A Day of Fun, Laughter, and an Outdoor Tea Party!
An invitation to join them for brunch at Gilbertson's Maple Products, on St. Joseph's Island, was guaranteed to meet with an enthusiastic 'yes' - especially when it was going to be followed by a trip around the Deer Trail afterwards.
Piling into the back of their truck, we set off to enjoy clear blue skies, with the warmth of the sun coaxing us to endure the cold of this -13 degree Celsius day.
Conversation is never lacking, and the humour punctuated our attempts to set the world aright!
On our first visit to Gilberston's, nearly 4 years ago, I ordered two pancakes, thinking that they would be the normal size of a North American pancake. WRONG! When my order was brought to the table, I couldn't believe it! Two fluffy, thick pancakes, the size of the large dinner plate awaited my attention. On subsequent visits, my choices have been more sensible. This time, we ordered one pancake, with a piece of peameal bacon, and a side order of maple baked beans. It was more than enough! The fresh maple syrup oozed through the pancake and every mouthful was exquisite!
Gilbertson's lives up to its boast of being Ontario's largest producer of maple syrup. It is open during the maple syrup season (when the temperatures are below zero at night, and above zero during the day). After a visit to the gift shop - where all sorts of maple products, and other Canadiana, are to be found, we went through into the boiling area. Alas, nothing was happening as it had been too cold for the sap to run. However, we did stop to chat with one of the operators, and to appreciate an artistic impression of an old sugar camp. It's amazing to think that this time last year, we were actually helping to tap the trees and collect the sap for maple syruping while pet/house sitting in Vermont for our friends, Dick & Eileen. We have many 'sweet' memories of Ron, June, Rick, & Angel (with their two children), who helped us fulfil a long-time dream. They were all so welcoming and incredibly generous! How time flies by!(For an account of our time, tapping the trees, check out the blog here!
Of course, we couldn't leave Gilbertson's without leaving our mark!
On the way to the Deer Trail, we stopped off at a small hamlet called, Little Rapids. Apart from the Heritage Park Museum - a small collection of buildings from pioneer times - we were attracted to the General Store, which has been in existence since 1890.
The proprietor, Merv, invited us to take pictures of the inside of the store, with it's quaint offerings reminiscent of scenes from 'Anne of Green Gables'. He was kind enough to allow us to get behind the counter so that we could see the old cheese cutter and the old cash register drawer. (I can't help wondering if he would have been so trusting if he had been aware of my past history as a thief! - Check this out, in case you didn't know about it.
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| Old Cheese Cutter |
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| Weighing Scales - still used today |
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| Cash Register Drawer - from days gone by |
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| An old wireless radio |
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| The old Post/Mail station |
We loved the display of wellington boots on the top shelf, above the grocery supplies. It really brought home the reason why it was called a 'General' Store.
Merv took a photo of our motley crew, and suggested a visit to the Forestland Clothing and Gift Store in the nearby town of Thessalon. So, we double back to Thessalon so we could drop in and enjoy the array of interesting wares that were on display.
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| Would love this for our bathroom! |
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| CJ issues a warning! |
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| Mark, showing his mischievous side! |
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| Beware... Art is a very good shot! |
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| I really must get my hearing aids fixed! |
Kim, who is Merv's wife, was very welcoming, and I had a great conversation with her, discovering that Thessalon was frequently visited by tourists on their way out to Western Canada. It certainly is a beautiful town, nestled on the north shore of Lake Huron. The store is found on the main street in the town, and is well worth a visit.
Resuming our journey back home, we made our way to the Deer Trail and followed its contours until it joined the Little White River.
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| Deer Trail Touring Map |
Once again, we were in awe of the patterns formed in the ice that clung to the banks of the fast-flowing river. Although it was a cold day, we left the warmth of the truck to take pictures and drink in the beauty of the moment.
The fast flowing river gushed over the pebbles and under the remaining ice. Wonderful sound!
CJ and Art - always prepared - announced that it was time for a nice mug of herbal tea, and promptly brought out their propane kettle, setting it down on the roadside. While waiting for it to boil, mugs were brought out and placed on the tailboard.
Mark and I went to look at some tracks in the snow on the other side of the road and we're sure that, by the size of them, they belonged to a moose. We rarely see these creatures, but the evidence of their presence is very clear.
The final leg of our journey home, took us along the familiar road to Elliot Lake where our generous hosts invited us in for a delicious, healthy meal.
It was a fine ending to another fine day.
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