Each year of my life I've spent part of the summer at Lake Fletcher in Central Ontario. It started with camping on Blueberry Island at the age of four months, while we visited our friends the Mackenzies in a nearby cottage. In 1979 we bought a cottage of our own on a quiet bay.
The picture at top left shows my family enjoying the Canada Day holiday on July 1, 1999 (from left: Mom, Brenna, Dad, Marian, and our dear neighbour, Joyce M.) At the top right you can see the girls at our favourite swimming and camping site, Blueberry Island, in 2001. Below is a picture of the girls at the cottage in February 2002.
It's hard to imagine what my life would be like without this paradise. Of all the wonderful places that I have lived and spent time, none of them excel this bright, living lake. When I dive into the clear, fragrant water, or when I simply sit and watch dusk fall across the sky and the stars appear, I believe I'm relating with a sentient being, perhaps an ancient, powerful spirit exuding peace from the azure depths.