When summer begins (with almost 15 hours of daylight) I always think there is so much time to enjoy the days that lie ahead of me: to see people I haven’t seen since the summer before, or spend time with my loved ones at the cottage. I always expect there will be room in the months I am in Muskoka for endless kayak paddles or swims in the lake, but the moments seem to go by so fast!
In the past, the 8th month marked the beginning of the end of summer. This year however, at the start of August, the time left in this warmest season felt infinite. The month began with warm days and cool nights. With the perfect days, I expected to practice soldering my jewelry work after lunch. Unfortunately, an idea for my creative project was no where in my mind….
One morning as I was walking down the outside stairs from the bunkie, with my AirPods in, there was an on odd noise. Was it the creaking of the stairs? When I reached the bottom stair, the noise intensified. My morning news was muted so that the sound could be determined. The realization hit me: I was hearing a duck! I looked around the corner, and sure enough, there was a lone female mallard quacking in the direction of a loon on the lake. As I positioned my phone to take a picture, she flew off.
The thought of the duck flying away lingered in my mind. An idea formulated: I would use this picture for the back of a bezeled stone; it would add interest to the wearer, but wouldn’t be seen by others. My stone was picked out and a design was made by transforming the mallard picture to something I could use as a template.
While my work was being done, I listened to the news; it was never good. Unfortunately, horrible things were happening in the United States in August and it appeared our democracy had crumbled. Somehow, I felt fairly calm. Was I becoming somewhat numb to the news? Or were the sources where my news was obtained giving me hope and little laughter in the face of darkness? Probably all three of those things were somewhat true and possibly, the summer had worked its magic on me.
Just as it was reported that Trump was going to meet with Putin in Alaska, and Federal troops were going to be activated in D.C., my design started to take shape. The pendant back was cut out and the bezel wire was ready to be soldered on: it was time to use the butane torch.
I had planned to solder the pieces of the bezel cup together, at a table, outside on the deck. Unluckily, the weather changed to reflect some of the hottest temperatures I have ever experienced in our non air conditioned cottage. The temperatures had reached the low 90’s; there was no way I was going to add more heat to my surroundings!
Time, however was spent in and on the lake… away from the news. Just before leaving Muskoka, my sister mentioned that she had paddled into the nearby marsh. I thought it was too overgrown, so my kayak had not taken me that far. On one of those sultry August days, I ventured to the swampy area. As I entered the bay, the Water Lilly’s met me. Paddling on, a beautiful fairyland of Forget Me Not flowers, Lythrum, Pickerelweed, Duckweed and grasses lay ahead of me; it was well worth going out in the heat to explore! Sadly my phone was left at the cottage, so pictures would have to be taken at a later date…
Mid August came all too soon. I had soldered nothing by the time six days were spent away from the cottage! Traveling to upstate New York, my husband and I spent some extra time with our daughters, before moving our youngest to college for her freshman year.
When my husband and I arrived back to Muskoka on August 20th, there was only a week and a half left of my summer at the lake; there was so much I still wanted to do those last days! Yet, the promise (to myself) of one creative project a month had not yet happened.
For two days I tried my best to make a bezel cup, using the cut out pendant back and fine silver bezel wire. The project failed. The fine silver seemed to bend too much and I couldn’t get the wire to sit flat on the backing. My plans had to pivot, but I didn’t want to waste the metal…
A break was taken away from “jeweler’s bench” while the next step was contemplated. During this time, I went paddling to the pretty marsh. Pictures were taken. In the week and a half since I had last been the swampy area, some of the wildflowers had died back, but it was still pretty.
That afternoon, I decided to use the bezel wire (already soldered closed) to encase the stone. My project was no where near finished. Progress was interrupted the next day, as I attended a class to learn how to use resin. The four hour workshop, which was located an hour away from my cottage, was great! We made pendants (or earrings) start to finish: from making and soldering the wire frame, securing the jump ring on the the top and then layering resin and flowers together. I still had the recent kayak trip in my mind, so I chose flowers that reminded me of the marsh.
Driving back to my summer home, after my class, the realization hit me that in one week’s time I would no longer be in Muskoka.
As the sun rose the next day, it danced behind the clouds like fire in the tree tops. There was less than a week left, but the appearance of the “flames” in the sky, ignited my creativity for the following days and I got to work.
