A beautiful sunny warm morning, coffee, computing and a walk to the beach. Thru the narrow roads in the campground, still a step back in time, when there was small trailers coming here.
the beach in the morning
Narrow roads in the campground
I took a short drive to the small grocery store that turns out now to be a Super Store, with a Home Depot and Canadian Tire store on the same corner, yes things have changed. Except for the Lorna Dune Soft Ice cream Parlor that we made a trip to for a special treat back in the 1950's, refurbished but still here!
Lorna Dune
Still here
After this we headed towards west towards where our old cottage was, the Motel is still on the corner and the road looks almost the same except that it is paved now. Some new homes, and lots of bush, the old cottage is still there, built back in about 1954 by my Father, Mother, Grandparents and family friends. It looks much like it always did with the exception of new siding and overgrown trees.
Our Old Cottage
Down to the foot of the street the unused beach is overgrown with tall grass, an old cottage on the corner lot still there looking exactly like I remembered it. Then we stopped at the house across the street from our old place, McKellars. Our neighbours that built their place at the same time. I knocked on the door and Mrs. McKellar answered the door. She is now 87 and not quite sure who I was at first (she remembers me as being 10 years old). We were invited inside and had a great chat, boy she is looking good. Living alone here now and she never did learn to drive, she gets to town once a week for groceries, with a ride from the Red Cross.
Me and Mrs. McKellar
We were now going to Collingwood and asked if she would like to go shopping, she jumped at the opportunity and insisted on buying us lunch. Well we looked around at the small town that has grown up, huge stores, shopping malls, factories but still same old main st. TheShipyardsceased building in 1986. More businesses moved into town and now this area is a yacht club and expensive condos are being built. I can remember watching them launch huge ships here as a child.
After this lovely visit we took Mrs. McKellar back home said good bye promising to stop by again someday soon.
After here we headed back east past a huge new development of expensive houses (now known as Bowers Beach), then along to Wasaga Beach, here there is 14kms (8.7miles) of white sandy beach, that we used to be able to drive the length of it on the hard packed sand. Now vehicles are prohibited and Ontario Parks has taken over, created parking lots and charge now about $10.00 to park then walk to the beaches. Still early in the season, there was few neat shops open, people on the beach and in swimming. We found a few more campgrounds with the rates all about the same as where we were, except they are across from Walmart, large grocery stores, and chain restaurants. We like where we are.
Wasaga Beach
Now back home to enjoy the rest of the day. We got the chairs out and Suzie read her book while I washed our coach and car on this wonderful day. Then I had time to relax with my book for a while until it was time to fire up the Barbie to grill a nice T-bone steak, baked potato, fresh mushrooms and onions and some broccoli with cheese for a tasty supper.
Afterwards a short walkabout, read for a while then a bit of tv before calling it a great day, reliving past experiences and creating new ones.
Fabulous! It's like being in a time warp, isn't it? Our old cottage was for sale around the time Paul & I bought the Belwood cottage, and I took the opportunity to get the realtor to let us look around. We seriously considered buying it, "just 'cuz", but didn't in the end. It was I think about $125K. I believe Mom & Dad paid either $300 or $600 for the lot back in about 1953 or '54. I think when it was sold in about 1966 it was sold for about $4,500 (?), not sure on that though. It's really something to go inside though - same bottle opener on the side of the same kitchen cabinet! And I think still the same stove! Same aluminum framed windows! Our old bedroom that had the bunk beds (that I still have!) is now a bathroom. I took lots of pictures and video, it was very cool to do. Fantastic memories!
Fabulous! It's like being in a time warp, isn't it? Our old cottage was for sale around the time Paul & I bought the Belwood cottage, and I took the opportunity to get the realtor to let us look around. We seriously considered buying it, "just 'cuz", but didn't in the end. It was I think about $125K. I believe Mom & Dad paid either $300 or $600 for the lot back in about 1953 or '54. I think when it was sold in about 1966 it was sold for about $4,500 (?), not sure on that though. It's really something to go inside though - same bottle opener on the side of the same kitchen cabinet! And I think still the same stove! Same aluminum framed windows! Our old bedroom that had the bunk beds (that I still have!) is now a bathroom. I took lots of pictures and video, it was very cool to do. Fantastic memories!
ReplyDeleteYes so much like a time warp!
ReplyDelete