Recoil

Thursday 26th.

"But feeling much better; not yet right but much better", I wrote.  Not difficult; I had been awful the evening before I'm afraid.  A combination of all the frustrations - and successes - of the past ten days and then the issue of the roof rack.  Bah!

The cough continues to have me in its grip; Benylin controls the worst of the symptoms but I'm pretty lacking in energy.  Mind you, we both are.  A lot of "busy doing nothing" I'm afraid.

Here are the trees (I think) I photographed before we left on our journey...  It's a literal Fall, rather than a showstopper this year.  On our drive up through Ontario there were a lot of bare trees and not many blazes of colour.

Friday 27th.

Stil very fatigued, both of us; still coughing - but better - me.  Big effort to clear the luggage; all sorted if not all yet put away. 

Another very lethargic day.  This has been the summer of general malaise one way and another, but it hasn't stopped us doing and seeing and sharing things on the way.  My but we are so very blessed.

Saturday 28th.

Woke early enough but then went back to sleep!  Eventually up for lunch but managed to cut almost all of the lawns at the front (three charged batteries worth - thank you again K and D for those!).  I've just chopped in the fallen leaves, hoping that they will build topsoil over the years.

Ali has started on her one woman mission to extend the paved path to the parking.....

It is just amazing where a North Somerset Green Bag will turn up!

... and back again!

Sunday 22nd

To Michael's (a crafting super store) for wool for Ali to knit poppies for Church.  And for Presents....

A quiet day in terms of activities, although not so in terms of bustle!  This new couch / bed is very comfy.  And we seem to be tired.  Lila's cough is improving.

Monday 23rd.

Lila off to school very early for an extra math class.  Spent time searching for replacement winter tires; found some in Stitchville, south of Ottawa.  I'm developing a slightly sore throat.  Ali spent a lot of joyful time puzzling and playing board games with James and Lila.  I heard their French evening reading - under protest (theirs, not mine!) firstly but then with care and paying attention to detail at last.  Well done guys!

Coughing :-(

Tuesday, 24th.

 

Away at about  10.15; up the 401 and then across country on the 7 to Perth.  There to collect the car!

OK - so I didn't say.  When we were there on Friday we agreed the purchase of this 2021 version.  It has low milage, has been a lease car and was a decent price.  The amount of time Ali and I have variously spent on transferring funds, obtaining a Banker's Draft, arranging insurance cover, arranging temporary licensing (Quebec is another country in terms of car registration) and whatever, you would not believe  - but then perhaps you would.

So, pick up, hand over Bank Draft, collect papers..... and away to drop off the rental car and up to Pam and Noel's.  Tired now - and coughing well.

Thanks guys - didn't really do justice to the coq au vin - sorry.

Cough medicine - bliss - and an early night.

Wednesday, 25th

Run out of medicines - prednisolone in particular - OK for methotrexate.

Noel and I drove down to Stittsville to collect the tires.  Decent deal there; our present ones won't fit the hubs....  

I had three times in writing asked the garage NOT to fit the roof rack.  Hadn't stopped them.  Careful checking showed that the rails were neither secure not in the right position.  Once Ali and I had 3 ways adjusted them it was clear that they needed longer hooks to engage under the roof.  Drat.  So we came away wihout the boat and with our copious luggage spread across the tires which took up all of the bottom layer of the car back.  A long way home.  Without steroids and with an increasing cough I struggled.

Once back at the cottage I crept into bed (plus prednisolone and more cough medicine) fully clothed and gradually warmed up.  Once I had, and much more than half asleep, I got ready for bed and slept until about 05.30  before coming downstairs to doze until coffee time at about 08.30.

And now I've arranged new hooks for the roof rack (Prevost), and an appointment for a repeat (Quebec this time) car inspection next week (St Jerome) to enable us to register the car here....

Ah me!  Everyone wants their little cut......

But feeling much better; not yet right but much better :-)

I haven't said just how much of a lifesaver Noel and Pam have been.  Driving, feeding, vitalling, supporting; it has been a surprisingly difficult time but they've just "been there".  Thank you from us both.

To Toronto!

Friday, 20th. 

The drive home yesterday evening was remarkable; it was such a long way! 

 

We kept catching glimpses of places that we had been.  It took about an hour at high speed.  We stopped off at the Butcher's to reiterate our thanks and to leave a couple of bottles in gratitude.  Pink and giggly was the reaction - just what's wanted!

