Story and photos by Miriam Raftery
 

March 7, 2011 (Santee) –Golden lights glowed from the interiors of floating and waterfront cabins at Santee Lakes--cozy havens which will soon be accommodating overnight guests. I took a sneak-preview stroll along Lake 7 at twilight—witnessing the transformation from daytime to nightfall in the campground.

As the sun set, I could hear the “singing” of coyotes on nearby hills.  Soon, deep indigo blue hues enveloped the lake and sky above.  The soft call of a night heron carried on the wind. Shorebirds perched in trees or foraged among rushes along a waterfront path; a flock of ducks left a rippling trail across the otherwise mirror-smooth lake, crowned by rolling hills beyond.