We could not have chosen a more ideal Saturday morning for a springtime breakfast at 175 Constance Lake Road nearby the Village of Dunrobin along the Ottawa River on the outskirts of Kanata. The azure dome was brightened by irrepressible yellow sunshine. The wind, though still brisk, refreshed the air and stiffened one’s resolve. The weekend atmosphere was palpable along March Road descending to Durobin Shores; that is, the traffic was noticeably less frantic than is customary during the workdays.

Upon arrival at Constance Lake Lodge we were soon absorbed in any examination of the many quaint relics peculiar to an historic fishing lodge and what (we presume) has become a popular resort for seaplane pilots and ritual motorcyclists. The place screamed weekend delight, including naturally fishing.  Some of the adjoining cottages appeared to be inhabited already by revellers, one of whom was shirtless, boldly parading about the cottage deck in the early morning sunshine which glistened on the bay.

Everywhere to be seen was evidence of encroachment of springtime preoccupations: fruit and vegetable stands already erected in place; the sudden flourishing of trailers, flatbeds, boats and mobile homes; and the parade of shiny antique cars and imported convertibles. There was too a proliferation of lawn mowers, rakes and seedings. The trees meanwhile blossomed in the avenues, and the lawns and fields everywhere appeared spread with a rich green colour.

Getting to Constance Lake Lodge before nine o’clock this morning designed an uncommon day because by the time we had finished our fasting (we were among the first to arrive at the restaurant), there remained still a wide margin before noon. Even after detouring thereafter to the health food store, then to the grocery store and finally to the pharmacy, it was yet an hour before midday.  Upon returning home I capitalized upon the fortuitous invitation to settle myself on the balcony where I quickly lapsed into dormancy while relishing the radiant heat.

The glorious weather yet beckoned me. The promotion inspired an habitual drive south of Ottawa, pausing on the home run at Starbucks coffee shop for two hits of a double-espresso. The perfection was complete!  As my partner remarked off-handedly yesterday, I appear to be reviving the allure of caffeine. Nor will I deny the attraction. It was as always a favourable prelude to my afternoon digestion of apple sauce and sour cream (another of my partner’s incomparable collaborations). Parenthetically I note that late Saturday afternoon is a convenient time to indulge one’s coffee yearning. I was able to secure a proximate parking spot and didn’t have to wait long to complete my order.

Seeing so many alternatives suddenly proliferating and given strength and energy enforced a critical assessment of both this and that. It was too a reminder that ultimately the value of any preoccupation – whether as sophisticated as reading or as playful as boating – is determined by the correspondent. The boundary of activity is always predicted by limitation whether intended or not. In a word, “You can’t have it all!” Thus evolves the requisite psychological determination concerning what is at hand and what to do.

This unrestrained exposure to inviting participation reflected the burgeoning healthfulness of springtime. Metaphorically everything was composed to exhilarate a rich pattern of involvement – not the least of which was our earlier subscription to a modest cycle in the area (a commitment which nicely balanced the subsequent afternoon nap).

As the clouds begin to overtake the horizon, as the sunshine declines and stretches across the river into the late afternoon skyline, I am comforted at my desk with a chilled lemon/ginger tea. Happenstance days such as these are both remarkable and memorable. Enlarging life in this manner is however both unpredictable and unimaginable. There remain too many elements of influence to pretend to direct the flow. Perhaps it is the simmering uncertainty which credits the outcome. While we may be entitled to it all, we’ll take what we can get!