If I didn't know better, I'd swear time is speeding up. How can it possibly be September already?! Still, August refused to go out without a bang. On August 29th a tornado warning was issued for Elliot Lake. Once again our street and property were spared, but it was quite a storm nonetheless.
During the past two weeks since my last post John also had a mini break from kayaking. Unfortunately, it was not intentional. He sprained his back (he's unsure how the heck it happened), but he was out of commission for eight v-e-r-y, L--O--N--G days. The good news is when he received an invitation to go kayaking on Quirke Lake last week he felt more than capable and headed off with a huge smile on his face.
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| Rooster Rock to the right |
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| Rooster Rock up close |
Like so many Canadians, we were determined not to squander the last long weekend of the summer (Labour Day) and on Saturday we returned to Manitoulin Island. Once again, we stopped at the Little Current Farmer's Market on Water Street opposite the marina and John purchased another banana loaf as the loaf he'd purchased on our previous visit had vanished. 😜
Next stop was Three Forks Farm, but first we had an hour long drive from eastern Manitoulin Island to the western side.
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| Lake Huron in the distance |
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| © Three Forks Farm |
After we picked up our order of fresh veg and chicken we threw caution to the wind and opted to have our photo taken a la American Gothic (top left painting below). The face-in-the hole poster is right next to the Three Forks farm stall and situated beneath a beautiful old pear tree. I'd seen it on our last visit but this time could not pass up the opportunity to give it a go.
As you can see from the montage above, however, we were woefully ignorant of the correct protocol. Not only were our heads not properly aligned inside the window frames, but we forgot that smiling is a no-no. No matter how much we tried, we just couldn't get 'into' the original couple's sombre mood and that's totally okay because it was a fun-filled day.
Next on the list was Farmer Teds. This farm is south of Gore Bay and despite enduring an unmarked detour due to the reconstruction of a bridge, we were pleased with our purchase of garlic (10 lbs, btw, not just a single clove), purple peppers, heritage tomatoes and apples and (giant) spinach. What a haul.
Back on the road, we made three more stops. First up: Burts Farm Country Meats where we purchased some sliced ham, cold cuts and Octoberfest sausages.
The Split Rail Craft Brewery in Gore Bay where we stocked up on a variety of beers.
And last but not least our final stop was the New Grain Bakery & Kitchen, also in Gore Bay.
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| © New Grain Bakery & Kitchen |
We enjoyed Andrew's classic sourdough bread so much last time that we simply had to return. Besides stocking up on more sourdough bread, bagels, and two varieties of focaccia, we also ordered their charcuterie lunch for two.
This amazing collection included a warm baguette, two selections of cold cuts from local Manitoulin farms - including Burts, quail eggs, cherry tomatoes from Three Forks Farm, sauerkraut from Cultured Club (we're huge fans of their kimchi), plus two varieties of cheese from Fromagerie Kapuskoise. We oohed and awed our way through every morsel of this delicious lunch and on Sunday I placed an online order for a kilo of their cheese. (It's THAT incredible and will arrive on our doorstep on Thursday. YUM.)
Our view from the van in downtown Gore Bay while we savoured our lunch wasn't half bad either.
After lunch John put his head back to take a quick cat nap. I thought now is a perfect time to capture a group selfie, but he started laughing before I even clicked the shutter and to be honest I'm not even sure he'd opened his eyes. Gosh, after all these years together he can sense what I'm up too.
That evening John made roasted butternut squash soup and served it with the artichoke and pesto focaccia. Another incredible meal.
Yesterday (Monday) we were invited to visit friends at their lovely cottage just east of Thessalon. We had a lovely afternoon with Fred and Maxine, and yes, it included lots and lots of food!
After lunch we sat on their deck overlooking Lake Huron and while the conversation flowed three hummingbirds buzzed around the feeder just a few feet behind John.
The neighbours from the next door cottage took full advantage of the lake and sunshine and kayaked from rock island to rock island. Even their dog got in the act and swam behind or beside their kayaks.
The drive back home was equally enjoyable with a cloud filled sky that reminded us September had indeed arrived.
The long weekend may be over, but we rushed out this morning to cast our vote in the September 20th federal election as we will be out of town on election day. The entire process took less than ten minutes, reinforcing our belief that we just happen to live in the best country in the world.
Life. Is. Good.
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