2nd trip east in five weeks

Flying use to be fun. In the past I looked forward to getting on the airplane and enjoying the experience. Not anymore. The seats are too small and your neighbors are too close: front, back and sideways. If you want something to eat you either have to bring your own food or buy it from the airlines. For eight dollars. For a just warmed up sandwich. Non-alcoholic beverages are free. If you take advantage of that you end up using the washroom three times in a 5 hour flight. (Ask me.) Now all you want is for the flight to be over. Especially if you travel with someone who has never liked flying...even in the glory days...and just endures the five hour torture chamber and who chalks up the experience as another test in the pathway and knows he will be a better man for it in the end. I guess I could go first class. Hummm. Novel thought. Too bad even economy class costs so much.

Enough of my complaining.

They said we missed the real show. I say the show we saw was spectacular.

We passed by so many lakes while we were in Ontario. I could have spent all my time by any one of them. They were so peaceful. They skies were clear, the water smooth and the weather was just perfect.

We're just not use to all this color with our evergreen trees predominating here in the west.

We stayed with Rob and Jan who also had their grandson with them that week. I called him my "little alarm clock". His room was right next to ours and every morning before his feet hit the floor I heard, "Granny, Granny, Granny, I need you!" And then pitter, patter down the hall to Granny's room. It's a great way to wake up. I highly recommend it. It makes getting use to the three hour time change a little easier. (Notice, I said a little easier. I don't think I really got use to the change until it was time to go home. Even then, I slept in til eight the day after we got home. That would be noon in the east!)

Rob offer to take us to Gordon and Pearl's summer cottage the day after we arrived. Needless to say he did not have to ask twice. Both Bruce and I spent many happy times there when we were young. Too bad we were never there at the same time! That would have been the best!

We spent a good while contemplating the times we spent with G and P and the happy fellowship we had with so many other young people back in the 70's.

A view of the lake from the right side of the cottage. You can see the remnants of the ping pong table at the bottom right. This is where we and 39 other young people spent many hours breaking the ice and trying to get to know one another.

In the early mornings you could hear the loons calling across the lake. I had never heard them before coming to the cottage.


This is what use to be the girls' outhouse. No, there were no facilities in the house, that I know of. And there was no electricity. Imagine doing without a hair dryer, electric curlers and a curling iron for one whole week. Perhaps the most important week of your life since your future spouse may have been at the cottage with you!

Gordon's old car that they used to go "touring" throughout Canada and the US.

Beyond the car is the (now) overgrown field where we spent hours playing softball.

That little bit of land in front of the mass of trees is the Girls' Island. Only the brave dared to swim there and then only with a rowboat escort (of girls and by rule).
Reminiscing at the main dock.

On the next to the last day we had canoe races here. This was one of the only times the girls and boys were in the water together. The other was when a young man wanted to take a girl for a canoe ride.

One year some of us girls gave Robin an early morning dip off this dock for her birthday.

The meeting room where we went while visiting Gordon and Pearl. This is also where the conference was held just recently.

We were able to visit with many friends at this conference. Some we hadn't seen for years and some were new acquaintances.

Jim H. and Carol S.

Mark and Marion S.

After the Conference--Jamming at the Dock

Just another peaceful, tranquil scene on one of Ontario's thousand lakes.

Rob and Jan have this view off their back porch every day of the year. I suppose that sometimes there is snow and ice.