Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Somewhere Else


Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car. ~ E.B. White

On one of my trips up here before I actually settled in, we took a little drive to a nearby town or two.


Whitney
This is Whitney, Ontario. It sits at the southern point of Algonquin Park - Canada's oldest provincial park.





Mad Musher
We were late getting started so we stopped at The Mad Musher for lunch. It was rather costly to eat there but the food was decent enough.





chair shadow
The sun poured in through the window prompting me to photograph the shadows across the chair.





Madawaska River Whitney
The other side of that window provided a pretty view of the Madawaska River.





all in one
You know you're in a small town when one small building houses the grocery store, credit union and Sears outlet.





lake kamaniskeg combermere2
This is a lookout point over Lake Kamaniskeg in the town of Combermere. And they really do mean "look out." The edge of the boulder on which we were standing drops off to the highway below. It was a pretty sight but I'm not crazy about heights and this one was pretty vertigo-inducing. Coincidentally, Tom Petty's Free Falling is playing on the radio as I type.






lake kamaniskeg combermere vertigo
One last look in the other direction before we crawl out of here.





best perserve ever
This image will probably make Frank's sister, Theresa smile. One summer day, about four years ago, Theresa, her husband Evan and I took a drive through the towns surrounding their family cottage. We stopped in a few places and looked around at general stores, antique shops and other spots. One of those stops resulted in the purchase of this unusual Jam. It was pale pink (this one, not so much) and the lady in the store suggested we try it on crackers with cream cheese. So we bought some. Theresa and I opened up a bottle of Malbec and dressed up a few crackers as suggested by the lady in the store. We almost finished the whole jar. It was amazing! The problem was that we had no idea where it was that we stopped and found it. I have been on the lookout for it whenever I see homemade jams ever since. So, on this road trip, Frank brought me to a store where he had seen a huge display of homemade jams the week before, and while I was scanning the labels, he spotted this lone jar on a low shelf. It was the last one that they had but after I told the store clerk that I had been looking high and low for this jam, she took the name down and said that she would tell the person responsible for making them and that there would probably be more at some point. Yay!






drive by
Heading back toward home, a drive by shooting of the scenery around us.





clouded full moon
I'm cheating here a bit because this photo was actually taken a few days earlier but who can resist a full moon on the rise over the trees and across the bay? Not I.

More coming up in a few days.

53 comments:

Scott Law said...

That looks like a wonderful place to visit, and I'll bet the crackers with cream cheese and Zesty Red Onion Jam would be a treat indeed.

ashok said...

what a beautiful place...wonderfully captured by your camera!

Cloudia said...

mmmmmmmmmmmmm!



ALOHA to YOU
from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3

Jackie said...

Love small towns...
Love 'em, AND I share your love for jams that are delicious and unexpected. I'm so glad you were reunited with the name and flavor of the jam you enjoyed.
Your photographs are splendid, as always. I love it that "Freefalling" was playing. Perfect!

ADRIAN said...

A good look round.

We call the jam onion marmalade. It is easy to make and goes well with most meats and cheese. It can be eaten either hot or cold.

Bob Bushell said...

That was a beautiful trip around the town and the countryside. There weren't many cars, why?

Along These Lines ... said...

Ha! Who wouldn't want to try a restaurant called "The Mad Musher"

Brian Miller said...

free falling is one of my fav songs....ha on the small town store, i love those places though...and the shadow on the chair is really cool....

Anvilcloud said...

A few years ago, I got gas at the place down the hill on the right in that first picture.

Country Girl said...

You live in such a pretty area. Thanks for showing us around. Yeah - that rock overlook would have given me the heebie jeebies, too. I love pepper jam, and this looks pretty similar. xo

Theresa said...

Thank you for the tour of your divine part of the world. I had to laugh at the multipurpose building. In the next town over,for a long while, we had a hardware store/state liquor store. Could I have some 2 penny nails and a bottle of gin please....
Lovely moon shot.

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos. It has been a few years since we visited Whitney and Combermere. IN fact many years ago we looked at buying a business in Combermere. That is an unusual jam, glad you found another jar to enjoy.

EG CameraGirl said...

The Zesty Red Onion Jam sounds delightful!

The Furry Gnome said...

Hope you're enjoying life out in the country!

DJan said...

I always love to see your pictures, HIlary. That moon shot is exceptional! Glad you "cheated" with it. And I do hope that jam is the one you remember. It's so nice to be exploring a new environment, isn't it? :-)

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice, the jam sounds fun. I have found a few I enjoy lately.

TexWisGirl said...

awww, hopefully you'll have a case of that jam, soon, so you can ship part of it off to theresa's house. :) must be darn good. i've seen the jalapeno jam that is eaten much the same way, but never red onion.

i think the 'no name' is interesting. i'm guessing that's like saying everything is generic?

Gary's third pottery blog said...

STUNNING scenery :) Good time to visit, with end of fall colors, right? I was talking with someone from near there this weekend who was telling me "OH GOD, the size of the mosquitos!" and a friend who is a retired Toronto cop told me last year "I moved to Lake Erie because I wanted waterfront, but north of Toronto is too cold and too buggy!". Therefore, perfect time for you to go to the wilderness....

Red said...

