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I love the natural world. Thanks to my parents, I have had the wonderful opportunity of spending considerable time at the property they bought in 1965 and on which they had a cottage built in 1966. This special place is north of Parry Sound and it's a place I've enjoyed visiting for the past 36 years.

My parent's cottage on Georgian Bay has played a large part in developing my love of, and respect for, the natural world and it was likely responsible for my studying Environmental Studies at university. It was also instrumental in the decision made by my wife Lynn and I to raise our family on a rural, wooded property south of Collingwood.

My parent's cottage has affected me greatly. Located in a wondrous setting consisting of beautiful forests, sheltered bays and inviting islands, this special place has been, and continues to be, a very important part of my life. It is a place where I can go to reflect, relax and try to fit in with the natural world.

After three and a half decades of going to my parent's cottage, the desire to find a special, wild place for our family was great. Lynn didn't need to be convinced of the need for a cottage as she has enjoyed her parent's cottage in eastern Ontario for many years. If there was any disagreement with our plan to acquire a nature retreat, it was when we should get one.

Lynn, being the more practical of the two of us, wanted to wait a few years. I, on the other hand, had waited long enough and wanted to at least begin the search. I said that to find the right place might take a few years. Lynn maintained that once the search began we would find a place quickly. She was right!

It would have been more practical, at least for us, to buy a property with a cottage already on it. Being on a tight budget we could afford to buy a relatively inexpensive cottage or a property and then build when we could afford to.

Once we made the initial decision to buy a cottage or cottage property, the excitement of beginning this adventure was great and it consumed a fair bit of my time. My prediction, which even I didn't really believe, that our search for a cottage might take several years was way off. In less than two months we had bought a beautiful property on Lake Wah-Wash-Kesh located northeast of Parry Sound.

While we didn't yet have a cottage, we did have a property where Lynn and I and our two children, Gleannan and Liam, could begin our special relationship with nature in and around Lake Wah-Wash-Kesh. I anticipate that this relationship will be similar to the one experienced by my parents, brothers and I when my parents decided that the little piece of paradise on Georgian Bay would be good for their family.

When I emailed my father that it appeared we had bought a cottage property, he congratulated us and said "Now the fun starts." While we don't have a cottage yet, the fun has started. And we're looking forward to the rest of the journey.

My hope is that our nature retreat provides Gleannan and Liam with a respect for nature and some of the fun and good times that I've experienced at my parent's cottage. Thanks Mom and Dad!