Back to base; boat off and into the back garden; luggage out - at least some of it!  Showers; pizza (too much; I've just eaten the last of mine for Sunday Breakfast!); some liquid; chat; sleep!

And the inevitable late start to Friday.  We left at about noon and headed for the 7.  All well, runnning smoothly.  In the town of Perth, Coffee called and we stopped at a Wendy's for that.  But when we restarted the engine a message came up on the dashboard, "Check charging system".  A quick look at the handbook suggested that we should visit a dealership if it persisted.  It did.  We Googled Ford dealerships - there was one we had just passed.  

A and B Ford service were very kind, very pleasant.  The Alternator had died or was dying and the battery was way past its best.  No, they didn't have spares - it would be Monday.  "Did they have a courtesy car we could take to Toronto?"  "That would be the rental across the road".  So that's what we did and, arriving rather late it's true, we came down to Toronto.

Phew!

Saturday, 21st.

All sorts of family things today; James to Karate; Guy and Lila to the optometrist.  Julie came home late from teaching at a craft event.  Long chats, Niagara wines and then bed.

Ottawa to Bouche de la Rouge.

 Saturday, 14th.

A slower start than we imagined but finally away from home, leaving this lovely treescape.

We stopped on the way to pick up tie down anchors for the bouyancy bags in the boat, which we then glued in in the sunshine of Pam and Noel's front lawn.  My, but it's easy to hoist that boat!

It took us longer than we imagined down to Pam and Noel's - expedition HQ for this part of the trip.  But we arrived in time for supper at another lovely restauraant in Aylmer - Gin 'n Chips.  All of the others had the classic Haddock and but I had Arctic Char.  Yummy.

A fairly early night, some slight trepidation but reducing with the approach of the event itself.

 

 

Sunday, 15th.

To Parc Plaisance Jacques Cartier in Hull, the same place that we landed at the end of our trip from  the Rideau Canal. 

2015

2024

Different boat; different hat (well, one of them!).

The weather all week was spectacular; warm, clear, virtually windless.  Much of the middle of the day was too hot - 27 - 28 degrees C.  Very smooth water.

But Sunday was noisy; quite a lot of pleasure craft out on the water with wakes to dodge.  Roads on each side of the river, planes coming for the airport on the south bank.

 

We passed the Rideau Falls on the south bank.  Very aptly named, just like a curtain.  I was worried about battery life in my phone, our ultimate destination finder, so I was turning it off and leaving it connected to my power bank in a sealed bag.  Which is why there aren't too many photos of this trip "on the water".  My little waterproof camera has lost its backing and Olympus tells me that there are no spares - but that they could give me a discount of 10% on a new one.  Hmmmmm.

 

First stop was a sandy beach about 4.5km downstream.  We arrived to an empty beach but three powerboats plus familes arrived very soon afterwards and, water taken on, we headed off downstream and left them to their lunches.

Then it was a hot slog for the rest of the 18km for the day, to Camping des Rives d'Outawais.

We were met by the guardienne with her golf buggy which made unloading a lot easier - although our final pitch was actually close to a side stream and reloading in the morning was a breeze!  Supper - the first of the giant noodle pots, with added tinned chicken.  Not bad at all.

A comfortable night.  Our Exped down-filled mattresses are warm and comfortable; our down bags make an almost luxurious cover as the temperature falls.  We have certainly accumulated some wonderful gear down the years.

Monday, 16th.

Daylight came with a heavy mist but it soon burned off.  Even so, we packed inner and outer (wet) tents separately and made a better start than in previous years.

First item of any note was the Cumberland Ferry.  We stopped there for a sleep (honest) in the shade of some waterside trees; then we dodged around the ferry and headed off downstream.

A longer slog today - very hot again and 20km in total.  It was a lot less populated by watercraft but there were still high levels of background noise - it's a busy river valley with population centres and major roads on both sides.  The sounds of nature are sometimes overwhelmed.

Opposite Clarence Rockland - after miles of beautiful trees - miles of them! (don't know what the finger is for) - we made a turn north through reed beds for our ovenight stop.  

This was a bit of a puzzle, the really shallow, Goose-populated flats had been fields, flooded by the building of a downstream dam.  They were mushy and bubbly green at the edge.  But the welcome was splendid - although Jaques had (on his wife's instructions) ignored my two texts telling of our arrival!  We had access to the workmen's washroom and canteen, and a very suitable green pitch just by the waterside.  More noodles.......

