THE WATERFALL

Each spring when we open the cottage the water levels on the lake are always high. That always means a trip to the waterfall at the end of the lake. It's the first trip the grandkids take because the trip itself is an adventure in Nana (me) docking the boat up against the old waterlogged floating pine that rests on the bank of the lake. I always get all the kids ready to grab a branch, and while holding a rope, at least 4 ropes are needed as it's hard to grab ahold of the shoreline tree branches, and tell them to hang on and pull the boat in, while I lift the motor, and try not to scratch the boat (ok, it's a bit scratched) and with everyone excited, we reach land!

The trip up to the waterfall is always full of oooooooohs and more oooooooooohs as we can hear the roar of the water coming over the rocks. We have many photo opps here and the kids just love climbing over rocks, tree limbs and crossing the top of the falls to come down to a level where Nana can take pictures of her darlings.

This is two of the boys just elated for having done the deed of the big climb up the waterfall and down to the big rock with the water just roaring behind them and they were just happy little cousins together at last after the long winter of not seeing each other!


This waterfall by standards of, well Niagara is a stream in comparison, but it's our Niagara each spring. There are always a lot of cottagers who come to the falls in the spring with their children and we all share this adventure, sometimes 4 or 5 boats will be tied to each other as there are so few spots to secure boats.

By June, the falls are a mere trickle of the past month and the black flies have come to the lake and only a few people go there till the season warms to kill off the black flies.

Being on and island, the breezes keep the flies away from us and it's like night and day from shore to islands regarding the pesky black flies. We couldn't bare it on the shores of the lake during May and June to work outside let alone sit on a deck and enjoy the day. But on the island we sit, read, sip our coffees and love the life at this little spot that we cherish.

When we bought the cottage, it was one of the first quetions I asked...you know black flies and the response was that out on the islands, there were very few...we believed him. And it's true, we can work with virtually no bug spray till dusk, when the mosquitos come out and the day ends.

Right now, there isn't anyone venturing out on the ice at the lake as there is some big things happening. There is lots of thick ice, open water in some spots, there has been heavy rain,then snow...everyone is awaiting the mid 60s temperature where one day there is ice and the next, the lake is open again and we all arrive to start the season.

Can't wait....