Set on the tranquil waters of Taffy Lake, our retreat is a way to unplug and get away. This is a partially off grid cottage, there is no regular septic (there is a clean outdoor outhouse and indoor compost toilet), there is running water but drinking water is brought in. This is a quiet spot with only a half dozen camps on this end of the lake. It is family/couple friendly, not for parties. We love it and are used to it, you may feel isolated.
What you can expect…
Do you like the comforts of home? Stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, ceramic tiles, hardwood floors, fully functional bathrooms, unlimited wifi, great cell phone service? We do too. But if you are expecting any of the above at this cottage you would be happier elsewhere. This is for the true nature lover, not for the self proclaimed ones who think it's a cool thing to claim.
This cottage was whimsically built, renovated, renovated, renovated again and is now an official work in progress.
It is also in the middle of nature, so you can expect to see some wildlife. Frogs, fish, leeches are all normal in the lake. It is a clean lake, so we think that is why the critters like it too. The garden snakes love to hide out near the garden and under the boats. We think they are trying to give people heart attacks. The loons sometimes put on quite a show, and if you are really fortunate you may be treated to an early morning alarm via them (it is heart stopping to be suddenly awakened by the haunting call of the loon). The black flies and mosquitoes are also out for blood in May and June in particular. We do leave some stuff in the black armoire to help with that. You could see a mouse, squirrel or chipmunk, and we even had a bat (not extinct apparently) plop ungraciously onto our patio table. Oh don’t forget the spiders, we think at some point they mutated with tarantulas and that is why they are so big. We do spray for them with nature friendly spray and our son Brandon sweeps for webs every time, but they keep reappearing (we think it's a conspiracy between him and the spiders so he keeps gainfully employed).
When you enter into the cabin, you are immediately on the ground floor. The downstairs is an open concept and includes kitchen, dining and living room area. The entire space is cozy and has a warm feel with it’s golden wide, pine floors (that have admittedly some nice scratch marks as a souvenir from some beloved family pets who are also allowed coming and some rocking chairs). The kitchen is spacious and includes a full-sized fridge, stove, microwave, coffee maker and toaster. The appliances are older and you will have to make your own ice (don’t worry, we can share our well guarded recipe). It does not include a dishwasher but has a charming old farm sink. There is no shortage of pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, etc. And there are also cutting boards, so please use them and not the butcher block counters. Repeat after me, the counters look like giant cutting boards but they are not. There is an area under the stairs and behind a green curtain that is not meant for guest use. It has our cleaning supplies, etc. And if you can’t help but look, it is just a perpetual state of disaster.
The living room has a sofa that pulls out into a double bed, an electric fireplace, ceiling fan and tv with DVD player and Roku set to guest mode to use your own accounts (a small selection of DVD movies provided). If you were brave enough to share your space with all your friends, the window ledge can double as seating. Otherwise hopefully a sectional sofa is in our budget in the future.
There is a dining room spacious enough for six, with an overhead deer antler chandelier. An indoor wood stove to take the chill off when the weather turns cold, a supply of wood is provided. A large picture window overlooks the lake with breathtaking views.
Long weekends require Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night to be booked as we value our own family time.
Outside, a spacious covered deck has some Adirondack chairs, it is a perfect spot for your morning coffee. A lower deck has ample seating for everyone to enjoy. There are large umbrellas can be set up for protection against the sun. They will need to be removed when stormy. There is an outdoor barbeque under a sheltered roof for cooking. There is a firepit area and wood is supplied, but we encourage you to check for fire bans.
Owners kayaks and canoe available for your use, including a supply of life jackets (as a side note, I am not being nosy when I ask for your kids ages, I am trying to determine what size life jackets to leave out) We swim at the lake all the time, I have been leech free for 25 years. I can’t say the same for everyone who has swam there. There is a wooden floating dock for your use if you wish to swim out. The floating dock is not typically in the water until the water is warm enough to swim in (towards the end of May is typical). Because honestly, hypothermia is not on our wish list. The pedal boat is ideally suited for smaller people or older children. Even if you think you are helping us, please do not bring it into shore. Damaged rudders are a pain to repair. It is not a huge lake, it is smaller in size. Some of the neighbouring cottage owners have been able to jet ski, use small motorized watercraft, etc. If you wish to bring your own motorized boating equipment, we suggest you figure out where you can safely use your equipment (there are some spots that are too shallow to navigate any motorized boats). We are not responsible for damages due to shallow spots.
On the smaller back deck, there is an uninhabited, decorative hornets nest by the window (but you should let us know if you observe hornets themselves there or elsewhere trying to build a nest).
To the left when entering, a flight of stairs leads you upstairs. An open hallway houses a small bed suitable for a younger child (about a ten year old), a double bed, and a twin bed tucked under the eaves of the roof (note: this is an open area without doors). To the left is the larger master bedroom, to the right is a smaller, but good sized bedroom. Access to the washroom is through the smaller bedroom and the open dorm style area. Our future wish list includes a heat pump to help upstairs, otherwise if it is breezy and not rainy we leave the windows and patio door open (a side note, the window in the smaller room is a vintage slider straight out of the 70’s and you have to really shove against the opposite end of the patio door to lock and unlock it, I guess things being level wasn’t important when the cottage was built)
The master bedroom has a king size log bed and we hope you like it because that baby is never leaving unless it is via chainsaw. There are also some antique trunks and bureaus. Both rooms have ceiling fans. The master bedroom’s source of light is via patio door leading to a private deck overlooking the lake. The deck is complete with a porch swing and bistro set.
A note on the decor; the decor itself remains the same, however since we launder all used bedding every time; quilts, comforters, duvets, etc. may not be exactly the same as pictured. (I have went through one washing machine already in three years).
The bathroom has a tub with overhead shower, sink and composting toilet. Whenever possible we encourage you to use the facilities in the detached wash house. The indoor washroom has limited capacity and will be overwhelmed by general use. It is intended for your use in inclement weather and nighttime use as excessive use puts a strain on our system. If you have never heard of a composting toilet, you should be aware that it functions much like a normal toilet except it uses a very minimal amount of water for flushing. Only human waste and toilet paper should go in the composting toilets. Everything else should go in the garbage. It is very similar to an rv toilet. So if you have ever used an rv toilet and swore to never use one again, probably not the best place for you.
The second bedroom has a queen bed, a large window, an armoire for closet space. Except you will find that I steal a lot of closet space for linens, my bad.
In the hallway there is a custom made bed suitable for a younger child, a double bed, and a twin bed. It is a large, loft style, open concept area.
With the help of a booster, guests should be able to get cell phone reception within the camp. We have found you can send texts quite easily and make emergency phone calls. One of the owners has an older Samsung phone and needs to routinely reset on the flight mode for a few seconds to get bars. We don’t have wifi because we have yet to find both a reliable and unlimited server for our area. So if binge watching Netflix and gaming is your thing, this probably isn’t the spot for you.
We provide drinking water via a dispenser set up in the kitchen. Extra bottles are in the double cupboard under the toaster and coffee maker. The water for washing, showering and laundering is filtered lake water.
Up the hill, there is a wash house that has a second composting toilet, a sink and a sheltered shower. Think of a cross between a campground shower and a spa, that's a nice way to explain the shower. We encourage larger groups to use the wash house for their needs as excessive use of the indoor washroom with larger groups would put a strain on our system. Only human waste and toilet paper should go in the toilet; anything else should go in the garbage.
So that is it! You can expect a nice space (subject to opinion), reasonably clean (again, nature, bugs, spiders). Those who love it, love it a lot and come back every year. Those who don't, well it isn't for everyone after all.
