Zach LarkinsVACATION (Part 5)
"Layin' on my back in the newly mown grass,
Rain is comin' down, but I know the clouds will pass,
You bring me tea, you say the babe's asleepin',
Lay down beside me, love ain't for keepin'............"
The Who
We get back home and realize that lunch is weighing a bit heavier on us than we thought it should. TBH had a BLT that looked terrific, but I swear she had to disjoint her jaw to get a bite out of it. I had a burger, no fries. I couldn't have finished any fries if I did order them. This burger is made the way they should be. None of this McDonalds or Burger King stuff. This was a home made burger that you knew was made with fresh meat. The size and taste of the patty told you that. It carried me back to the days of my youth before all these fast-food joints sprang up on every street corner. It was marvelous. Funny thing about Manitoulin. No matter where you eat, you can always get a super-sized portion and it costs you less than what it would if you were back in civilization.
So we roll into the site and grab a beer. Then we head for the porch. They're doing some reno work on the cottage across the street and we park our butts to enjoy the show. The fellow is working alone, aided now and then by his girlfriend. The cottage is to be rented out next week, so he's under a deadline. I can see this just ain't gonna happen, but rather settle in to enjoy one of the perks of being on vacation. Watching someone else work. *snicker, snicker*.
We digest for a while longer and TBH suggests we go down to the dock to look for fish. Seems okay with me, so off we go. There's a young lad at the end of the dock and he shows us the 9 fish he's caught already. They are rock bass and a pretty good size at that. I am truly impressed. The young fellow is named Isaac and it's his Mom who is helping the handyman do the work on the cottage. The family is of Finnish descent and I think Mom has the right idea in raising her sons. Isaac's brother, Eli, is terrorizing the roads on his bike and he is 9 compared to Isaac's 11 years old. Both boys are polite and respectful and TBH and I are somewhat amazed as we haven't seen this kind of behaviour in youngsters for some time. As the weeks go on, they'll visit us often, bring us some fish to eat and just sit and chew the fat with us. Their Mom knows where they are, trusts us, and comes regularly to check that they are not making pests of themselves. Hardly. They are a joy to have around.
Later that afternoon, a porcupine wanders into camp and strolls around the cottage that is being worked on. I grab the camera to get a picture (I've never seen a wild porcupine before) and I follow it around the back of the cabin. He looks like he wants to head into a hole under the cabin and as I'm telling him he doesn't want to go there, Mom shows up and thinks I'm talking to one of her kids. She sees the animal and starts laughing and soon the poor creature is surrounded by curious people. It high-tails it into a tree where it stays overnight and makes its escape late at night. TBH and I agree that's something you just don't see every day.
Tomorrow we're off to visit gift and craft shops. Now I couldn't have known at the time, but Nick of Nickoftimes Sanity Corner did a great article on wolves while we were gone. You really should read him. The guy has a good attitude about life and can put humour into the darkest day. I enjoy him very much and highly recommend him. Anyway, we stopped along the highways and biways and snooped and prodded and poked, telling ourselves we were just tire kicking at this point and we would sort the wheat from the chaff and go back later to pick up the good stuff. Then we made a mistake. We saw a sign advertising carvings and decided to stop in.
The shop is run by a young Indian who does all the work, and what work it is indeed. Wood that I would consider fine for the fireplace is a duck or an eagle in his eyes. He is a bit expensive, but when you realize the work that's gone into his creations, you know the asking price is worth it. We bought two wood burnings of wolves which now hang proudly in our hall. He was finishing off a Canada goose when we met him and unfortunately ran out of time before we could see the finished product. We headed down the road and stopped in a Trading Post in M'Chigeeng to pick up a couple of T-shirts for us and some folks back home. We caught sight of a painting TBH just had to have, so we added that to our treasure trove. I bought a couple of bathroom books a guy has to do more than just at the four walls, you know) and off we went again. Further down the trail, we stooped in Wikwemikong at yet another shop where we picked up a statuette of two wolves carved out of soapstone. It is a true beauty and graces our entertainment centre today. When I got home and read Nick's article, all the memories came flooding back and I was ready to re-pack everything and head back up there.
It was getting late, so we began to mosey home. TBH was pleading with me to take her to Mum's Bakery and Restaurant for a hot beef sandwich. If anyone knows hot roast beef, it is her, and if she's says it's the best she's ever eaten, you can take her word for it. I wasn't buying it though and instead we stopped at the Route 50 Diner. This place is done in a ‘50's decor with the booth seats upholstered to look like the seats of a ‘57 Chev. They even have the old style juke boxes in the booths. We had a couple of bacon and tomato sandwiches and then went across the street to get some Farquahr's ice cream. This stuff is great and their small cone (like we got) would be equal to at least a double anywhere else. We sat on a bench outside to eat them and watch the traffic go by. Four cars in ˝ an hour. Talk about being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You'd really have to be a nut job to get a case of road rage up here.
We finished up and headed back to the cabin. We watched them work on the other cottage until sundown and then turned our attention to the sunset. Through the tress, the sun was shining across the lake in hues of gold and red. The magenta sky above us had purple clouds lazily drifting by and the loon was once again with us. We looked until the sun had completely disappeared and went inside to listen to tunes, talk and play some euchre. I lit another fire and we knew we'd be back outside soon enough to gaze up at the billion stars above us and bathe in the moonlight. Peace and relaxation.
(To be cont'd)
Rain is comin' down, but I know the clouds will pass,
You bring me tea, you say the babe's asleepin',
Lay down beside me, love ain't for keepin'............"
