Ahhh...The Cottage Life!

It was so nice to go to the cottage this weekend. I had been waiting for awhile! So busy here and the weather has been very cool as well. Stopped on the side of the road on the way up to photo this Canada Goose Family. It reminds me how far along we are in the season for it to be so cool!

I got to the cottage all by myself at around 5:30pm. I wasn't expecting my son and his family until 10pm. Too late to get the pump primed and the water going in the pump house behind the cottage so I decided to do it. The black flies this year are horrendous! It took me about an hour to get the pump primed and I swear that I ate so many black flies I wasn't even hungry anymore! The black fly is about 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) long and has large eyes, short legs, a stout, humped back, broad gauzy wings, and piercing-sucking mouthparts. The female inflicts a painful bite, sucking the blood of birds and mammals, including humans.

Doesn't state how much protein per!
I finally got the new foot valve on the hose into the lake and the pump cooperated and primed quickly probably due to still having water in the pipes from the last try at priming. After about an hour waiting for the water to warm up I was able to have a great shower and make some dinner after all. the Family arrived around 9:45 so i boated over to the marina and picked them up. Everyone was tired so we called it a night pretty early.
The next morning we woke up to a beautiful sunny day! It was also warming up fast. Thank goodness black flies don't like the heat so it was fairly bug free.
My son and I like to work together at the cottage and there is always plenty of things that need working on, real and imagined. (Remind me to write about battling rocks with fire one day) We are digging out the bank behind our cottages and adding it to the front of the property by the lake to build up the front and stop any erosion. So far many many wheelbarrows full have gone from front to back!

The granddaughters seem to enjoy this digging to. It is pure sand, cool on the feet and they look for neat coloured rocks to add to their collection. Sometimes you may even find a new friend like this red newt that Kiandra found!

We kept a fire going to further discourage the black flies. Smoke keeps them away too. Ki fans the fire to keep it going.


We worked outside all day only stopping to have lunch and a cool one. Soon enough it was dinner time. We all wanted to roast some marshmallows in the fire after dinner for desert.

When the smoke floats through the air
Rare fragrance it imparts.
While hungry flames nip at the logs-
As the campfire starts.

Flickering sparks go flying high,
in gleeful leaps and turns.
The cheery flames light up the sky-
As the campfire burns.

The flames recede. the light grows dim,
A solemn spirit reigns.
the time has come to bid the night adieu-
As the campfire dies.

By Thomas Wheatley