Cold weather seeped into Muskoka. I went in the lake once, during that period, for 40 minutes; the water temperature was about 68 degrees. Even for me (a life long swimmer) that was a little cold. Most days it was windy. Due to the wind there were no more moments spent kayaking, but there was time to for artistic pursuits.
One evening, just before it rained, my husband and I went on a boat ride. The clouds were majestic, the kind that always remind me of the summer’s end: fluffy and piled high; some looked like mountains rising above the islands, while others seemed to have heavens light shining from behind.
The final week was busy, but not fraught: my husband and I spent two mornings at nearby farmer’s markets; there were last visits with family and friends; and the promise made to myself, at the New Year, was fulfilled. By the 30th of August, the northern days were noticeably shorter…almost two hours less than when I had arrived. Perhaps I didn’t get to do everything I had wanted to do over the summer, but I was happy to just be there.
In stories previously written by me, before my launch into My Year Of Creativity, there was mention that I spend time each summer in a place called Muskoka; for four generations my family has had a summer home here. Our cottage has a hemlock forest, that mingles with other trees, behind it and borders a lake.
Over the last several summers, the birds that I have heard or seen, seem to resonate with my mood. In the summer of 2019, the Loons, with their mournful cry reached out to the sadness in my soul. Between the summers of 2021-2024, there were many sightings of my favorite bird: The Great Blue Heron; this magnificent bird can stand for long periods, calmly waiting for its prey. Those years, the peaceful patience of those wonderful birds was felt by me as the crises our family had gone through began to settle.
This summer, I have been in Muskoka since mid June. Upon arrival, my mood was full of anger and dismay as the rule of law in the United States seemed to be crumbling. As I started to unload my car, at my northern home, the call of the Raven reached my ears. These birds are extremely intelligent and look somewhat like large crows. They have a call that is not gentle, resembling my state of mind. Have you heard the “grunk” of a Raven? Looking up at the hemlocks in the forest, I took this video so their sound could be recorded.
“This is what my creative project will be for the month of July, I thought: a Raven Pendant”. At the time the recording was being filmed, the realization struck that green beads were also going to be worked with, to reflect the colors in the forest.
In early July, my family came and went in waves. When there was spare time, I worked on my pendant. Despite several mistakes, the pendant was finished in mid July. My Raven looks more like a crow or a blackbird, so another attempt at this bird might be in my future. The necklace took longer. By the end of the month, I could finally feel myself leaning into the land and nature that encompasses Muskoka….
________________________________________________
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Land That Is Muskoka: Through My Lens
Muskoka is located in Ontario, Canada. This part of Ontario is a district municipality, with over 1000 lakes. The lakes and rivers were carved in prehistoric times by retreating glaciers; it is in the southern tip of the Canadian Shield. The land is marked by boulders and bedrock; windswept trees and dense forests; and lakes….so many lakes!
Just as the natural elements are embedded in the land, I am rooted to Muskoka. My parents met here. I spent the summers of my youth in this beautiful land. By my mid 20’s, I came up for only a week or two each summer. When my youngest child was 7, and I was in my mid-40’s, we started to spend more time in our beloved summer home. During the years my kids were younger, we stayed pretty close to our cottage.
The year the world locked down, we couldn’t cross the border; this was only the second summer in my 50+ year that I hadn’t stepped foot in Muskoka. When the land borders reopened in the summer of 2021, a few members of my family took advantage of the good news and drove to our cottage for what little time was left that summer. Our property had barely been touched for almost two years; it seemed like a fairy land with moss covering the road that lead to our cottage, as well as the path to the beach. I had always loved the beauty a of Muskoka, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that I truly appreciated the grandeur and magnitude of the area.
In the summer of 2022, with my youngest daughter, I explored areas in Muskoka (and beyond) where I had never ventured. The next year, with my husband, there was more travel around the region. During those outings, I gained new insight to the beauty beyond “cottage country”. Please join me in a trip to Muskoka:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
_________________________________________________
…today is August 8, 2025. I completed my green necklace on July 30th, with the clasp being added August 1st. Although I keep myself apprised of what is happening south of the border, the time I have spent here has provided respite from the anxiousness felt at home. Like the past few summers, there was hope for a summer of wonderful creations made by me; this hasn’t happened. Time has been spent with family and friends, or by the water (as the temperature up here seems to be increasing every summer). There is no current plan for my August project, so we will see what happens.
