There’s certain memories you have as a kid that are so vivid and real it’s hard to believe they were so many years ago. That’s the thing about memories the good ones & bad ones can stick with you for years. What you remember as a kid and how if you close your eyes you could almost transport yourself back in time and relive the actual events.
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My Earth Day story is all about swimming, water and so many feel good memories up at the cottage. For us, my two sisters and I were like a lot of kids that could.not.wait for summer vacation. Ours entailed getting ready to go to the cottage, a three hour drive from Toronto up North to Muskoka to be anchored into the small town life of Port Sandfield.
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We literally were all packed and ready to go on our road trip the day school was let out for the summer! The anticipation of going to the cottage was so exciting especially when your a kid.
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Three girls, my older sister and my younger sister and I sandwiched in the backseat of our family car. Suitcases at our feet, pillows on either side of each kid and ‘Are we there yet’ … 20 minutes into the trip. There was no seat belts back then just all thrown in the backseat. I’m sure we fought like most siblings do and our family was no different. Fight who gets what pillow and ‘your in my spot’ and ‘move over’ …but there was excitement in the air. We were going to the cottage. We would get to see our grandmother and great aunts. There was always family around. Always, good fresh food; there was at least 4 or 5 colours on the plate AND desert every night. Not something we got at home, desert that is 😉 Our parents would get us settled and stay for the weekend but then it was back to the city for them only to return the next weekend.
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The change in schedule and not having our parents around all the time made us appreciate them more when we saw them on Friday night. All three girls running up the path to greet them when they ventured back to Lake Joseph or Lake Joe as we called it.
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One of our favourite rituals driving up to the cottage was stopping midway and having a bite to eat at ‘Webers‘. Weber’s was THE destination for charcoaled burgers, french fries and THE best chocolate milkshake we had ever had. Even the experience of getting a ticket for your order, standing in line and watching all the kids behind the counter and flipping the burgers was a experience in itself. The music going, everyone was always in a good mood because it was the weekend and time didn’t seem to matter. It was a ritual for our family anytime we headed up north, we had to stop at Webers!
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The place is so good they built a overpass for it. I liked it when there was no overpass. Sure it’s got lots of bells and whistles now but back then when your a kid, just the quaintness and thrill of going was the bee all and end all if you know what I mean. I can almost taste the burgers now and it’s making me hungry. If you don’t know the spot and are on Hwy #11 I encourage you to check it out, you won’t be disappointed. Well I hope you won’t!
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One big thing that’s changed over the years, is the amount of garbage we use to see on the side of the road going up to the cottage. It was different back then, if you can believe it, people would throw their garbage out the windows and it would end up on the side of the road. There’s no way you’d see that now. People are much more aware of the damage doing that, creates for the environment. You just don’t see that kind of garbage on the side of the road in Ontario or Nova Scotia anyway.
That’s a good thing!! People want to take care of the environment. Really who wants to see rubbish on the side of the roads?
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After our delicious meal we would carry on, get back in the car and continue on our journey. The anticipation of finally reaching our destination was always a big thrill, usually with ‘We’re here!!” and squeals of delight because you knew it was going to be no school, endless days of swimming and sunshine and playing out in nature. Once we arrived in Port Sandfield there was a small shared car port for parking. From there we had to load everything into a wheelbarrow and walk down the path to get to our grandmothers cottage. They called it Fraun Cottage and it was one of the last cottages on the path. We use to think it was miles and miles to walk down the path to get to the cottage but that’s the perception you have as a kid. Everything takes forever and seems that much longer. In actual fact it took less then 5 mins!
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Once we were there it was endless days of swimming in the lake and enjoying the water. So many memories that I’ll forever cherish with my sisters and eating corn on the cob outside on the covered porch. Even on cold days we managed to get in the water and as many may know the air is always colder then the water. Once you managed to get yourself dunked and your body warmed up from numb to warm you didn’t want to get out. As soon as you stood up the cold air hit you and you realized it was much warmer under water. There were many days of skinny dipping and that was the best. After getting out and drying off we would jump out and then head to the cabana. This was a screen in porch attached to the cottage separated by a walkway. Once you were in the cabana you ran passed the ping pong table, down the short hallway and took a flying leap into the freshly made sheets! That was the best feeling in the world. All naked and covered by the warmth of the sheets and blankets not wanting to get out because it was so warm and cosy. Eventually hearing ‘Supper’s ready’ or ‘Come get something to eat’ we had to get out, get dressed and make our way to the table.
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The point to my little story is that those experiences of going to the cottage, swimming in the lake and being by the water are deeply engraved into my childhood memories. Memories that I want my own children to experience and enjoy for years to come. Whether its fresh water lakes or swimming in the ocean in Nova Scotia. There are so many beautiful beaches here but that’s another story all together.
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I can’t imagine our kids or our kids, ‘kids’ not having fresh water, clean water, unpolluted water to swim in. Earth Day 2016 it’s up to us to take care of it! Let’s pledge to do all we can so our kids have wonderful summer memories of swimming and enjoying mother earth. It’s the only one we’ve got!!
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#EarthDay2016 #EarthDayEveryDay #MotherEarth #GoddessMother #EarthAngels #EarthDay
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EARTH is HEART spelled backwards. Go into nature, be open, let Mother Earth heal your heart, in turn we will heal her ❤️
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Love this short clip by Conservation International ‘Nature is Speaking’ – Julia Roberts is Mother Nature
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7 things you can do for the planet on this Earth Day
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