Every time we thought about the cottage it just made us incredibly happy and the property has dozens and dozens of mature pine trees that provide the beautiful entrance and backdrop to the cottage. We kept it straightforward and simple. Since purchasing it, Happy Pines has given us a place to escape the stresses of life and the chance to bond, laugh, relax, play, and get a very good supply of Vita
min D (as we were blessed with an incredibly beautiful summer). We were able to get lost in our own little world, here, in our little corner of heaven. I know that the ability to be up here and away from everything really did save us, this past year, both mentally and emotionally, and for that I love this place even more. We shared this little piece of heaven with our bubble on several occasions and it was obvious that they felt the same way about Happy Pines as we did. It just has happy vibes and a good energy about it. The property is huge and gave us so much room to explore and be with nature each and every day. The kids got back to the basics and spent hours every day swimming, jumping off the dock, playing on the water mat, running around playing tag and bouncing on the trampoline. I took comfort in knowing that the kids were safe walking into the water from the shore as the incline is very gradual and the bottom is nice and smooth. I would often find myself sitting on the bottom step of the rocks leading to the water, hanging my feet in the cool, clean and clear lake while the kids played around; or, when I was looking to sink into a cozy chair, I'd find my way to the large 12X24ft dock and settle into one of the Adirondack chairs while they played to their heart’s content. Now, let's talk a little about the adults! On any given day, you'd find us playing bocce ball and it wouldn't be unusual to see us using any part of the property as our court which would always entice a ton of laughter. Having a golf net certainly comes in handy - we would get warmed up with our golf net before hitting up one of the many local golf courses. We could also be found exploring with the canoe, traversing the Bonnechere waterways, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Most days we would cook up a nice big breakfast on the outdoor griddle and would usually eat lunch on our spacious outdoor table that seats 8. I'm pretty sure your food tastes better when you get to eat it lakeside! Especially when cooked lakeside on our large BBQ. The kitchen is fully stocked, making food prep easy, and we can always host a group inside. It's easy to eat together around a dining table that seats 10. After a yummy dinner we would head out to the campfire, get our s'mores kits out, roast some hotdogs and sit around a beautiful fire just talking and laughing for hours; or, on the rainy, lazy days we’d all sit down on the enormous sofa and watch a movie together on the 70' Samsung TV. Making a fire is always easy, with all the twigs and branches from the trees right at your feet. The strings of lights as a backdrop just adds to the magical feeling when gathered around the fire. To top it off, on a clear night you will see the most beautiful sky full of stars and you get the sense of just how vast the sky really is. You never see the sky like this in the city! Once the kids were settled in their cozy beds, the adults would almost always head to the Sunroom and play cards or games for hours and hours. Those were literally some of the best nights of my life :) Inevitably, competitive juices would start to flow and soon we'd be in the garage taking turns trying to beat the basketball arcade record which has now been set at 144. The adults always went to bed just as tired as the children. I'm not one to have regrets but I do wish that I would have taken more pictures to be able to share with all of you, but we were just so caught up in the moment and time flies when you're having fun! My priority is to get a lot more hands on with a camera and to update this site regularly so that you can love and appreciate this amazing place as much as we do!
