The week following our adventure on Endikai Lake was rather dismal with mostly overcast skies and plenty of rain, but as we were packing up to return to Ottawa for the winter we were grateful for this incredible summer and content to celebrate a quiet Thanksgiving in the north.
Meanwhile, the rain played havoc with the leaves. In two days it pretty much stripped the trees bare.
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| October 9, 2021 |
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| October 11, 2021 |
Happy Thanksgiving!
The remainder of the week was spent packing, cleaning and organizing in anticipation of the journey back to Ottawa. Suffice to say it's never pretty!
The most valuable item, of course, has been tucked away safely inside the house. 😉
Eventually, the van was packed and on Friday, October 15 (the first day of sunshine in over a week) we locked the doors and hit the road.
Not only were the maples almost bare, but even the tamarack trees were starting to turn brown.
Somewhere between Sudbury and North Bay the clouds rolled in.
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| View of Quebec in the distance |
Our destination for the night was Mattawa that's nestled on the Ottawa River.
After a delicious Thai meal in the Le Voyageur hotel restaurant (our first restaurant meal since the pandemic began) we went for an evening stroll along Main Street.
It was comfortable enough that we did not require a jacket or sweater.
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| John beside one of the many wooden statues that adorn the village. |
Saturday morning was foggy and rainy as we continued south on Highway 17 towards Ottawa.
The closer we got to the Ottawa Valley, the flatter and more fertile the land became as evidenced by the number of farms.
On a whim we veered off Highway 17 to visit the small village of Pakenham and see the only five span stone bridge in North America.
It was a perfect place to stretch our legs and take in the breathtaking scenery and quaint village atmosphere.
Upon our return to the condo we could not help but admire the view and were more than pleasantly surprised to see the spectacular and abundant fall colours. Who knew we'd be so lucky to enjoy my favourite season twice this year?!
Life. Is. Good.
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