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Reflections on Moving to the Bush - 20 years after by Audree Tomkins 20 years ago, my husband Fred and I left an Ottawa sub-division to reside permanently where we had always summered ... in the bush. Fred's career was as an administration officer with the Canadian government following an Army career of 20 years. Both jobs saw him travelling extensively to every Province and Territory, several times. He took his family across Canada with him, camping of course, so that they could appreciate the size and beauty of the country. I was also in administration with a school of 600 ballet and dance students and a touring ballet company. At the same time I was a volunteer in many fields, principally with the Girl Guides of Canada where my main interest was camping. Our joint view of retirement was on the water somewhere and in the bush. We came to a small lake in the Land O'Lakes area near Arden. Here we live in a Post and Beam, passive solar home we built, overlooking the water, where canoeing, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and bicycling can be a way of life. We are both birdwatchers and conduct annual bird counts and loon surveys. Fred began woodworking in earnest when he'd finished the interior of the house and he sells his products, successfully, through local craft fairs. While life in the big city was structured and predictable, the change of pace in retirement, surrounding by calm beauty, was not easily accepted. Volunteering to sit on Boards in the community bridged the gap between the two life styles. This combination of selected activity and pursuing one's own interests, ultimately brought more satisfaction. Now our interests in the Land O'Lakes, where we have chosen to retire, include chairing the Seniors' Club, singing with the Arden Glee Club, beginning a drama club and taking part in many local events. The young adult children of the family bring their children, as often as they can, to enjoy the lake and the serenity of its surroundings, though their lives are, of course, tied in with making a living. They envy their parents' choice of residence in retirement. The hurried pace of the city and its urgency has, indeed, now receded and been overtaken by a more relaxed and enjoyed life. It's not so important anymore to achieve but to assimilate the irrefutable passage of time with anticipation and delight.
