Still Life With Books: The View From Here

Like that view? How about this one? (while looking at it, imagine yourself on a non-floating dock, about 1.5 feet above the water level, just high enough so that you can sit on the side and dangle your feet in the lake below...)

If you spend much time with me in the winter (or in the summer and we happen to be in Newcastle at the time!), you'll hear me talk wistfully about spending weekends at the cottage. Considering that cottage life was so not something I grew up with, its a little disturbing at how I've come to expect that most weekend in the summer will be spent with family up at Mike's Uncle's cottage. Living in Ontario, you kind of just start to take it for granted. So imagine my surprise in July this year when an English friend of mine at Uni asked me, "What is the cottage, exactly?"

I was thinking of that this past weekend. Monday was Labour Day in Canada (and the US); effectively, this long weekend marks the official end of summer, since most schools and universities start back to school on the following Tuesday. Coincidentally, this year, this long weekend was also one of the best of the summer - three days of +25 degree temperatures, blue skies, and oddly, really warm lake water! (the lake is usually a lot cooler this time of year, which makes the whole 'taking the dock out for winter' process a little painful!)

So, in memory of the few short weekends we had at the cottage this summer, here are a few photos to give you a taste of what the cottage really is! :)

This one is from a few weekends ago - Mike's cousin Ghyslain had come up from Quebec City with his girlfriend, and they brought along their JetSki. Its a little old-school, which of course means it doesn't always run so well... this is a shot of Ghyslain after he had to go out in the canoe to rescue Mike and the stalled JetSki (the battery died)

This is ChipChip, Aunt Rolande's "wild" chipmunk. She's been feeding him all summer, and he's now become a little too tame...

Mornings at the cottage are long - Uncle Bob is usually up early, and then everyone else wakes up in their own time. On one of the days we'll have a group breakfast, after which everyone kind f drifts off on their own - daily activities include suntanning on the beach or the dock, hiding out in one of the two hammocks under the trees, sitting on the patio reading, or being adventurous by going canoeing, kyaking, or even off to the golf course.

At the end of the day - about 4:30 or 5pm, everyone re-convenes in Rolande's boudoir for wining time! (that's pronounced "wine-ing", by the way)

I think this is my favourite part of the day - I love that 'baked' feeling you get from being out in the sun all day!

Later, if its a nice evening, we set up the table on the patio, and have dinner while watching the sun go down over the lake. This past weekend was really warm and pretty much bug-free (only 3 bites all weekend!), so we were able to sit out chatting till well after dark.