Hello:
We are back in Canada. Camped at Riverview camp just north of London ON. We arrived back on April 28th...surviving the detours on I 75 and then the horrible mangle of lanes of construction up to the International Bridge. I would not wise that route on my worst enemy!! We did get to Wheatley where we had booked a spot over the winter but prices had changed which we knew would happen. We were just surprised at the amount and decided to move on. There was space at Riverview where we stayed last Aug. We are close to London and appts and our storage. So we have booked in for the season which is until Oct. Our first experience of a seasonal stay...we like this camp very much and we are parked up on the hill between people that we met last summer. There was a warm welcome from the owners and neighbours even though the nights have been cold to me.
Catch up:
When we had settled at the camp on the Brandywine river, I phoned an old family friend of mine who lives in New Jersey. We arranged a visit...which was wonderful...to catch up on news and revisit childhood memories was delighful. Sharing time together and food and laughter felt so good.
In Penn, we explored Kennett Square where we wandered into 'The Mushroom Cap' store which has many varieties of mushrooms and a small museum of the local history of growing mushrooms. This was very interesting for my husband whose family were involved in this industry from the beginning. The lady in the store helped us contact a gentleman who is very distantly related to my husband and was a third generation mushroom grower. A lunch meeting was arranged later in the week at the Kennett Inn owned by Steve Warner. I recommend the Kennett Inn which served excellent food and had a relaxing atmosphere.We also stopped into Mrs. Robinson's Tea Shop which had a fabulous selection of loose teas and a wonderful sales lady who was quite the story teller.
We drove around the Brandywine Valley...so so pretty....rolling hills...lovely farms and turning a curve you could see vistas filled with fresh green fields, flowering trees and the Brandywine River twisting about through the trees. We also visited the London Grove meeting and the cemetary where many of my husband's family are buried. The Penn Oak, an oak tree over 300 yrs old, is still flourishing and the grounds are so peaceful.
We visited Swarthmore College which is a Quaker college and houses the Friends Historical Library where some family records and archives are kept. I was delighted to learn that all of the grounds of the college is an arberetum. Trees and plants all with signs and walking tours outlined at the visitors center. The staff at the Library were so helpful. My husband found a journal he was looking for written by his great great great Grandfather and a surprising collection of family pictures. I did some research for a story. Afterward as we drove back to camp we stopped at the Brandywine River Museum to view some Wyeth paintings by different members of the Wyeth family. Lovely exhibits in a great museum on the river. We did not have enough time to really take things in.
We packed for the return trip to Canada. Then took off on a local drive on some back roads along the Brandywine river on a pure spring afternoon to stop and take pictures. Caught a mother Canada goose escorting her new babies onto the river...about 8 of them with papa swimming close by. Wonderful drive with many surprises around the bends.
I found it hard to leave this area.
Oh we delayed travel a day due to the snowfall in the mountains...camped at a Flying J in the mountains...BRRR twas a cold night with no heater on!! Next night we stopped at a KoA near Toledo...madevery welcome...early stop...relaxing getting off the road. Good camp and not far from the border. Odd feelings of a travel season ending for us.
I have described the horrors of driving to the border...I was so upset that it took me awhile to realize we were back in Canada!! Stopping at Tim Hortons for lunch helped the adjustment.
We have been settling in at River View camp ground. Going for our medical appts and connecting with family and friends again. The temps are colder than I am used to but the leaves are coming out...the birds are nesting. We have also been to storage where we are starting to deal with reducing our 'stuff'...nightmare task. My husband and I walked a forest trail here and saw clusters of trilliums!!! Lovely spring plants coming up. Ah we also stopped at a local nursery and bought some pansies for our site.
So we are back in our old stomping grounds looking at things with new eyes...seeing changes and appreciating things that are the same. Adventures are still possible...there are curves in the road and discoveries to be made. Friends close by and time to share some air with them.
Sunshine & Laughter
Anne
No comments:
Post a Comment