I think my brother-in-law said it best when he told a friend that he gets to enjoy a million dollar view for $14.00 a night. No neighbours and no grass to cut. How could it get any better than that?
I have been pining for my canoe and paddle all winter so I put together a video of pictures taken over the past few years. They capture a few of our Ontario camping adventures.
I am not a poet, but I wanted to write a few words about why I love camping and canoe trips.
To me camping means mind blowing sunsets and misty mornings. I can spend the late afternoon on the sun-soaked rocks before jumping into the lake to cool off. In the evenings it’s the stars and the moon and the stillness broken only by the haunting cry of a loon.
I get to zone-out to the hypnotic sound of my paddle in the water. I can meditate with the sound of waves on the shore, the wind in the pines, the rain on the tent. I can happily sing “All the Diamonds” for the hundredth time as I watch the sun sparkle on the water.
I enjoy the sound of wolves, owls, fox, red squirrels and whippoorwills – OK maybe not whippoorwills so much.
I get to revel in the smell and taste of strong coffee by the shore in the mornings. I can touch into that truly Canadian feeling as I sit by a campfire on the edge of a lake watching the sunset.
I challenge myself physically and build confidence by overcoming fears (bears and snapping turtles). I can paddle, portage and nap – all in the same day!
Sharing food, stories and laughter and working with others to solve problems definitely helps to build strong relationships.
Counting the days….