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Picture it: you're sitting on the deck, drink in hand. The sun is setting over the tree lined lake in front of you and you are feeling your shoulders come down from around your ears, the stress slowly leaving your body. Then you hear it. That ubiquitous whine that is tied to cottage living. No, I'm not talking about the kids wanting a s'more. I'm talking about bugs. In Ontario cottage country, the biggest impediment to a good time is bugs. They can drive you indoors faster than a leaking honey wagon driving down a bumpy road!

In my world, there are two types of bugs: Flighters and Biters. Flighters fly around and are pesky, but overall, they don't sting / bite. Biters are the nasty beasts that drive us crazy. So what biting / stinging bugs are endemic to cottage country in Ontario? Black flies, mosquitoes, deer flies, stable flies and horse flies are the most common. Of course, there are flies, bees and wasps but, frankly, they won't bug you much (yes, pun intended) if you don't bug them. When it comes to black flies and mosquitoes, however, you might think at times that they are hiding in the bushes, plotting for the arrival of exposed human skin! One thing to avoid is cedar trees - if you have some on the property, it isn't the place to set up the hammock! Flighters and biters of all types love the sweet scent of cedar.

The Weather Network (www.theweathernetwork.com) has a very useful feature: a bug report. Simply click on this link. From there, you simply pick the closest town / city to your cottage and ... voila... an update on whether certain biters are "in season" or even if they are native to the area selected. It doesn't give you a long term forecast, however, so if you are planning for the summer or fall, this will give you a quick guideline for most of Ontario cottage country:

Mid-May to end of June - Black flies are at their worst. They have a real partiality to head / ear flesh. One of the best tools we've found to cope with them are Fly Patches - you stick a sticky patch on the back of a baseball cap and the black flies get stuck on it. A little gross when you take off your hat and they're still flapping, but better than having a chunk of your scalp removed. They really don't like windy areas but they do like fast running rivers and shady spots so find one and avoid the other, during black fly season!

Mid-May to August - Mosquitoes. These are ever-present, particularly in the shade or after sunset. Many a summer wedding has been ruined as the guests flapped their arms around, avoiding the skeeters, sending wines glasses and cake plates flying! More importantly, as carriers of West Nile Virus, mosquitoes are more than just annoying. Keeping the bites to a minimum is important to your families' health.

Want to avoid them entirely and you don't have to worry about back to school? September is perfection! Want to brave them anyways? Be sure to be covered up: if you're going for a hike, wear light, long pants and tuck them into socks and a long sleeved shirt, all in light colours - they are more attracted to dark colours. You might want to consider a bug hat and shirt - not the height of fashion but better than being covered in red, itchy bites.

Bug spray containing DEET is the order of the day. I love the idea of citronella... it's safer, it smells nice... I loved it until I found myself running directly into the river near my home while wearing it because I found out that it didn't work! Remember that DEET products aren't recommended for small children (under 6 months) - their bodies simply shouldn't be exposed to DEET. If you can keep your wee one in a play pen, get a bug net so that they can still enjoy the great outdoors with you. According to Today's Parent magazine (Originally published in Today's Parent, July 2009) for older kids: Children aged six months to two years should use bug repellent with 10 percent DEET and only once a day. Those aged two to 12 should use the same concentration, with applications up to three times a day. Only children over age 12 should use 30 percent DEET and, even then, sparingly. Never apply it on the face and hands, regardless of age. It needs to be washed off with soap and water at the end of the day.

With a little planning and time management, bugs don't have to be the bane of your cottage existence. So get the bug spray out and enjoy your summer!

A week booked at a cottage and it rains for two days. Reason to panic? Visions of kids running amok, trying to braid the dog's fur out of boredom?