Last winter, the afternoon before my youngest child’s 16th birthday, my husband said: “I think your should make a cake, after all it is an important birthday and I think a homemade dessert would be appreciated”. I am not the cake baker in the family, my spouse is. I often buy cakes or make birthday sweets that are less traditional: one year there was a giant cookie cake with butter cream icing, earlier a flourless chocolate cake and another time a dark chocolate salted caramel pie. When presented with the thought that I was tasked to make a last minute cake (not a purchased one), my thoughts were these: what would my youngest want that I already had ingredients for? We had flour, brown sugar, raisins, butter, eggs…what could I make that was unusual, simple, yet celebratory? Then it dawned on me, I could make a pan version of our favorite summer pastry: butter tart squares.
Have you ever had a butter tart or for that matter heard of one? For those of you new to the idea of a butter tart, it is a classic Canadian treat. The traditional kind is a small pastry with a baked filling of brown sugar, butter, eggs and raisins. Everyone has their own spin on these little delicacies.
For many years, when staying at our cottage in Ontario, we have tried to find the baker that makes the best butter tarts. At the very beginning of the summer 2022, my 16 year old said to me, “when we are at the cottage we have to go to the Cornball Store, my teacher said they have the bestbutter tarts“. Having arrived three weeks before my daughter, I decided we would test the claim that this little store in Magnetawan, Ontario truly had the best tarte au beurre (as they are called in French) by taking road trips. Not unlike the birthday sweets I make, unusual locations appeal to me. Wherever we went this past summer, in addition trying the areas “best” gooey filled pastry, we would attemptto visit an obscure spot.
On The Road To Find The Best Butter Tart
In early August 2022 my youngest child and I set out on our first road trip of the summer. Both of us enjoy ingenuity and things a little off the beaten path, so we had a planned a visit to an art park after our main destination: The Cornball Store . The day was slightly dark and drizzly, I had called ahead and preordered the butter tarts so there was no worry the delicacies would be sold out when we arrived. After about 1.5 hours drive, the unassuming little convenience store/ bakery was in our sights. Our interaction with the owner was benign, we were thanked for ordering ahead as there was a staffing shortage. You might think we would leave the store and have the long anticipated treat, but we had already had a snack and didn’t want to ruin the experience. My 16 year old and I, after stashing our treats in the cooler bag, were on our way to the planned experience: The Screaming Heads sculpture garden.
When we arrived, there were no other cars in the lot. Peacocks were wandering around behind a fence, designed as a spiderweb, that was the artist’s private property. Both of us wanted to take pictures of the beautiful birds, so we went to the gate that shut off the property and started snapping photos.
There was a man on property, and he invited us in to take pictures up close. As the pictures were taken we chatted with this man. Names weren’t exchanged, but we learned he was the artist. He told us that growing up he lived in an undesirable part of Hamilton, Ontario. After university he moved north and taught art and science in a high school near Burks Falls, but has been retired for over a decade. We wandered around his private yard and talked about his birds and the monoliths he created and still makes. During COVID lockdown the Ontario Provincial Police told him to close the park, lest he be fined a lot of money. The gate was locked and the sculpture garden was closed, but people came anyway. I asked why he made such a unique space, his response was “It is my silent protest to the awful world we live in”. Truly, however, something uniquely beautiful was built! Come and take a tour with me.
The artist’s home: Midlothian Castle
When my daughter and I were finished walking the land with mammoth sculptures, we stopped at the information booth and talked with the woman who was sitting inside. She told us the artist’s name is Peter Camani. He only asks for donations to keep the place running and his birds fed. Apparently there is a music festival every fall; this would be an incredible experience. I could imagine the beautiful landscape surrounded by the changing leaves in the forest that Mr. Camani planted himself! As we left, we made a donation and a wish.
We needed something to eat after our visit to the Screaming Heads sculpture garden, so we went to the Pulled Smokehouse & Welcome Center, next to the “falls”.
Burk’s Falls?
Once we finished eating, there was desire for something sweet. The butter tarts under the glass cake dish had looked good. I suggested we split one and leave the pastries in the car undisturbed. Walking to the counter, I enquired whether the butter tarts were good. The young man I asked said: “ Before I tasted these homemade ones, I never understood why people loved butter tarts- these are incredible!”. I immediately bought one of the last they had in the cake stand. When the tart was brought out, we cut it in half. The crust was buttery and flakey, the filling sweet and slightly gooey- had we found the best butter tart already?
