#2044 "Through the Opinicon Forest"

The new owner gave me a terrific tour of the renovated and modernized Opinicon Lodge and Resort at Chaffey's Locks. She described all of the work that had been done and some of the effort that remained. They very much preserved the look and feel of the historic lodge as well as most if not all of the nostalgic cabins. With any historic icon the choice must be made whether to work with the old or start from scratch. The latter approach using new techniques and materials from the ground up is typically cheaper and better. Building with the old has huge challenges but preserves the nostalgia of the original design. We have done both over the years. The decision is not an easy one and their are many factors to consider. In the end the new owners decided upon the more challenging restoration of the original structures. The first time we renovated an old place was when I started to go grey...

I paddled to the Opinicon when I became a teenager for the first time to get ice cream from the store beside the Liar's Bench. This long seat was the place where fishermen swapped stories - some of which might have been true but most were greatly exaggerated. I paddled there many times again on dates with my future bride... and then again with our kids. I taught the kids how not to rub the paddle along the side of canoe and to stroke silently. You saw more nature that way. Something of quality need not change with the times. I have known this place for a lifetime and am relearning it as I become a teenager again.

This is the view from the southern edge of the Opinicon looking out through the shore-line trees across Sand Lake. The late morning sun was in the southern sky and as high as it gets on the last day of meteorological fall. Meteorological winter begins on December first. The difference is between meteorological and astronomical winter is that astronomical is based on the location of the earth with respect to the sun. Meteorological winter is defined by the coldest 3-month period of the year. It was windy and cold and I decided to play with the oils in the studio instead of being buffeted by the chilly winds and rain showers that were occurring outside.

I have many  more paintings from the Opinicon to come... The vision of the owners is to make the Opinicon something like "Dirty Dancing" meets the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson... a special place indeed. You never put baby ... or Tom ... in the corner....

The Opinicon

https://www.opinicon.com/