The Who
We get back home and realize that lunch is weighing a bit heavier on us than we thought it should. TBH had a BLT that looked terrific, but I swear she had to disjoint her jaw to get a bite out of it. I had a burger, no fries. I couldn't have finished any fries if I did order them. This burger is made the way they should be. None of this McDonalds or Burger King stuff. This was a home made burger that you knew was made with fresh meat. The size and taste of the patty told you that. It carried me back to the days of my youth before all these fast-food joints sprang up on every street corner. It was marvelous. Funny thing about Manitoulin. No matter where you eat, you can always get a super-sized portion and it costs you less than what it would if you were back in civilization.
So we roll into the site and grab a beer. Then we head for the porch. They're doing some reno work on the cottage across the street and we park our butts to enjoy the show. The fellow is working alone, aided now and then by his girlfriend. The cottage is to be rented out next week, so he's under a deadline. I can see this just ain't gonna happen, but rather settle in to enjoy one of the perks of being on vacation. Watching someone else work. *snicker, snicker*.
We digest for a while longer and TBH suggests we go down to the dock to look for fish. Seems okay with me, so off we go. There's a young lad at the end of the dock and he shows us the 9 fish he's caught already. They are rock bass and a pretty good size at that. I am truly impressed. The young fellow is named Isaac and it's his Mom who is helping the handyman do the work on the cottage. The family is of Finnish descent and I think Mom has the right idea in raising her sons. Isaac's brother, Eli, is terrorizing the roads on his bike and he is 9 compared to Isaac's 11 years old. Both boys are polite and respectful and TBH and I are somewhat amazed as we haven't seen this kind of behaviour in youngsters for some time. As the weeks go on, they'll visit us often, bring us some fish to eat and just sit and chew the fat with us. Their Mom knows where they are, trusts us, and comes regularly to check that they are not making pests of themselves. Hardly. They are a joy to have around.
Later that afternoon, a porcupine wanders into camp and strolls around the cottage that is being worked on. I grab the camera to get a picture (I've never seen a wild porcupine before) and I follow it around the back of the cabin. He looks like he wants to head into a hole under the cabin and as I'm telling him he doesn't want to go there, Mom shows up and thinks I'm talking to one of her kids. She sees the animal and starts laughing and soon the poor creature is surrounded by curious people. It high-tails it into a tree where it stays overnight and makes its escape late at night. TBH and I agree that's something you just don't see every day.
Tomorrow we're off to visit gift and craft shops. Now I couldn't have known at the time, but Nick of Nickoftimes Sanity Corner did a great article on wolves while we were gone. You really should read him. The guy has a good attitude about life and can put humour into the darkest day. I enjoy him very much and highly recommend him. Anyway, we stopped along the highways and biways and snooped and prodded and poked, telling ourselves we were just tire kicking at this point and we would sort the wheat from the chaff and go back later to pick up the good stuff. Then we made a mistake. We saw a sign advertising carvings and decided to stop in.
The shop is run by a young Indian who does all the work, and what work it is indeed. Wood that I would consider fine for the fireplace is a duck or an eagle in his eyes. He is a bit expensive, but when you realize the work that's gone into his creations, you know the asking price is worth it. We bought two wood burnings of wolves which now hang proudly in our hall. He was finishing off a Canada goose when we met him and unfortunately ran out of time before we could see the finished product. We headed down the road and stopped in a Trading Post in M'Chigeeng to pick up a couple of T-shirts for us and some folks back home. We caught sight of a painting TBH just had to have, so we added that to our treasure trove. I bought a couple of bathroom books a guy has to do more than just at the four walls, you know) and off we went again. Further down the trail, we stooped in Wikwemikong at yet another shop where we picked up a statuette of two wolves carved out of soapstone. It is a true beauty and graces our entertainment centre today. When I got home and read Nick's article, all the memories came flooding back and I was ready to re-pack everything and head back up there.
It was getting late, so we began to mosey home. TBH was pleading with me to take her to Mum's Bakery and Restaurant for a hot beef sandwich. If anyone knows hot roast beef, it is her, and if she's says it's the best she's ever eaten, you can take her word for it. I wasn't buying it though and instead we stopped at the Route 50 Diner. This place is done in a ‘50's decor with the booth seats upholstered to look like the seats of a ‘57 Chev. They even have the old style juke boxes in the booths. We had a couple of bacon and tomato sandwiches and then went across the street to get some Farquahr's ice cream. This stuff is great and their small cone (like we got) would be equal to at least a double anywhere else. We sat on a bench outside to eat them and watch the traffic go by. Four cars in ˝ an hour. Talk about being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You'd really have to be a nut job to get a case of road rage up here.
We finished up and headed back to the cabin. We watched them work on the other cottage until sundown and then turned our attention to the sunset. Through the tress, the sun was shining across the lake in hues of gold and red. The magenta sky above us had purple clouds lazily drifting by and the loon was once again with us. We looked until the sun had completely disappeared and went inside to listen to tunes, talk and play some euchre. I lit another fire and we knew we'd be back outside soon enough to gaze up at the billion stars above us and bathe in the moonlight. Peace and relaxation.
(To be cont'd)
Now... where did I pout that suitcase....?
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
lolol now that was a shameless plug my friend, but really very nice of you and well appreciated too!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post on wolves, I so adore and admire those animals...
And yeah, being on vacation in such a beautiful place like that does make ya feel kinda icky once you havta come home again...
Ahh well, at least you and YBH had such a great time of it!
By the way, where's my damned LaBatt's eh?
*Snicker*
Take care and hugs n stuff to YBH,
Nick
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern