Yesterday I had enough time to go for a long ride. After fourteen miles of biking, I decided it was time to figure out exactly where I wanted to go. So I went over to the side of the road, pulled out my map and spotted a lake that I have only ever visited in the winter to go ice fishing. It was high time to see what the lake was like in summer time, I thought.
I went North for nineteen miles into a strong headwind. I am finally starting to get comfortable in the drops so I stayed in them as much as possible until I reached the lake. But when I got to the lake I couldn’t find anywhere to actually sit and enjoy it. All the waterfront seemed to be taken up by private property and I wasn’t sure where I was allowed to go. After about forty-five minutes of biking around, I decided to just head home. After all, it is all about the journey not the destination, right?
But as I went down the road away from the lake, I noticed a lady working in her garden. So I went over and asked her if there was an area where I could access the lake without intruding on private property. For me, that takes a lot of courage. I don’t normally approach random strangers like that. I guess I thought the lake was worth it. She was very nice and gave me directions to a gazebo right on the water.
Following her directions, I went back to the lake and dismounted my bike to walk to the gazebo, relieved that I would get to enjoy the water after all. Until I heard someone shouting at me.
“You are on private property, young lady!”
I whirled around, wide-eyed, to see a lady hanging out the window of a cottage with a very stern expression on her face. Yikes.
“I am so sorry! I was told that this gazebo is open to the public.” I apologized.
“It is, but you are on my property right now.” She stated firmly.
I quickly moved to the gazebo, rather confused. There seemed to be no way to access the public gazebo but through her property. Regardless, I felt triumphant, I had made it to a beautiful spot on the water and I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. (Even though I felt like crying for the first two minutes because apparently I had used up all my emotional strength approaching and then being confronted by random strangers.)
After soaking up the breeze and watching the water ebb and flow for a time, I snuck past the lady’s house to the road and headed home feeling wonderfully refreshed. With a sturdy tailwind aiding me, I flew all the way home.
“It is, but you are my property right now.” She stated firmly.
I’d cry too – that is a spooky level of possession to feel over the land that’s been around for way longer than she has, and the people who enjoy passing through it.
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Maybe spending an arm and a leg on lake front property makes one extra protective of land 😉
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Also, my humblest apologies for the typo in my post, I corrected it – I wanted you to know that you didn’t make a mistake in quoting me…I just made a mistake when I published this 🙂
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I love sitting next to the water and am thinking about heading to a state park tomorrow night (on the bike of course) to camp and enjoy it myself. Really high places give me that mellow feeling too, like sitting on a mountain overlooking the world!
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That sounds like great fun!
There are so many beautiful places to enjoy God’s creation!
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I’d have peed on her petunias.
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But it was the lady who was working in her flower garden who helped me with the directions…there were no flowers around the other lady’s house, I guess now I know why 😉
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My bad…
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No worries, the lady working in her garden seemed nice enough that I am sure she wouldn’t mind, haha!
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This is why God has given us middle fingers to use and show to others in certain situations. Sounds like a great day. Cool
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Hmmm…I don’t think I have ever read that part of the Bible 😀
It was a really, really great day, I think I enjoyed the lake even more because I had to go through some obstacles to get there!
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Very strange, the lady. Maybe she felt she owned that view? Enjoy your summer, Bri.
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Thanks Jean! It was rather strange and startling as well! Who knows, maybe she was having a bad day, or has to deal with people trampling over her property all the time.
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Sometimes it’s just not clear what’s public and what’s private property… but then the fault lies with her for not making it obvious… without having to resort to shouting at everyone that accidentally steps foot on her land. Alternatively she could have walked over to greet you, and perhaps invited you round for marmalade sandwiches and lemonade 😀
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Now that would have been cool, I would have liked a sandwich right about then!
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love your triumphant tale. boo! to the lady that tried to squash your adventure like a bug! enjoy your summer!
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You are a dear, thank you so much!
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