Wasaga Beach features prominently in my memories of childhood - sweltering, humid summer days spent swimming from sand bar to sand bar, splashing in waves, burying ourselves in warm sand, running, screaming, laughing. Siblings, cousins, friends - large groups enjoying life. Charcoal and barbecue. Sunscreen. Hot sand. Cool water. Walks down the boardwalk. Ice cream in town. Crowds. Music. Sunshine.

A visit in April is different than one on a scorcher of a July day but wonderful, nevertheless. A walk along fourteen kilometres of sand, the largest freshwater beach in the world, empty but for a handful of people. Bare feet in sand and water for the first time this year. A few intrepid boys in summer clothes frolicking in the water. Frisbee. Baseball with a log and stone. And to top it all off - a sunset to rival all sunsets.