The Canoe

                  "August is laughing across the sky
                  Laughing while paddle, canoe and I,
                                Drift, drift,
                           Where the hills uplift
                    On either side of the current swift."

~ Songs My Paddle Sings, E. Pauline Johnson

Photo courtesy of Bear Mountain Boat Shop

There is nothing sweeter than spending a hot August day paddling the water, quietly, in a canoe! We are so fortunate to live a very short distance away from Little Lake, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. So close, that we have been known to pull our canoe down there...on top of a skateboard! It is, indeed, a little lake, and we have explored every inch of it as well as paddled along the Otonabee River, which is connected to Little Lake.

Photo courtesy of Clipper Canoes

It's fitting that we canoe in Peterborough, home of the famous Peterborough Canoe Company , established in 1893. As a matter of fact, by 1930, Peterborough was the canoe building capital of Canada, with a quarter of the workers in the Canadian boat building industry working here! The canoe was NOT a leisure craft in those days!

Photo courtesy of Grey Owl Paddles

The Canadian Canoe Museum is also located in Peterborough. You can take a virtual tour of the Museum's collection and exhibits and learn more about Canada's canoeing heritage, in the comfort of your home. The book, The Canoe, was produced by Firefly Books in collaboration with the Canadian Canoe Museum. A nice bonus for buying the book is that all the royalties from the book go to the Museum! When you purchase a copy you actually make a contribution to the canoe museum and ... you will own one of the most beautiful historical books on one of the major Canadian icons - the canoe.

Made in Ontario by Salus Marine

You don't need many supplies for an afternoon of canoeing. Water to drink, sunscreen, your camera, a small bucket to bail with, (heaven forbid), hats, a towel or two, some rope and some lunch in a small cooler, will make for a very pleasant interlude. And please don't forget your life jackets or 'personal flotation devices'! Of course, if you like, you can also bring your bird-siting list, your nature journal, or a fishing pole!

"Everyone must believe in something.

I believe I'll go canoeing."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Do you canoe?

Tags / Balises: Birds Buy Canadian Carbon Footprint Culture Environment Exercise Healthy living Heritage Hobbies Lifestyle Nature Ontario Summer Water Wildlife