Muskoka Day-Tripping

OFF DOWN THE ROAD INTO THE MUSKOKA WINTER- WE LOVE IT!

MUSKOKA AS WALDEN

THIS MORNING, A LITTLE COLDER THAT WE'VE BECOME USED TO THIS WINTER SEASON, ……AS WE HAVE DONE ROUTINELY FOR MANY YEARS, WE WILL HAPPILY MOTOR THROUGH OUR REGION, LOOKING FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. SUZANNE AND I HAVE BEEN AN ANTIQUING DUO SINCE THE EARLY 1980'S, AND THESE EXCURSIONS HAVE BEEN A PART OF OUR ENTIRE FAMILY TRADITION. IN FACT, THESE WEEKLY ADVENTURES, BECAME THE MOTIVATION FOR OUR BOYS, ANDREW AND ROBERT, TO TAKE THEIR ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE INTERESTS, CULTIVATED ON THOSE OUTINGS, TO THE "MAIN STREET" YOU MIGHT SAY……..WHEN THEY DECIDED TO OPEN THEIR OWN VINTAGE MUSIC SHOP, SPECIALIZING IN VINTAGE GUITARS AND OLD VINYL. THIS WAS FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, AND AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, THEY'RE EXPANDING THEIR STORE FOR THE FOURTH TIME. MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS, IS THE FACT THEY STILL ENJOY GOING IN, EARLY EACH MORNING, AND STAYING LATE IN THE EVENING. THEY ARE ALSO GUITAR INSTRUCTORS WHEN THE SHOP CLOSES. I SOMETIMES WORRY ABOUT TOO MUCH WORK AND NOT ENOUGH PLAY. SO FAR, AT LEAST THEY CLAIM, IT'S MORE FUN THAN WORK.

I MISS THEM COMING WITH US, AS THEY DID FROM INFANCY, BUT THIS IS THEIR FUTURE. WE STILL MAKE A POINT, A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS EACH MONTH, OF GETTING AWAY FOR THE DAY, TO SEEK OUT SOME ELUSIVE INVENTORY, TUCKED IN SOME NEAT HOLE-IN-THE-WALL ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE SHOP, WE FIND WHILE ON THE HUNT. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW TRULY ENJOYABLE THOSE TRIPS HAVE BEEN, AND RESTORATIVE AFTER DIFFICULT WORK WEEKS, AND THE CHALLENGES OF ECONOMY AND SOCIETY. WHEN WE HIT THIS OPEN ROAD, WELL, THE WORLD SEEMS TO UNFOLD TO US. WE LISTEN TO INSPIRING MUSIC, ENJOY THE SIGHTS ALONG THE COUNTRY ROADS WE TRAVEL, AND ALWAYS STOP TO ADMIRE HOW BEAUTIFUL MUSKOKA IS AT THIS TIME OF THE ROLLING YEAR. WE HAVE SEEN MUSKOKA, THROUGHOUT THE FOUR SEASONS, AND HAVE NEVER FOUND A CONDITION OR CONFLUENCE OF WEATHER, BE IT RAIN OR BLOWING SNOW, THAT WE COULDN'T FIND THE INHERENT BEAUTY WITHIN. ROBERT IS NOW READING "ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE," BECAUSE IT OPENS WITH SUCH AN AMAZING PASSAGE, ABOUT THE SENSORY STIMULATION OF AN EARLY MORNING MOTORCYCLE RIDE, THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE…..AND THE SIGHTS YOU TURN ONTO, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO STUDY THE ENVIRONS AROUND YOU. IT REMINDS HIM, HE TELLS ME, OF OUR OWN MOTOR TRIPS THROUGH MUSKOKA…..ON MORNINGS LIKE THIS…..BRIGHT AND CLEAR, AND THE COLD IS JUST A BONUS.

