WINTER PICNIC

ISOLATION: WEEK ONE.

ONCE IN A WHILE WE JUST CRAVE A ROAD TRIP. PERHAPS IT’S BECAUSE OF ALL OF THOSE KILOMETERS WE SPENT DRIVING ON OUR CANADIAN SPIRITLINE TOUR . BUT I DON’T THINK SO . 

I GREW UP IN A FAMILY THAT OFTEN WENT ON ‘ SUNDAY DRIVES’ .  MY FOLKS WOULD JUST PICK A DESTINATION , PLOP THE FIVE KIDS IN THE CAR ( NO SEATBELTS BACK THEN !) , AND OFF WE WENT INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE  TO SEE THE WORLD AROUND OUR LITTLE VILLAGE.  WE ALL LOVED IT!  SOMETIMES IT WOULD CULMINATE IN AN ICE CREAM CONE IN A SMALL TOWN .  SOMETIMES WE WOULD END UP AT AN ANTIQUE STORE …WHICH STARTED MY LIFELONG LOVE OF COLLECTIBLES.  BUT THERE WAS USUALLY AT LEAST 5 PART HARMONY GOING ON IN THE VEHICLE AND A LOT OF JOY.

TERRY AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO GO ON ONE OUTING A WEEK. WE WILL FIND A PLACE WHERE WE ARE ALONE AND PROBABLY HAVE A PICNIC. 

THAT’S WHAT WE DID THIS WEEK.  WE HEADED OUT EAST TOWARD OUR BELOVED ELK ISLAND PARK .  ( ODDLY NAMED AS IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS ROAMING BUFFALO).

FOOLISHLY, WE DIDN’T REALIZE THAT ALL PROVINCIAL PARKS ARE NOW CLOSED. (THIS FEELS LIKE A ZOMBIE MOVIE).  INSTEAD OF RETURNING HOME WE FORGED ON AND ENDED UP IN THE SMALL TOWN OF MUNDARE  WHICH IS KNOWN AS BEING ‘THE HOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SAUSAGE’. 

I DIDN’T INCLUDE THE BLURRY PHOTO I TOOK OF TERRY NEAR THE BIG SAUSAGE… HA HA.

WE DID END UP SEEING ABOUT 50-75 BUFFALO THIS DAY AND WE WERE DRESSED WARMLY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SIT OUTSIDE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS , EAT BAR-BE-QUED HOTDOGS , AND PLAY OUR GAME.    YUP…WE STILL HAVE TONS OF SNOW OUT HERE.   BUT WE STILL HAVE HOPE TOO.    THIS TOO SHALL PASS.