I awoke this morning refreshed and ready for a great day. My knee is a little stiff but much better. The first thing I did was launder a load of towels and sheets. I have always derived great pleasure from my laundry flapping on the laundry line. I like the orderly look of them neatly hung and the warm sun and breeze making them flap and remove all the wrinkles. So after enjoying this task, hubby and I went out for breakfast. We decided to spend the rest of the day out on the Honda Goldwing. It was supposed to be a hot one but our jackets have lots of air flow panels which keeps us cool as we fly along the highway. Today we decided to take Highway 2 East until......This means until we decided to turn around and head back home. Or until we stop for a snack. Or until we find a geocache. Basically, it means until we tire and need to come home.
We packed a small lunch bag with water for hubby, Raspberry Iced Tea for me and 2 apples and 2 oranges. We intended to be home in time for dinner and this was packed to keep us hydrated and our bellies from being knawingly empty. Off we went on the bike for a very enjoyable ride. Dowtown Kingston was busy with tourists. Gananoque was also surprisingly busy with tourists and cottgers. Being this was the third Sunday in September, I thought that the "summer trade" would have slowed down. As we continued out of Gananoque along Highway 2 East, I thoroughly enjoyed riding through the countryside. I truly believe I am a country girl at heart. I have always lived in the city except for a 9 year stint where hubby and I had our first house located in the country. I loved it there. As a little girl, my grandparents had a small dairy farm in the Owen Sound area. I loved visiting the farm and spending a week every summer there. Many a long weekend was also spent visiting with my grandparents and my cousins. Many, many fond memories are associated with that farm and being in a country community. So as we sped long Highway 2, I was thoroughly enjoying not just the scenery but also the smells. The smell of a dairy farm is associated with really good, warm memories. When I visit my broyther's dairy farm, I always love the smell of cattle, fresh hay, straw and even the milking parlour smell.
Today as we rode, I also was enjoying looking at the various flower gardens and getting creative ideas for my own yard. These will be ideas that will have to be implemented next year in 2018. I came up with ideas for unique bird houses and a unique new flowerbed that I may plant next Spring. I am a musical person and so some of these ideas include reusing old instruments, old bicycles and raised flowerbeds. As our ride continued, I realized that we had already arrived on the outskirts of Brockville. I was completely invigorated by the ride and couldn't stop smiling.
As we came around a curve and down a hill, there were two very old cemeteries on either side of the road. Hubby slowed the bike down, put on his left signal and pulled into one of the cemeteries. As a passenger, I've learned to just go where the bike takes me. I've learned to sit on the back and wait for hubby to say "OK, you can get off now." So that's what he said and off I hopped. He decided it was time for a break and a snack as we had been riding for 2 hours already. We found some rocks under the shady trees and settled down with our drinks and apples.
Due to the chemotherapy, I have to stay out of the sun. I realized that I forgot my ball cap that says "Life is good". I forgot to put it in the bike. My hair is thin enough on top that I was concerned my scalp may burn. Then I realized that I had one of my head coverings that doubles as a neck protector from the velcro of my jacket. So I pulled it up and voila....my head was covered and wouldn't get sunburned. We were enjoying our snacks, when I asked hubby if he had his cell phone. Was there any geocaches in this cemetery? He went to the bike and checked. Yes! There are three geocaches in this area. One in this particular cemetery and two located in the cemetery across the road.
After our thirst was quenched and our apples were finished, we put the lunch bag back in the bike, locked it up and went hunting for geocaches. What a nice walk it was! The geocaches were all found in nice shady areas but the mosquitoes were voracious! I love finding geocaches in the cemeteries because I always take time to check out the various headstones and get a sense of peace, serenity and history. I have to say that trying to cross Highway 2 to get to the other cemetery was a gamble. These cemeteries were located in a valley and at this area, Highway 2 was a 4 lane throughway. Hubby and I had to run across the four lanes to make it safely to the other side. My left knee was not a happy camper when I forced it to run. But again, the cemetery was so old and peaceful. Our snack/geocaching break was very enjoyable.
Once we returned to The Goldwing, we decided it was time to head back home. I still had to get laundry off the line and it was going to be supper time by the time we got back home. Again, I totally enjoyed the return ride. This time as we drove through Gananoque, you could see the cottagers and made an exodus. Now it was just the locals out and about finishing up the last of their errands. Gananoque reminds me of Meaford, Ontario and Sauble Beach, Ontario as well as any other summer tourist destination. These little towns seem to just empty out during the Fall and Winter. Many businesses rely on the Spring and Summer influx of cottagers and tourists to fill their businesses and provide enough income to carry them through the lean off season.
On the outskirts of Kingston, I heard the thwap and felt the uneveness of a flat tire. Hubby pulled into a service station with an air compressor and sure enough, our front tire was very low. We filled it with air and made our way home. Hubby will have to get "The Wing" into the mechanic sometime this week to get this looked at. I would like to hope today was not my last ride for the season. Once we got home, I took the laundry off the line and then sat with hubby on the patio and enjoyed a cold Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle. Nothing tastes as good as that! Then while hubby cut the grass in the backyard, I reheated some leftovers for supper.
After supper was cleared up, I asked hubby if he would like to go out for an ice cream cone. I have a new side effect of the chemo that is showing up. Every time I have seen any nurses or doctors, they always ask me if I have any mouth sores. Well, for the last few days, I've had a tender tongue back near my lower right molars. There appears to be the beginnings of a canker sore. Of course, ice cream will halp to soothe it. I have discovered Baskin Robbins seasonal flavour called "Baseball Nut". It is vanilla with black raspberry ribbon and pecans in it. I love it!! Of course, as soon as I mention going for ice cream, hubby is very willing to go. Just before we left, my mom called and I enjoyed a nice conversation with her. When I mentioned we were going to go for ice cream, she was in a hurry to get off the phone. I guess it was already 7:00 and she thought the store might close. So off hubby and I went to enjoy our ice cream. I was not disappointed. I will be disappointed when that flavour is discontinued for the season.
Hubby and I were looking forward to ending this wonderful day by watching my favourite series "Outlander". We arrived home and it was about 8 p.m. My brother called and it was perfect timing as I had time to talk to him and then it would be time for my show. While sitting in "The Man Cave" and talking to my brother, I saw a mouse drop from the ceiling and hit the floor with a thump. It was across the room from me but I guess I screamed into the phone. I don't remember doing that. I do remember running out the door and upstairs. Hubby was left to look after the mouse that was in our house!!!! My brother, meanwhile, was true to form and was killing himself laughing on the other end of the phone.I guess even my sister-in-law who was not sitting beside me brother could hear my screech through the phone. My brother and I chatted a little longer but then he let me go. Hubby caught and dispatched the mouse. I took off to a friend's house around the corner. No way was I staying in the house with mice!!!! Hubby set up traps and assured me it was safe to come home. We did enjoy "Outlander" but I was jumpy and nervous. I did not sleep well. More traps are going to bought and set up. Our house is NOT going to be a mouse hotel. Our cat is going to be given rations until he catches these things and gets them out of our house. Time for Frodo (our cat) to earn his meals.
The saga continues.
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