“These Seats Are Taken” and Good Fortune

North shore of Geneva Lake, Wisconsin

February 23, 2024

I made this photograph on the north shore of Geneva Lake looking east from a spot west of Knollwood subdivision, which is just east of Williams Bay. I did not label the image in my files with a particular date, only noting I did the photo sometime in early 1993.

You will notice the lake largely is free of ice, but some chunks are a little way offshore. So, winter was surrendering to spring.

However, Mother Nature decided to produce at least one more snowfall. I recall the snow being wet and heavy, making my walk on the shore path from my Knollwood parking spot more a trudge than a saunter.

The weight of the snow is reflected in how it clings to everything. The most interesting is the layer on the metal furniture. Its design is appealing on its own. Add the snow, and the appeal moves up a notch because the lines are that much more distinguishable.

If I recall correctly, I probably crouched down a little to see if from a lower perspective I could move the bush on the left below the railing to accentuate it more. But, that did not work because I would have lost the separation of the pieces of furniture and their many interesting lines and patterns.

I wish I had had a small ladder to see how the scene would have looked from an elevation of a few feet. I could have used one of the chairs for such a purpose, but doing so would have disrupted the scene. Always trade-offs.

This photo, in its posting 30-plus years later, could be titled “Ode to Winter” or “A Winter Lament.” Sad to say, this season has not been a typical Wisconsin winter with snow and cold in abundance, continuing a trend of the last few years.

Apart from its conduciveness to doing black-and-white photography, I always have liked winter for the changes to the landscape it presents. Snowdrifts especially are fascinating beyond measure to me. Mother Nature can be an excellent sculptor when she combines snow and wind. 

Good Fortune

Instances in life of luck or coincidence can be wonderful – always worthy of bringing a smile to my face. One such instance happened to me recently.

I decided to go for a late-afternoon walk in my neighborhood on the east side of Burlington, Wisconsin. Guilt was a partial motivator for the stroll, since I had been lax in exercising for a few weeks. So, I looked forward to a 40-minute walk to the western shore of nearby Brown’s Lake to see if any ice remained on the lake.

A short distance from home I spied a white envelop in the ditch. As one who abhors litter, I picked up the envelop, intending to recycle it once I arrived home.

However, my plan changed when I discovered the envelop, which had endured 2-3 weeks of the elements, seemed important. It was addressed to a company named Alside in New Berlin, Wisconsin.

The weather had dissolved the envelop seal, so I looked inside the envelop. I did not feel guilty opening someone else’s mail because it already was unsealed. Who would know? And, if the access enabled me to find out what to do with the envelop, so much the better.

Inside I found six checks and a bank-deposit slip totaling more than $3,500 that apparently were payments for residential windows, sliding doors, siding, gutters, and other related materials sold by Alside.

I called the company and talked to a fellow named Brian. He was ecstatic about what I found. He said he was really anxious about the whereabouts of the checks.

Brian told me he lives just down the block from me and commutes to his job at Alside. That explains why I found the envelop where I did. Although I forgot to ask him how the envelop went missing, apparently he dropped it or it fell out of his vehicle unbeknownst to him.

Just think, if I never had gone for the walk when I did, Brian still may be wondering what happened to the checks. Same for the persons who had written the checks.

And, to make a connection between the incident and photography, many, many times in my photographic career I have captured a photograph simply because I was in the right place at the right time.

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If you wish to comment or ask a question about this post, contact me at frednoer@att.net.