A trip to the lake meant a ride in a canoe, waterskiing, sailing, swimming, fishing, hiking, and eating around Grandma and Grandpa's lovely cottage table, set with the "cottage" dishes. Potato salad, macaroni salad, iced tea, sandwiches made up lunch, followed by a cookie or treat for dessert.
It was a time to catch up with the family news, hear about the aunts, uncles and cousins that we rarely saw, and listen to my grandmother's stories about my father and uncles' childhood or her experiences as a itinerant teacher in Rochester.
Our visits always started and ended with a warm hug, a "so nice to see you" or a "come back and visit soon!" Then, it was the long drive out the cottage road and the four hour road trip back home. Great memories.
As our children grew up and left home, we often dreamed about having a place of our own on a small lake where my husband could fish and I could swim. In the early days of the 2000s, several years before my husband's retirement date, we began a search for waterfront property.
We spent several weekends traveling to Eastern Ontario, which was closer to our mothers and also less expensive than the southern Georgian Bay community where we were living. We investigated properties around Kingston and Brockville, but were drawn northward by an Internet real estate advertisement. Driving around Little Silver Lake, where we had seen a not-so-suitable lot, we discovered one that seemed appropriate for our needs.
It had a flat area perfect for a house and a gradual slope down to the water. We first saw it in the fall, and then contacted the real estate agent. By winter time, we were able to walk out on the lake and view the property from another angle. That was when we decided that this could be our new home.
And the rest is history...purchasing of the lot, shopping for a builder, developing a site plan, attending council meetings for zoning changes, finding companies for escavating, drilling a well, installing a septic system. Each step along the way was discussed, debated and finally agreed upon, resulting ultimately with what we have today.
As I write I hear the sounds of the water, the loons, the songbirds and the hum of a chainsaw, as my husband is out clearing property down the road, which is now owned by our daughter, who is planning to build her summer home in the next few years. I am reminded of the processes, the inevitable passage of time, and the joys of setting and achieving goals.
I realize that it was not just luck that brought us to this point in our lives, but dreaming, saving, planning and overcoming obstacles along the way. And as we continue this journey, we know that there will always be challenges, we trust that we will be able to face them head on, and we will continue to work together step by step.
Until next time,
Bee Rich
