Bridal Veil Falls X 2 - June 16, 2018
My son Tom, daughter-in-law Julie, and their son Jasper visited Manitoulin Island and sent us a picture of them visiting Bridal Veil Falls.
When were we there last as a family of six? 1990 and 91! Could it really be 27 years ago? We went for two summers – the third week in August - to Oakes Cottages on Lake Mindemoya. There is a reason why we opted for a cottage vs. tenting. It was the only way I was willing to come.
Here is how it started. In the summer of 1989 when Elaine was still a baby, Laur had a hankering for camping. He borrowed his boss’s tent and I helped pack – with glee, actually. Three days with just a six month old baby… Joy oh bliss.
We didn’t have any camping supplies, including a Coleman stove for cooking. No worries. Every camp site has electricity so Laur took our kettle and electric frying pan to do all the camp-cooked meals.
He arrived at beautiful Providence Bay camp – only to find that not all the sites had electricity, and the only ones they had left did NOT have electricity. Thankfully, the camp staffer was aware of a smaller camp that did have electricity. They phoned for Laur and – eureka – the West Bay camp had a spot left.
It was a bit of a drive and the agenda got pushed back by a few hours. This was also Laur’s first attempt at putting up his boss’s tent. I get miserable when I am hungry and tired, and I expect this was true for my hubs and kids. I don’t think that set up was made any easier by this, but missions accomplished – setting up the tent, making food, eating food, washing dishes, stories and marshmallows round the fire, and washing hands – and they all tucked in.
And then there was a gigantic storm. So much so that it blew the tent down (with them in it) and broke a number of the tent poles. Never fear, “Grizzly Adams” (my hubs) in the middle of the night and in the downpour, managed to tie the tent up to some trees.
The rest of the time went much better. Anna made a friend, Tom and Carolyn didn’t kill each other. They canoed. They went to Bridal Veil Falls. They visited a haunted cave. They did get rained on – on top of the Cup and Saucer Trail - but Laur had a trick up his sleeve. Actually, in his back pack. Chocolate bars and pop. Who knew that cocoa, caffeine, sugar and fat could make people so happy.
I do not remember what Elaine and I did. I think lots of relaxing walks with her in a stroller. I remember buying a gigantic ice cream cone and giving her a taste and her thinking that was pretty weird. Laur, on Manitoulin, took the kids nightly for gigantic Farquhar’s made-in-Manitoulin ice cream comes.
They returned tired and dirty, but very happy. I’m not sure if the happiness was because they had been camping or because they were home. Laur sheepishly returned what was left of the tent to his boss, and his boss returned the tent to Sears for a full refund. (Phew!)
Kids have no idea what is involved in getting them through each day, let alone a camping trip. Or maybe they do.
I note that Tom, Julie, and Jasper are staying in a motel and eating their meals at cafes.
When were we there last as a family of six? 1990 and 91! Could it really be 27 years ago? We went for two summers – the third week in August - to Oakes Cottages on Lake Mindemoya. There is a reason why we opted for a cottage vs. tenting. It was the only way I was willing to come.
Here is how it started. In the summer of 1989 when Elaine was still a baby, Laur had a hankering for camping. He borrowed his boss’s tent and I helped pack – with glee, actually. Three days with just a six month old baby… Joy oh bliss.
We didn’t have any camping supplies, including a Coleman stove for cooking. No worries. Every camp site has electricity so Laur took our kettle and electric frying pan to do all the camp-cooked meals.
He arrived at beautiful Providence Bay camp – only to find that not all the sites had electricity, and the only ones they had left did NOT have electricity. Thankfully, the camp staffer was aware of a smaller camp that did have electricity. They phoned for Laur and – eureka – the West Bay camp had a spot left.
It was a bit of a drive and the agenda got pushed back by a few hours. This was also Laur’s first attempt at putting up his boss’s tent. I get miserable when I am hungry and tired, and I expect this was true for my hubs and kids. I don’t think that set up was made any easier by this, but missions accomplished – setting up the tent, making food, eating food, washing dishes, stories and marshmallows round the fire, and washing hands – and they all tucked in.
And then there was a gigantic storm. So much so that it blew the tent down (with them in it) and broke a number of the tent poles. Never fear, “Grizzly Adams” (my hubs) in the middle of the night and in the downpour, managed to tie the tent up to some trees.
The rest of the time went much better. Anna made a friend, Tom and Carolyn didn’t kill each other. They canoed. They went to Bridal Veil Falls. They visited a haunted cave. They did get rained on – on top of the Cup and Saucer Trail - but Laur had a trick up his sleeve. Actually, in his back pack. Chocolate bars and pop. Who knew that cocoa, caffeine, sugar and fat could make people so happy.
I do not remember what Elaine and I did. I think lots of relaxing walks with her in a stroller. I remember buying a gigantic ice cream cone and giving her a taste and her thinking that was pretty weird. Laur, on Manitoulin, took the kids nightly for gigantic Farquhar’s made-in-Manitoulin ice cream comes.
They returned tired and dirty, but very happy. I’m not sure if the happiness was because they had been camping or because they were home. Laur sheepishly returned what was left of the tent to his boss, and his boss returned the tent to Sears for a full refund. (Phew!)
Kids have no idea what is involved in getting them through each day, let alone a camping trip. Or maybe they do.
I note that Tom, Julie, and Jasper are staying in a motel and eating their meals at cafes.