Too soon to go

Getting ready to leave and I don't want to go. Even though everyone says this was the worst summer ever I've been happier than ever here in this little cottage. Life is very simple. Our water is unfiltered and comes from the lake about 100 feet from where I sit now. One cannot drink it, rather one must fill up big container of spring water which can be obtained for free near the tiny airport about 2 miles from here.The airport and a now-shuttered resort are what brought people from Toronto to this lake in the first place in the first half of the 20th Century.

We do a lot of our grocery shopping at a little market with one butcher and one bakery lady. All the dairy and meat products are fresh, obtained locally as is much of the produce.

For the first time ever there is a local radio station, "The Moose"--they play a lot of Rush-- and they'll show up to almost any little event. Today spouse went to buy grass seed and they were there broadcasting at the Not Home Depot, raising money for some lifts for the two hospitals in this massive county. They thanked my spouse as "Roger from Chicago" on the air which tickled him.

The counter lady at the brand new Rexall drugs recommended a local photographer for my son and I to get our Canadian passport photos taken. She'd had no trouble she said, last winter when she and her children had theirs done and sure enough, it went off without a hitch for us, too. Afterward, we got milkshakes, possibly the best anywhere, at a local ice cream stand that's been there at least 30 years, maybe more.

On that trip into town I ordered the rustic wooden sign I've wanted made--don't know where I'll put it but it'll be hand-carved and ready to pick up when I come back to close the cottage in September. It's says "Alice's Place" and will have two little hearts as embellishments, in remembrance of the woman to whom I can thank for the privilege of being here--my grandmother. My grandfather outlived her by 35 years and after he died at age 101 the county put a road sign at the end of our dirt and gravel road--"Frank's Lane" --which is nice but I want to make sure that we are reminded of her, too. I think of her often but many folks though they know of my grandfather don't have any reference to my grandmother.
There is a teevee but it only gets one channel so we never use it and don't miss it. We play Uno at night or watch movies. In the evening too one hears the nearby haunting call of the loons, which scares our little dog.

 

Spouse spent much of his time building a groin to better build the beach and when he finished that he secured the bank down to the lake with the many stones that had been buried in the sand--some almost the size of boulders. My grandfather had them hauled in many, many years ago. Spouse also fixed both sets of stone steps which take you down the 15 feet or so to the beach and the lake. It's peaceful through the week and because of the wet and cool weather even weekends have been  more quiet than normal.

 

We are in the woods on a lake. I've had this privilege all my life and I realize how very precious it is. After dinner tonight spouse and I took the canoe out further than he'd ever been and so got a view of the lake which was completely new for him. We saw the ever-present common loons and a beautiful blue heron that swooped by us.

I have to leave this life, go back to suburbia as school is starting and my son is turning 16--both on August 20-- and I owe that to my son but I do not want to go--at all.The one concession to modern life has been what facilitated me being able to stay here for a month--the satellite internet. I've gotten a lot of work done--but on my own schedule. I did a conference call today which involved pulling up visuals on the Internet and it was totally awesome to do so in my swimsuit and shorts. Heaven if there is one, could not be any better than right here.

Comments

[Cyn]

@ Dan
Truly--a beautiful sound to my ears.

I avoided getting the lappy wet by a. only going out to my upper knees, b. being super careful and c. making sure I had no company. :)
I want to know how people actually use laptops outside. The glare was awful--even in the shade when I came in from the water.

[Cyn]

@ HB
The Lake adapts to where your head is when you are there.
I would gladly spend May-September there--which coincidently would get me residency (I think).

[Dan]

There is nothing like listening to loons on a lake. And how did you avoid getting your laptop wet?

[Her Brother]

Just reading that last post resurrected my accent.

[Cyn]

Hi Travis!

I'm gonna go all cliche and say small world, man!
I had no idea that you were familiar with these parts!

Oh yeah, have to do ice cream cones at Kawartha Dairy. A summer tradition.

Muskoka--you were practically a next door neighbour!
First time gone in 15 years--that's gotta hurt. Hopefully you'll be back before too long?

Cyn

[Zoic]

Ice cream (or milkshakes) at Kawartha Dairy. THAT is a perfect_summer_moment.

Hey Cyn - It's Travis from the CAB. It's been fun reading about your Haliburton stay. This is my first summer in 15 years not living in Muskoka so you've made me feel a touch of home.