"Denice and Dennis's Retirement": Owen Sound Surround

Aug 15th
Today just spent time around Keith's Ponderosa. Day before yesterday we went over to a nice cemetery, close to their home, where Linda is buried. Keith pointed out a very large stump from a Maple tree, and detailed how he and his brothers had taken it down as they were afraid that it was starting to die and could fall into the cemetery damaging some of the tombstones. They loaded up the tree in movable pieces and hauled it to Keith's yard for fire wood.

I am always on the lookout for good wood for "turning" Bowls, and here was a whole tree, with a base of approximately a two foot diameter, just waiting to be taken. Well with nothing to do today, I dug out my little electric chain saw with a 14 inch bar,and attacked that big tree. Now I see-sawed back and forth, from one side to the other and back again, until I finally worried it to death, and chiseled off a 14 inch section. Now I had to split this into 3 equal sections that would fit in ELTORO's storage, and all the bark had to be removed for transporting all the way to Texas and back again to Alberta. Finally all was completed, the pieces wrapped in plastic to keep it from drying too fast, and stored in the back compartment. I sure hope it makes some great bowls!! A lot of work, but the result may be worth it.
After dinner Barry and Donna Morton came out to see us. Barry is another of my second cousins. Keith had called them and asked if they would be interested in coming out to meet us and fill Denice in on some more of her family tree. They arrived and for the next couple of hours Morton history was the conversation theme. They brought with them a bunch of photos, so we scanned them into Denice's computer, and put names and relationships to all that they could. Barry and Donna winter at Harlengen, Texas, just north of Brownsville. A year ago we were through Harlengen, and went to the Iwo Jima monument, and were likely within a few blocks of their Fifth wheel site. They leave it stored there for the year, and go down each winter. We hope to see them this winter if we get into that general area.
Aug 14th
We really lucked out today, as Raymond, Linda's brother, and also a second cousin of mine is having a large Bar-B-Que at his "Farm" outside Wiarton, Ontario. That is the Wiarton of "Wiarton Willie" fame where every February 2nd Willlie looks out to see his shadow to advise if there will be 6 weeks more of winter or if summer is 6 weeks away. Raymond, is well known around Wiarton for his Barbeques, and has organized and done them for very large gatherings

The Roasts are just about ready!

This is Keith, Raymond and Marj ( Left to Right)

This is Amanda, the girl who was just to India for an MS treatment

Raymond with a well deserved drink!

And of course there were lots of little ones. Ashley, Heather's daughter is in the front right.

This one was to celebrate some birthdays and more to welcome his daughter Amanda back from India where she underwent the treatment for MS. The procedure seemed a success, and Amanda says she feels much better. She is relatively young and had been stricken with that dreadful disease for several years, and had progressed to the stage that some treatment was almost necessary, if any sort of normal life was to be achieved. The "Farm" as Raymond calls it, is a small plot of land some miles out of Wiarton in a bushy atmosphere, more of a hunting type area, but a great place for a get together. Rays residence is right on the Georgian Bay, closer to Wiarton. They had a great Bar-B-Que, probably with a hundred of their friends and families. Roast Beef, Caesar salad, potato salad, and all the other trimmings followed by Chocolate cake and carrot cake.

I'm surprised there was not Pumpkin Pie

Or Tomatoes

What a feast!! We had arrived about 4:00PM and stayed until 8:00PM. Met with a whole bunch of distant relatives. Denice was able to glean a bunch of Family tree stuff, so that will keep her busy for a while updating her data bank. Keith left with us as we headed home, but we could not pass through Wiarton without going to see "Willie."

Now there is a real live albino Willie, housed in a Remax supported plot. As it was late in the day Willie had already bedded down into one of his underground abodes, so we did not see him in the flesh, however near the beach in a nice park there is a large statue of him, so we were able to get some photos of him there. Then on the outskirts of Owen Sound we went to see Inglis Falls. Here the Sydenham River falls over the Niagara Escarpment. before it reaches the Georgian Bay.

