The only thing that soothes the ache of closing up is the promise of spring

Closing up is hard, writes Paul Rush in this essay from our archives. But it’s an ache that’s soothed by the knowledge that the cottage will sit unchanged until spring returns once more

Truly this is sweet sorrow. That last walk along the waterfront. That last lure cast or flat stone skipped. For the brave, that last brief swim. That last look back as you drive up the lane through the leaves of autumn. The view over the stern of the boat as the wake spreads and the cottage dwindles in the ever-growing distance. This is closing the cottage, preparing for winter, putting away the joys of summer. Hating to see the seasons end but knowing that closing holds the certainty of return. I have snugged up a number of cottages in my life. When I was a child, we closed the old cottage on the Moon River, near Bala, Ont., on Labour Day weekend. Screens stacked on beds, shutters on all the windows, boats…

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Cottage Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, September/October 2023

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