The Window On The Forest

 The gardens outside the house at Moorside are a delight.

Here we have the base of the large flagpole. As mentioned yesterday, Mackenzie King liked to collect odd things. Some of them, like this lion, stand alone in various spots on the grounds of the estate. Others are larger projects.

Dogs were walking with their humans.

The gardens are a delight- formal French gardens defined by geometry, English gardens that are less formal, and a rock garden at the bottom of the slope. As seen here, there are birdhouses in various spots on the estate.

The rock garden, where flowers are planted among exposed rocks, is on the far side of this- the Window On The Forest. Mackenzie King had a way for salvaging pieces of buildings being torn down and using them for ruins and follys on the estate. This is one of them, taken from a building in Ottawa and transplanted here.

The Centrepiece Of The Estate

Here we have another look at Moorside from across the meadow.

I headed in that general direction, stopping first along the main path.

More interpretive plaques, this featuring late in the life of Mackenzie King, post-retirement. He said that the highest joy in life was in public service. His remarks that 'instead of the state being indebted to the one who gives of his time and means to the country's affairs and to the betterment of human conditions, the obligation is the other way round' is the sort of wisdom that many politicians should heed.

Mackenzie King dominated the first half of the 20th century in a way that no other Canadian politician could. He retired from public life, and his successor as Liberal leader, Louis St. Laurent, took the reins of government.

Moorside is a jewel, the very soul of the estate. Mackenzie King made it a home, and cultivated the grounds. He was a man who followed a vision.

Among his many guests, his American counterpart and friend, Franklin Roosevelt.

These views of the meadow are from the front of the house.

Inside the house, this display case includes the odd items he collected over time- like the head of a faun, or a rabbit doorstop. More such oddities are out on the grounds.

Here we have a view looking out the terrace doors into the gardens.

And I close out today with this large fireplace.

By The Shore Of Kingsmere Lake

 Kingsmere Lake is enchanting, but never more so than in the fall.

I decided to do a panoramic shot from here before heading back up the slope.

I returned to the cottages making up Kingswood.

Off I went, towards the other residence. This quote by Mackenzie King caught my eye.

Moorside is more of a home, built by King as his political career ascended and he understood that a prime minister's weekend retreat ought to include a full home.

I came towards it first from the meadow, a sprawling stretch of grassland surrounded by trees in fall glory.

I took another panoramic shot from this spot. The house can be seen in the distance. We carry on here tomorrow.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Soft

 The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for November, that theme is Soft. Check out how other members are taking on this theme right here.

I am going a bit outside the box with this one. One of the definitions of soft is 'pleasing or agreeable to the senses; bringing ease, comfort, or quiet, eg the soft influences of home'. With that in mind, my present series fits in nicely. I am in the midst of a series on a fall visit to Gatineau Park, and specifically the Mackenzie King Estate, the weekend retreat of one of our finest prime ministers. We have here the guest cottage at Kingswood, the first retreat owned by William Lyon Mackenzie King as he bought land here along the shores of Kingsmere Lake. 

The main cottage is nearby, and Mackenzie King used it for himself.

On the porch there are more interpretive plaques about the place and what it meant to him.

I headed down the wooded slope towards Kingsmere Lake. This small structure is likely a pump house.

The shores of the lake are close by. Gatineau Park still features a handful of cottages, grandfathered in from the time of the park's creation. They can be glimpsed across the water.

A short walk away is the estate's boathouse.