Honey Harbour - annual visit

Every year, for the past few, I have visited Aimee and Greg at their cottage on an island. This year, we were joined by their granddaughters for 5 of the days. Last year it was their grandsons. Whereas last year it was a beautiful warm week, this year it was cool, windy and often stormy. However there was still a chance to do those things we do at "Heaven" (Greg's name for the cottage).

Watch the Osprey parents tend their young

Kayak through the marshes and between the little rock islands, follow a loon
and make the turtles dive quickly into the water from sunning themselves on the rocks.

Eat and drink and play cards. This salmon, ready for the BBQ, was covered in sour cream, dill,
onion and lemon slices. It was delicious and we turned the leftovers into a salmon
spread that we ate on crackers or dipped veggies into.

Pick tiny, sweet wild raspberries.

Enjoy the sunset from the dock.

Walk the island paths, laid down in stone, by a previous cottager, decades ago
and enjoy all the wildflowers.

Even the rock vegetation is beautiful

Admire the colours, stripes and swirls of the rocks along the shore and jutting out of
the water.

Every year I enjoy the differences between this cottage and mine on Lake Erie: the clear water of Georgian Bay, the rocks and pines, the loons and water snakes, the long dock walk to the little motor boat. But mostly it's about reconnecting and enjoying the company of a couple who we lived next door to for about 18 years. A time when we were all working and raising families but found the time to party together, help each other out and share a pool and a hot tub (one in each yard). Good friends for a long time where I can be totally comfortable and relaxed.