Julie & Keenan
Now Married For Three Years!
(Hey, the divorce rate is over 60% these days, it's a big deal!)
For our honeymoon in 2001 we went to Maine, which was the site of our first kayaking adventure together. For our first anniversary in 2002, we had a wonderful time on the north coast of PEI. For 2003 we definitely wanted to be on the water again, but we decided we could do without a long drive and thus, we ended up on the Baptiste Lake system near Bancroft, Ontario. What to do in 2004? Careful and exhaustive research led us to the Point Pelee region of southwestern Ontario.

PHOTOS (A new window will open when you click) DAY 1 (KAYAKING ON LAKE ERIE AND IN POINT PELEE PARK) Finally, ready to go Hey. that's where we are staying Portage marker for entering the park Beautiful flower Scooting through the small channel Heron in flight Barely enough surf to play Relaxing after a good day DAY 2 (WALKING IN POINT PELEE PARK) Southernmost land mass in Canada Together on the tip Gorgeous sunset DAY 3 (KAYAK/WALK: LAKE ERIE, MIDDLE ISLAND, PELEE ISLAND) Inviting sunrise We're going to kayak in the same water as you? Starting out from Fish Point beach Our distant destination Arriving at Middle Island Strong island foundation Barf missile The puker Lots of room at the inn Sharp teeth no match for hungry cormorants Ready to go back Snake sighting Miami mist...in Canada? Lighting the way Biggest operation on Pelee Island DAY 4 (PADDLING IN HILLMAN MARSH) Julie in the marsh Egret in flight Bald and beautiful Well, as you can see from last year the wedding tree grew a few feet. We didn't get any taller but we didn't get any wider either, so it seems our eating habits have continued to serve us well. There are always challenges in life and this year was no exception, but it seemed free of the sort of stress that carries on for extended periods of time. Maybe that's due to nothing more than some maturity and changes in attitude. Keenan thinks it has something to do with seeing the the Dalai Lama. Julie thinks that they key is eating raspberries and cream as much as possible.

There was a lot of packing to do so we didn't get going until about 3:00 pm on Friday. This was no big deal because we were spending the night in Toronto. We grabbed some chili at Licks and hit the road. The driving was good, although there were periodic blasts of rain on the 401. We stopped once for gas and an ice cream.

We got into Toronto well after rush hour and found the Sheraton on the 404 without any trouble. We headed across the street to the local strip mall for dinner at The Keg. There were two extremely loud couples seated to our left, but the entertaining Dr. Phil style relationship analyses that formed the basis of their conversation kept us well entertained.

We were in to rush on Saturday. We left the room at 11:59 (checkout time was 12:00) and got underway. After a couple of hours we stopped for gas and some chow at Wendy's and then found our way south from the 401 to Leamington, and from there to our fabulous cottage situated in the narrow stretch of land between Lake Erie and Hillman Marsh. The owners Ed and Sandy live next door. Sandy was there to greet us. We checked out the deck in the back and were a bit surprised by all the huge erosion control rocks over the beach. How were we going to put the kayaks in? It turns out that the end of the lane just three doors down has a beach on the lake and a launch into the marsh, so it was perfect.

We decided to scout the area by car, and ended up at the Pelee Wings nature store. They have the best selection of binoculars and scopes on the planet and after a lot of questions we each ended up with a pair of Bushnell binoculars, which we used a lot for the next few days. We then drove down to the Point Pelee National Park gate, but it was getting a bit late so we turned around and went for dinner at Paula's Fish Place. It was delicious! The key is the quality fish and the very light batter. We both had the mixed plate of Pickerel and Yellow Perch while seated in front of a screened patio door with dozens of finches and other birds battling for seating at the feeders in the yard.

Then it was back to the cottage, which was really more of a house. Very spacious, with a big living room and a nice dining room overlooking the deck and the lake. The added bonus was the washer and dryer, which got used a lot. We checked out a bit of the olympics on the tube, and got some sleep in the kingsize bed in the front room overlooking the marsh.