As I said in my "What to Take to the Cottage" article in March, the key is to 'be prepared'. Books, board games and playing cards help but here is a more specific list of fun things to do:

• Research the area around your cottage before you leave to see if there are any attractions to visit (HINT: FindCottage.ca always has some new and interesting listings for different cottage country areas! Check them out!) Make note of location, hours of operation, GPS locators and so on.
• Go to town! Small villages and towns thrive on summer visitors and rainy days can be the best of fun, with bakeries and little cafes filling up quickly! Check out the local boutiques and get an ice cream cone. Rain or shine, nothing is better than a cone with sprinkles!
• Drop in on the nearest tourist office or Chamber of Commerce! They often have listings of local events going on, including indoor activities, and can direct you with maps and coupon books! If you have kids with you, many communities have indoor playgrounds that you can visit for a 'per kid' fee. These are great for burning off that energy!
• Bring rain gear! Short of a full on thunderstorm, a little rain shouldn't stop you from going on a nature hike! In fact, it can be a perfect time as a little rain will help to keep the bugs down and keep things nice and cool for walking. Make sure everyone has appropriate shoes though, as rocky trails can get slippery when wet!
• Don't want to leave the cottage? Set up a fort! All you need is cushions and blankets to make your own fortified city, complete with a snack corner with popcorn and drinks! Turn off all the lights and use flash lights for extra fun! This is a great way to distract little ones during a thunderstorm and the big kids have some fun too!

Time at the cottage is meant to be family and friends time. It's easy to digress back to old habits and simply flip on the TV or put in a DVD to watch, when the weather turns bad.

While there's nothing wrong with curling up with a cup of tea and a good book, take some time to do something as a group and getting people talking to one another. One way? Bring a box of old photos, some glue and a couple of big pine picture frames with backing (easily found at stores like IKEA). You know that box that you have in the closet that you keep meaning to organize but never seem to get around to? Now's the time! Spread out the pictures and start getting everyone involved in putting them into a collage on the picture frame backing. You just have to put them in place to start and can glue them later. It's absolutely guaranteed that someone will pick up one of the pictures and say: "Do you remember when ...?" Off you go down nostalgia lane!

Of course, one of the best ways to avoid rainy day blues is by making sure you have something special tucked up your sleeve for meal times... Like a sundae bar? Different ice creams, bananas, jelly beans, gummy bears, chocolate chips, chocolate and caramel sauce and sprinkles of all kinds... Let the kids, young and old, make their own sundae and soak in the silence as everyone digs in and enjoys their very own creation!

Nothing ruins a cottage vacation faster than spending the better part of each day listening to kids of all ages whining: "What's for dinner?"... Me? I'd rather be attacked by a thousand mosquitoes rather than hear that every day.

The key to avoiding the 'whine' is to plan your menu in advance and arrive prepared with easy recipes, the best of which can be done on the barbecue! Who wants to be in front of a hot stove in July?

If you're into cooking and food, check online for local farmer's markets and bakeries – you can get fruit & veggies, bread, desserts and more, all in one easy stop. Some will even have local meat producers, which is always a treat. If you're like my husband, more of a weenies and beans kind of guy while on vacation, then you'll have the easiest time of all. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, so here are some easy barbecue recipes to tempt most palates:

Boneless Marinated Flat Chicken with Veggie Packets:

Most butchers have these available: it is a vacuum packed boneless flat chicken – if you're lucky, it will be a capon and so really heavy on the breast meat. Even better if it pre-marinated! All you have to do is open the package and pop it on a pre-heated barbecue!

1. Pre-heat the barbecue to the maximum - at least 500 F
2. Place the chicken on the lower rack and sear the chicken for 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the thickest part of the breast. Flip it over and do the same for the other side.
3. Move the chicken on the upper rack to one side. Adjust the heat to about 350ºF, turn off the flame under the chicken then close the lid. At this point, the heat needs to be indirect to allow for a moist and tender end result. Leave on for about 20 minutes, flip once only and leave on for another 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove and let rest for about 10 minutes!

DONE!

