Cottage country scenes

In Ontario's cottage country it's common to hear the haunting cry of a loon, often in the evening or early in the morning. I was sitting reading on the dock by this pretty lake when I heard a splash. Thinking it was a large fish, I looked up to see this beautiful loon not ten feet from me. It floated for a minute or two while I held my breath, then it dove. I grabbed my camera and stood up thinking it had gone under the dock looking for minnows. It rose further away than I expected and allowed only one shot before it dove again and surfaced about 100 yards away. What an amazing experience.

Many of Ontario's lakes have rocky beds, being part of the Canadian shield, and the islands' shorelines are often rocky as well. They make beautiful spots to sit and enjoy a cozy fire in the evening, or to watch the sunset, or the boat traffic moving by slowly.

Narrows between islands are marked by buoys and also sometimes by Inukshuk, stone people following the Inuit tradition of marking passages or trails.

Others perch their chairs ( not visible from here) on the top of a rocky cliff to catch the amazing view down a channel or a stellar sunset.

Whatever the choice, there are many beautiful  scenes around Ontario's countryside, rugged and rocky, heavily treed or grassy, lakes and rivers, long beaches and cottages cheek to cheek along their edges. Long or intimate, the views are always memorable.

Enjoy your day today and may something memorable come into view for you.