Life On Afton Lake

I cannot believe that we have been back on the Island for almost three weeks! Although those folks that stayed here all winter told us that it had been an easy winter, there were few signs of spring compared to Wisconsin and Minnesota. The tulips and daffodils that Katie planted were up, but no leaves on the trees and no lilacs in bloom. But by the Victoria Day weekend, spring was in a full rush. We have goldfinches, purple finches, bluejays, juncos, grackles, and hummingbirds at the feeders, along with a host of chipmunks and red squirrels looking for a free handout. There has also been a large snowshoe hare in the yard every evening, and I flushed a ruffed grouse along the lane.

We have been incredibly busy! I started the kitchen renovation by building some of the new cabinets and removing the breakfast bar.




Katie has been planting wildly in the garden...rhubarb, asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, lettuce, and peas...plus some more perennial flowers. And we just planted two pear trees today.

But the two additions we have planned to build promise to dominate our lives for the next 4-6 weeks...and beyond. We desperately need extra space despite significant downsizing on both of our parts. So today, the Bobcat man came and drilled holes for the foundation posts for the additions. The largest, to the east, will be a master bedroom and a "rec" room for exercise and TV while the smaller, to the north, will be an entry and new bathroom plus a "bonus room" on the second story.



The lone loon has been calling at night and in the wee hours of the morning. We're not sure if the pair is nesting on another lake...or if this loner will stay through the summer. It's been grand to be awakened by his eerie call...they are truly the symbol of the northern wilderness.

Reality Strikes!

Well, it's great to be back in Canada...it's safer, saner, and we have socialized medicine (I think? Still?), but gas prices are over $1.00/litre (and that's over US$4/US gallon!), and the campgrounds are charging $38/night without wi-fi (or anything else because they're not really open). I walked out of one office...still ended up paying $40 at a KOA outside of Renfrew, Ontario...at least they have wi-fi and hot showers! And with the Canadian dollar at $0.98 U.S., these are REAL prices...don't go trying to figure out exchange rates and Imperial gallons! Travelling in Canada this summer is going to be expensive...

Oh! Canada!

We made it!

After leaving Madison on Friday, we headed northeast toward Green Bay and then along the western shore of Lake Michigan. It rained all day...and the price of gas is approaching $3/gallon...but we made good progress and stopped at Indian Lake Resort outside of Manistique, Michigan...284 miles from Madison. In the middle of the night, I awoke singing the old Cowsills tune:

"Indian lake is a scene you should make
with your little one;
Just keep it in mind if your looking to find
a place in the summer sun.
Swim in the cove, have a snack in the grove
Or you can rent a canoe;
At Indian Lake
You'll be able to mate the way the Indians do."

Anyway, I'm not sure Katie appreciated it.

We both awoke to snow showers in the morning...there had been a forecast for up to six inches in northern Ontario, but we broke camp and headed out. But not before we went over to the recreation center for fresh-baked cinnamon rolls just out of the oven. One of the ladies at the campground said she was "practicing" for something that was coming up this weekend...

We reached the border a little after noon...we had been on edge for a long time about this crossing because we had so much paperwork...importing the RV, importing all of Katie's belongings, and a lot to declare as well. But it went very quickly...both the U.S. and Canadian border agents were in a good mood and friendly...and the whole process took less than an hour. Mightily relieved, we stopped at the first Tim Horton's and loaded up on great coffee and doughnuts!

Now we are camped at Spragge River Campground in northern Ontario along the Trans-Canada Highway...not a bad site for an overnight...but it was a rude awakening to go from $22/night in the states to $39/night in Canada! The rates have always been higher here, but with the dollar almost at parity, it seems a bit stiff. We will have to stop in Wal-Marts to bring our average cost down!

Connections

It's been several days since my last post...we have been being very social in the interim. The weather has been incredible...Spring is at least three weeks early in the Midwest...trees are in leaf, lilacs are blooming, and birds are nesting. We visited my niece and her husband, Christina and Troy, in Plymouth, MN, where they have a beautiful new home surrounded by flowering trees. They also have two very happy dogs...a Boston bull terrier (Lucy) and an English springer spaniel (Jasper). We were also treated to a great barbecue supper! Then we went to River Falls, WI, to see Nancy and Grant, my sister and her husband...we stayed in a park very close to their home, so we had lots of time to visit....and eat! One day we went to Stillwater, MN, and browsed through several huge antique/junque stores...I bought a ceramic loon for $8.00! Oh...and we shared a turtle sundae at a great old-fashioned restaurant.

Off to the Blue Hills of Wisconsin to pay a call at Betty and Audie's, Katie's aunt and uncle...they are quite aged but manage to stay in their rural home which has it's own private fishing pond. Apparently, if we had arrived earlier, we could have witnessed Bettie chasing four black bears out of their yard! On to Ladysmith to see my old hometown and visit with some old family friends, Bob and Lana. We shared supper at a local restaurant and then went to their home to reminisce about "Happy Days" many years ago.

And now we are at our best friend's new home in Madison, WI. Jean has found a fine older place right on Lake Monona in her beloved city. We have been out for walks, fixing Thai food, and generally having a grand time just gabbing! Here we are having "cocktails" on the front patio.



From here, we will turn northward again, and head for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where we will cross the border into Canada.