They change, hour by hour, throughout the day.

Mornings, when the lake is still and the kids are just waking up, we can hear the cry of the loons on the lake (they just had a chick).

Once the morning bell rings, you can hear kids waking and getting ready for the day. Soon, that’s replaced by the bustle of the ML, as kids arrive and sit together in their cabin groups. The main lodge can get noisy, but when there are waffles, it gets pretty quiet… waffles are a hit.

Throughout the morning, we hear the sounds of horses, of paddles and most of all, of laughter. The laughter that comes from connection and support, the laughter of satisfied accomplishment and challenges yet to be solved.

By lunch, the ML is probably louder than most adults are comfortable with, but that energy is contagious. And for an hour or so after lunch, the cadence continues, as it does throughout the day. Loud singing, quiet confidences, the splashes of general swim and the solitude of an after dinner paddle.

And then, as the sun sets, all is quiet again, as we get ready to do it all again tomorrow.