We spent a week at the family cottage last week. Ontario is in a real hot spell right now, generally in the 30s with humidity taking it into the forties, with no real relief in three weeks. But the cottage generally features a north-westerly wind straight from Lake Huron and down Georgian Bay, which makes things much more pleasant.

Until mid-week, when someone turned off the wind.

We’re talking complete doldrums; no waves to play in on the water, and in terms of swimming the water in the bay warmed roughly to the temperature of primordial soup. Cooling off through not moving was the only real option, but I can’t say it was entirely relaxing.

Jon pushed the envelope in his swimming prowess; we needed to find a place to jump in, given that this year it’s far too shallow off of Grandpa’s dock. He and I kayaked to a communal raft anchored in the centre of our little bay, because IMHO it was too far for him to swim. Well, after we had our jumping jollies on the raft, Jon insisted on swimming back to land alone (in his PFD, and me nearby, of course), but when he got to shore he turned right around and went back to the raft, where we played some more, and then he swam home again.

Lastly, I turned 40 while we were there: my parents took us out for dinner so that Jon could eat more than any of us, then Laura made an amazing triple layer chocolate birthday cake for afters! My absolutely favourite!