Late in the afternoon we arrived back to our cottage. That evening, after dinner, my mother, sister, daughter and I each had the anticipated dessert from the Cornball Store. My mother asked, “Do you think this is the best butter tart?” I mumbled, “we may have had the best at lunch.” My sister said, “You will have to continue your search.”; so we did….
A week later, we were off again, this time to go rock hounding in Bancroft, Ontario. This area of the country is on the Canadian Shield and is considered the mineral capital of Ontario. The plan was to go to the Princess Sodalite Mine, however we stopped at the Town of Bancroft Municipal Office to find out if there were any other mines nearby. We were given a flier with a list of several places to look for gems. The morning was spent at the Princess Sodalite Mine: a rock farm with a fenced off rock dump. Chipping away at the rocks was a lot harder than I expected, but fun nonetheless. Now I know why the price of gems can be so high!
Cool picture near the CN Rock pile
We were ravenous after our morning adventure at the rock farm. Lunch had been purchased at a local restaurant in Bancroft before arriving at Princess Sodalite mine which was stowed in a cooler. I had chosen the restaurant ahead of time. Of course this restaurant, the Wattle and Daube Cafe, was a place that people claim had the best butter tarts in the area. We ate our yummy sandwiches in the car. The pastries were kept to share with my mother and her friend, Sue, who was visiting us. After lunch we continued hunting for rocks at the CN Rock pile: a free rock dump from the Golden-Keene Quarry. These rocks were mainly mica and quartz and had been put there for the construction of the town’s railway.
The CN Rock pile
The rocks we collected
As we didn’t have time to venture further west, the road led us back to the cottage with the butter tarts safely inside our cooler. The day was so much fun! Sadly, however the butter tarts were unmemorable. Our search for the perfect butter tart went on!
A few days after our rockhounding experience came the anticipated trip to an area on the Georgian Bay called Collingwood. My mom, who doesn’t drive the Canadian highways anymore, needed a ride to the area because she was presenting her memoir to a book club. I had offered to take her at the beginning of the summer, anxious to explore more of the province I spent my summers in. This was an overnight trip and a friend of mine had graciously offered us a place to stay. My daughter, mother, Sue and I traveled south and west on the highway and through country roads. First we dropped my mother off, then we took Sue home as she lives in Collingwood. The rest of the day, my youngest child and I explored the area. We bought no butter tarts.
Late in the afternoon we went off the beaten path to Creemore where we saw (what is reportedly) the smallest jail In North America. We ate no butter tarts.
Creemore
The smallest jail In North America
The next morning was beautiful! My youngest and I took advantage of the short amount of time we had left in the area: we went from Craigleith Provincial park, along the water, and then drove to the top of Blue Mountain to get the best view of the Georgian Bay.
Craigleith Provincial Park: a place to find fossils and relics, then give them back to nature.The view from Blue Mountain, overlooking Georgian Bay
My mother was picked up later in the morning, but there were two more places on the agenda to visit. The first stop was to the longest fresh water beach in the world: Wasaga Beach.
The second place was part of our butter tart tour and somewhere to stop for lunch: Midland, Ontario the home of Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival. This town has hosted the festival every year, in mid-June, since 2013; it was cancelled in both June of 2020 and 2021, due to COVID. Sadly, I am never north of the border at that time of the year, so I haven’t experienced this unique celebration. We were searching for the best butter tart, so it made sense to visit this town before heading back to the cottage.
After lunch, my daughter and I left my mother on a bench in the shade, while we walked up the street to buy pastries to take with us. There were two restaurants in Midland that were reported to have the best butter tarts in the area. Dino’s Fresh Food Deli And Midland Fish & Chips & Seafood. We purchased some tarts from each of these to take home. Apparently the way to eat the butter tart from the fish and chip place is deep fried with ice cream. Since we had just had and left my mother down the hill, we did not eat them deep fried. However, quite often, we do warm our pastries and top our treat with ice cream! Over the next few days we ate the newest butter tarts; they were good, but still didn’t compare to the one my daughter and I split at the Pulled Smokehouse & Welcome Center. After lunch, my daughter and I left my mother on a bench in the shade, while we walked up the street to buy pastries to take with us. There were two restaurants in Midland that were reported to have the best butter tarts in the area. Dino’s Fresh Food Deli And Midland Fish & Chips & Seafood. We purchased some tarts from each of these to take home. Apparently the way to eat the butter tart from the fish and chip place is deep fried with ice cream. Since we had just had and left my mother down the hill, we did not eat them deep fried. However, quite often, we do warm our pastries and top our treat with ice cream! Over the next few days we ate the newest butter tarts; they were good, but still didn’t compare to the one my daughter and I split at the Pulled Smokehouse & Welcome Center.
