Skip to content

The tranquility of a summer getaway

Jill Summerhayes didn't get to see a moose, but lots of rest, relaxation and soaking up the beauty of being disconnected
USED 2020-6-29goodmorningnorthbaybct 7 Kayaking into the sunset. Lake Nipissing, North Bay. Courtesy of Wallace Kearney.
Village Media file photo

This summer, many families, restricted in previous summers from travel and family visitations, are now able to get together again. A time to share, laugh with and hug our nearest and dearest. A positive uplifting time for many.

Whether you choose camping, hiking, fishing, staying at the cottage, visiting a friend’s cottage, travelling, going to the local pool, arranging a park picnic, or having a BBQ in your back yard, we find outdoor attractions are a time to step back, slow down and renew energy.

Recently David and I stayed at a resort in the wilds of Algonquin, away from WiFi, and cellphone coverage. I hate to admit it takes me a while to accept, but once acclimatized it is remarkably freeing. Not hearing about the many depressing problems of political upheavals, wars, damaging results of climate change with floods, fires, and tornadoes, allows time to witness the small miracles of nature.

We were staying on Little Joe Lake: no Sea Doos, or motorboats, just canoes, kayaks and swimmers. My favourite pastime was an early morning kayak trip. Watching the mist rise from the lake as the sun rose above the horizon with only the sound the birds dawn chorus, the loons and frogs. It was so tranquil.

This time I almost mastered getting in and out of the kayak, almost meaning only one unintentional clothed morning dip instead of daily!

We had heard there were moose a few kilometres up the lake in the marshy area. Since I have only seen one in the distance I was hoping for a close-up view. Understanding that dawn and dusk were the best times to catch Moose feeding, we were up and out on the water before 6 a.m. We kayaked the three kilometres to the favoured area where other guests had sighted a moose family. An hour and a half later, no moose, so we returned for our breakfast.

As we pulled into the dock a family just leaving told us “we are off to show the kids the moose, did you see any?” We responded negatively and they said we were too early; the moose had not woken up yet and would still be asleep. Hmm. They later mentioned they saw a family of three at 8:15 a.m. The next day we repeated the routine but after sunrise, same result, no moose for us, guess we are not moose whisperers but moose missers!

Many guests showed us wonderful photos and videos they had taken of the moose, one person offered to forward me his and said I could say it was mine, tempting but not compatible with my ethics.

We did see beaver, loons, a weasel, and a turtle swimming but others like the frogs, toads and rabbits, chipmunks, tiny red squirrels, we see at home, but we never saw moose. However, the quiet, the "getting away from it all,” the time to soak up the sun, to swim, to sit and read surrounded by nature while other people cooked and cleaned for us was a most relaxing retreat.

Next, we are off to Prince Edward County where my son-in-law Brad and daughter Alison, who live in the U.K., have a property. They come each summer for the month of August and family members visit for a few days staying in the well-equipped cabin a few hundred yards from their home. No moose, but again a rest, time to catch up with my grandchildren and again appreciate the importance of close family.

Sometimes it takes more effort to restore the positive balance when the world seems to be in such crisis. To me, drinking in nature, spending time with close friends and family helps us deal with the many difficulties and problems we personally and globally witness each day, helping find the positive, I hope you can do that.

Wishing you a wonderful summer, enjoy what you can, it may be hot but compared with much of the world we are most fortunate to live in the relative safety and stability of Cambridge.