Thursday, February 25, 2016

1973 - August 16


That seems a little sacriligious (sic) but why I don’t know.

There have been little things, lots of blueberries on our property, Albert the young snake who appears everyday. The beaver working over the river. New plants discovered, old ones grown. Small flowers after all this time on the honeysuckle bush. I feel impatient and yet so much has been settled. The stove is in, the bathroom door fixed the water pump working. I am such a coward and so clumsy about ordinary things and so reasonable with trade people they take me over the coals. I must have the look of a mark.

Many little birches and maples seem to be making a reappearance. One can imagine in a few years the field will grow up and be a forest too which somehow will be sad but then even at the slow Muskoka pace nature changes more differently and constantly than one would expect.

Mr. Canfield says that 50 years ago it took 2 days to drive here from Woodstock to Muskoka via Oakville and Toronto. Highway 11 was one of the early grand highways of Ontario. Butter was kept in 5 pound crocks in a spring with rocks to keep the animals out. Wood stove of course for cooking their cottage came in 1920 by train to Utterson and was brought by horse and wagon to the site and erected. It stood through the hurricane of 1938 when most of the trees went. Trips to Port Sydney for goods was (sic) made by row boat or canoe.

Port Sydney Muskoka
The Bauhaus 16 Aug 73

Some lonely days, the first of the summer. Makes me think of all the summers that are written about. Well we have a well – I hope that it is not polluted as Schlegels new well is not fit for use. We have our plumbing now need our electric heat and we will be quite refined. I have drawn an idea for an addition. The property next door is for sale. After years of coveting it I am not so sure that I really want it now. Seems like too much work and taxes.

Aunt Floyd died at 83 on 6 August. Almost all in that generation gone now. Only Uncle Harry remains. We got a new car a Hornet

No comments:

Post a Comment