Honey Harbour Visit - better late than never.

This is probably the latest in the season that I have ever visited Greg and Aimee, at their island cottage. They were closing it up the following week.

My stuff on the dock and the "water taxi" on the way.

I wasn't able to visit last year and some things have changed.

Last year the water was so high that the "lawn", which is where the septic bed is, was covered in water. They had to build these walkways to get to the various sheds and under the cottage deck.

It did mean they were able to float the two new septic tanks into position, towing them across to the island like a floating train. They almost floated back out again, in a windstorm, before they had got them anchored down. Shrubs, planted this year will eventually hide them from view.

A huge section of walkway used to go along those rocks, terminating in the gazebo, which is now much closer to the cottage.

It has become the favorite morning

fishing spot for a Great Blue Heron,

who hunkers down, trying to become invisible, when he hears the "Grack" of another heron flying in to fish in the bay. There's sometimes 3 or 4 within view.

The island is criss-crossed by stone paths between the cottages with garter snakes out sunning themselves.

Lunch at the gazebo

The day I arrived I saw the last of the Osprey family fly away. There were 2 chicks this year and both survived. We saw one up high when we were kayaking but

on the last day, one flew in with a stick, as if to claim the nesting site, stayed for a few minutes and then flew off again.

Two of the days we kayaked.

It was windy out on the lake so we stayed mostly in the marshes among the reeds, bull rushes,

lilies and

lily pads.

With the geese,

swans, mallards and mergansers.

On the last day I helped Aimee store the kayaks away for the winter.

With their gazebo in a different place, we went to a neighboring cottage dock

to watch the beautiful Georgian Bay sunsets.

Fall wildflowers were in full bloom.

It is always so peaceful up there. Perfect for reading, playing cards and catching up with old friends. I usually stay for a week and it feels too short. This time it was only 4 days, way too short.