Those Johnston Kids will swim anywhere, anytime, so I was not surprised when the first thing they did on their first morning at the cottage was jump in the lake. ‘Jump’ means pick their way out through the rocky shallows to a point deeper than their hips. The water in the Bras D’Or was actually warm, relative to the glacial runoff they’ve become accustomed to. The chill drizzle didn’t seem to dampen their spirits either. They frolicked with the assortment of swimming accoutrements that Bobby and Granfa keep stockpiled for grandkids. Like literally all of them. Every plastic, rubber and inflatable toy spread out across the deck in a day-glo potpourri of water toys.

I had them tidy it all up again before taking them out in our fat-bottomed sit-on-top kayak. It’s not my favourite craft, but it’s stable enough for amateurs and has a useless window in the hull for looking at things that are immediately under the boat. It seemed like a good idea when we bought it, but there is never anything immediately under the boat. The window well also fills up with water, bugs, and whatever is on your feet, rendering its efficacy as an actual window nil. We went for a short circuit, just long enough to drain the last of the blood from their extremities and turn their lips a healthy shade of purple.

My phone was completely dead, but it’s a Nexus 5, with built-in wireless charging. I realised that I just needed to find a wireless charger. That’s not a common bit of kit yet, but it’s growing in prevalence. Within a couple of years, all new mobile devices will charge wirelessly. Cables will be for suckers.

Accordingly, we took a trip to town to find a charger. It took a few stores, but I eventually found the last (only) one in Cape Breton, in a Source outlet. They didn’t really know what it was, so I patiently explained that it wasn’t an Apple accessory, it was a wireless charger based on the Qi standard that could charge any compatible device. Like mine, making this entertaining post possible.

Then we had to rush back to the cottage because it was only raining a little bit. That’s good swimming weather.