Cottage Guests

Living on a lake is a beautiful privilege and one we do not take lightly. Since inheriting our property, for which my parents both worked hard to purchase and maintain, we have been blessed with the sights and sounds of forests of trees that provide a feast of rainbow colours. The wildlife gives us great joy. The noisy tourists do not!

For many of us who live in Cottage Country myths abound. Peace, quiet, tranquility...

We are not rich. We pay highly for the opportunity of living at a lake. For this we make sacrifices: we do not travel far or often. Taxes are higher, driving to the stores is time and energy consuming due to distances. We must pay for our own snowplowing. We often lose hydro power due to the vagaries of Lake Effect weather, the shallow depth of soil (wires cannot be buried!) and long distances between hydro, repair crews and the various towns.

Many of us are pleased to share in the joy of cottage living and the cottage life style. One of our favourite stores, 'Docktails'. embodies that spirit. To sit by the lake on a day when bugs have gone, and sip a cocktail and read in peace and quiet is a luxury we do not take for granted, especially when the noisy boaters have gone home!

Drive slowly and carefully on land and water. You never know when an animal, or human might be out to get you! Our men and women in blue are out there in force. They expect 1,000,000 of you on a long w/e. Accidents are frequent, and a terrible thing in Cottage Country. Purchase a fishing licence, get a boating test, do not drink on land or water and follow road and marine laws. We want to live a long time.

We are happy to have invited guests. There are some things that might help you become a better guest, however, as many do not understand what it means to entertain and hosts friends and family.

There is a difference between a family guest and a cottage guest, but it is a fine differentiation, in my mind. I cannot accept that adults visiting cottage owners should assume that the wear and tear on their cottage, the food they eat, the gas they use, the utilities, such as water, heat and hydro, should be ignored. My clever son-in-law wires us money after his visit, for which we are most appreciative. We are on fixed retirement income, and it is a very adult and mannerly thing to do.

That said, as Dr. Phil says, "You have to treat people how to treat you!"

I have had elderly family members complain about the burdens of having family guests. It is important to let family members know what you expect: sharing responsibilities of buying food, meal preparation, and taking care of clean ups. They do not realize how much work is involved when they leave: laundry, keeping indoor areas clear of crumbs due to bugs (rural Ontario has wood cockroaches, too), and in outdoor areas things must be kept clean due to raccoons and/or bears!

HGTV offers a quiz for cottage guests. See how you rate! Maybe, before you take the quiz, you need to read the details below or e-mail this URL to your anticipated guests!

If you are renting your place to friends or strangers

1. Read: blogs for Owners at www.cottageblogger.com. There is a lot to renting a property out, even if you use a service. There are many ways to improve the experience for you, your clients and your neighbours.
   
2. Teach your guests good manners. You will ensure that you do not alienate your neighbours, with whom you share frontage.
3. Warn your neighbours and assure them you want them to phone you or the police if things get out of hand.

Ground Rules For Guests

1. Take responsibility for being here. We are not your slaves. We often entertain w/e after w/e. Help out. Clean up. Clean out soon and early. Some of us have to get ready for work the next day. You can expect your hosts to feed you the first meal (that just makes sense), but plan ahead to share the meals, clean up, do dishes, and grocery shopping. Especially, remember to bring your own drinks, return the empties, and brings juice and/or pop for the kids.
2. Bring gifts for your hosts.
3. Bring: toilet paper, paper towels, fruits and veggies, meat to BBQ, lunch meat, buns, wine and guest towels are a good hostess gift!
4. As a guest, do not invite other guests. This is just bad manners and may interfere with our plans.
   
5. If you break something tell somebody! Tell hosts about leaks, ants, mice, or appliances that do not work.
   
6. Respect septic systems. Nothing down there but toilet paper -which you should buy or bring for your hosts!
7. Take responsibility for your children. Do not let them swim alone, wander at the lake shore alone, or disappear. We are not used to children and we are not necessarily babysitters. It is easy to get into trouble outdoors. We have wild animals, insects, and leeches (for which the antidote is salt on the leech!).
8. Keep control of your children: do not let them scare our pets, throw things at the ducks or geese, or shriek and scream all day. If the 'cry wolf' - we will not know when they are truly in trouble. Up here a scream has got to mean a cry for help.
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10. Take responsibility for your garbage and recycling, as well as bottle returns. Wash out the recycling to prevent attracting wildlife.
11. Strip the beds before you leave. Take them into the laundry room for them.
    
