Summers at Rustic Lodge is a collection of nostalgic reflections, operating instructions, and meditations on cottage life during the vacations of four generations. Topics range from the disturbing (house guests, septic systems) to the worrisome (trashdisposal) to the routine (repairing a wood screen door), to the philosophical (why we pray toour boat engines) to the sublime (dogs on the beach). The book is illustrated with drawings by Dottie Foley, the author's summer neighbor.