More Ontario

Sunday, June 24

Sturgeon Falls (near North Bay) to Beachburg, ON (near Pembroke)
After a sunny drive from the Sault Ste. Marie area to near Sturgeon Falls, we awoke to a grey, overcast and rainy sky. Soon the heavens really opened and the downpour started. I waited awhile to see if it would let up and when it did (let up) a little, I quickly packed the van and hit the road.

The woman who’s renting my townhouse in Victoria had offered her cottage on the Ottawa River (near Pembroke) as a stop over. I’d decided to take her up on the offer looking forward to a nice evening sitting on her deck overlooking the Ottawa River. Although the rain let up for a good part of our drive, as soon as we’d gotten into the cottage it started up again. At least it was nice to be indoors if it was going to rain. I couldn’t get the water turned on so that was a bit of a hassle but I did get the electricity turned on so the stove and lights worked. The cottage had been shut up all winter so I did a little ‘opening up’ work … removing plastic covers from things and coverings from the windows. A very comfortable place in a beautiful setting.

Monday, June 25

Beachburg, ON to Ottawa, ON
Most of the drive across Canada had been pretty relaxed in terms of traffic. In northern Ontario we’d drive long distances without seeing another car. So going through Ottawa in post rush hour traffic was a bit hair-raising. I had to cross town on the three/four lane highway to get to friends house where I was stopping for an overnight visit. Once again the GPS kept me on track.
I was visiting Joan and Steve Clarkson. Joan is the sister of my old university friend, Alan, who died back in the early 1990s. Alan and I always said that when we got to retirement age we were going to be like Waldorf and Statler. They are the two old guys on the Muppet Show who sat in the balcony and heckled the people on stage. I suspect as retirees Alan would have gotten me into a lot of trouble!
I had gotten out of touch with Joan and Steve but was happy to find them both well (and fairly recent grandparents, of all things). It’s great when you can just pick up with people where you left off. So we spent the day and evening getting caught up on what was happening in our lives and the lives of other people we know.
I’m always a bit apprehensive when I arrive at non-pet owners homes with Eliot in tow. But the old boy charmed both Joan and Steve with a combination of his natural charm and cuteness and his calm demeanour.
I realized that I was running low on dog food for Eliot so we made a run to the local pet store for supplies.

Tuesday, June 26

Ottawa to somewhere south of Quebec City
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of our fourth week on the road. Yesterday had been chilly, windy and rainy. This morning there was a bit of sun to start the day but by the time we’d crossed the Ottawa River into Quebec, the rains had begun again. We crossed into Quebec at Hawkesbury. Lest that name fool you, this is a very French town. I found a little café where I could sit outside with Eliot and have lunch. Lunch was easily ordered as the woman at the counter switched to English when I quickly became at a loss for words. So I took my lunch outside and began to eat. However, Eliot being the people magnet that he can be kept attracting people who began asking me about him in French. One gal told me about her Fox Terrier who’d lived into his 20s.(At least I was able to understand that much of what she said to me.)
Tonight we’re somewhere in the Quebec hinterland about an hour south of Quebec City. The rain has tapered off a bit now but it is still very damp. I don’t think many tourists find this place. A lot of the sites are occupied with large trailers that appear to be set up for the summer with little decks and even lawn ornaments. The woman at the office was delighted to have me wander in out of the rain as she said: “Oh, I haven’t had a chance to practice my English in quite awhile.”