12. Do not leave wet towels on the floor. A cottage is not a hotel. This attracts bugs and moisture. Something we have plenty of in this region. You do not want to take these bugs home in your luggage, either!
    
13. Ask if it is shoes on or shoes off in the house/cottage. Just because it is a cottage...doesn't mean we don't have to clean up after you. Cottage dirt is clean, but contains its own bacteria.
    
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15. Leave your animals (and your fireworks, foul language and loud music) at home. We have enough noise up here! It is a myth that it is quiet. Pets terrorize other pets and wildlife if they are not under control. Some neighbours think having the dogs bark all day is fun. Plus, if you leave them at home if you go out for the day, they will bark all day. To us it is painful since noises, including swearing, carry over the water. We are grandparents and are appalled with the language we hear. (see my: 10 Reasons For Swearing!)
16. Be prepared for insects, accidents and bad weather (hot or cold). Last July was cool and rainy, this one seems to be this way, too. Bring extra clothes, blankets and towels. Many kids get a soaker in the first hours!
    
17. Have First Aid kits on hand. Tylenol, surgical dressings, bee sting remedies, calamine lotion for bug bites, antihistamine products for susceptible adults and kids, and understand it might be a long drive into the pharmacy. See: What to bring, on another post!
    
18. Be prepared with activities and games for the kids (board games, cards), who may be used to high-tech toys and being entertained, not entertaining.
    
19. Critical comments about ______ [insert one: the weather, bugs, location, neighbours] will ensure that you are not invited back, if you were invited in the first place. We make compromises to live here, you should too, to visit. This is not the city! It is a different culture. Learn about country living. Respect nature, our neighbours and respect us.
    
20. Ask about smoking & fire protocols. We do not want your second hand smoke or your ashes flying around. The ground is susceptible to fires. Use a can with a lid if you must smoke. In Muskoka there is a day time fire ban. You cannot have a fire during the day - only for cooking or warmth at night. The smoke carries nicely across the water, into our open windows. (We do NOT have air conditioning!) If you use the BBQ, having asked permission, clean it well. The bears & raccoons like them, too.
21. There are manners around fishing, too. Take your fishing garbage away. The fishing line and plastic hurts the wildlife. Refrain from fishing in front of someone's cottage. Likely that is where they play and swim. It is like us sitting on the street staring into front of your house: really bad manners, and just plain rude. In addition, if you lose a lure we really do not want to have to dig it out of our feet, rural health care being what it is!
22. Leave some hidden cash to help with utilities. It is only polite. If you are boating, or having any water play, fill up the gas tank, or leave money for this, too. If you are not flush, put a token amount in an envelope, write a thank you card, and leave it behind. When you phone to thank your hosts for their hospitality do not e-mail!), tell them where you placed it!

Heather, the cottage guru, has tips for vacationing with friends. All these things apply. Plan, prepare, set the ground rules, divide up chores & costs, agree on sleeping arrangements, understand that your family has quirks (snoring, behavioural issues, and other things that may make life more difficult) and talk about what you will do about such issues. There is nothing like hearing arguments from across the lake!

Some will debate the difference between being a guest and renting someone's cottage. I think it a moot point.
There is one Golden Rule: Leave the place the way you found it! Clean up after yourself. Vacuum, wipe surfaces, clean the bathroom, take out the garbage, return empties.

For more help see my post:

• Dos & Don'ts of cottage life/What to wear/What to bring

Check out the blogs below for professional renting information. It is an excellent site, managed by Heather who has written a book, but shares much information from experience on-line:

• Blogging for Owners at www.cottageblogger.com
• Blogging for Renters, or Renters Tips. at www.cottagenews.ca