Didn’t think it was going to happen after the caterpillar invasion this past spring. But, there’s been enough recovery and yes, the woods are in in full and glorious fall colors. It’s Saturday morning and at noon we’re going to bathe in this spectacular world with a long ATV ride through the woods. Coffee is on and I am in full prep mode.

I am not certain but believe that the Loons have left the lake, for on the radio (no television here) I hear their shrill calls coming from Washington, D.C.. I was going to describe what I witnessed this past week as a ‘circus’, but I appreciate circuses too much to slander those in such a manner. It’s more akin to One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest superimposed over Animal House. Wait a minute, I loved those movies – can’t smear them that way.

”being an ‘old’ white man I have now been dumped into some common bin by these bat-shit-crazy types who brand us with unrecognizable, nonsensical, and meaningless labels such as “internalized misogyny” and “toxic masculinity”. ~ Anonymous

Whoops, I shouldn’t have used that quote since I really do appreciate bats and think them really beneficial.

At the Movies – The evenings have gotten much shorter and colder.  The heat has been on mornings and evenings and sometimes in between. That was the setting when Marcia suggested we watch a movie. She’s knows I’d head to our collection and pick out something such as, oh say, Bruce Willis in Armageddon. Therefore she quickly continued by saying; “I’ll pick one out”.

Soon she handed me a disc; Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. It’s a true classic. I did feel that I needed to point that it has some ‘rough’ scenes and a nude scene.

“No problem” was the reply.

At some point during the first half of the movie I realized that I mistakenly had the content reversed. It became quite clear that there were some interactive scenes interspersed between the rest – all nude.

Minutes later Marcia continued her knitting – but now in the kitchen at the other end of the cabin; while mumbling under her breath words such as “disgusting”.

By this time I was totally into the movie. In retrospect I do think that I should not have hyped the ‘classic’ aspect of Kubrick’s masterpiece as much as I did.

And so ended movie night at Northern Comfort.

Jam Session (part deux) – Many of the communities in this region are slowly aging and dying. When the mining and lumber trades were in full swing these places were alive and vibrant, but time have changed and these places have been left behind. After an amazingly great Anniversary dinner Donn, Marlene, Marcia, and I, your faithful narrator, realized it was early enough to tap into the weekly Jam, held at the Curling Club.

One fellow has a deep voice coupled with a lifetime of seeing life moving on. He did a marvelous rendition of Toby Keith’s White Rose which captures the decline of the small town whether it be in the US or in Canada. Here are a couple of verses;

White Rose
And that big white rose upon that sign
Put innocence in all our lives
We could see its neon light
From half a mile out

Gas was .50 cents a gallon
They’d put it in for you
They’d bump your tires and check your oil
And wash your windows too

Strangers used to stop and ask
How far they’ve driven off the map
And then they built that overpass
And now they stay out on the highway

‘Cause there’s plywood for glass
Where the windows all got smashed
And there’s just a chunk a’concrete
Where those old pumps used to stand

Fish Fry – Last evening it was a tremendous Fish Fry held at the Legion Hall, all fresh fish from the Great Lakes. See a pattern here? Now that the season is closing eating out has become an in vogue thing.

A Duck’s rear window – has been fixed. It took a series of phone calls to locate the only person in the region able to replace a rear window on a convertible – almost a two-hour drive away. Monday I towed the little car into Sault Sainte Marie, yesterday I towed it back; fixed.

Henry immigrated to Canada from Poland and is one of a dying breed of folk. These are people who love what they do, take an inordinate amount of pride in their work, all the while are totally helpful. Should you need glass or a new convertible top installed check with Henry at JHL Auto Glass in the Soo. Thanks Henry. 

Finis – Driving to our Anniversary Dinner in Iron Bridge takes us through the Kynoch Valley. Not many cars on the two-lane but in the distance we saw one standing still. The couple inside were looking out into the adjacent pasture. There, back towards the tree line, stood a large grey Timber Wolf. Last evening around dusk a number of Canadian Geese formations flew over. These and swirling clouds of songbirds were all heading south. The Sand cranes too have pretty well left. I am told that these cranes are amongst the highest fliers of all. Hummingbirds left a while back. Winter must be on its way.

Monday Donn and Marlene too are heading home – thanks, it’s been an enjoyable summer. A summer of activities and many, many miles of walking and chatting. Or is it chatting and walking? In any case, over the summer we collected seven garbage bags of ‘stuff’ people saw fit to toss out their car. 

Next weekend Barb and Bulent will be up for a week. They’ll use it to enjoy the fall color, to close up their camp, and to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving (October 8th) with us at Northern Comfort.

Make it a great week.

Cheers.
Dirk