This post is a little late in coming. As you can imagine, had a lot to do when I returned.
Our final day as we head home to Toronto. But first, a couple of memory stops
The hotel had a buffet breakfast for purchase. It included a bread pudding and scrambled eggs with cheese.
We headed to Woodstock, ON, the town where my first puppy love girlfriend lived. When I was a young teen I went to camp for a summer. I met a lovely girl there my age and we connected. It was a brief but tender relationship that lasted the 2 weeks I was at summer camp. She was from Woodstock but I never got her phone number or address.
It was Sunday morning and Early Bird Coffee in Woodstock was open. I thanked them profusely for being open (and openly accommodating to all).
The Woodstock Museum National Historic Site was built in 1853 and celebrating its 75th Anniversary. It was originally the Town Hall, public market, council chamber and concert hall.
The fire hall was located at the back of the building. A bell tower was used for any citizen to raise the alarm in the case of fire. Because of the rain, we cut short our tour. Out of 31 days this was the first day of rain we had that interrupted our adventures.
I picked up Raisin from Hugh and Kathleen. Raisin had a wonderful vacation visiting various parks in her speedster stroller, watching a ball game with a pint of water and generally getting spoiled. We will see Hugh and Kathleen again in August for the Fergus Scottish Festival.
I gave Raisin a big hug and let her sniff me. I then put her snuggle sister Greta next to her.
15 Tecumseh St. in Hamilton. Here is a photo of me sitting on the front steps with my brother Doug and sister Bernie. I’m holding my first dog Sparky. This was 60 years ago. I wanted to recreate the setting today with Eve, Raisin and Greta. I have a clear memory of rolling on the living room floor when Sparky was a tiny puppy. He would be tugging at my shirt, jumping on my back and trying to bite my ears.
My life with dogs began with Sparky. I knocked on the door and a young woman answered. I told I wanted to take a photo of me and my dogs on her doorstep. She immediately said yes. I then showed her this photograph and told her it was taken 60 years ago and I wanted to recreate it. She was amazed, asked “that was here?” then let me continue as she closed the door.
The house was right next to Dundurn Park so there were many memories of playing in the park with my friends. There was a cliff that overlooked Hamilton Bay – which was quite polluted at the time (although I didn’t know what pollution was – only the smell of dead fish). We would climb down the cliff, cross the railroad tracks (little daredevils we were) and walk along the shore.
I wanted to take Eve, Greta and Raisin to see the park where I had my boyish adventures. You can see from the video that it was pouring rain so we will have to do that another time.
Home. At the beginning, our odometer was 5,780. At the end it was 18,488. Drove 12, 700 kms (and my lower back is feeling it – will need to start morning Yoga).
Our journey has ended. I took Raisin and Greta over to the park so they would know they were home. They were both happy to be back.
The next trip will be the Fergus Scottish Festival – Aug 12th and 13th. After that I plan to bring Greta on her own to Newfoundland with a visit to Labrador. That will be in the Spring of 24.