Summertime and the livin' is easy... this melodic refrain kept repeating itself in my mind as I lay on a lounge chair, basking in the summer sun on the flybridge as we motored gently down the Rideau Canal. It was a perfect Canadian summer day, bright sunshine, unbelievable scenery and a peace and calm that was indescribable. I was totally relaxed. Hard to believe that just a few short hours ago I was struggling with the drain under the bathroom sink trying to retrieve our son's lost contact lens. Actually it was even harder to believe that I was really here and not having a wonderfully vivid dream.

For years my husband Dan and I have been closet houseboat enthusiasts. I say closet because most of our friends are power boaters or sailing enthusiasts. Since we too have a power boat (a 16 1/2-foot Thundercraft bowrider with a 140 I/O) and our experience with and knowledge of houseboats is rather limited, we thought it best to keep fairly quiet about our secret love. Over the past few years, as our lives have gotten more and more hectic, the idea of "getting away from it all" on a houseboat began to appeal more and more to us. There is just something about the concept of a floating cottage.

When the opportunity arose to take a houseboat cruise on the beautiful Rideau Canal System, we were both excited beyond words. Our crew consisted of our whole family: Dan and I, Dan's parents Mona and Bob, and our 17-year old son Dave. We were minus our 19-year old daughter, Danielle, who was away at college. Her space, however, was filled with Dave's friend Lance.

Heading toward the marina to pick up our houseboat, Dan and I both had the same horrible thought-what if we didn't like houseboating? We'd dreamed of this for so long!

We reassured each other that everything would be fine and that we would, indeed, love it. After all, what was there not to like?

When we arrived at Rideau Lakes Houseboat Vacations marina at Muskrat Bay, Rachel Finsten and her staff were there to greet us. They were very friendly and instantly allayed any fears we may have had about being first-time houseboaters. While Dan took the captain's course the rest of us loaded the boat and stored everything away. This also gave Rachel and I an opportunity to visit for a few minutes. I was surprised to learn that all 20 of their fleet are privately owned. Their clientele practically spans the globe, covering all of North America and from Australia to Scotland and England. Their season, she informed me, gets filled up really quickly- especially the August first weekend. Things slow down after August and get pretty quiet in September. For Rachel, however, this is the best time to take a cruise on the Rideau. She says the beauty of the maples bursting into their fall colors is truly a sight to behold. Although it is a little chillier outside, the on- board furnace keeps everyone inside toasty warm. As an added incentive, their prices, which are already quite reasonable, drop by 30 percent in the fall. Definitely food for thought for the future. We Dropped Rachel off back at the marina and were ready to tackle the Rideau on our own. The Rideau Canal is a very historical canal and is North America's oldest operating 19th century canal. It was built in the wake of the War of 1812 as a wartime supply route to Kingston from Montreal, In 1826 Lieutenant Colonel John By was sent from England to supervise the construction of the canal. It took

five years and thousands of men to complete the canal. Over a thousand men died during the construction, mostly due to malaria. As I am a bit of a history buff, the opportunity to view the historic aspects of the canal greatly appealed to me.

The Rideau Canal begins at Kingston Mills, Ontario with the rugged beauty of towering granite cliffs that are part of the Canadian Shield, and culminates in the majestic grandeur of a staircase of eight locks at the foot of Parliament Hill in our beautiful nation's capital, Ottawa.

Our first day out we decided to head toward Kingston to visit the locks at Jones Falls. We had heard it was a highlight of the Rideau and wanted to check it out. There is much to see and do there. The lock- master, Raymond Laforest, is a very interesting character. I nicknamed him "the musical lockmaster" because Raymond boasts the largest collection of accordions in Canada. He had 140 at last count and has photo albums of his collection on display at the locks. With a little encouragement Raymond will even treat you to a tune or two!

Aside from Raymond's musical talents, Jones Falls locks has a lot to offer. We visited the Blacksmith's Shop, which was built in 1843. It is fully operational and still has the original forge used to make or repair the oversized lockgate hardware. It also has the biggest bellows I've ever seen. You are welcome to browse around and you can even purchase a piece of the past there.

Another attraction at the locks is The Sweeney House. A real must see. Built for Jones Falls first lock- master, Peter Sweeney, in 1841 as a defense structure, stepping here is like stepping into the past. Sweeney lived here with his family and the house is furnished in period furniture. His diary from 1849 is on display here and, if you have the time and/or the inclination, you can read of the events that transpired during that time. During the summer months both the Sweeney House and the Blacksmith's Shop are peopled with actors dressed in period costumes re-enacting history. Very effective.

Another fascinating attraction at these locks is the Whispering Dam. Because of its unique-horseshoe shape, the acoustics are fantastic. Messages whispered at one end of the dam can be heard with perfect clarity at the other end of the dam, 350 feet away Jones Falls Is a definite must for all visitors to the Rideau Canal. It truly is a unique experience.