 

Tuesday 17th

Breakfast - as always this trip and for many - was Alpen (variously augmented) with apple juice instead of milk.  That and black filter coffee made on the Trangia - more good gear.  It seems to sustain us all day, with the addition of a couple of Sweet and Salty wholefood bars at lunchtime.  Oh!  And LOTS of water this year.  Lots.

Late get away i'm afraid.

I rang the Sepaq booking system for the site ahead and the lady on the phone and I agreed to leave it until we arrivde and then choose a pitch.  Some of the pitches were a long way away.

Another indeterminate end to the journey today; the worst heat of the week, some argument about the route finding at the end and a late arrival meant that there was no-one at the reception when we arrived.  So I'm afraid that we just pitched the tent and took no images at all.  After dark, whacked and changing for bed, a voice and a lamp from the darknees.  Security.  Oh dear; "maybe", he said, "we would have to move".  "Surely not", we responded.  "Sepaq encourages adventure.  Sometimes in adventure we make mistakes.  We have made a mistake and are profoundly sorry."  Hmmph - It was an infraction - he would go to speak to his supervisor.  He returned.  His supervisor had relented.  Provided that the tent was down by 08.00 (dawn is at about 06.00) and we paid our fees when the bureau opened at 09.00, although this was an infraction - all would be satisfactory.  We set the alarm.

Wednesday, 18th

Pretty achey today - we slept well and rose early, before the mosquitos which had plagued us the evening before had woken.  All the gear and the boat were on the pontoon by 08.01 and we made coffee there and ate our cereal.  Of course, once our full tale had been recounted in reception at 09.00, there was nothing but sympathy and congratulation.  Phew!

So a very early (for us) start on the water which was just as well because. immediately after the little linking canal to the back of the island system, we got lost.  The weeds waving in the current quite strongly showed that we should swing left, and then they didn't.  And we found ourselves in shallow water with a base of centuries of goose poo.  Aaargh.  Nothing for it but for me to get out and pull Ali and the boat until we regained the route.

Honestly; if we had tried to find the official camp sites the evening before, we would have had to sleep in the boat in  the reeds.  

Another long and very hot slog.  Lunch was taken curled in the shaddow of river-side trees.

 

But just past Papineauville a large, white building appeared in the far distance; wasn't there a cheese factory at Montebello?  (In fact, it's an hotel) and this vast piece of water between us just melted away at the rate of an ice-berg on the very first day of spring.  Slowly, that is! 

Off the Chateau Montebello, the sand rose up to meet us and we once again had to swing out towards the right bank!  But we followed a St Lawrence Seaways cruiser to its dock (and a further beach) at the Montebello town marina to be met by a charming warden with access to cold, caffienated drinks and a trolley for our luggage!  Hero!

 

An easy pitch - plenty of time.   The tent dried well in the early sun.  Ali chatted to a couple in an adjacent VW camper.  Ten years older than us, they, too, had canoe camped and now kayaked from their camper.  

Thursday 19th.

And so off for the fifth - and last day!

Another hot one but now a head wind; lunch on another deserted beach.  Ali really feeling it now but somehow, at about this point, as the river widened to well over a mile in width, I felt, "I've got this.  I can bring us home".  Of course, it was hugely easier with Ali paddling as well but somehow The Boss said, "You can do this now".

 

A ridiculously large expanse of water and a dead flat calm; we must have cut almost a kilometer out into the bay, time after time.  And then the river started playing tricks.  A heron (we saw a lot of herons) standing half shank almost 500 metres off shore.  A posse of ducks even further.  Streams from the north had dumped sand into the river and things became shallower and shallower.

At the last turn into what just HAD to be the mouth of the Rouge, Ali noticed a buoy and I veered hard out to the south again, only to find that the buoy was a boy, standing up to his knees waaay out into the river!.

We sought for a jetty, knowing that most of them were assigned to fifth wheel trailers.  In the end we just picked one and I went to find reception.  Closed again!

Help was at hand in the shape of Pam and Noel and locals - bless them all.  No need for them here.  

90km +/-   Done.

Preparations....

Wednesday 11th.

Begining - or rather, continuing - to get ready for the Ottawa trip next week,  Work on the canoe, assembling gear; eventually in to Tremblant to buy large numbers of noodle pots to act as the basis of our meals.  Then back to la Conception to  collect the car.  Brakes fixed; yay!  But water still issuing from under the dashboard.  Ali is quite rightly troubled by this.

