Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Sitting by the dock of the bay


Deerhurst is located smack in the middle of the Muskokas, a region of old mountains and lakes north of Toronto. Its topography makes it an ideal country playground for folks looking to escape the congestion of the city.

I'll quietly ignore the fact that these urban refugees create as much congestion up north as they do in the city. New fact of country life, I guess.

The Muskoka chair has evolved as a symbol of cottage country life. The design is immensely comfortable, and renders most occupants asleep within minutes of first sitting down.

I found this one on the dock alongside Peninsula Lake, just waiting to be captured in a cliche shot. Touristy as this image may be, it nevertheless makes me want to find a quiet place of my own so I can sit down and take in the view.

Your turn: What is your quiet place?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh I just love this photograph. I feel so relaxed just gazing at it.

Well, my number one quiet place is still my beloved library, but I also really love having my breakfast on our big backyard porch. It's not always quiet around me, but it is very, very relaxing.

I'd actually love to find out about the history of those chairs...where and when they were first made. I had mentioned in one of my recent posts (also about Muskoka chairs) that I recall as a young child seeing those chairs all over in Jamaica, on people's porches. I can't remember what they were called in Jamaica (obviously not Muskoka chairs) but they were painted a clean, crisp white. I distinctly remember when we first started going up north to Muskoka, that when my brother, sister and I first saw those chairs by the lake we all squealed, "Look! Jamaica chairs!"

Anonymous said...

A similar chair, the adirondack of the N/E U.S., was waiting for me on my arrival in Fiji, too many years ago to remind myself of.

This wonderful companion was waiting on the end of a dock that first evening. And every evening thereafter, A glass of wine, the sunset....or turn the chair around, I had sunrise with my coffee.

A quiet, very special place indeed.

Moon said...

I can't get that song out of my head now lol....Wastin timmmmmme

srp said...

Here from Michele.

When I was about 11 in Indiana we had a row of Lombardy Poplar trees in the back yard. They were thin, tall and graceful and the leaves had a wonderful scent. They were large enough in diameter to be great hiding places. I could stand in the middle, lean on the branches around me and just listen to the wind. It was great!

Uisce said...

Hey, can I borrow that chair? Seriously, I'm dismantling a pool deck made of such fine wood, I've sworn I'm going to make something out of it. I love those wooden chairs like that one you've got. I must create one of mine own!!

Shephard said...

It reminds me of an Adirondack chair. :)

I love the water. But my favorite new quiet place is my new office.

~S

Jennifer said...

this is beautiful! it looks like it could be a postcard or a beautiful painting above the fireplace!

srp said...

Here from Michele this time.
I've never had one of these chairs but perhaps someday. They are so comfortable and with a cool breeze, a glass of ice tea and a good book it would create a wonderful place. Of course it would need to be in a beautiful quiet garden with a rocked pond and small waterfall.

utenzi said...

Michele sent me to visit, Carmi.

Yes, as has been mentioned above, that chair reminds me of the Adirondack Chairs that I saw so often as a kid. Now, of course, they're immortalized by the cheap resin chairs you can find in almost any town. They are quite comfortable whether in weather aged birch or today's resin.

My quiet place, in good weather, is the chairs on my back deck, or the couch in my living room after dark or when it's nasty outside.