The first time, Max and Gertrude invited us to their cottage on Gull Lake we were given the little cabin behind – rather above the larger cottage because they liked to treat first visitors to that special space. Secluded, built on a rock, this cabin was just a bedroom and a washroom. It was within sight of the main cottage, but afforded privacy. We were younger than our hosts and other guests, and therefore our bedtime was later. I suspect it was for their comfort, not just ours, that this was the arrangement.

The view from up there of the Lake and the islands was quite beautiful and the sunset was a spiritually moving experience as the pallet went from brilliant reds and oranges to yellows and purples as it faded into the night, more an experience of a Cathedral than in any man-made edifice of grandeur.

During the daytime hours, we swam, fished, luxuriated in the hot tub and played games of Scrabble and backgammon. We took turns creating dinners – simple but scrumptious. Apart from the little trek to our own cabin on the rocks, there was no opportunity for hiking on this small island paradise. But the table tennis, rebounder and swimming gave us ample exercise and the fresh air was the best sedative. At the end of the day none of us had trouble falling asleep. There was time for sitting alone and painting or journaling on the rock in the sun or shade and the Group of Eight of us were good friends, so there was easy, pleasant interaction.

One afternoon, seeking solitude, I climbed to our Eagle’s Nest as the cabin was called. There were many wild creatures to observe, listen to, draw or feed. A chipmunk was a regular visitor at our cabin and we had peanuts to offer him. I never tired of watching him install a large nut in his cheeks sometimes managing two at once.

One wild creature, however, came as an unwelcome guest. I went into the washroom that afternoon and found coiled on the toilet tank – which was under the sky light, basking in the sun, a rather large snake. I took my camera and captured his image before running down the hill for reinforcements to invite the intruder out of our little cabin.

I was not there to bid farewell to our uninvited guest. It is now only his picture which sits above that toilet in the Eagle’s Nest.

Written by © Márta O’Reilly

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