I volunteered to work on a committee to create the new calendar for the Long Lake Preservation Association. Their mission is to maintain, protect, and enhance the quality of the lake and its surroundings. The calendar lets us know when the ice went out last year, that the sandhill cranes are in the cornfields, and what day the wooly bear caterpillars were on the move.   The overall theme this year is “Neighbors and Neighborhoods” on the lake.

So I put on my researcher hat and taking what I learned in my Ph.D. program from the author Max Van Manen, I tried to construct a questioning inquiry, which evokes a fundamental sense of wonder, and provides a broad and systematic set of approaches for gaining experiential material. I’m just kidding; I called people and asked them some questions in a cast off Lisa Frank notebook that one of my daughters left behind ages ago.

I began with various local neighbors who had been friends or acquaintances of my parents. I used my maiden name and it was the ticket inside the world of Long Lake Wisconsin. My grandfather was one of the earliest settlers of the community; building many cabins and the one room school my father would attend. This name recognition and being welcomed, as somewhat of an insider was a gift from my parents, one that I didn’t realize I was receiving.

The local elders were friendly, funny and wise, the average age was about 86. I met with people in their homes, or the corner bar, sitting on Green Bay Packer throw pillows, and in the basement of the local historical society. It was my pleasure to hear of the people and places that had weathered many winters in northern Wisconsin and come out with a smile and a joy for life. It is the lake that brought us together, the love of this long, pristine lake. It provides a place to put your boat and cool off on a hot summer day.

So thank you to all of these new friends who have shared their stories, you are the local treasure.