I’ve loved water for as long as I can remember. Being near water, whether it be hiking along a river, watching the waves from the cottage or swimming in an indoor pool in the middle of winter, has always made me feel good. However, one thing I’ve never enjoyed is going to the beach. My parents are big fans and used to drag me along every sunny Saturday from May to September. The beach was far away so they liked to make a day of it, but I was ready to go home after an hour or two of playing in the water. I loved the water but hated the rest, even on the rare occasions where we got ice cream afterwards. I guess crowded sand and sunburns were never really my thing.

After a few years of living in a city on Lake Ontario, I’ve discovered that I do actually like going to the beach, just not on warm, sunny days. Last February, my husband took me to the frozen beach for my birthday. It was my first time exploring a beach in the winter and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful landscapes I think I will ever see in my life. It was the most fun I ‘d ever had at the beach. Last weekend – the first cold and rainy one of the fall – we layered up and went down to the beach to see the sailboats one more time before they get tucked in for winter. 

This marina is especially neat because it is situated in the mouth of the Second Welland Canal and you can see the old stone walls and remains of the mid-19th century lock.

Sweater Bluenotes (old)
Skirt ModCloth
Tights ModCloth (similar)
Shoes ModCloth (old)
Scarf ModCloth
Ring was my mother’s

All photos but the last by Matt Harrison.