5 Things We Love About Autumn at the Cottage

By this time of year most people have closed their cottages and migrated back to their lives in the city. Not us! Autumn at the cottage is one of our favorite seasons (I have 4 of them haha) and here’s why:

No Bugs

Of course I know that bugs are good things. They feed birds, they eat other bugs, and they pollinate the garden. They also bite, sting, creep guests out. Generally bugs annoy the heck out of you when you’re trying to relax on the deck. Autumn is when the bugs subside and the sun on your face while you sit on the deck is  swat-free.

Quiet

Even though our cottage is in a less popular area of cottage country, it still gets busy in the summer. From the camp busses taking loads of campers down to the beach in caravan style, to our fellow cottagers working on their projects and hobbies which seem to require every power tool they have. Don’t get me wrong, we certainly don’t mind these sounds or those of family and friends walking past laughing and chatting away.

Autumn at the cottage just sounds different. When the human noises go away you get to hear the songs of the birds in the forest, and the rustling of heavy, leathery leaves as the breeze dances through them. Yes, that is noise, but it’s a much more calm, quiet noise. Autumn sounds somehow seem muted, like they’re wrapped in warm blankets to ward off the chill.

Autumn Hikes

No one can argue that fall colours aren’t a wonder. Well, you’d think they couldn’t argue that until you hear the discussions about how dull the colours are this year compared to last year etc. Fall colours aside, fall hiking is splendid! Refer back to the “no bugs” part for one big reason why these hikes are so great. The smells of the drying leaves, the myriad of mushroom varieties you can stumble upon and the comfortable temperatures are definite plusses for long hikes.

We’re very fortunate to have the Bruce Trail minutes away which provides a great variety of trail conditions and scenery.

Warm, Rich Food

Just as the excitement over salad starts to wear off, autumn pops in with deep flavours and warm dishes. I’ve started digging out my favorite recipes like chai tea elixir, apple cinnamon baked oatmeal, and a Spiced Lentil Stew that I make for my lunches. Brian’s not a fan of either of these; don’t worry I make things he likes too so he still gets fed!

Stout, Dark Ale & Amber Beer

A perfectly chilled ale or lager will never fail to go down easily on warm days or after working hard on a project. And yet, now that the cooler weather is upon us, there’s little better than coming in at the end of the day to a good stout, dark ale or amber beer. These darker types of beer are almost meal-like in the satisfied feeling you get drinking them. Unlike the lighter types of beer, it only takes one to feel refreshed and complete. I’m sure there are some great nutrients that the body craves in these darker brews too – or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!

Our favorites so far are: Hockley Dark (it’s won the Beer Olympics twice now), Lake of Bays Brewery Spark House Red Ale & Rickard’s Red.

There’s really so much to appreciate about autumn at the cottage that we have trouble comprehending why anyone would close the cottage on Labour Day just to get back into the city routines.