I have previously mentioned “the cottage.” This cottage was originally the property of my maternal grandfather. It was during the 1950s that he leased the land on the banks of the Trent River and built his summer home. This was his getaway. Eventually my father assumed this property and used it as his getaway. There is little doubt that the reason I have my getaway property in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California is the direct result of my upbringing. This is what the men of our family do. My bother, John, also has his cottage on a lake in northern Ontario. Everyone seems to go to water, but I have gone to the desert. A lot of building went on at this cottage so I grew up with building in my blood. It is not that I learned everything about construction at the cottage, instead I learned the possibilities. Framing, electrical, concrete, plumbing, dry walling, and painting skills are all a part of my early life. This cottage became an important part of my early life as it allowed me to grow up with the spirit of the rural life.