Thanksgiving weekend marks the end of cottage season here in Southern Ontario. At Long Point village, in anticipation of the seasonal gales of autumn and winter, sand fences are erected on the beach, perpendicular to the shoreline. Cottage owners know that without these defensive barriers, they may well find their residences engulfed in wind-generated dunes come spring.
These makeshift barricades commonly consist of wooden laths knit together with wire that are secured by metal bars driven deep into the sand. Sometimes, plywood, metal sheeting or plastic mesh are substituted for the wooden slats. In May, the fences are removed, and the accumulated sand is bulldozed back onto the beach for the summer season.
From November through March, I am often the solitary witness to the varied moods of Long Point beach. At the top and tail of winter’s shortened days, it is possible to experience the dramatic, the ephemeral and the serene. Although close to home, it often feels like an alien arctic landscape.
As often as time and weather permits, I’m out on the beach with my camera, revelling in the cold, the wind, the snow, the isolation, and the quiet. I have come to love the contours and moods of this landscape in the season shunned by most.
Larry Monczka
Port Ryerse