PUBLISHED THIS MONTH, IN A WONDERFUL LITTLE FEATURE PAPER, I WORK WITH, KNOWN AS "CURIOUS; THE TOURIST GUIDE," WHICH YOU CAN PICK UP LOCALLY OR ACCESS ONLINE, I WROTE ABOUT THE LEGENDARY W.C. FIELDS, WHO ABSOLUTELY THRIVED ON LONG, MEANDERING MOTOR TRIPS, WITH HIS FRIENDS, DESTINED TO NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR. HE DIDN'T SET DOWN AN ITINERARY WHEN THE GROUP LEFT. HE JUSTS MADE SURE THE PICNIC HAMPERS WERE FULL TO OVER-FLOWING, AND THAT HE HAD THE NECESSARY PICNIC ADORNMENTS, PARTY GEAR, FOR EACH OF THE DOZEN OR SO RESPITES, AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OR IN PARKS HE HAPPENED TO LIKE BECAUSE OF THE SCENERY…..AND IT WAS SOMETHING HE ENJOYED DOING REGULARLY. IT WAS UPLIFTING TO HIM, AND HIS PARTNERS UNDERSTOOD THIS. HE MIGHT HAVE PICKED UP PEOPLE ON THE WAY, THAT HE HADN'T ANTICIPATED MEETING. WHERE THE MOTOR TRIP ENDED WAS ALWAYS THE SAME. HOME. HE ENJOYED ARRIVING HOME AGAIN, ONLY BECAUSE IT WOULD INSPIRE HIM TO START PLANNING FOR THE NEXT AUTOMOBILE ADVENTURE.

THE REASON I WROTE THE FEATURE STORY ABOUT W.C. FIELDS, AS IT RELATES TO OUR PASSION TO EXPLORE MUSKOKA, IS THAT IT BEST DESCRIBES HOW WE HAVE ALWAYS FELT ABOUT OUR HOME DISTRICT, AND ABOUT THE MANY WAYS WE HAVE FOUND TO CELEBRATE ITS NATURE. WE HAVE HAD MANY, MANY OF THOSE ROADSIDE PICNICS, AND ENJOYED RESPITES ALL OVER THE DISTRICT, DEPENDING ON OUR INTERESTS OF THE DAY.

WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO HEAD OUT NOW, INTO THIS SPARKLING WINTER DAY IN SOUTH MUSKOKA. SUZANNE HAS PACKED US A LITTLE DESERT, AND SOME HOT COFFEE IN OUR THERMOS MUGS, AND THERE'S ENOUGH GAS IN THE FAMILY TRUCKSTER, TO COVER THE MILES WE WILL TRAVEL TODAY. WE HAVE OUR TRADITIONAL VISITS TO MAKE, AND A FEW NECESSARY STOPS, FOR HOUSEHOLD PROVISIONS, BUT WE DO NOT LIMIT OURSELVES AS TO WHERE THAT PEAK DESTINATION MAY BE…..OR THE SPUR-OF-THE MOMENTS STOPS, WE BUDGET FOR, AS ANTIQUE HUNTERS ALWAYS ALLOW FOR, AS EXCEPTIONS TO THE NORMAL FARE. AND WHEN WE DO ARRIVE BACK HOME HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW, LATER THIS AFTERNOON, WE MAY NOT HAVE A VAN FULL OF ANTIQUES, OR FLAT-TO-THE-WALL TYPE CABINETS, FASTENED TO THE ROOF……BUT WE WILL WALK THROUGH THIS DOOR, A LITTLE WEARY, HAPPY TO SEE THE CATS COME TO GREET US, AND FEEL CONTENT WE HAVE EJOYED THE DAY. AS WE REALIZE, IT HAS BEEN THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE HERE IN MUSKOKA. WE ARE SO PLEASED TO STILL HAVE THIS INTEREST IN ADVENTURE……NOW OFFICIALLY BEING OLDTIMERS, VETERANS OF THE ANTIQUE INDUSTRY. YET WHEN WE HEAD OUT ON THESE ANTIQUE HUNTS, ON MORNINGS JUST LIKE THIS, WE FEEL WONDERFULLY REJUVENATED, AND THAT INCLUDES SOME UNEXPECTED VIM AND VINEGAR BEFORE THE DAY IS DONE.

ENJOY A MOTOR TRIP THROUGH MUSKOKA YOURSELF. SLOW DOWN A LITTLE AND ENJOY THE VIEW. HAVE A SHOP AROUND. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL FIND. TELL YOU WHAT? I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW WE DID, WHEN I WRITE AGAIN TOMORROW. EVEN AS A KID, WITH A PIRATE'S ATTITUDE, I ALWAYS THRIVED ON A TREASURE HUNT. HOW WELL, WILL WE DO?

THANKS FOR JOINING THIS MORNING'S "MUSKOKA AS WALDEN" BLOG.