Marcum Memories

June 29:  Rain, rain, go away; come back another day!! Today we spent most of the day indoors because of the RAIN!!! Sunny is so enjoying her ability to run and chase birds and squirrels and the rain doesn't stop her. I took some photos with a 360° camera lens but they just don't translate to a nice flat image in this blog. So, no photos today. We enjoyed dinner with David and Shane, soaking up as many stories as we could of life before and during their years at Tranquil Acres Caravan Park. They have led a very interesting and sometimes challenging life. 

June 28: Did I mention there are mosquitoes? Last night, I was woken with my legs on fire and itching from all the bites I've received over the last couple of weeks. It lasted for about 45 minutes until I could get my legs cooled down. After breakfast, Shane, Sunny and I took a walk along a relatively busy road and walked a little over 2.6 miles. There were some pretty wildflowers along the road. We were feeling the effects of the heat so we called David to bring us home. Alan spent time figuring out the Insta360 camera we purchased for the trip. It takes pictures and videos, both flat and 360. Our hosts joined us for dinner - a couple of "one pot" style meals I brought with us and we enjoyed a nice evening together. 

June 27: Last night, we experienced quite a downpour, about a 1/3rd of an inch, which added to the muddy greenery. But the day dawned to an ordinary day - you know, a day that is taken up doing chores, even when traveling. Laundry needed doing today and fortunately, we didn't have to find a laundromat, our hosts offered their personal laundry facilities for our use. Sunny will miss the freestyle living. We chose to enjoy downtime until the afternoon when we visited Debra's home for a delicious meal. Debra, David and Shane's daughter, loves gardening and I captured a few shots of her colorful plants.  

June 26: We both slept well last night. Sunny and Newton are really enjoying running off-leash on the property. This morning, Shane, Sunny and I went for a nice hike along the Mississippi River and toured an Historic Heritage Site, Mill of Kintail. Unfortunately, with all the standing water due to the rains, there is an abundance of mosquitoes, but our hike along the river was lovely in spite of them. Shane drove me through the Village of Carlton Place. The villages around the park are old, quaint and look like something transported out of England. In the afternoon we all drove to Mississippi Mills and enjoyed a dinner at Barley Mow, a pub/restaurant located in the Town of Almonte on the banks of the Mississippi River. We enjoyed a quiet evening but around 8pm the promised rain arrived, which is expected to stay until about 2am.

June 25: Our first night at my cousin's caravan park was uneventful. There has been so much rain in the area, the grassy areas of the park were flooded and as a result, we're parked on the roadway. We are connected to power and water so it's not a problem. I walked by the river this morning and was able to take some lovely photos. This place used to be called Tranquil Acres when it was a viable business and it lives up to its name. We spent the day "catching our breath" and laying low.

June 24: We woke early enough to see some sunrise pictures. We had a long travel day ahead. The drive from Delhi to Carlton Place (where another cousin David and Shane live) was 510 km (+/-) and it took us all day. Google Maps gave us the run-around outside Toronto but eventually we found our way. Later in the day, Maps sent us on country roads instead of the 4-lane highway. It was a pretty route but not one we would have chosen. David and Shane owned and ran an RV park in Carlton Place for many years and although they have retired, we are staying in the park. It is a beautiful setting on the banks of the Mississippi River (not the American one with the same name). We had dinner at an old pub in a local village. Alan enjoyed fish and chips and I enjoyed a Cornish Pastie, mixed vegetables and salad - all delicious. We plan to stay here until Sunday.

June 23: Sunday - we didn't do anything special. Alan had set up his antenna to see if he could participate in the Ham Radio Field Day, which is an international event, beginning on June 22, at 1800 UTC and ending 2059 UTC on June 23. We were able to make a "contact" as far away as the Cayman Islands. This was my first Field Day and it was a little intimidating. David has participated in BBQ competitions and has entered into a local BBQ competition. Today he practiced by using different rubs to season steaks and 2 cooking methods. Later in the day, friends of the family and Donovan and his wife joined us to judge David's steak. They were all delicious. Donovan is David and Pat's son.

June 22: Another hot (a little cooler) and muggy day. David, Pat and I shopped for typically South African goods at Florence Meats in Oakville, ON. I found some items not found in any local supermarket, like, Watermelon Preserve, Mint Crisp chocolate, Nouget candy, to name a few. When we returned we ate leftovers from last night for lunch. In the late afternoon we took a drive to Port Dover, a small town on the shore of Lake Erie. It was a busy beach because it was a nice day. We watched the movie "Gold" with Matthew McConaughey. 

June 21:  We went to bed early last night and after a good night we started our day a little slowly. Pat was the perfect host and prepare a lovely cooked breakfast. Then Pat, Alan (and Sunny too) and I went wine tasting at  Inasphere Winery & Farm Market  and  Burning Kiln Winery . We enjoyed a few local wines on their tasting menus. Later David prepared a delicious beef rib, steak and boerewors (South African sausage) BBQ. Diane, David's sister, and her husband, Tony, joined us for a lovely evening. A small frog got caught in the pool and Tony rescued it carefully.

June 20: We slept in! Today we relaxed and took care of a few chores. Sunny and Newton are loving the freedom of being off leash. Our hosts live in Delhi, ON, one of the farming communities in Norfolk, County. Tobacco, cattle corn, ginseng tea leaves and various other vegetables and fruits are farmed. It was hot and muggy again today. Pat, Sunny and I took a 2-mile walk in the morning which in turn made a dip in the pool quite appealing, I took a brief dip and it was lovely.  

June 19: Travel day to Delhi, ON, went smoothly. However, after being on roads less traveled for a long time, maneuvering 3 and 4 lane freeways wasn't very pleasant - thankfully Google Maps took us to our destination successfully. David guided us into a nice flat parking spot in their extended driveway. Our 4-legged kids were happy to be landed and they met Mick, a 110 lb. German Shepherd and a black cat, Addy. Mick is friendly but wants to play like a puppy which is a little intimidating for Sunny. We arrived to sweltering heat and high humidity - a combination we do not enjoy. A good portion of northeast US and Canada are experiencing a heat wave. Us Arizonans are definitely not used to this kind of heat. We were glad to be able to stay in one place for a few days and are all sleeping in the house. I was able to capture a pretty sky as the sun was setting. We spent a quite evening together catching up.

June 19: During my walk at the campground with Sunny this morning, I took some pictures of the grounds. We lollygagged this morning because we had a shortish drive to Delhi, ON, to spend some time with cousins. They live in the countryside surrounded by corn fields. The drive from the highway to their home was fairly long with many turns down country roads. They have a German shepherd, Mick, who wants to play with Sunny but she is a little intimidated. Newton and Mick just ignore each other. Lucky is finding her own sense of comfortable. We enjoyed a lovely Cape Malay Currie meal prepared by our hosts.