In Cottage Country

Every summer folks in Ontario, as well as some from other provinces and even the US, make the trip to The Cottage. It can be a one-room cabin with an outhouse, or a $3 million mansion with out-buildings, or anything in between. As long as it’s a long drive from the city, and near a lake with sand and trees, it’s The Cottage.

Everyone knows the rules at The Cottage: eat junk food, sleep when you feel like it, read magazines, and get wet. Above all, have a few adventures. This year, durnig our family cottage week, we had several. There were lots of water antics on the lily pad, K-Pop dances on the trampoline, and 4 resolute swimmers who made the trip across the lake and back, accompanied by lifeguard kayaks. The youngest swimmer, Agnes, was 11, and the oldest, Peter, was 77.

A swimmer sets out to cross the lake

There were excursions to ice cream stores, a must for any successful cottage stay. And there was the annual trip to the drive-in theatre, to watch a movie while sittiing on the tailgate and getting devoured by mosquitoes. This year the movie was a girl favourite, Barbie, so the boys in their car opted to drive next door and watch Mission Impossible instead. They made a good choce because, in the girls’ car, a few people fell asleep.

One day a group visited the Dorset Lookout Tower, a feature of the tiny village. Originally built in 1922, it was a fire tower, but its role was made obsolete by air surveillance. The climb is a steep 119 steps but the view at the top is spectacular. One can see the main intersection, actually the ONLY intersection, of Dorset; with a bridge crossing a narrow passage of Lake Of Bays, and “Canada’s Best Country Store,” Robinson’s. There is nothing on your shopping list that you won’t find in a nook or cranny of that store.

View from the Dorset Lookout Tower

But the highlight of the week for some of us was the day that Sheila and Sophie, mother and daughter, went parasailing. They booked the excursion a few days ahead, and 3 more of us, including Agnes and I, tagged along, at the last minute, for the boat ride. We would watch from the safety of the boat while the 2 parasailors screamed in fear as they rose up and up.

We settled on board with another family, and took off from the dock. The other family’s grandfather offered to go parasailing first. I was shocked. He didn’t look nervous at all! His trip upward was uneventful and he landed softly back on the boat, with a big smile. A young couple went next and had no problems. They said it was “smooth sailing” all the way. Then it was Sheila and Sophie’s turn. No worries. No screaming. Really?

All this time Agnes was watching from the boat; her eyes fixated on the parasailors. Oh oh….

Clearly Agnes wanted to try it. I quickly announced in a loud voice that her mother would happily go with her next year. Agnes’s face drooped in disappontment. I was overcome with guilt. What kind of a wimpy grandmother was I anyway? And before I could answer, there were Agnes and I, strapped into life jackets and harnesses, heading towards the clouds.

Taking off…

It was a one-of-a kind experience for sure; peaceful and quiet, as we gently floated on the breeze, smiling at each other, waving to the people below, and loving the view. We wanted to stay up there forever. Eventually it was time for “the dip.” Did Agnes want to try “the dip?” Of course she did. Down we went until our feet splashed into the water and we soared up again. Then we landed safely back on the boat. Well I did have a little mis-step but the crew lent me a hand and it was all good.

In fact it was excellent. Cottage Country is the perfect place for making lasting memories.

Sue