A Day at the Cottage

It has been a week today that my hubby and I, along with two of our daughters, spent a memorable day with our friends at a cottage three hours south of us at Long Point on Lake Erie. The travelling through Norfolk County was wonderful as we passed many rural villages and beautiful countryside with a variety of agriculture, very different from our area. The soil was sandier and the crops ranged from lavender fields, fruit orchards, ginseng farms, tree nurseries, tobacco fields, potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, squash, and zucchini fields. Of course we had to make a 'pit stop' at the half-way point at our favourite coffee shop for a bathroom break and a tall dd coffee and muffin to go.

We arrived at Long Point to see the waves on Lake Erie, the miles and miles of sandy beaches, and sunbathers, cottages and boats. Our friends were so gracious and welcoming, so thankful that we came! The cottage they stayed at was situated on a canal within walking distance to the beach (5 minutes away)

This was our greeting at the cottage door:

...and the walkway around to the back deck where we spent some of our time; a beautiful pathway with driftwood arbour...

...and a lovely butterfly on a Buddleia bush to greet us:




Inside, the cottage was decorated with many images and stunning photographs of the lake and surroundings, along with books about the history of the area. The cottage had an open concept design with plenty of room for two families and a great layout.

There was a table set near the large picture window and on it were supplies to last the week with three busy children.
My friend Marianne is a teacher, so she had projects, children's books, crafts and activites to do with the three younger children she has 'adopted' as her own grandchildren and they are so proud to call her Oma.





After a delightful lunch of assorted breads, meats and veggie tray, we headed to the beach as the children were so eager to spend time in the wavy water.
While the group went swimming, I strolled along the water's edge, capturing images of the beach as I went along.

beautiful driftwood:

seagulls:

floating devices:






sand toys:






beach tube:







colourful umbrellas:







eager boys:








bright beach towels:








cottage decor:







adirondack chairs:

After several hours at the beach, it was time to head back to the cottage for a time of relaxation for some, canoeing and fishing for others. I confess that I spent that part of my time in a lounge chair reading then sleeping...absolute bliss!

This was the backyard scene:

My dear and patient hubby teaching the boys to fish...

...and my daughter fishing from her perch on the dock:

Inside our friends were preparing a fine feast, including a large fresh salad, new potatoes...

...and fabulous grilled maple-flavoured salmon as well as filet mignon wrapped in bacon on the BBQ done by the famous griller himself:






After our decadent dining experience, it was time to bid farewell, and make our way slowly home again. We passed these boat houses as we drove along the lake so I had to take one final photo opportunity, before focusing on navigating the driver home again.





Our day at the cottage was a wonderful experience and a favourite memory of summer.

Thank you to our dear friends, H&M and their adopted family, for making our time so enjoyable and for giving us such a lovely vacation day!

Quaint Cottages and Elegant Wisteria

We had a lovely Mother's Day visiting my mother in her nursing home in Grimsby. Most of our extended family was there to enjoy food and fellowship in the Orchards Common Room. Following lunch, our family as well as my sister's family took our Mom for a beautiful Sunday afternoon drive to Historic Grimsby Beach area on Lake Ontario.
Again, the Spring season was evident and stunning!
We saw quaint cottages and beautiful spring blooms, orchards and vineyards, greenhouses and garden centres.

As we entered the Historic Beach area, we were intrigued by the charming and quaint cottages, of colour and character. I did some research and discovered that in the 1850's, a Methodist Campground was set up here, first as a tent community, followed by the building of these cottages which were built so closely together that "the neighbours could shake hands while standing on their own front porches." A small community was built up and thrived around this camp. A pier was built to ferry the passengers from Toronto across Lake Ontario to spend thier summers in this cottage area, where there was also an amusement park as well as a hotel. Only a few of the original cottages remain, but their charm and character have stood the test of time. You can read more about the history here.

Don't you think these cottages are so adorable with their board and batten and their gingerbread trim: I took a walk around the neighbourhood and spotted this beautiful Red Maple:
Elegant wisteria was flowering in abundance:
Fragrant lilac bushes were blooming in all their glorious colours:
Chestnut tree blossoms were also fragrant and abundant:
Profusion of violets growing wild amongst the rocks:
Love the iron-clad door and the lilacs:
Glimpse of Lake Ontario:
More wisteria, and if you click to enlarge, you can spot the hazy outline of the Toronto Skyline across the way: