Friends from afar...

 We started off today with beautiful clear skies and sunshine. The view of "Lake Irwin" from the balcony was very inviting. The water in the lake is fast warming up and almost ready for swimming.

 Yesterday we were invited to go visit our friend Bill's sister Helen who lives near Peterborough, about 2 1/2 hours away to the south east. Helen went to high school with us but was 2 years behind us. She and Dave met at Guelph (Agricultural College) and have three children and several grandchildren. We were invited for lunch, but once there we were encouraged to stay for supper as well. We had decided to take Molly and her little doggie bed, as we thought the day might be long for her to stay in the camper. We went by the back roads, zig-zagging across various Ontario counties to Lake Chemong near Peterborough.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Chemong


 The area around Helen and Dave's home is beautiful with rolling green hills and lots of hardwood trees. I thought it looks a lot like Missouri, around St Joseph.

 Helen is an avid gardener and her garden is an inspiration for other gardeners like myself. She and Dave have 2 acres of beautifully sloped land with lovely trees and they designed their home to sit on a crest of land and look down over the rock gardens and wooded pathways.

 The lower level overlooks the sloped rock garden...peace and tranquility!

 One big treat from our visit with Helen and Dave was for Dave and Rick to find a great common bond through a mutual interest with trains. When I mentioned that Rick's dad and grandad were Union Pacific men, Dave's eyes just lit up. He is a big Canadian Pacific follower, and he took Rick downstairs to his "train room" which has a huge model train set (18 engines?). He has been to many train conventions including some of Union Pacific in the US. Clearly, he and Rick had a very solid bonding moment!!! The other interest they share is RVing, as Helen and Dave have a fifth wheel and have traveled many places throughout North America, many of them places where we have either gone or else plan to go in the future. Dave was able to give Rick some good advice on the route for going home.

The day was so enjoyable, we didn't pack up to leave until the sun was starting to set. It was a wonderful day for all of us and we certainly hope to see each other again soon. We got about 2 miles down the road when Bill's cell hone went off. Helen was calling to tell us we had left Molly's doggie bed behind!  A short detour back to the house and then home again. It was a typical Southern Ontario evening. Every hamlet and village had settled in for the night, no activity, all was quiet and almost no traffic. A typical Southern Ontario rural evening.


Meanwhile, back here in Muskoka at "Lake Irwin" next day, one of the nearby towns is Bracebridge, and it looks exactly like it did 60 years ago when I was a kid. The town has been allowed to expand but up on the flats, separate from the old town which is preserved as it used to be.

At the foot of the town is the old power station and bridge over the falls. Parks line both sides of the river. 

Most of our time here has been spent engrossed in conversation with friends and catching up the news about each others' lives. The rest of it has just been a relaxing break after our long trek across Canada to get here. Molly has settled in nicely, she loves the fifth wheel and lives underneath the dinette, spending most of her time out of the way...
Tomorrow we have a day of rest planned where we can read on the deck and catch some rays before leaving for Hampton Monday morning. Hasta la vista! (See y'all soon!!)