The Containment Pond above the Falls

A beautiful falls in a nice park! Arrived home at 9:00PM.

Aug 13th
A couple of days ago we had called ahead to the Gambles in Chatsworth , Ontariio to advise them that we would be calling on them. Now for those who don't know, Linda Gamble is a second cousin of mine. Here maiden name was Marklevitz, parents, Olive and George Marklevitz, Olives Maiden name was Morton, whose father was brother of my grandmother Lang, and so second cousin of mine. When I called, Keith, Lindas husband answered. Now we had met these people before, but at least 25 years ago, and had not remainded in any contact with them. After initial introductions, Keiths advised us that Linda had passed away March 7th of this year, from that dreaded cancer. We were shocked. We remembered them as such a nice couple when they last visited out west. We promised to come and see him at least, so he had given us directions to his acreage a couple of miles outside Chatsworth, and said we could park ELTORO right in his yard. So this morning I made a route from Tobermory right to his address, and by about 10:00AM we were on our way. It was only a 75 mile trip, so by noon we were at his door. He has a beautiful yard on a hilltop, surrounded by trees, and a rural setting of small farms growing mostly soy beans. He had great place for us to park out on his lawn in front of his house and behind a screening of big spruce trees.

What a setting!! After passing on our condolences, and getting reacquainted with Keith, we chatted for a good part of the afternoon. Denice, being heavily into "Family Tree" had wanted to know a whole lot about the Morton lineage. Keith was able to fill in a lot of details, but I'm sure Linda would have known even more. Tomorrow we will meet their daughter Heather, and she may be able to help as well. We went out for dinner to the "Kettles" restaurant in Chatsworth, and had a great meal. Denice chose the sausage and Kraut, I the barbequed ribs. After dinner and a quick tour of Chatsworth, its just a small town of about 400 souls, we returned to Keith's and chatted until bedtime.
Aug 12th
Ok, I'm behind, but not my fault. Been out of WIFI contact for a few days. I'll get the text done now, but the photos may take a while. OK??
Woke up to a glorious sunny morning this morning, Darn, should have booked the Island hopping cruise for this morning rather than yesterday! Guess you can't win them all!! But we did some sight seeing around the area anyway. First, before sight seeing, we need a few groceries so went an purchased them at the local food store. Not too big, but had most everything that we needed. Then in the afternoon we went to Bruce Peninsula National Park. Denice did some memorabilia shopping in the little shop, while I climbed an observation platform some 150 feet above the ground and well above all the trees around.

Construction was of an expanded type metal paneling, so at any time you could look through the floor to the ground way below. There was no way that Denice would have followed me to the top. However, once at the top the view was great. Several islands were visible, and the clear waters of Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay. After some photos shots climbed back down anf heared south down the Bruce Peninsula for a few miles and then turned right, and went out to Singing Sands Beach.

What a great place for kids!! The beach is fairly hard sand and the water is shallow. An adult could walk a half mile out in the bay and still be only up top his waist, I'm sure. Kids as small as a couple of years old can even walk away out and still be in safe waters. And it is warm. Like in a bath.. Also on the beach the Monarch Butterfly migration was in full swing. Hundreds were flitting around everywhere.

Denice spent a fair amount of time photographing them, until the high heat and humidity got to here. We then wandered down a local gravel road and finally crossed #6 Highway and continued on east for about 5 miles until reaching the Georgian Bay coast again, and then followed it back north for about 5 miles to Cabot Head Light house.

Very few lighthouses are active anymore with GPS and other new navigational instrumentation that is available today, and Cobot Head is no exception. It is now maintained as a tourist facility and run by volunteers. Here I was able to climb the 40 feet to the observation deck for a look around. More Pictures!! Then I took a short 15 minute walk to a small inlet horseshoe shaped bay that in days past had afforded shipping traffic protection from storms, although a few were sunk near the mouth while trying to navigate into the narrow channel.