Home Again

Sunday evening saw the end of our holiday as we rolled into the drive around 7:00pm. Despite the topsy turvy weather we had a fantastic time. Every time that something was planned, the weather cooperated. On Thursday evening the weather was holding after a lovely day so we booked a dinner cruise on the Segwun. This is the oldest operating steamship on North American waters. The dinner cruise is 3 hrs long and takes you on a beautiful cruise around Lake Muskoka. Following the cruise, Daniel told us he now knows why we love the Muskoka area so much. On board we met a couple who were newlywed and spending their honeymoon in the area the way that Bob and I had done 8 yrs previously. They were enjoying things as much as we were. Below are some pictures taken during the course of the evening voyage.

The morning following our dinner cruise, we packed up the car, cleaned out the cottage and headed for a B&B in Bracedbridge. They had a dock for our boat so Bob headed there on the water and Dan and I met him there with the car & boat trailor. We had only been given a week at the cottage but since we didn't have to return to work until after the long weekend we decided to extend our stay in cottage country. Friday night was midnight madness in the town so we joined the locals in checking out the sale prices in the shops. The main drag was closed to vehicles and there were displays of martial arts, craft works and entertainment by buskers.

Saturday morning was gorgeous and after sitting by the water stitching for an hour or so, we made plans to go to Gravenhurst by boat and visit Bob's stepcousins. The water at their end of the lake seemed to be much warmer so I took my first swim of the trip. All 5 dogs belonging to Bob's cousin joined us! Daniel had already been in a couple of times and of course Bob takes his morning swim every day but I'm inclined to like warmer water temps. The water was so refreshing and I hated to get out but we didn't want to overstay our welcome. Neither Bob nor Dan could join us since I was the only one who thought to bring a swimsuit. Actually when I'm on the boat I often wear one under my shorts in case it gets too warm on the water. Dinner took place waterside in Gravenhurst at Boston Pizza and then back on the boat for a final ride on the lake before heading back to the B&B. On our way we swung by Eleanor Island which is a wildlife preserve for birds. I managed to snap a pic of a heron on its nest.

The ride home was long but uneventful and we're already counting down to next year's trip!

My final few days at the cottage I put in a lot of time stitching on the dock with my morning coffee. Once Spring Lace had been completed, I put in most of my time on Nature's Beauty. A progress pic follows. I haven't decided yet but I'm thinking of giving this one as a gift to our friends who own the cottage. It would fit in well with the decor there. If not this particular pattern then I will definitely stitch them something else. I know we pay to rent the cottage but we're the only people that they will rent to. They knew Bob's grandfather and they trust us. I love our time spent there so much that I want to give them something to let them know how much I appreciate their trust in us. It will always be a reminder of our great times in Muskoka.

Now I'm off to Ottawa to join the Tuesday night stitchers. I haven't been able to join in with the group for at least 6 wks if not more and I've missed everyone. I return to work tomorrow morning so I need an evening of fun to take my mind off of what's to come. Hope you all are having a great week. The forecast here is for sun, sun and more sun. Finally!!