Over the next few weeks, the two of us took a few more road trips:
There was the trip to Gravenhurst, where we were to attend the Dockside Festival of the Arts; the event was canceled due to potential storms. We did however walk the shops at The Gravenhurst Muskoka Wharf.
The Gravenhurst Muskoka Warf
We bought some butter tarts that were scrumptious, at Wheelhouse Coffee in Gravenhurst; these tarts were baked at Paradise Tarts in Stirling, Ontario. Once we ate one of these butter tarts, we knew they were close to the best we had tasted, and inquired where the bakery was. The bakery is whole sale, not retail, therefor we couldn’t go to the store and purchase more. A few different flavors of butter tarts, purchased at the coffee shop, were brought back to share with my mother.
Then we had another adventure to the lookout tower in Dwight, Ontario. The voyage up and down the tower stairs was somewhat scary for me, as I am slightly afraid of heights. This excursion was well worth the climb; the scenery was breathtaking!
A look through one artistic telescope statueA look through the other artistic telescope statue
After our descent and a look through the artistic telescope statues, we headed to Henrietta’s Pine Bakery.
Although we had been to this bakery a few times in the past, we hadn’t been there since the summer of 2019. This bakery is wonderful and does have delicious baked goods, especially another Canadian treat: the Nanaimo Bar; their butter tart, in comparison with the other one’s we tried, still was not the best.
The last area we purchased very good butter tarts, at two different places, was in the town of Orillia. The tarts from Wilkie’s Bakery, although not super pretty, were delicious! Mariposa Market sold uniform, attractive looking tarts and were yummy! Although both bakeries sold really tasty treats, they were not the winners for the best tarte au beurre….frankly, I was actually getting tired of butter tarts!
The Day Of The Best Butter Tart
The day we ate the best butter tart of the summer was actually mid-August, between the trip to Collingwood and our excursion to Gravenhurst….my youngest daughter and I started our day with a hike at Huckleberry Rock Lookout Trail. This is supposed to be a short 1.8 mile walk out and back, with phenomenal views of Lake Muskoka. It was a clear morning and we set out early as the days were hot.
Growth and renewal 10 years after a devastating fire on Huckleberry Rock
Highway 118
My daughter looking over the highway 118 rock cut
We walked back down the rock face, veering left. Somehow my daughter and I had gotten off the trail. As this mistake was realized, I suggested we head right. Eventually, the two of us reached the head of the trail. Getting lost added a fun twist to our morning adventure!
For many years, with the exception of 2020, my youngest and I have a tradition of a mother-daughter day in Port Carling. This was the day! After our hike, we freshened up at our cottage and headed to what has become a posh little town. By the time we arrived and parked in the town between two lakes, there was a long line at our favorite lunch spot: Turtle Jacks. We put our name on the list and eventually were seated in a sunny spot. As we were hot and looking over the parking lot, not the river, we asked to be seated inside where there were plenty of seats. Like everywhere else these days there was a staffing shortage (not in the wait staff, but perhaps in the kitchen). The food took well over an hour to arrive. By then it was raining and we were thankful for our inside move. In past years we have wandered the stores and then had ice cream at the top of the hill. That day my 16 year old looked at the dessert menu during our long wait. There was a picture of a large butter tart served with ice cream. “We should have this”, my daughter said. We ordered the desert to split. When it came, we dug in. Both of us looked at each other and agreed wholeheartedly that this butter tart, at a place we go to at least once every year, was the best! Sadly, we couldn’t take any back, nor could we figure out if we could order them for takeout. My mother was sad that we couldn’t bring any back; later, in early September, she also tried the scrumptious dessert at Turtle Jacks and agreed that it was truly The Best Butter Tart.
Soon It Will Be Winter
As winter approaches, I reflect on our summer search to find the best butter tart. Realistically I am aware that there is no way to know who bakes the most delicious pastry. Everyone has their own recipe, and there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of bakeries all over Canada that we couldn’t try. What I realize is that special memories were created for me and my youngest. If you told me that our search for the best butter tart was in vain, I would disagree. The success wasn’t really about finding the best butter tart but it was having time together: laughing, exploring and enjoying new places; because of that I am fortunate.
Tell Me Your Story 