We were lucky to be able to spend Thanksgiving weekend at the lake this year at Primus, thanks to Kevin and Kate. Making the most of the opportunity, I got up Sunday morning, 10-10-10, at about 6am to head out on the lake. I had decided that I’d probably get the best shots from the island – looking toward the rising sun as well as towards the opposite shores where light would fall on the trees displaying their fall colours. I got about 11 shots that I think are worth sharing. Hope you enjoy them. (Click on the thumbnails below to view a slideshow in a lightbox.)

Andrea Laughland, Ted Kaiser, Sara-Jane Kaiser, Tim Brennan

Everyone needs to read the novel  The Mystery of the Martello Tower by our cousin Jennifer Lanthier. Jennifer’s grandmother Eileen O’Connor McDougall was a  sister of my grandmother, Norah O’Connor Laughland. Almost every summer while I was growing up my parents would make the eight hour drive from our home in Maryland to Lost Bay Lake. There we would visit with various aunts, uncles and cousins. My siblings and I always looked forward to spending time with those distant cousins who were close to us in age. Although there were some things about which we disagreed (and still do) the similarities and shared interests outweighed the differences. We found our cousins to be bright and creative; overall we had more in common with them than we did with many of our peers in school. Reading Jennifer’s book, which is about a group of cousins who have a summer adventure at a lake in Ontario, brought back many past summers to me so that I laughed and cried.

The Mystery of the Martello Tower tells of a sister and brother in modern times who embark on an odyssey rich in discovery and mischief. There are layers of mystery which young Hazel and Ned must uncover, from an international art theft scandal to the enigmas of their own past. I was reminded a little of old fairy tales, such as Hansel and Gretel, in which children would find themselves in a desperate situation but escape through their wits and ingenuity. Hazel and Ned leave the big city, where they are being raised by a single parent in rather isolated circumstances. They journey to the region of the Thousand Islands and encounter a lively extended family. The bringing together of the long lost relatives is the catalyst for mysteries being solved, as well as for the healing of old wounds and memories.

The characters spring to life in the first few paragraphs as the story moves rapidly along into danger and intrigue. The author is able to deftly see the world from a youthful point of view, conveying the fears, the hopes and the boundless energy of that brief time in life. Recommended for ages ten through fourteen, it is a grand book to bring along on a summer adventure.

(Photos from Aunt Mary O’Connor’s album)

Norah O'Connor Laughland and Mary-Eileen Laughland at Primus (1985)

Andrea Laughland and Mary O'Connor

Aunt Mary was the Queen of Lost Bay Lake. She is the elderly lady pictured above, with my sister Andrea at her side, sitting on the porch of her beloved summer cottage which she called “Primus.” She was ninety-two years old when she died in November 2007 and had led a full and colorful life. Elegant and well-traveled, she was full of fascinating stories and her home was replete with souvenirs from around the world.

Aunt Mary gave new meaning to the word “feisty.” She had strong opinions, especially about Americans, which she was not afraid to express. She entertained royally and could be fun at parties. However, like many old maids (and old nuns) she had the ability of putting people in their place. If Aunt Mary disapproved of someone, her very glance could wither; a single remark from her could strip a person of any pretensions of grandeur.

Aunt Mary was the sixth child in a family of eight, six of whom were daughters. A very lovely girl, my grandmother told me that in the late 1930′s Mary was courted by a dashing young Englishman. They were close to becoming engaged, but the young man had a drinking problem. They quarreled and broke off their relationship. He went home to England, married another lady on the rebound, joined the RAF and was shot down by the Germans during the battle of Britain.

Aunt Mary never married. She herself told me that since she could not marry the man she loved she chose not to marry at all. She rose to the top of her profession, had many friends and was dedicated to her family, especially to her many nieces and nephews. Her work as Chief Librarian for the Canadian National Defence College helped her to see the world. As her obituary, composed by one of my cousins, says:

Mary was educated at Notre Dame Convent in Kingston and graduated from Queen’s University in 1938 with Honours. She then obtained an advanced degree in Library Science from the University of Toronto. Mary initially worked as a librarian at The Nylon Plant in Kingston and later at the U. of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Subsequently she joined The National Defence College and The Canadian Army Staff College. She was the Chief Librarian for many years up to her retirement in 1978. During her time with the College she travelled with the various Defence College courses to over 72 countries and met many world leaders in the course of her official duties.
[....]

Family was always important to Mary and as her family we remembered the aunt who provided many of us with the opportunity to spend wonderful summer vacations surrounded by family. She made available to us her second cottage, “Secundus” at Lost Bay on the Gananoque River where we were able to take our children to spend time with their aunts and uncles and cousins, thus fostering in them a keener sense of the greater family to which they belong. For this and many other things we will always be grateful. May God grant her peace.

Yes, she could be a holy terror, but we all have our faults. Aunt Mary gave a magnificent example of kindness, refinement and service. She was a great lady of the old school. I am both honored and humbled to have known her and to have been her relative. Requiescat in pace!

Mary O'Connor

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Helena is one of the many O’Connor cousins who enjoy spending time at Lost Bay Lake. Here she is from August 2010, trying to turn a frog into a prince…

Helena and the bullfrog

This is a QuickTime VR interactive movie. You need QuickTime installed to view it. It’s 2,272K, so it might take a while to load and it might not seem to be loading, but it will…

The photography is from Sunday, May 18, 2003. Angus and Cameron are in the shot.

On a Windows PC, press Shift to zoom in, Ctrl to zoom out. Click and drag the mouse to move around.

I made this on Sara’s G4 Mac. I think it’s still cool…

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]