By the time you read this, I will be back by the shores of Georgian Bay at Tobermory for my annual cottage fix. You might think that the editor of an online magazine dedicated to extolling the joys of cottage living might actually spend more than a few days a year walking the walk.
Alas, you would be wrong.
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Because this limited time, spent with my buddies Bill & Donna Rest at our rental, is so precious, I usually spend the runup to my getaway packing up gear and making resolutions - of things I’m not going to do.
For example, take my cellphone - please. This used to be a no-brainer - perched on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, Tobermory was once blissfully isolated from hi-tech telecommunications. You’d get maybe three radio stations during the day, a couple of TV channels - and you were well out of range of the office by cell.
Not anymore. Somebody must have built a tower. But nobody at the office needs to know that.
I will not allow Bill & Donna’s cats into my room, no matter how long they stare at the door. I’ve seen them eat spiderwebs, moths and other delicacies at the cottage and I have nightmares of surprise deposits in my sneakers.
I am not going to clean, buff or polish my brand-new car until I bring it home. It’s going to sit in the driveway outside the cottage and absorb the full brunt of high-level seagull bombing right up to the minute I leave.
When I am out kayaking or scuba diving, I am not going to pee my wetsuit. That fleeting moment of warmth is nothing compared to the unpleasantness of a sudden wind shift next to the clothesline when it’s drying in the breeze.
I am not going to sleep away my afternoons in the hammock on the back deck, overcome by lungfulls of pure unadulterated country air and thus make my holiday seem shorter than it already is. To compensate I’ve been hyperventilating Toronto’s malodorous air supply to keep me wide awake over the Canada Day weekend.
And finally, I am not going to step through that screen door without slapping on industrial strength bug repellent and SPF 462 sunblock so people back in the office will not be furnished with any evidence that itchy lobsterboy has just returned from his annual trek to the trees.
Let my smile and my carefree countenance be their subtle clue.
Glenn Garnett/Editor, CottageLink Magazine
Time was cottage decor meant melmac dishes on a wooden table and a stuffed moosehead mounted over a stone fireplace. For more timely ideas, we invited interior designer, writer and broadcaster Cheryll Gillespie to offer her thoughts on innovative cottage decors. Her ideas are right on the money - simple, low maintenance, natural decor. Check out story 1.
Speaking of great ideas, there are few occasions where brainstorms are more essential as when it’s storming outside and you’ve got bored kids - and adults - inside at the cottage. Rashida Dhooma takes a look at some creative solutions for indoor fun - some of them loads of fun even when it’s sunny. See story 2.
Great Horned Owls, the largest of their species, are fascinating birds. The nocturnal bird may look sleepy if you happen to spy one in a tree, but don’t be fooled - they have a well-deserved rep as a ruthless hunter and are fearless of any of other predator. Not exactly the ideal pet - as two Halton Region boys found out. See story 3.
Finally, a word about respect for the Canadian flag, today snapping in the breeze over more cottages than ever before. We take a look at flag protocol in story 4.
Our fall issue will look at the quandary facing a growing number of boomers when the summer months at the cottage are over - what if you don’t want to go home? Could that little piece of lakefront property be home? We’ll talk to a rural dwelling consultant on the issues you’d have to consider. We’ll also take a look at bees and poison ivy - plus more in the September/October issue of Cottage Link Magazine.
If you have any comments or suggestions on articles you’d like to see in CottageLink Magazine, just drop me a line at cggarnett@telus.net. Remember - this is your magazine!
