Dreamy Days

When my girls, Bridget and Juliana, were young we spent our summers at Eagle Lake.  After the end of school celebrations, we would pack up the car with food, toys, videos and Bandit, the dog, and head to the cottage.

One summer I had to talk them out of packing all of their Christmas movies.

"But mum!", exclaimed Bridget

"We just love Christmas so much!"

So do I, but not in July.  We compromised by taking one: "Barbie's Christmas".  All those pastel colours and shrill voices did not remind me of Christmas at all.

In the mornings, after breakfast, we would pack up our beach bag, toys and snacks and drive (sometimes canoe) to the public beach. There were always other families there.  The girls always had beach playmates and I was able to squeeze in reading between dips in the lake. Nothing was better than jumping off the dock into deep water on a hot day.

One summer a woman was at the beach with a basket up puppies.  She said they were going to the shelter if she couldn't find homes for them.  My sister had just moved to Calgary with her new husband and their dogs and I missed them all terribly.  We had talked about getting our own dog as we had developed a love of the dog park, Bruce Pit, in Ottawa.  Bandit the puppy came home with us that day and he has been ours for 16 years.  The cottage is still his favourite place where he can roam free and always find his way home.

Sometimes we would stop for popsicles at the local corner store, or go to the Treasure Trunk - a charity shop - for second-hand books and games. The "Junction Diner" sold ice cream diner lunches with discounted closes from Sears in the corner.  IT was local hang-out.

At night we would cuddle up in the queen size futon and watch a movie.  Last person standing - usually Juliana- shut if off.  I still have fond memories of Shrek-we watched it nightly one dreamy summer.


I am grateful for all those sun-soaked (and, occasionally) rainy days.  Memories are made to look back on and sometimes you don't realize how wonderful they are while you are living them.  One day your daughter is asking to be picked up, the next she is driving off in your car, ducking your kisses so her hair doesn't get mussed.

Cottage time is different now that we are all adults. We still love it. We might not all sleep in the futon now but it is our gathering place and still a place of love and joy.

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