VARIATIONS

Margaret's grandmother, Florence, and great-uncle, Noel, built a small cedar cabin on a little lake in British Columbia’s Interior back in 1952. The little cabin had no internal walls, only thin and loose partitions providing the illusion of privacy. The little cabin also had no shower or sink: bathing and washing took place in the lake. (The family added a portable, solar camping shower in 2001.)

In the ‘80s we would bring up a tent trailer, stopping for just one a night at each of the three provincial parks along the way. With four kids, the trailer acted as a quiet retreat from the cabin and was usually parked in a huddle of trees some distance from the cabin. Often the first activity after parking, levelling, and popping the tent trailer was slinging hammocks between the pines that chain the lake.

For generations, all the neighbours have shared in the upkeep of a small dock, one that was there long before we were. Like a Ship of Theseus, each plank and post has been replaced at least twice over the decades. Margaret's mom, Patricia, got a wee sailboat when she was but thirteen. She and her boat have been on the water ever since. A sleek red canoe was found tied to the dock after the big forest fires of ’98. No one knew where the canoe came from so it was quickly adopted.

Without electricity, kids and adults play just the same as they did many decades ago. The littlest chase bugs, toss rocks around, and push stick-boats into the lake. The older ones invent games with pine cones and leaves. Most of us go fishing at dusk and dawn, swim when the sun gets high, sail when the wind gets strong, and canoe when the lake is still. When it rains, we eat.

Meals at the lake have gone largely unchanged for the better part of a century. Most breakfasts feature eggs, typically scrambled or poached, and/or latke variations. Lunch is peanut butter and blackberry jelly or turkey and tomato with a side of whatever fruit is kicking around. Dinner is likely to be corn on the cob and mashed or baked potatoes (with too much garlic and maybe caramelized onions.) Dessert is baked apples or peaches with oats and brown sugar.