the idea of buying or leasing a cottage on Platte Lake – I confess that I even fantasized about discovering that “our” cottage was for sale and about buying it. My daydreaming went so far as canceling the rest of my trip and beginning a new life immediately, while it is still summer.

Crazy? Sure.

In fact, there are a number of properties for sale along the shore – several would be perfectly suitable for living-out-my-dream purposes. The lake was inviting; the weather was perfect; the people were friendly; the prices were affordable; and I knew there was no way in the world that I could risk ruining everything by trying to turn a dream into reality.

Platte Lake serves a greater purpose in my memory. There, life is nearly perfect; I live in an idealized time and place where things are as they should be. The only change I need to make is to get up earlier so I can go fishing with my grandfather.