R&R

If there is a word that best describes the last few days here at the Lake of Bays, it is rain. In fact, with a few more sheep and fewer bears, one might be forgiven for making the mistake of believing oneself in Scotland rather than near Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada! In reality, we were in a beautiful spot that was initially underappreciated because of the weather; several team members commented, however, that if it had been sunny then it would have been idyllic, with beach and barbecue pit to add to the facilities we managed to enjoy despite the rain.

The team woke yesterday at 8.30 and split into vans for the day’s activities. Some of the active types decided to go mountain biking. Phil Chapman-Sheath, Bruce Winney, Angus McLeod, Dominic de Vere, Stu Young and Paul Wheeler covered about 25 kilometres of trails throughout the day, although not without a few falls along the way! Everyone is in one piece, we should add, which is more than can be said for the bikes. The guys were, amusingly, rather put to shame by the German national off road unicycle team.

For those looking for a more relaxed day or who intended to play golf, breakfast was consumed in Huntsville. Some of the team chose to eat at a smart little café on the high street, while others were willing to venture further out into the surrounding area for a fix of pancakes and maple syrup, something of a hit with most of those involved! A short walk around the shops and a bit more rain later, the team returned to the cottages to spend the afternoon at Blue Water Acres. Many decided to relax in their cabins, whilst (deprived of some of the intended opponents when they left for Ottawa), Jon Ford graciously allowed the Captain a rare win at golf, a few others went swimming and some of the team even decided to attempt acrobatics in the pool, balancing on each others’ shoulders. Three high was the best attempt…

Yesterday we also said goodbye temporarily to an advanced party to Ottawa, to set up our accommodation and range equipment before the main body of the team arrived, as well as to do some ammo testing and to allow for more recovery time for some of the more senior team members. Thanks to the Adj for giving up his precious R&R time in order to do so. Amusing reports have filtered back of a particular conversation between them, indicating a mix up between the speed limit and the road number by Martin Townsend, who was convinced they shouldn’t be “on the 60” anymore. No, but they were meant to be “doing” 60… Five team-mates down, the stay at the Lake of Bays has been relatively quiet!

Last night the team went for dinner at Steamer’s Steak House, attached to Deerhurst resort and golf course , which had hosted the G8 summit a wee while back. Excited by finding a restaurant with tablecloths and an excellent menu, and with many having done some form of exercise during the day, the team made the most of the evening and took the opportunity to eat a three-course meal.

This morning some of the team decided to take a canoe trip around the lake, organized by Phil Chapman-Sheath. Five kayaks and two three-man canoes explored the lake and its houses, boathouses, decks, islands, trampolines(!) and seaplanes, despite driving rain, which did not dampen spirits. Many returned and swam in the pool, while others stayed in their cottages and watched films. The team returned into Huntsville today to eat lunch, choosing either a local sushi restaurant or the same pancake-serving restaurant as yesterday. On Dominique de Vree’s recommendation (as Mr. de Vere has now become known as a result of mis-pronunciation of his surname by the announcer at the Perry prize giving), some of us took a detour on the way home to buy some coffee from a highly rated local barista. On returning, most relaxed by watching films or socializing in different huts before deciding what to do for dinner, and John H took on the Captain at shuffleboard, table football and table tennis, winning 21-20, 0-10, 16-14. Much film watching has been done over the last two days! Tomorrow is an early start to get to Ottawa and start shooting again…