Now, for the accompanying veggie packets - what you put in a veggie packet is all up to personal taste, but this is a family favourite:

1. Take pieces of foil, about 12 inches wide, and lay out one piece for each packet (1 packet per adult).
2. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of each one and sprinkle liberally with either Montreal Steak Spice or a combination of salt/pepper and Herbes de Provence (all of which can be bought pre-mixed in the herb jars at the grocery store).
3. Start laying a stack of veggies - here's a sample list:
   • Really thin slices of yam / sweet potato (too thick and they won't cook)
   • Slices of red onion
   • Slices of mushroom
   • Slices of red, orange, yellow peppers
   • Small chunks of zucchini (for greenery!)
   • Some finely chopped or grated garlic
4. Sprinkle a little more oil on top, and a little more herbs and you're done! Simply fold up the packets and make distinctive 'ears' or other markers to show which packet belongs to which person. This is a fun way to get the kids involved - they can each make their own packet!
5. These should be placed on the lower rack when you have lowered the heat to medium (350 F) for the chicken - and moved to the upper rack when you flip the chicken. The yam is the longest to cook and can burn because of the sugar content so be careful not to place them directly over the flame!

Barbecue Pizza

Another hit with kids of all ages as each person can prepare their own toppings!

The easiest way is to get pita bread - individual sizes - to use as the pizza bases - avoids mixing, kneading or otherwise messing about with dough on your vacation!

Prepare the following toppings:

• Grated mozzarella cheese or use slices of bocconcini cheese for extra gooey oomph
• Fresh bay leaves, if you can get them, ripped up
• Canned pizza sauce
• Grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or slices
• Sliced mushrooms
• Sliced red onion
• Pepperoni - pre-sliced or sometimes we buy pepperettes and slice them up thinly - makes tiny but packed with punch tasty pepperoni!
• Canned pieces of pineapple
• Cut up cooked ham

You can vary any and all of the toppings based on your likes / dislikes…

1. Brush each pita with a little olive oil and place an pre-heated to medium heat grill for 2 minutes to warm up.
2. Remove and quickly add toppings.
3. Return the pizzas to the grill and close the lid - leave them in there 2-5 minutes, depending on the amount of toppings.
4. Remove and serve!

What would dinner be without a great dessert? How about Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

You're going to need:

• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. fresh ground black peppercorns
• 2 large fresh peaches with peel, halved and pitted

1. In a saucepan - either on the grill or in the kitchen - simmer, over medium heat, the sugar, balsamic vinegar and peppercorn. When the mixture is reduced by half and has become thicker, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high (350-400 F)
3. Place peaches on the grill with the peel side up. Grill for five minutes or until the peach is caramelized. Turn the peaches and coat the top with the balsamic vinegar mixture. Grill for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve vanilla ice cream in a bowl, topped with a peach half and the remaining balsamic vinegar mixture poured over!

Like the Boy Scouts, your best bet when renting a cottage is to “Be Prepared”. Every rental is different in terms of what the renter is providing and if you're there for a week or more, you don't want to find yourself driving to the nearest store to stock up on all the things you forgot!

The first step is to read the list of what is provided very carefully. Many rentals do not provide linens or towels, which are essential unless you enjoy sleeping in your clothes! Some don't have a coffee machine, which if you are like me, is a life saving instrument! Know what you're getting and then make a list of all the things you will need.

Here is a useful list to get you started:

1. First aid kit, including specific items for kids and dogs, like children's pain reliever and doggy bandages! You could be a fair distance from a doctor or vet. When in doubt, ask your paediatrician and veterinarian what you would be best to pack. Do a little research beforehand and make sure you know where the nearest emergency clinic / hospital is and the phone number, for both the two legged and four legged kids of all ages!
   Make sure also to include some remedy for poison ivy / poison oak, like calamine lotion. Nothing ruins a trip faster than a good dose of the itches!
2. Sunscreen
3. Bug spray
4. Bed linens, bathing towels and kitchen linens (cloths) if not provided. If they are provided, you will still need item 5 (below)!
5. Beach towels (separate from bathing towels): the cottage owners probably didn't intend for you to haul their cottage towels down to the water, to get full of sand and such.
6. Any special kitchen utensils - we once received a set of weenie roasting forks and these have accompanied us on every trip since! They're also perfect for marshmallows!
7. A board game or two, for rainy weather.
8. DVDs (if a player is provided), for evenings or rainy days.
9. Books, magazines and playing cards.
10. Clothes - I have yet to rent a place that has a washer / dryer, so consider the possibility that you might need to hand wash a few "essentials" but that otherwise, you've got to last the duration of your rental or make a trip to town to the local laundromat. Sweatshirts / sweaters for evening and long pants too, in case it's cool and buggy! A wind / rain jacket will allow outdoor fun to continue, no matter what the weather brings.
11. Depending on where you are going and what time of year, you might want to consider bug suits: they aren't fashion show pretty but they certainly make that hike in the woods more palatable!
12. Food Glorious Food! There is nothing worse than a restful vacation where you are shopping and cooking, as if you were at home! You know what I mean, Moms! Pre plan your menu for the duration of the trip and focus on BBQ related recipes (assuming you have a BBQ) as well as a few oven based items. In a thunderstorm, you'll appreciate the frozen lasagna you can pop into the oven, instead of getting soaking standing in front of the BBQ. Don't forget the all important snacks and drinks. Verify if the water at the cottage is potable - if not, you should bring your own. Don't forget things like coffee, tea, and other drinkables of the adult variety, if that's your pleasure!

