For most of my life, I thought the lake was one of the most relaxing places a person could spend a summer weekend. Then I started paying attention to the wildlife. As summer arrives and another season of lake trips begins, I find myself thinking less about boat rides, swimming and long afternoons on the water and more about the creatures that were there long before any of us showed up with coolers, sunscreen and enough snacks to feed a small army. That shift in perspective started a few weeks ago when a video began making its way across social media and local news broadcasts. The video showed a bear swimming across the Lake of the Ozarks. Now, it’s understood bears can swim. This was not groundbreaking scientific information. Yet there was something about seeing one casually moving through the water that felt unsettling. Part of that reaction came from the fact this was not some distant lake I had never visited. This was the same lake where my dad has lived and I have spent…