The image I chose for my Lake Ontario watermark was taken at Porter on the Lake Beach in Youngstown, New York on a cool, sunny morning in mid spring. It's memorable to me because it was a rare and precious moment when I felt welcomed into a glimpse of the pre-industrialized world.

I live in Erie County but had taken a short drive to a small public access beach in Youngstown, New York while my daughter was at an activity in Niagara County. I usually took the opportunity to spend time at the shore of this area of Lake Ontario when I had the opportunity. I've gathered a collection of special sightings such as mink prints in the snow, the Toronto skyline, and the countless wonderful shapes of the water freezing as it splashes across the stones in winter.

On this morning, for a brief time, there were no human noises. No voices, vehicles, boats, planes, or construction sounds. The blues of the sky and water were nearly blended and masses of gulls dotted the horizon with black and white specks. I was photographing the beautiful sight when an osprey swooped down to catch a fish. It was me with just the sky, the glistening water, the gulls, and the stunning osprey.

This is a moment I think of when I see or hear the original and most befitting name for this lake.

My Lake Ontario watermark, at this time of its name being challenged, is more of a collection of water moments. In thinking about my connection to Lake Ontario, there are no major connections but a variety of small ones. It's the water body that my father insisted had "the best skipping rocks", it's a black, noisy, and spooky place as I stand in the gazebo at Niagara-on-the-Lake during a ghost tour. It's lunch on a patio in Sodus Bay while looking down and seeing fish casually swimming beneath us. It's a glimpse of a deep blue, breathtaking sight from the QEW while driving from Buffalo to Toronto. It's a memorable ride on a ferry to Centreville Amusement Park when my daughter was small. Lake Ontario is climbing to the top of the Old Fort Niagara Lighthouse and thinking of both my American and Canadian ancestors at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, choosing where they thought their families' best futures might be, or being forced from their homes in Canada during the War of 1812, or having siblings separate and settle on both sides of the political borders.

Lake Ontario, with its distinct location between the mighty Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers, inspires me to stay connected to people and organizations who will protect its original name and its health as we navigate this time period in its very long life.