The trees soon gave way to a wide-open meadow that was almost a perfect circle. It was a place my mother and I would visit often. Another path on the other side of the field led to a lake that was a few kilometres long and half a kilometre wide. No one seemed to know just how deep the water went, and I didn’t feel like finding out. Various trees from Black Ash and Jack Pine to Maple and Mountain Alder stood tall and proud under the afternoon sun, the rays reflecting off the water as the waves created by the breeze gently kissed the shoreline.
Turning to Izzy, I watched her face become a mask of awe and love. “How beautiful! Neil… this place is amazing!”
Leading her over to a large fallen tree, I got her to sit down before I started removing my clothes. I kicked off my shoes as I unbuckle
