May 6, 2009. Baysville, Ontario. Boat Ride.

For three hours today we rode in a very comfortable pontoon boat. Bruce was the driver and he took us all around the Lake of Bays, pointing out famous old resorts and cottages of famous people. None of the four of us had even been on The Lake of Bays. This lake is the second largest of the Muskoka Lakes but until fairly recently, it had been sparcely populated with cottages, but now the large cottages are being built everywhere. The restrictions of boat houses is new, in that you can not build any living quarters over the boat house. This time of year is perfect to spying on cottages, as the leaves are not in full leaf, so you can clearly see these cottages from the water. Many cottages will be covered with leaves in just a few weeks, but for now, my desire to be nosy can be indulged. Bud and Mary and Ken and I enjoyed the ride, as the water was not rough and the weather was pleasant. Fortunately Ken went over to the store for sun screen.

It is a bit like Potomac. The old cottages on the lake were small, and built into the natural slope of the land. The new cottages are large and built to be sure you notice this new beautiful home. A great deal of stone has been added to allow access to the water, so along with the large boat house, the whole package stands out from the shore. My favourite cottage scene was the one with the boat house built right along the stone, with the cottage just a few feet higher, nestled into the rocks at the edge of the water. I would like that cottage. Bruce our driver is a third generation of his family to love this lake. He and his family spends the summer in his cottage on the lake and in the winter he lives in Bracebridege. He has noticed a change in the lake the last two years, with more people and larger cottages, but his children and his wife still love life at the lake, where the water is clean and the air is clear. Of course, everyone is friendly. I too liked the lake and may even take another trip tomorrow.