Sunday, June 10, 2012

Cottage Video


Success!  I created a “Cottage Life” video.  However, if there’s no accompanying music, I’ve violated copyright laws.  Again.  I did that with the first experimental video I made.  If the audio has been removed, please hum or sing along to Bruce Springsteen’s Glory Days.

Background

My mother bought the cottage property twenty-six years ago.  Our cottage (by “our” I mean my boys and mine) is located between my two sisters’ cottages.  Easy to love thy neighbours…  This family compound is a place of much joy, laughter and love. My mother died this past January.  What a wonderful legacy she left.

Other Info

1. We also own property across the lake.  We have partnered with a Nature Conservation Agency to ensure this property remains in its natural state – which includes the protection of wildlife habitat.  (And as long as the wildlife stays over there, I’m okay with this…)

2. Re: the picture of my mother and my eldest with the fish they caught?  My son is an avid fisherman of the “catch and release” sort.  For my mother’s sake, they kept these ones.  My mom (old school) wanted them fried up for dinner.

3. As well as seeing my sons and nephews, you will also see a few other men in the video.  If you happen to wonder if one of these men is my ex, the answer is no.  One is my brother-in-law, the others are family friends.

4. You will notice a lot of dogs.  I didn’t go out of my way to choose pictures with dogs.  They appear in just about every cottage photo.  And, yes, there are quite a few of our big old black mutt Major.  We still miss him.

5. The music (if it’s still there) may skip.  Why?  Don’t know.  And I don’t know how to fix it.  It was fine in the iTunes slideshow. 

I hope you enjoy my labour of love…





21 comments:

Gorilla Bananas said...

That's an impressive looking forest you've over there - is climbing the trees allowed? Peeing in the lake definitely shouldn't be allowed.

Trish said...

What a wonderful video! It's so cottage-y :)

All those smiles, and swimming, and sunbathing, and beers on the dock, and happy doggies . . . makes me think of my family's old cottage. Great memories :)

laughingwolf said...

grats on a super slide show, beth!

no wonder you wanna get back there as much as you do... at least a million times better'n trawna - tho even IT has some charms, having lived there for some 15 years - i do HATE the humidity and gridlock there

always a joy to see friends and family having good times...

i'm with your mama, fry up some fresh fish... or bbq, even better! :)

laughingwolf said...

oh... the music's there, complete with a few jitters/skips

oreneta said...

Awesome...now I really want a cottage!

Sherry said...

Brava!!! It's wonderful...music and all. Complete evidence of what this place means to you, the boys and the rest of your family....it's a quiet, blissful, retreat. Your mother did something wonderful indeed for her children! xoxo

Beth said...

GB:
Climbing trees? Allowed. You’d feel right at home. Peeing in the lake? Not allowed. But I’m pretty sure it’s happened many times. ;)

Trish:
Glad it came across as cottage-y. ;)
Bet you miss that old cottage…

LW:
Thanks for the congrats. :) Perhaps I’ll “retire” there some day!
And thanks for letting me know about the music – too bad about those skips…

oreneta:
Go for it!

Sherry:
It is such a beautiful place – so glad it ended up being mine… :)
My mom was very happy (and relieved) about that.

nursemyra said...

Oh Beth that was wonderful. I really enjoyed watching it. Everyone looks so happy.

Cipriano said...

Beth, this is AMAZING! It's so perfect! The music is just the thing [it only skipped once or twice].
So many dogs!
So much BOOZE!
I love it.
At 1:17, just as Bruce says "...have a few drinks" there's the shot of the boys' "Heinies!"
It's excellent.
I am of the old school, along with your mother. I believe one should catch the fish and then EAT IT!
And then have another beer!

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

Fabulous! (applause - applause!) I can only imagine how long that took you - I have fiddled abit with videos but OMG the time! Love the rear end shot! And of course you still miss Major, that may never really go away. Seeing these shots makes me miss my own cottage and all the dock splinters in unreachable places.

Anonymous said...

Great video! That's something I quite don't master.

Cottages are so uniquely Canadian to me, although a lot of French in the 1960s (when land was cheap) built secondary residences, and spent their summers there, by the beach or in the mountains.

laughingwolf said...

nothing wrong with retiring there, so long as skeeters and black flies don't make it impossible! :O

as for the audio track: fret not, not your doing

JJ said...

LIKE. Like. Like!
its a great video. love that cottage :)

Beth said...

Cip:
Love your enthusiastic response to my “work of art” – thanks!

The Bodhi Chicklet:
Dock splinters AND spiders!
Glad to see you noted my creative “ending.” ;)
We’re so lucky to have cottages, aren’t we?

Cheri:
Thanks so much. It was good for me/helpful to create such a tribute.

Zhu:
If I can master it, you can!
There are a great many Americans with cottages in Canada – including some celebrities.

LW:
I’m re-thinking the plan – perhaps it will include a visit to Toronto for the month of May. ;)

Jaya J:
So do we!
Glad you liked the video. It will be awhile before I attempt another one…

Cheryl said...

It is a very beautiful and happy place. You can feel the love and the magical memory in the making almost jump off the screen.

Valerie Marie said...

Dear Beth,
your video is not allowed to view in Germany :-( music rights... I wish you could send me one without music
Have a nice day!

Beth said...

Cheryl:
Thank you – and every member of my family knows how fortunate we are to have such a “magical” place. :)

Valerie Marie:
Sorry – I have no idea how to “send” one…

Charlotta-love said...

I'm glad you took the time and effort to put together the video. Looks like the cabin is the most rejuvenating place!

Beth said...

Charlotta-love:
And I’m glad you took the time to leave a comment. :)
I miss your writing…

Jules said...

Great video Beth! What a wonderful place for your Mother to buy you :) You all look so happy. Really enjoyed that, thank you.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

It looks beautiful there, Beth. Your family's love and joy was oozing from my screen. It's great to see this glorious snippet of your life.

PS Sorry for taking so long to visit.

xoRobyn