Thursday, August 19, 2021

RPod Adventures - Parks of the St Lawrence

Last week we had another camping trip to the Parks of the St Lawrence; this time to Woodlands Campground which is on the other side of the road, just down the Long Sault Parkway from McLaren. My youngest sister, her husband and I had camped at this campground last year so we had picked sites along a tree line near the bathroom facilities where we hoped there would be less traffic. There's only an open field across from our site which during one week in August in non COVID times, it goes to the dogs as a local kennel club hosts a show here in this field.

I actually got the trailer backed into the site myself with some guidance but then my brother in law tweaked it as the trailer wasn't exactly where I wanted it. I put up my garden flags this time, one that one of my sisters bought for me a few years ago and one that I just recently purchased through Amazon.


 

It was really hot and humid on this trip. There were thunderstorm watches nearly every afternoon. We were lucky and only had our first dinner rained out, mostly we heard thunder and saw heat lightening but had very little rain. We went swimming a couple times but as there is no dog beach or boat launch in the park, I couldn't take the dogs swimming. I did manage to take them wading a few times. 

One day I took the dogs to the Crysler Farm Battlefield near Upper Canada Village, a historical museum. If you're ever visiting here, dogs are allowed in Upper Canada Village but they can't go into the buildings. Although once when I was there with the dogs, one of the staff told us we could go into the barns as long as the dogs didn't disturb the animals. In the past if you were camping in one of the St Lawrence Parks you could get free passes but this year, they're not doing that. I think because you have to book a timed ticket online so they don't have too many people on site. The battlefield made for a nice walk although you had to avoid the goose poop.

Looking at geese

On the St Lawrence

The mighty St Lawrence





On Friday, a friend brought out her puppy to visit us. Sam is from the same breeder that Liam comes from and my friend also has Beckett's litter sister Hannah and two other Shelties. One of the other campers near us had four of her Shelties there too so we had a bit of a Sheltie palooza going. 




We were at Woodlands for four nights from Tuesday to Saturday. Many months ago, when we booked the campgrounds, we didn't know if the showers would be open so we only booked for four nights so our time at the campgrounds seems to go so fast.  If we had known the showers would be open we might have booked longer trips. Even though it was hot and humid, we still enjoyed really nice meals and campfires in the evenings. We each plan a breakfast and a dinner, one dinner, either the first or last, is kind of pot luck. On this trip, the potluck meal was the last dinner with everyone contributing to naan bread pizzas. 



 It was another nice camping trip and we're off to do another St Lawrence Park again on Monday.





Friday, August 6, 2021

Popsilos

So last week I went on a drive without the dogs to see painted silos and cows. I didn't think it would be much fun for the dogs to be in the car just to drive around and I didn't know whether there would be any place to walk them at the sites so they were better left at home.  I had planned to have lunch at the St Albert Cheese factory and buy some cheese curds but when I arrived, there was a long line up so I took my pictures and went on.  

This is the fifth year for Popsilos but I had never heard of it before, some of the farmers who agree to have the murals painted on their silos also have produce markets so I would guess this might bring our more people to those markets, one of the farms even has a corn maze but I didn't drive out to that one.  I planned to visit only four of the popsilos, the other three being about another 40 to 50 minutes away. I knew that along the route and at the cheese factory I would also see some of the painted cows that were put on display last year when the cheese curd festival was cancelled. I planned my route to see two of the silos, then have lunch then finish up the drive with the other two silos but the cheese factory was very busy at 11:30am and with COVID times they had to allow a limited number of people into the store at a time.  













Most of the farm properties were accessible, not sure how close you could actually go but the view of the murals was better from a distance anyway, so I didn't get too close. The second silo I saw, the property was off limits so you just had to view it from the road and there wasn't a lot of parking but since it was on a side road, not a lot of traffic either.  At the last silo I went to they actually had a few parking spots near the barns and signs showing you where you could go. 

Anyway it made for something different to do, maybe next year it could be a day out with some friends. 


Sunday, August 1, 2021

Silent Sunday

 Remembering those dogs I have loved and lost. I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance.

Keltic

Beckett

Ceilidh

Tucker

Duffy

Gryffon

Candle Lighting 2021 Video