MY SUMMER VACATION by the ICE QUEEN

Monday:
12:00 pm: Left house in rented car
12:10: “Are we there yet?” Ice Prince.
12:15 pm: “Are we there yet?”
12:17 pm: “This is taking sooooooooo long!”
3:30 ish: Arrive in Minden at parent’s trailer.

Tuesday:
Dad shows us how he has trained a chipmunk to ride o his outdoor train set. Pictures to follow.
Swimming with Ice Prince. Ice Prince fishes for the first time.
Dad’s 60th birthday.
My first s’more. Overrated.
Singing around the campfire with Fresh playing guitar.

Wednesday:
6:30 am: We leave Ice Prince with the ‘rents and head north east.
9:00 am: No place to eat in Bancroft, but a big sign for a Pancake House nearby.
9:30 am: No Pancake House.
9:45 am: No Pancake House
10:00 am: Pull into the Mississippi Inn where we have breakfast, finally. Very cute and old fashioned, with the metal chairs with cushy vinyl seats
10:30 am: Pancake House finally shows itself. Too bad, so sad!
10:45 am: Local station plays Anne Murray singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. We put in the first of three Rufus Wainwright CDs (supplied by Boomer).
11:05 am: In love with Rufus Wainwright.
2:00 pm: Arrive in Saint-Phillippe, 20 minutes south east of Montreal. We are staying in a Kamping Kabin at the KOA. It’s great.
3:00 pm: Showers, naps
7:00 pm: Dinner on the Richelieu river. Suddenly, about a dozen hot air balloons rose from the other side. It was the Festival de Montgolfieres. Who knew?

Thursday
Breakfast at Bec Sucré.
Puis, Fromageries et Vignobles. Pictures of me with a goat to come. No, seriously.

Friday:
Drove to the Eastern Townships to see more wineries. Then homewards.
Got lost on the outskirts of Montreal. Stopped in Ottawa to see Paul & Helena’s new house. Got caught in torrential rain between Renfrew and Bancroft. The car tires barely gripped the road. It was scary. But the scenery before it started to rain was beautiful. The highlands really are high. Again: who knew?

Saturday:
Assorted stuff back in Minden. Learned secret to best hamburgers ever.

Sunday:
Fresh voluntarily woke up at 6 am to go fishing with my father. Possibly the first sign of the Apocalypse.

Stopped in and bought fresh sweet corn and basil with a root bulb still attached. Had bruschetta for dinner. Cats alive and basement miraculously dry. Thank you Crabby for cat sitting and leaving us the note that made me smile.

FIN