Snippets of Life on the Road

Blind River

The last few days have been about the might and dramatic beauty of the Northern Superior shore. Mighty vistas, vast waterscapes, rugged forests that suggest hard lives and strong people.  Today, however, the drive took a softer tone.  Much of the day I meandered along the Blind River with its slow currents and breathtakingly beautiful fields and tiny villages.  It put me in mind of picnics, parasols and potato salads on a rug under a tree.  Lovely!

Yesterday I did my share to battle the great Northern Ontario black fly.  What sounded like rain on the windows turned out to be swarms of the little black beggers and it took a power washer this morning to remove them from the windshield and front panels of the motor home.  Thousands of them - yuck!

Bear

Lunch today was spent in a beautiful picnic area somewhere near Spanish.  Ontario has some of the nicest rest stops and this one was no exception.  When I stop, I usually grab a bite to eat and let Digit out from under the covers (where she always rides) to visit the litter box and have a drink and some dinner.  As we sat there discussing our day, a lovely young bear came cantering by, no further than 10 feet from us, and disappeared off into the woods.  So cute!!!! (We were inside, by the way)

Up here in Northern Ontario, everyone seems to be towing something.  They tow horses and boats, tent trailers and cars, multi story canoe carriers, U Haul trailers, Quads, Golf Carts, Sea Doos - anything that can be hitched on behind a truck or car.

Just south of Sudbury they are twinning the highway and there is a LOT! of road construction happening.  A new - and interesting idea from the Department of Highways - painting all the road lines in a construction zone a bright fluorescent orange.  Easy to see and I'll bet it glows in the dark!

Mennonite Family

The countryside I drove through today is mainly inhabited by old order Mennonites and it was lovely to see the families trotting along beside the highway in their black buggies.  I saw one woman with her son who were parked at the end of a driveway with the buggy turned sideways and with shelves installed so they could display their vegetables, flowers and maple syrup.  Further along I saw a man in the typical black pants and suspenders guiding a team of heavy horses around his field in front of a seeder.

And so here I am in Parry Sound, home of Don Herron's Charlie Farquarson and tomorrow I'll be at Anns.  So excited!

To be continued.............