Since I know at least one of you eager beavers out there has googled Wiarton, I thought it was time to include a few pictures to make you all just a wee bit envious.
Top left – a homemade hamburg grill on wheels (hopefully John does NOT get any ideas!). By the way, that was lunch yesterday. They’re feeding us well!
Center top – the old train station that is now the welcome center in the park where we’re camping. It’s as beautiful inside as it is outside (although we haven’t been able to thoroughly check it out as they are never open after happy hour – maybe this weekend…)
Top right – If my camera lens was wider you might also have seen Tillie camped in this photo about 50 feet from shore (to the left, not the right). The “permanent” lady campers in the park have taken on the project of doing flowers along the shoreline path. A wonderful place to take a stroll (that is if you haven’t been wearing lead weight steel toed shoes all day!)
Bottom left – This is Canada’s famous Wiarton Willie who, on Feb. 2nd, just like a groundhog we know in the states, comes out, searches for his shadow, and decides if Canada can breathe a sign of relief and only have six more weeks of winter. As opposed to Phil, Willie is a white groundhog (camouflage for the snow perhaps). And, while this may not be the best photo, locals tell us most folks never get to see him at all so this photo is a BIG deal.
Bottom center – Willie lives next to the library (just across the street from our campground) where all donations are gladly accepted. Who knew we would one day be sleeping just down the street from a famous groundhog?! How many of you can put that in your resumes?
Bottom right – A stone statue in our park is dedicated to the original Willie. The current Willie, by the way, is really a girl. (Perhaps that’s why there’s a comb – see first photo - next to her groundhog hole…)
By the way, our internet connection comes to us thanks to ReMax, the local realtor. Tillie did her usual slow drive-by of the neighborhoods but couldn’t find a stray, unsecured network. (John always gets nervous when I insist we try this. For some reason he thinks a slow moving yellow VW bus with the passenger holding a computer in her lap might put a Neighborhood Watch program on high alert…) Realtors, on the hand, WANT you to be able to look on line at the properties they have for sale. Keep that in mind when next you’re travelling…
