Sometimes you need to be forced to relax

I have been on holidays for the past two weeks. During the first week, I was preoccupied with fishing. Traditionally, my wife and I have taken the last week of July and relaxed at the cabin. This year was no different.
Normally, it is one of the hottest weeks of the year. As everyone can verify, this past week was one of the coldest in history.
On Sunday, we checked the weather network to pack appropriate clothing. The network promised some warm weather with a bit of clouds and a shower and an even more occasional thundershower over the week, and with that in mind, shorts and short sleeve t-shirts filled the bags.
Evening temperatures were expected to be cool and we looked forward to having the cabin windows wide open. Daytime temperatures were to be warm and we had thoughts of blue berry picking, some canoeing, some swimming and some fishing. We had some activities planned for each day.
And then we came to appreciate this year’s weather forecast. If you don’t like what you have right now, just wait 15 minutes and it will change. Unfortunately, it normally changed for the worse.
We would compare wind speeds using the Falls weather forecast and the Fort weather forecast. Seldom did they agree.
And the shorts, and t-shirts remained packed. We dug through the drawers at the cabin looking for sweatshirts and fleece.
The lake water temperature continues to hover in the low 60s F (17 C)—much too cold for swimming. Common sense told us that the driving northwesterly winds would not make for safe canoeing.
We traipsed the island looking for blueberries. The blueberry season is late this year. As Marnie and I hiked through the bush, over falldown and rocks, we picked the occasional berry from a plant.
There were no big fat clumps of berries to be found on the island. Fresh wild blueberry pancakes and muffins disappeared from the menu.
Daily, a fire was lit in the wood stove to take the chill out of the cabin. The heat remained through the day.
Marnie had stocked up on books from the library, and as the wind blew or the rain poured down on the island, we curled up on the chairs enjoying extra cups of coffee, read and dozed. It was relaxing and exactly what a holiday should be.
However, the lake temperature was not inviting. I would take a quick dip in the morning and shampoo and soap down, but Marnie was not prepared to jump in. And by Wednesday, we had committed to building a shower at the cottage. We did have some plans and a quick trip to town, had building materials delivered Friday afternoon.
We began heating the hot tub Friday afternoon, to ease the aches and pains from hauling lumber. Within minutes of getting into the tub Friday evening, a driving cold rain chased us out. The stinging cold raindrops were a sharp contrast to the muscle soothing warmth of the hot tub.
I was surprised on Saturday morning with the force of the wind. It took two of us to hold the measuring tape down to mark and make a cut. The cold wind blew hard. We dressed and then added jackets and fleece to work outside all day.
The outdoor shower is nearing completion. The holiday is over. We accomplished everything that we set out to do.
It wasn’t the planned holiday, but sometimes the best holidays are those that force you to relax and watch the weather unfold from the comfort of a cabin.