Other Items to Consider:

1. With little kids, don't forget sand / water toys and their favourite bed time item. If you have a baby with you, consider bringing their own portable play pen with a bug net, so they can be outside too!
2. We always bring some toilet paper and paper towels with us – while these are generally provided, one man's paper needs aren't always the same as another's and you could find yourself running short.
3. If you are renting near a town, plan a trip to town about midway through your vacation – you can stock up on any dwindling supplies and it makes for a change of scenery for kids of all ages. It usually means a stop at the local ice cream outlet but hey, that's what summer is all about!

Of course, there will be things that aren't on this list that you consider as essential to your trip. The really important part is making the list and, like Santa, checking it twice. Otherwise, it is almost guaranteed that you will be half way to your destination and groaning that you forgot something!

Here are the things that can go wrong:

1. Cancelation.
Situation: You booked a cottage in advance, but you cannot go due to some emergency (death in the family, illness, jury duty, your house burned down, etc).

Solution: First, you need to become familiar with the cancellation policy of your rental. All respectable cottage owners or rental agencies should have Terms and Conditions document that you sign/agree during the booking process. This document should clearly outline the cancellation policy. In most cases if you can notify the cottage owner in advance, there is chances that the cottage can be re-booked and you will get refunded. Even if your rental dates are getting re-booked, rental agencies still charging cancellation fee that is in $100-$200 range.

Second, you can purchase cancellation insurance. There are multiple brokers that provide such kind of insurance for cottage rentals, e.g. TravelGuard.ca or InsureMyTrip.ca. These companies will insure your trip, but you would need two documents if you want to claim your insurance - prove of payment and prove of accident (death certificate, doctor's note, pink slip, etc). Please note that they will note reimburse your money if you "just changed your mind".

The cost of cancellation insurance is very reasonable - usually less than 5% of your trip cost. For example, I was charged only $75 for my $2,000 1-week vacation at the private cottage.

2. Damage.
Situation: something was broken/damaged during your stay at the cottage. It can be furniture, doors, windows, toilet, roof, etc.

Solution: Terms and Conditions document should outline your responsibilities in case of damage. Most cottage owners should have their own cottage insurance that covers damages caused by renters. Be aware that some cottage owners are not disclosing the fact that the cottage gets rented by the outsiders to their insurance company in order to save money on insurance premiums. In these cases the damage caused by renters is not covered.

Cottage insurance has a deductible that usually equals to your damage deposit. So, if something will go wrong, cottage owner can use your deposit to fix the damage and if it is not enough - claim his/her own insurance.

It is almost impossible to get the insurance from 3rd party for your damage deposit, however some rental agencies provide Damage Protection plan, e.g. RentCottage. The price of such plan is around $50 and it gives you complete coverage (but it does not mean that you can go completely wild :)).

Here are some tips how to make sure that you are not losing your damage deposit:
- inspect the cottage at the arrival and inform cottage owner about all existing damages;
- if you or somebody from your party caused a damage, please inform the cottage owner. First, you always need to be responsible for your deeds and second, you will have a chance to negotiate the price of your damage rather than losing complete deposit;
- upon departure, arrange second inspection with cottage owner or his/her trusted person to make sure that there are no new damages. Ask to put the results of the inspection in writing and keep this document until your damage deposit if fully refunded;

Unfortunately, if the cottage owner does not want to return your damage deposit and you feel that it is not fair, there is nothing much you can do except going to the Small Claims Court and/or sharing your experience on the internet by writing review on the sites like FindCottage.ca.

