Into the wild boonies
Set off for Deviation Road this morning with Lorraine and Toby. Much discussing of a house offer Lorraine has received. Amazing how you can negotiate a house sale from across the world these days. Toby driving us out of the suburbs of Toronto, one called the Vales of Castlemore, a vast, soulless housing development with no discernible infrastructure to serve it other than roads.
Lovely to escape into the gentle rolling hills and the vast landscapes of South Ontario. After stopping for some excellent Italian pastries, we stopped for lunch at Susan's cafe in the tiny town of Markdale. We have been here before and Joan is well known there.A bit like going back in time, and here I consumed two excellent pies. A chicken pie and a blueberry pie. Susan came to speak to us, and we admired her prizewinning hooking picture on the wall. Fell into conversations with two old timers there. Ingrid who was originally German and had been in Ontario for a little short of fifty years. She is an accountant and met her husband within weeks of arrival. She now collects teddy bears and has over 400. "I like naked bears," she said, "so I can make clothes for them." There was a snowy bearded man who told us we were a long way from home, and wanted to talk about Scotland.
Off for the final leg of the journey, after buying some booze at the LTBO, which is the government regulated liquor store. Then through a tiny town called Walter's Falls and turned onto Deviation Road. A very warm welcome from Joan and Dick and Ethan. Wonderful to see them. Not to mention the two dogs Nico and Maggie and the many cats, including Stella and Clemantine the kittens.
Joan and Dick's house is unlike anywhere I have ever been, and they are so welcoming and hospitable that it is impossible not to feel at home right away. Deviation road is so called because it deviates from the grid of compass points that the other roads were made to. There are a few other properties on it, but the nearest one is a large field and some trees away. Just the sheer space around you is difficult for a city dweller to take in at first.
We all had a drink and as we did so there was a violent thunderstorm, and a huge deluge. Later it emerged that this was a storm full of twisters, and nearby towns were damaged, and one person was killed. It is a different thing to experience a storm in the middle of an English town to being in a house among flat fields and forest. Maggie the dog was hiding under a blanket on the couch next to us.When Ethan went home later on, his power wasn't working and roofs were missing in nearby towns.
Soon the weather changed and the sun came out and everything looked fresh and the blue bruised sky retreated. A turkey vulture patrolled the field, and later Lorraine was delighted to see a hummingbird. Chatted with Ethan as he barbecued massive pork chops in one of the sheds. Sat down to a delightful meal. Not only was the meat simply the best pork I have ever tasted in my life, but all the fresh beans and potatoes had been fresh pulled from the land. Joan is a sensational pie maker too.
Felt a little jetlagged still, and sank happily into bed with Lorraine at night hearing only wind in the hushed land around us.
Below the view from Joan and Dick's house showing the colour of the passing storm.
Set off for Deviation Road this morning with Lorraine and Toby. Much discussing of a house offer Lorraine has received. Amazing how you can negotiate a house sale from across the world these days. Toby driving us out of the suburbs of Toronto, one called the Vales of Castlemore, a vast, soulless housing development with no discernible infrastructure to serve it other than roads.
Lovely to escape into the gentle rolling hills and the vast landscapes of South Ontario. After stopping for some excellent Italian pastries, we stopped for lunch at Susan's cafe in the tiny town of Markdale. We have been here before and Joan is well known there.A bit like going back in time, and here I consumed two excellent pies. A chicken pie and a blueberry pie. Susan came to speak to us, and we admired her prizewinning hooking picture on the wall. Fell into conversations with two old timers there. Ingrid who was originally German and had been in Ontario for a little short of fifty years. She is an accountant and met her husband within weeks of arrival. She now collects teddy bears and has over 400. "I like naked bears," she said, "so I can make clothes for them." There was a snowy bearded man who told us we were a long way from home, and wanted to talk about Scotland.
Off for the final leg of the journey, after buying some booze at the LTBO, which is the government regulated liquor store. Then through a tiny town called Walter's Falls and turned onto Deviation Road. A very warm welcome from Joan and Dick and Ethan. Wonderful to see them. Not to mention the two dogs Nico and Maggie and the many cats, including Stella and Clemantine the kittens.
Joan and Dick's house is unlike anywhere I have ever been, and they are so welcoming and hospitable that it is impossible not to feel at home right away. Deviation road is so called because it deviates from the grid of compass points that the other roads were made to. There are a few other properties on it, but the nearest one is a large field and some trees away. Just the sheer space around you is difficult for a city dweller to take in at first.
We all had a drink and as we did so there was a violent thunderstorm, and a huge deluge. Later it emerged that this was a storm full of twisters, and nearby towns were damaged, and one person was killed. It is a different thing to experience a storm in the middle of an English town to being in a house among flat fields and forest. Maggie the dog was hiding under a blanket on the couch next to us.When Ethan went home later on, his power wasn't working and roofs were missing in nearby towns.
Soon the weather changed and the sun came out and everything looked fresh and the blue bruised sky retreated. A turkey vulture patrolled the field, and later Lorraine was delighted to see a hummingbird. Chatted with Ethan as he barbecued massive pork chops in one of the sheds. Sat down to a delightful meal. Not only was the meat simply the best pork I have ever tasted in my life, but all the fresh beans and potatoes had been fresh pulled from the land. Joan is a sensational pie maker too.
Felt a little jetlagged still, and sank happily into bed with Lorraine at night hearing only wind in the hushed land around us.
Below the view from Joan and Dick's house showing the colour of the passing storm.
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