Too Cool

Where did the summer go? Seriously. It seems like I just touched down at the Vancouver and Toronto airports in June and now it's the end of July and I am back in South Korea. Talk about a wake-up call that summer vacation is fast coming to a close!

My time in Canada, however fast the days sped by, was absolutely wonderful and I am so appreciative of the opportunity to return to my Canadian home base for two months to reconnect and rejuvenate. A true blessing I certainly didn't enjoy while working in the corporate world.

I must note, however, that our Canadian summer this year was a bit of an oxymoron. I wish I could write about the typical Canadian dog days of summer when I had to jump in the lake to cool off or go to the beach to validate the heat, but this year I can't. During the months of June and July I found myself wearing long pants instead of shorts, building a fire in the living room fireplace instead of working in the garden and continually reminding myself it was June and July instead of early spring or autumn!

Regardless of the cooler temps, the summer was still relaxing and enjoyable. Here are a couple photos of celebrations and visits, typical of life at the cottage. Seated with me are my parents, with nephew, niece and sister-in-law in the back. Friends Alison and Ginny were able to come up for a visit along with numerous others throughout the summer.


I am not one to sit around staring at the walls, so most of my days were spent working on personal projects together with guilt-free blocks of time reading and visiting with friends and family. Fortunately we live in the days of the computer and internet which helps me work on personal projects while enjoying the cottage surroundings at the same time.

Memory Lane, ON

One of the personal projects I chose to undertake this summer was a book and DVD in anticipation of our cottage association's 50th anniversary. Hard to believe it's been 50 years since my parents purchased the lakeside property and decided to build.

I can't thank my parents enough for their foresight to build and maintain a cottage at Chesley Lake -- so many decades of enjoyment by family and friends. As depicted with pictures in this post, memories of the cottage are clear from my early days as a toddler, through my teenage years and into the varying stages of adulthood. Writing the history of our cottage association and organizing hundreds of photos from family and neighbors for the book sure helped me recall many wonderful moments.

Dad with the neighbors in 1960 clearing a road through the bush so they can start building cottages

One of the first photos of our cottage built in 1961

First neighborhood church service with yours-truly as a 3 month-old sharing a chair with my Mom

My brother (Randy) and friend (Greg) in the early 1960s -- Birchcrest security at its best

OK, I realize this is incriminating but how often does a person get to post a picture when he was 3 years old? Interesting that I remember the picture being taken so many years ago. I loved those red boots.

Dad built a 21 foot raft soon after he built the cottage which we named The Queen Mary; many good times floating around on that oil-barrel contraption!

Years later as a teenager, I'm enjoying a good book with my sister-in-law (Ruth) and niece (Dana)

Niece (Dana) and nephew (Jared) active at the kitchen table

Other nephew (Jeremy) and niece (Kara) enjoying life on the lake

Neighbor (Avery) feeding the ducks who float by our docks faithfully most every day

Another neighbor (Keith) making a splash

Fairly recent pictures of the cottage after a few renovations

Annual ritual of taking out the dock before the winter freeze

My parents with our neighbors the Ramseyers

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (Psalm 91:1)

God certainly hasn't spared any effort on the skies over Chesley Lake all these years!


Included here is a short 2.5 minute video of the finished product, a book I titled Imprints of Birchcrest. As with most videos, you'll need to have hi-speed to see it without interruption.