A sticky hot humidity hung like a thick wool blanket over Ottawa the third week of August. Sweat dripped from every pore in my body and there wasn’t even the hint of a cool breeze anywhere in sight.
Sigh. What better time for a canoe getaway?
So my friend Aline and I headed out to Crotch Lake for an overnight getaway. Located about two hours west of Ottawa in the Madawaska highlands, the inelegantly-named Crotch Lake is a perfect place for a weekend stay. The lake has over 50 campsites, a rockdiving spot at Long Island and an aptly-named Blueberry Island all within a half-hour paddle of the launch located in the southern bay.
After finding a site we liked on Green Island, Aline and I set up camp and felt the heat of the city disappear. With our heads poking out the tent staring at the stars, we gradually fell asleep watching a firm wind blow clouds across the sky.
Heaven.
Making monsters is Dr. Nutt’s specialty. Her best creations are the Yummy Mummy, the Boogie-Woogie Man, and her masterpiece, Dracula-la-la! who loves to sing Opera music. It’s music to Dr. Nutt’s ears, but the villagers don’t like the idea of singing vampires roaming around their town. When they storm her laboratory they are in for a pleasant surprise.