After our visit to Jones Falls we headed north toward Ottawa. We decided to spend the night at Chaffey's Locks. This is another beautiful spot. After we moored I stood outside looking at the natural splendor of our surroundings. I happened to look down and noticed a few fish swimming around. I went inside and got some bread and started dropping little bits into the water. Within seconds scores of fish were swarming around waiting for the next crumb to fall. I've never seen so many fish in one place! I called the boys and, as a lark, they grabbed our nets and started to dip them into the water. With every net they came up with two or three crappies, which are numerous throughout the system. The system also abounds with largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, and even muskellunge. So, if you're into fishing, don't forget your fishing pole!

Chaffey's Locks also has the Lockmaster's House Museum. This house was built in 1844 and is well worth the visit. After a tour of the surrounding area we came back to the boat to prepare dinner. The kitchen was quite roomy and had everything we needed. While 'Granny' and I prepared the vegetables, Captain Dan grilled steaks on the barbecue. We ate dinner while watching a beautiful sun- set. There really is nothing like a sunset on the water. The water reflects the rosy hues of the setting sun and provides a spectacular light show. We were all fairly tired so after the cleanup was done we prepared for bed.

Granny and Papa had the bedroom and Dan and I took one of the double foldout beds. The boys were thrilled with their penthouse accommodations. There was plenty of room and the beds were really quite comfortable.

The next day dawned overcast and rainy. We had decided to visit Smiths Falls so we set off as soon as the locks opened. We had packed rain gear so the sporadic showers didn't bother us at all. We actually enjoyed them. Even when overcast, the scenery was beautiful. It gave us a chance to see another aspect of the natural beauty of the area. Trees rising up over the mist-enshrouded islands were some of the most breathtaking sights I saw on the whole cruise. There is also a different sense of quiet in that atmosphere. It gave a peaceful feeling to the early morning.

As we motored along some of nature came out to visit us. A small deer on the bank of the river kept pace with the boat for a time, and we saw many blue herons, ducks, loons, and Canada geese. We were even lucky enough to spot a redheaded woodpecker - my very first! I was quite impressed.

The Rideau Canal is a mixture of small channels and large stretches of open water. I particularly enjoyed some of the small channels. Dan and I were on the flybridge (our favorite place) as we were going through a particularly narrow channel and we joked that we reminded each other of Hepburn and Bogart going down river in the African Queen! The bigger lakes are dotted with thousands of small islands and it is very interesting to see all the cottages and the unique architecture of some of the homes only visible from the water.

Smiths Falls is another of the main attractions on the Rideau. It is one of the largest centers on the Rideau (aside from Kingston and Ottawa) and has some interesting places to visit. The City of Smiths Falls provides free bus tours that will pick you up at the dock. Attractions in this city include the Rideau Canal Museum (four floors of the history of the canal), the Heritage House Museum, the Smiths Falls Railway Museum and, for chocolate lovers like me, they also have the Hershey Chocolate factory. Here you can watch your favorite chocolate bar being made, then taste the results! After our tour of the town we went back to the boat to have dinner and, while the boys went out to explore Smiths Falls by night, we enjoyed a rousing game of cards! Dan and I sat up on the flybridge for awhile before going to bed. We just sat and talked and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The next day we headed back to our home base at Muskrat Bay Marina. We spent the day motoring along and enjoying the whole houseboat experience. We were surprised at how easily the boat maneuvered. We took turns being "captain" even Granny and Papa took the helm a time or two! On the way back we took quick stops in Rideau Ferry and in Portland. Portland has a very large and busy marina. I couldn't believe the number of houseboats there. It's like houseboat haven. We gassed up there just before heading home.

The Rideau has a lot to offer tourists. Aside from the great scenery, the fishing, the beauties of nature and the preserved history, the surrounding areas are rich in the arts. You'll find a veritable treasure chest of galleries where you can watch the artists create their works of art. Local craft stores feature the local talent of the area, as do numerous art and musical festivals. There always seems to be something going on somewhere on the system. A good source to find out when and where these events are taking place is to write either directly to the superintendent of the Rideau or to get in touch with The Friends of The Rideau. This is a non-profit volunteer organization that works with canal staff to help expand services and special events along the canal. Both these organizations would be happy to send out information packages or help you in any way they can. We found them to be most helpful.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our houseboat holiday, and were very relieved to find that we did love it and, rather than being disappointed, our trip actually exceeded our expectations. I think Dan's mother summed it up when she said, "If God created anything better than this, he kept it for himself."

No doubt about it we were sold on houseboating and our own houseboat looms in the near future.

Back at the marina we unloaded our gear and said a sad, fond farewell to our houseboat, the Marlene B. But there is no question, we will be back.