Not enough credit is given to the little towns that cling to life by great ingenuity when they combine groceries, credit Union and Sears. Here these little towns become farmer's fields.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

I love small towns and the treasures that they present. My daughter went to college in a very small town. They had a farm supply/fabric store/bank all in one building across from the pharmacy/cafe/hardware store. Always something interesting and fun.
The photo of the moon is just spectacular........sigh. Oma Linda

Gail Dixon said...

I am really enjoying these beautiful photos of your locale. LOVE all the fall foliage. The jam sounds and looks delicious. I wonder if it's similar to our jalapeno jelly?

stephen Hayes said...

I realy need to make a determined effort to visit your corner of the world. Your pictures make everything look so beautiful. Take care.

Tabor said...

You seem to have moved to Paradise.

Hena Tayeb said...

lovely scenery. I love the freshmart no name

Daryl said...

while i know nothing about making jam 9or birthing babies) it looks like there are only a few ingredients .. why not try making some???? let me know how it turns out

Rob-bear said...

You're bringing back memories of my travels to Algonquin Park from my much younger days! Love that "Shield" country, and would love to be living there, among the rock, rivers, and trees.

Blessings and Bear hugs!

Mage said...

What a lovely place to move to. How close to a big city? I would worry about medical stuff.

L. D. said...

I really enjoyed visiting the area. You are is a beautiful location even if the town is full of small businesses. Thanks for sharing it.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Beautiful scenes.

messymimi said...

It looks like you are moving into a very nice area, as i suspected.

JC said...

Love the colors of the "Mad Musher". Love the pictures. How are your renovations coming along. Mine are slow as molasses in winter.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Love the shadow stripes on the chair. For some reason, I'm now craving some Hershey's Hugs. Some of the scenery shots remind me so much of my childhood vacations in Ontario. The moon shot is fabulous.

A possible substitute for the red onion jam is raspberry pepper jelly. Our mutual friend, Sandra, introduced me to this several years ago. Just put out a block of cream cheese, pour the raspberry pepper jelly over it, spread the mixture on crackers, and enjoy. It's wonderful!

yaya said...

I'm not fond of heights either, but like you, I'd probably risk a little heart palpitation to get the shot! Pretty fall colors! That jam reminds me of pepper jam that we get here...mix it with cream cheese and dipping chips and it's addicting! Love the moon shot...I need a better camera for that...thanks for the fun pics!

Glo said...

Wonderful photos of the countryside ~ got a kick out of the one-stop-shop! I've seen one around here that has a drycleaning drop-off, a UPS pickup, and something else all in one.

I don't like the look of that cliff...I'd be way back...but liked looking at the view from here :)

Anonymous said...

j'adore ce cliché avec cette chaise et sa lumière

Catherine said...

I do enjoy my visits to Ontario via your posts. It's a very different world to mine and all the more welcome for that!

Leah J. Utas said...

Thank you for the lovely drive.

Unknown said...

That was some beautiful scenery, and I'd love to poke around in some of those shops. You never know what you're going to find.

Wendy said...

Love that moon shot! Looks like you've been having fun seeing the sights and enjoying some drive-by shootings. LOL.

You could try StoneWall kitchens for the jam. They are based in the States, but some Canadian shops carry their wares.

Haha - funny seeing my maiden name on that general store (Charbonneau).

Nice location - close to Algonquin Park. I've never been there, but hopefully one day…
Hugs

Hilary said...

I love the countryside.....what a beautiful place you live in....wow.
We have been eating hot pepper jelly on crackers with cream cheese....and it is very addictive. I have the recipe for that one.

Laura said...

Beautiful series Hilary… I love the mystery of those shadows on the chair… you have such an artistic eye! The countryside is lovely… enjoy each day in your new home.

Unknown said...

Nice. I love driving through old quiet towns. There is something warming and cozy about it.

Suldog said...

As always, your photography is superb and makes me want to be all of the places you were.

Liz Mays said...

I would be terribly nervous on that lookout point too. Yikes! I wouldn't have ever thought to try that jam until you mentioned it here. Now I want to do so!

Your photography is mesmerizing to me!

Anonymous said...

What a picturesque town!

A Cuban In London said...

You find beauty in the most unusual places. I love that shot of the chair. Magical.

Greetings from London.

Anita said...

I'm with you on the height thing! In my next life, I hope to comfortably walk over tall bridges, lean on hotel balcony railings on the 25th floor, etc.

When I saw the view from the restaurant, I justified your expensive meal a little more. :)

Glad you found the jam! That doesn't happen often under the circumstances.

Tammie Lee said...

so wonderful to have glimpses of the places you have been.
the onion jam sounds yummy.

Betty Manousos said...

that moon photo caught my eye!
simply majestic!
the zesty red onion jam sounds delicious!

Barbara said...

I love driving around to those small towns with you. How awesome that you found the jam!!!

SandyCarlson said...

What a beautiful place. Your photos of your part of the world always intrigue me. I see what Ontario has in common with here but I also see--immediately--the differences. Your images remind me that the world is a big place.

The vertigo-Tom-Petty connection made me laugh. I am no fan of heights!

lime said...

that moon shot is FABULOUS! just gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

I'm the same way with heights, so I can totally relate. So funny about the "No Name" shop!