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How I spent my summer vacation at the cottage: Left a sweltering Toronto in the middle of July with a couple of bags of t-shirts, shorts and bathing suits, drove due north 200 miles to find The Land That Summer Forgot. I’m forced to beg warm clothing from understanding friends.
Almost immediately, the stress and tension of city living begins to evaporate and I become dizzy and euphoric. This is because there is an abundant element in the air at the tip of Bruce Peninsula not found in T.O. Scientists call it oxygen. I’m forced to take afternoon naps every day like I did in Mrs. Martin’s kindergarten class back in 1963.
At night we wander down to the point to enjoy the Northern Lights and clear black skies dotted with countless stars. One evening we misplace the Little Dipper and are dizzy and euphoric enough to consider reporting this celestial catastrophe to NASA.
One evening stroll becomes more enchanting as the haunting lilt of a Loreena McKennit song echoes across a bay in concert with mournful loons. Speaking of loons, Bruce jumps out of the woods pretending to be one of the hungry bears we’d been reading about in the local newspaper and I rediscover a childhood prayer I learned in Mrs. Martin’s kindergarten class back in 1963.
There’s no TV and no VCR. Our evening’s entertainment is watching an industrious spider the size of a small car build an elaborate web or a chipmunk stuffing its cheeks with sunflower seeds on our deck, with Donna & Bill’s cats staring through the window at the shameless rodent. They try in vain to capture the chipmunk when they get loose the next day and settle for eating the spider web.
The scuba diving in Fathom Five Park is, as usual, fascinating. But instead of rapture of the deep, the big danger this summer is hypothermia, with temperatures at depth a bracing 45ºF - enough to give you an ice cream headache until Labour Day.
Maybe the best thing about cottaging is shedding all the big city shielding. Out for a run each morning, I encountered old men walking their dogs, young couples out for a stroll and kids on their bikes, all of them with an unguarded greeting, a smile, or a wave. It takes a few days before I stop wondering what’s the matter with them.
Must be the oxygen.
Glenn Garnett/Editor, CottageLink Magazine
With fall fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about closing up the cottage and putting away your toys for the winter. Automotive writer Scot Magnish says that taking a few steps to properly stow your boat and motor will extend its lifespan and save you big bucks in repairs later. Check out story 1.
Looking for something completely different in cottage rentals for next summer? Peaceful countryside locales with gorgeous scenery, tons of things to do for the kids and a cultural experience you’ll never forget? Try France - it’s formidable! See story 2.
When you think about cottaging in Ontario, Muskoka immediately comes to mind. Today it’s Canada’s prime vacationland turf, with the rich and famous, and those who’d like to be, bidding up the value of paradise. We talk to real estate agent Anita Latner about this red-hot market in story 3.
Finally, if your cottage’s septic system isn’t cutting it any more, and the romance of going to the outhouse is gone, there’s a low-cost ecological alternative that’s easy-to-install and maintain: composting toilets. See story 4.
We’ll be taking a look at snowmobiles and picking out the right one for you and your family. Once you’re the proud owner of a machine, you’ll need someplace to go - we’ll also be checking out Ontario’s huge network of snowmobile trails. Safety on the ice this winter is another topic we’ll be covering in your Winter Edition of Cottage Link Magazine which goes live November 1.
Cover photo by Brent Garnett / Mushrooms on the forest floor in Haliburton
