We were just up at the family cottage for a week. The third picture is interesting; it's of an old birch log lying on the ground by the Bruce Trail near the Visitor Centre in Tobermory. Obviously someone has cut slits into the log and put in some macrame of some kind. I was running on the trail when I saw a large group of tourists taking pictures, so I went to see what was going on. The tourists thought that they were looking at poisonous mushrooms. They were amazed. It makes you wonder who would go to the trouble of doing this and why.
I love the fourth picture. If you look closely, you can see my daughter is sitting on the rocks and looking out across the water at a mother duck and her babies.
I also love the second to last picture - it's one of my favourite places at the cottage - the outdoor shower! Who knew? As a very smart man I know said of it, 'There's nothing like having the sun on your head and the wind up your ...'! Honestly, it's so relaxing to shower outdoors. It's so much more fun and scenic. You can hear birds chirping. Try it if you can; you won't regret it.
I've recently discovered UK travel writer Bill Bryson. He is hilarious and informative. In his book, 'A Walk in the Woods', he mentioned that humans seem unsure what their role is with regards to the environment: whether we should be neutral, opponents or stewards. Living beside the water for days on end and appreciating the many different forms of wildlife you see, it seems obvious. We need to be stewards. Bears don't hold fundraisers to save their cubs. Eroded cliffs don't bake cookies for bake sales. Blue herons can't write petitions. It has to be us. We are immensely lucky to live in such a beautiful environment, and surely we care about its continuance, if not for us then for the following generations.
