Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Country Roads

After our memorable welcome to Ontario, we continued east towards the Waterloo Region where we would meet Art's cousin Sonjie.

We were astounded by how much water was around us as we drove. Lakes, bays, creeks, rivers, ponds...and islands! Some no bigger than a house, but an island all the same (at least according to our GPS unit, Connie II).



If you look closely at this photo, you will see a house or two, even on the very small islands!

We then encountered farmland. We have always enjoyed driving through farmland. It has always impressed us as being peaceful scenery. But there was something different about this area, something extra special. There was the usual corn and wheat, there were the usual barns and silos, but there was also a glorious abundance of carefully tended flower gardens and bountiful vegetable gardens planted around the farm houses. And all the yards were neat and extremely tidy. There were lines and lines of laundry billowing in the wind behind what we later learned were century old farm houses. There were signs with images of horses and buggies. And then there were the horses and buggies themselves.

Ah, yes. We were in Mennonite country.

The ancestors of the current southern Ontario Mennonites first came to Canada from Pennsylvania during the American Revolutionary War, and there continues to be a significant Mennonite population in the area.

Art and I would like to thank them for one of the most enjoyable drives out in the country we've ever had!




--- Barbara
Day 51 (in Caraquet, New Brunswick)
Total miles: 5,823

1 comment:

Bob and Di said...

Connie II? Connie II!!! You mean to say (actually to NOT say!) that you abandoned Constance who charted our course to the Klondike, to Mt. McKinley, to Homer, and home again??? Say it ain't so...