I did what I should have done before - Googled the problem!  And lo and behold, we are not alone!

Thursday, 12th.  More work on preparing for the trip, plus ordering securing tie-downs from a canoe shop on our way to Ottawa...  Why does on-line shopping take so long?  Lovely weather, colours really getting going now.

 

Friday, 13th (Oh!  I didn't realise!  Doesn't matter anyway)  Back to the garage for 10.  Internet advice works!  This is what we wanted, the drain to run.  Brilliant.

Back to the cottage, stopping to pay the rates in the village.  Trial pack of the canoe.

Heading out for supper at Labelle with Peter and Greg.  We don't make life easy for ourselves, do we??

 

Frustrations

Well, not really the right word, limitations maybe, but some really good things, too.

Friday, 6th.

Preparations for our "Late Labour Day Open House" tomorrow.  Some tidying, some anticipation of the likely rain.  I slung a waterproof between the back door and the screen room.  In the end the rain on Saturday was so persistent that the deck became too wet to traverse anyway and we moved the tables into the cabin.  

I poached some salmon ready for the feast.

 I've found that time between activities has become increasingly filled either with sleep (my UK habit of falling asleep at inopportune moments has blended with the residual jet lag and I'm sleeping badly at night, waking very early and then falling asleep again early to mid evening.  Not good). OR with fixated watching of YouTube.  I don't like this habit; I thought it was something that teenagers did but no; they spend their time on their devices interacting.  I spend a lot of my time just watching.  I'm greatly caught up with the American election, as I was with the UK one before.  That takes a LOT of time and is not good for a peaceful state of mind!

But I also follow house renovations, car repairs, cookery.  Complete waste of time but is it so much worse that reading the papers or a novel.

Truth is I'm much more feeble (More feeble, not actually feeble) than in previous years and so I'm only sporadically motivated to action!

Saturday 7th.

I went into the village fairly early to do a final shop, Ali stayed home and cooked a fabulous chocolate roulade (more of that later).  It rained - all day. 
Our first guest arrived at 11.00 for a 13.30 lunch; there had been continuing confusion over the time of the event......  But by 13.30 we had a full house with some really wonderful food contributions and a very happy time was had by all.  Ali was magnificent at tidying up - as usual.

Sunday 8th.

To Grace for 11.00 and then home to collapse and tidy around a little more.  Peace reigns and rain also rains.

Monday 9th.

Cold overnight, condensation on the windows as on Sunday morning.  We have mice again; the gifted ultrasonic repellent devices just don't I'm afraid.  And I can't find my dead cert mouse traps and I'm out of peanut butter for bait.  So I remedied both of those in a shopping trip and we are back to reducing the mouse population.  Four so far.

Karen and Denis came to visit in the afternoon.  They'd been up to stay the weekend before we arrived and House-proud Karen - bless her - had cleaned around whilst she was here!  Thank you Karen :-)

Tuesday 10th

A bright, shiny morning.  At lunch time we drove down to la Conception for another round of car repairs.  We spent all afternoon and had more than enough time for a stroll around the village which is much more extensive that we had thought. This is the covered bridge.

But the car remains with issues and we have come home in the garagiste's car......
This is a big concern now; not just the cost but the anxiety - for Ali in particular (I drove 2CVs; I'm immune to car noise concerns!).  It will be silly if we end up buying a better car here than those we have in the UK.....

 

Round 2!

 Monday 2nd September - smooth move from home to  LHR to Montreal. Thank you Wanda and Rod.

Tuesday 3rd.  Warning light on on the dashboard.  1.5L of oil and it went out.....  Good run via shops to home; a but mazed for the rest of the day to be honest.

Wednesday 4th.  Early start and then out to cut the lawns which have done wonderfully,  

Supper in the screen room - captivatingly beautiful

Thursday, 5th.  To the garage at 9.00 for replacement brake work and to fix a flood by the passenger's feet.  Blocked drainage by leaves etc.....

I spent the morning with Peter and Greg, walking some of the petit train from Tremblant village and then to their dock for lunch.  Thank you; that was lovely.

Ali stayed at home and discovered this scat by the cabin:

studious research on Google suggests that it's bear  - and it's fresh.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Methinks we'd better start wearing bells; "Hey bear!  Hey bear!"