Two weeks at the cottage

We spent two weeks at the cottage on Lake Bernard in Sundridge this summer (from July 27 to August 10). This is the same cottage that we've been renting for the last five years, and in a way, it almost feels like our second home -- except a home that we don't need to worry about whether the septic is full or the roof is leaking!

We had a fantastic, relaxing time. The weather was a little cooler than past summers, but that didn't stop the kids from going swimming every single day. They swam, they jumped off the dock and they just played around in the shallow area. In other words, they had a great time.

'Look at me!' 

3...2...1....jump!

When they weren't swimming, they were playing in the sand and digging holes. That was the big thing this year. And one morning, Austin went out to work on the hole he had started the day before, only to declare that he couldn't dig because there were frogs in his hole! In the rain the night before, 13 toads somehow hopped across the sand and landed in his hole! We rescued as many of them as we could.

Toads in a hole

This is the first year at the cottage where we didn't plan at least one day trip somewhere. In the past, we've gone for a day hike, to North Bay or to Santa's Village. But this year, we played every day by ear. Since the kids (and mom and dad) are big into geocaching this year, we did a lot of that. (There are a ton of caches up there!) One day, we went to High Rock park (a place we go every year) and, while searching for the cache there, discovered a hiking trail we never knew existed!

Hiking and geocaching in High Rock Park

And on another day -- one where the weather wasn't really cooperating (rain in the morning and cool and windy in the afternoon) -- we drove around for a few hours to find five caches. A fun afternoon, for sure!

On Friday August 2, our friends Rob, Vone, Lilo and Isla joined us for the weekend. The kids had a great time playing together all weekend long. The four of them took hole digging on the beach to a whole new level. 

How many kids can you fit in a hole?

And the adults relaxed with a beer or two.

Also for the first time this year we were able to have a couple of campfires on the beach. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were really bad this year, so although we didn't sit around the fire, we did hang around long enough to roast some marshmallows.

Roasting marshmallows

Waiting to roast marshmallows

That's about it for the cottage. Slowly but surely, I'm getting caught up.

Our annual picture taken on this rock at High Rock park.