Standing in the lake, body numb from the cold, I leaned my head back towards the mottled cloudscape as barn swallows dipped and tumbled above me, as the Pine Siskin left his hidden perch to hop along the sun-bleached twigs and shore stones, as the Downy Woodpecker cocked his thick neck and tested the wood for treasure. Day one of our Crescent Lake weekend saw us up early with an easy travel and an expansive afternoon and evening in one of my favorite places.