Hasn’t it been a glorious fall? Isn’t the colour the best you’ve ever seen? Aren’t the maples absolutely beautiful? We say this every year, and yes, we mean it. I must have a hundred pictures of our woods in full splendour. When it’s bleak mid-winter, I open my gallery and look at the colour, and know it’ll happen again.
At least once a month, Alan and I do a Jones Mystery Tour. It starts out as a route to somewhere, and always ends up on country sideroads that invariably lead us to Perth, from whence we have to come home on a crowded highway. We always say we’ll remember this, but we never do. Further, going and coming are two entirely different views, and while we’re busy gawking at the scenery, we miss the turnoff we should have taken, and find all sorts of wonderful sights. When we get to a crossroad we think recognize, our favourite saying is, “Oh, we’re right here. Now we know where we are.” Of course we know: right here is always where you are!
Driving to McDonald’s Corners on a fall day takes twice as long as it should because the scenery deserves a good look. As you round the corner and go over a bridge, there’s a restaurant that served us a lovely Thanksgiving lunch many years ago. For a long time we couldn’t find this place again, and then one sunny afternoon we came across the bridge, and there was the building exactly as we remembered it as if in a delightful dream.
Friends have cottages where invitations are sincerely handed out, but we are pretty sure we’d start driving, get completely lost in our own reveries, and end up fumbling around with no cell-phone contact, no proper GPS, and having to come back home. We’d have had an adventure and a nice trip, but we’d have missed the cottage for sure. Best to stick to known roads!
When we first heard of Ompah it became a must for a road trip. Oh, the back roads of Lanark! Hopetown is well-named. We hoped we’d find our way back there! We drove and drove, and then nearly missed Ompah, but we did find the llama farm, bought a cute little hand-painted watering can, and visited a proper general store. We never go anywhere but there isn’t something we love to see.
In the before times (before Covid) we took a road trip with Ron and Terri Caron up the Opeongo Line through Wilno, Barry’s Bay, Siberia (yes!), Killaloe, and places beyond. The trip was narrated with a cassette tape describing the history as we went along. For two days we enjoyed the scenery, the history, the music, and all the beautiful art and culture, to say nothing of the fabulous food that area affords. Of all the road trips we’ve ever done, this one stands out, not only because we were with our good friends, but also because it was history we had never encountered. It’s not one we could ever duplicate either, since who now owns a cassette recorder, one built into the car for goodness sakes?
One summer we followed the footsteps of the Sisters of the Wilderness from Peterborough to the scrappy country where those poor settlers thought they could eke out a living, two women with children doing what they could to survive. It made us so thankful for our easy living. The road trip was close to home for us, but for them it was so far away that we realized the hardships they endured. We’re very lucky.
So here we are in November, and the road trips are behind us for now. We might make it all the way to Arnprior or Fitzroy Harbour, but that’ll likely be the full extent of our travels. However, we’ll have the memories of the past trips to tide us over. In fact, we look forward to November, the woodstove crackling and the Vodkow chilled. We know there will be many good fall days to set off on one of our mystery tours again, but for now are content to be at home.
In November there’s an exciting anticipation. The outside world is put to bed — the garden, the weeds, the bugs — and we’re waiting for winter. I’ve organized the snow shovels, the sand and salt, the winter boots, the winter tires. It’s dark before supper and the house is cozy. The dogs know evening playtime has become evening snooze time, and we’ve settled into new routines.
Feet up, slippers on, road trips will wait for next summer. For now, it’s cocoon time. Happy November!