Cottage Life

Lake on the Mountain Resort is a set of cottages that are rented out for days or weeks at a time -- it's also a family tradition.  My Dad first went there in the 70's and I've been there with my family since I was a baby.  We would rent out multiple cottages each year for a week and spend time there.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are there, and after you see the pictures, you'll know why.

The lake is quite small and does not allow gas motors, and therefore the water isn't polluted.  The small lake also has its advantages because when the air is still, so is the entire lake.  The fishing is fantastic because there are mainly largemouth bass, with the occasional smallmouth bass and pike, and also those little annoying fish that eat your bait like perch and sun fish.  Also, since the lake is on top of a mountain, hence the name, you are that much closer to the stars. On a clear night, the sky is littered with stars and the milky way, and if you're lucky, you'll catch a meteor shower.

The last time my family and I were there was in 2006.  As each summer went by, I kept on wanting to go back but didn't get the chance.  This year was finally the year!  My whole family wasn't there this time, but I still had a great time.  Everything was the same as we last went, and all the memories came flooding back.

Not exactly the best picture as I couldn't focus it properly, but it's my first astronomical picture. The picture doesn't do its justice as the sky is full of stars, but at the same time, the 30sec shutter was able to pick up that patch of red on the right side, which I wasn't able to see with the naked eye.

This is a shot of Picton Bay where it's seen at a lookout point at Lake on the Mountain. The sun rises over here, which is also a beautiful view.

We normally rent the lake front cottages seen in the background because they're bigger in size, and also because it's lake front, but those are only available for week long rentals. Since we were only there for a few days, we were "stuck" with the one bedroom log cabins which was a first for us. Let's just say those are not maintained as well as the lake front ones. But still enjoyable as I can't complain.

Fishing and Food were the two main activities that we took part in.  We were really lucky with the fish this year; so lucky that we were able to have 2 or 3 fish for dinner for two nights, and also bring some home to our families. Above is a little montage of just a few items we had for dinner.

A cottage isn't a cottage if it has new furniture, technology, or appliances. Our cottage stayed true to its form with this oven, which is operated with a turn style knob.  We didn't use it, but I wonder if it even worked!