Judy Fox and Rose Dillon were embarking on their first venture into Lake Renwick Preserve. 

The two retired school teachers sat on a bench just a few yards in, reflecting on a scene of swans and ducks swimming in Budde Lake in the late-autumn afternoon twilight. 

"It's a beautiful spot to walk and you don't have to drive a million miles to get here," said Fox, who lives in Carillon of Plainfield. 

They have lived in the area for quite some time and, like me, were about to experience the wonders of Renwick for the first time. Given that I'm an avid walker and outdoor person, I cannot believe I have lived here for years and not visited this stunning spot.  

Fox had been to the Turtle Lake Access on Lockport Street in the past. She came with her ailing husband, who could navigate with his oxygen machine and liked to reflect on Turtle Lake from the parking lot. On Tuesday, her husband having passed, Fox was about to make her first trek in. 

What lays around the bend is a world of water life and history. There is a log turn-out looking onto a hundred herons, egrets and cormorants. Take the pleasant walk down to the lake, not quite a mile in, and you'll find a pagoda with free telescopes offering close-up looks of the towering rookeries of Lake Renwick. 

While approaching the Turtle Lake Access, I saw this curious memorial hanging on some tree branches: "In Loving Memory of Stephanie Burde and Ruth Dennell," with a picture on the back. A Google search got me nothing. If you know anything about, we'd all love to know their story. 

Before it gets much colder, I urge you to explore the marvels of Renwick Lake.