Everywhere the Wind Blows!

When all the planets are aligned, things just happen as they are supposed to. This photo is of the grave of David Daniel Harrigan of Cork Ireland - the original member of the Canadian branch of the clan who lived from 1787 - 1850. It was more by chance and good luck we found this tiny cemetery hidden away among the Albion Hills of southern Ontario. The fact that these tombstones are still in excellent shape and readable after 158 years astounds me.

On Thursday, several tornadoes touched down very close to where we were camping and although we got some wind and lots of rain, we had no idea what damage had occurred around us. An equestrian centre near Ann's had part of the roof overturned and 6 cars in the parking lot were overturned. In another town, close to Canada's Wonderland, more than 600 homes were damaged and many condemned right away. We were very lucky.

We're back at Ann's today and getting ready to make the long push to Thunder Bay where Carolyn and Megan are going to meet me to finish the trip. Clark (bless his heart) has just taken Nellie for an oil change and we are off to Port Perry for a bit of shopping and lunch.

Yesterday, in addition to finding David Harrigan's grave in Caledon, we drove through Mennonite country, where people still travel in horse and buggy and the girls all wear snug black bonnets. We saw them harvesting oats using teams of Belgians and saw fields dotted with old fashioned stooks of wheat. It was incredibly lush looking farm country and the produce available at the farm gates was beautiful. Each farm has a little table or cart by the gate filled with their day's pick and you just stop and leave the money in a jar for whatever you have purchased.

The area around Caledon has me a bit puzzled. This is where the Harrigan's settled when they came from Ireland, but it is very hilly and rocky - not at all the type of place you would expect a farming family to take root. Perhaps that's why, after 20 years or so they pulled up stakes and moved to the Stratford area around Kinkora. I have a photo of the original Harrigan family homestead which was in the family for 132 years.



to be continued...