I had a great week off. I went to Paris…Ontario… and met my oldest (as in goes the furthest back in time) friend for lunch. I did what I wanted when I wanted and even snagged a couple of easy-peasy voice jobs that didn’t even feel like work. And a trip north to Kearney turned into a retirement party for a friend of 25 years who was just let go from her radio job. It’s not always a bad thing. She’s so happy it actually makes me a little bit envious!
Kearney is north of Huntsville. It’s a one-half-horse town but it’s a popular area for cottage-goers because it has most of the charm of its more famous cousin, Muskoka, at a fraction of the price. My friend and her sisters have cottages on Himbury Lake which they call Rock Lake. Two neighbouring lakes used to both be called Rock Lake but in recent years, their Rock Lake was renamed Himbury Lake. So if you call 911 you say Himbury but if you’re hanging out on the dock with the locals, it’s still Rock Lake.
This is the view from my pal’s cottage.
The weather was near-perfect and we kayaked, paddle-boarded and cruised the lake on a motorized dock they call the Redneck Raft. Nine women, one full cooler, several snacks and lots of laughter accompanied our slow scoot around the water. My friend Karen, leading here, starts every morning with a kayak trip around the lake. Bliss. The quiet is very loud. Do you know that kind of quiet? It’s hard to find.
The terrain around the lake is mostly untouched woods. Bears are a mild concern. Everyone’s seen one or two but they don’t tend to come around unless someone does something foolish, like leave food out in the open for a period of time. Still, I hoped to see one but had to settle for a beaver, a couple of loons and other various birds. Life always finds a way, as these trees on the shoreline prove.
I don’t come from cottage people but I can appreciate the lack of anything important to do, for as long as it lasts. Playing every day would never get old, even as I continue to!