3. Medical Emergency.
If you live in Canada and renting cottage in Canada, you don't need to worry about your Medical Insurance, since all Canadians are covered by the government. All you need to do is not to forget your Health Card.

If you are travelling from abroad, I strongly recommend you to purchase the medical insurance from travel insurance company (the companies outlined above also provide medical insurance).

Before arriving to the cottage, you need to find out where is the location of the closest hospital. In case of real emergency, call 911 (preferably from the local phone).

Most likely your vacation will go without any accidents, but don't leave everything to chance.

Here are some tips on how to book cottage rental:

1. Make up your mind.

Before even starting a search for rental cottage, you need to decide for yourself what you want from it. First - define your goal. For example, big family get together, friends gathering, celebration of some event, exploration, get away into wilderness, etc. Once the goal is set, identify people who will join you, your maximum budget and "must have" features of the cottage rental. For one type of renters "must have" features would include popular location with many attractions and direct access to water, for others - sandy beach, high-speed internet, sauna and billiard in private location.

2. Start searching

There are literarily hundreds of listing websites that provide you some kind of cottage rental inventory in Canada. Rental management agencies also host websites with the properties they manage but usually it is limited to 20-200 cottages. We personally think that FindCottage.ca is the best listing site, but it is up for you to decide. First, we deal both with private owners and rental agencies. Second, we have unique feature that allows you to see accurate and instant price quote for any cottage for any given period of time. Compare it to the manual way of determining your final price depending on the time of the year and duration of your stay. Third, our search engine allows to narrow your results based on cottage features, location, number of people, price range, etc.

Please note that during summer season and around New Year most cottages can be booked only on weekend basis. Another important point is that for private cottages the weekly rental usually starts on Saturday. If you have some flexibility in your rental dates, you can use our "Flexible Date Search" feature to get better selection of cottages for the best price.

3. Contact cottage owner

Best way to contact cottage owners is to phone them. Many cottage owners are located in remote areas where internet is still a luxury and many of them don't check their email on regular basis.
Once you contacted the cottage owner, be prepared to answer and to ask many questions.

Good cottage owners always have many screening procedures that are designed to make sure that the cottage keys are given to responsible people who would treat their cottage with respect. For example you will be asked to provide total number of people who plan to visit the cottage, their age, if there is special purpose for this trip (e.g. bachelor party), what kind of pets will be brought if any, if you rented private cottage before, etc.

You also should confirm any details that you found in the listing and ask additional questions. For example, how close is the water, if the cottage has shared facilities, how to get there (you might find that the cottage is only accessible by water), what is the final price with all fees and taxes. Any potential referals might be helpful as well. For some cottages you might find cottage reviews on our website.
Another important discussion you should have with a cottage owner is booking deposit, cancelation and damage policies.

4. Reserve cottage

If you have made enough research, you probably should know if you are getting a good deal or not. Please note that there are no free breakfasts in cottage rental business. Good cottages in prime places are rented for $2,000-$3,000 per week during summer months and if your cottage is cheaper - most likely there is some sacrifice involved (distance, location, cottage features, etc).

Once you ready to reserve, you would need to give your credit card or send a check to the cottage owner to reserve your spot. There are a lot of scam going on with personal checks, therefore cottage owners prefer credit cards (if they can process them) or certified checks or checks that are received long time in advance.
At this stage you also need to sign and fax/email "Terms and Conditions" of your rental. Read it carefully before signing to avoid any surprises.

5. Arrival

There are three possible scenarios for getting access to the cottage: you will be provided with access code from the lock box that contain a key, owner will give you the key on your way to the cottage or owner will meet you at the cottage.

Once you arrived, immediately check cottage for broken equipment or furniture. If you will find any damage, notify cottage owner immediately to avoid damage penalties for things you did not break.