A Drive Into Cottage Country Poem by Deanna Samuels

Not a cloud in the sky as we drove northwards to cottage country
Sundrenched towns and villages quickly passed on route
Noticeably, the strain of the long hot summer is taking its toll
Much of the foliage showing stress from high temperatures and lack of moisture
A sparkling lake appears to our right, hardly a ripple moves its shimmering waters
Narrow river nearby, a charming marina, packed with an assortment of small craft
Sailing boats, motor boats, rowing boats, canoes, a dinghy or two
All appearing ready and awaiting their owners coming to use on this long lazy weekend
Maybe, not wanting to think of the morrow, only one more day away from everyday life
Then, yes, the inevitable laborious slow fender to fender crowded roads to get back home
Further on, an unusual town name, Coboconk, it too with marina and a weir fully open
Without a doubt, a holiday spot, shops and cafes to cater for those at leisure
Our drive takes us into the throbbing heart of cottage country, lakes and rivers abound
Cottages, a traditional summer getaway for thousands of city dwellers to escape those towns
The majority of cottages are for the warmer months, not set up for a Canadian winter
Though many are built for year-round use, with adequate heating and access to the door
The Cottage when referred to, could mean anything from a simple small modest cabin
A fixed module in a trailer park, a mediocre bungalow to a spectacular sumptuous mansion
Most prized is a cottage by a lakeside, having its own mooring dock and even boathouse
Such is a description of what can be deemed as ‘going to the cottage today'
Onward we drive, further north, foliage becoming more coniferous
The sign of Haliburton County and Minden Hills reached and then gone by
A single lane road now, much less traffic using, twists and turns around low lying hillocks
Excitedly, breached into the lower Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield - also called the Laurentian Plateau
Exposed pre-Cambrian igneous rock, forming the core of the North American Continent

Pines and firs abound as far as the eye can see, a few pools of marshy land between
Barnum Lake soon passed by, an interesting sign indicating turtles crossing gave a smile
Town of Haliburton, a busy town with stores to suit residents, cottagers, holiday makers alike
Drove half way round Lake Haliburton, neatly edged by cottages and boats along the shores
Almost at our final destination, a local graveyard passed - no, not that destination!
Going along the rolling tree-lined country road enhanced even more the last half mile or so
Rounded a fairly steep hilly bend, new street signs erected since a previous visit
Slowed down and carefully turned into a secluded drive - have at last arrived


Written en-route on drive to Haliburton and in Richmond Hill, Ontario - 6th August 2018.