We got a lot of sleep, because Sunday was a bit rainy. This was not a problem, we were more than happy to rest up and lounge about, and make plans for the rest of the week. It was also a good opportunity to learn more about the area by car. We found the 24-hour A&P store and figured out the ferry schedule for trips to Pelee Island. Keenan managed to fire up the barbecue (also provided) and we had some tasty pork chops with fresh vegetables purchased at the local fruit stand. Leamington is a big tomato place (Heinz has a big operation there) but the tomatoes were nowhere as good as the ones mom and dad Wellar grow back in Ottawa. Good thing we brought a bag of them with us!

After dinner we got out all the maps and information and made a plan for the week. Monday...paddle from the beach down the road and head south past the park boundary, and then portage into the park and hopefully get a snack at something called the Cattail Cafe. Tuesday...drive into the park and check out the boardwalk and the southernmost land mass in Canada. Wednesday...take the ferry to Pelee Island (the southernmost inhabited place in Canada) and then make a crossing of Lake Erie to Middle Island and back. Thursday...paddle the fabulous marsh across the street.

The weather was our friend for the rest of the week. It started with a beautiful day on Monday, without too much wind, which was good since we were a bit nervous to be on a big body of water like Lake Erie. There were some small swells and a bit of surf crashing onto the rocks, but it was very comfortable and we had a nice paddle down to the portage. A young lady was sitting there on the beach reading and she directed us to a path through the shrubs. Soon we were into the Lake Pond within Point Pelee National Park. Julie had the binoculars out checking out the birds, while Keenan was photographing some turtles (the lens got fogged and they didn't turn out). As we found the narrow channel that takes you to the dock area at the start of the boardwalk. We saw a number of blue herons along the way and got some nice pictures (no fog this time). Some people on the viewing platform were taking pictures of us, so Keenan turned the tables on one man and surprised him by doing the same.

It was hot and we had paddled about 10km. Not a big deal, but we aren't really in our best paddling shape (it uses some very particular muscle groups) so it was very exciting to be able to stop for a cheeseburger and an ice cream and relax. The one challenge was the landing area near the high dock was horrible. It was made of big chunks of gravel, it was steep, and it was narrow. We ended up accidentally bashing the cattails on each side in order to get close enough to get out.

We enjoyed our burgers while fighting off the nasty stable flies (sort of like small horseflies) that think ankles taste really good. After a couple of cones of mocha almond, we were off for the return trip. Lots of cormorants and gulls kept us company on the way back. We ventured out a bit further into the inland sea called Lake Erie, played briefly on the surf at the beach, and that was the end of our 20km paddle.

Monday night we had some delicious barbecued rib steaks. We enjoyed them with a delightful red win that was a gift from Christina and David last Christmas. After dinner we sat out on the deck and slowly sipped a cold gin and tonic.

With the good weather came the opportunity to view our first clear sunset over the marsh, and it was definitely not disappointing. Every moment it seemed to get more spectacular. Herons, gulls, and cormorants flew by on their way to this place or that, and smaller birds gobbled insects, zipping along the surface of the water. And then suddenly it was gone. A few hours later we found ourselves admiring a gorgeous full moon. You could see ships and lighthouses twinkling in the distance.

Tuesday was "landlubber day" and started at the marsh boardwalk, the same place we'd stopped on the previous day's paddle. The height of the vegetation is astounding. In the few places where it is clear, there are little ponds where you can always find something interesting if you look long enough, such as turtles, or fish in the water. Part of the boardwalk is closed for repairs, so it was a pretty short walk. We drove down to the visitor centre area, and arrived just in time to catch the "shuttle" down to the tip area. The shuttle is a pick-up truck with two big carts hooked up behind. They started the shuttle to protect the park from people driving their cars down to the tip area and parking all over the place.

The tip is a neat place, but it's also a sad place because a lot of people have drowned there. It probably won't happen much in future because one of the families of a child that drowned helped pay for a very effective bit of signage that gets the message across. The reason the area is so dangerous is that the current and winds on the point force the water through the sandbars (the shape of which changes weekly or even daily depending on conditions) resulting in riptides and undertow that can drag swimmers out to deep water in a flash.

We took some photos and dipped our toes in the water and then made our way back to catch the trolley. We'd seen enough for the day, and couldn't resist another dinner at Paula's. We sat in the same place and ordered the same thing and it was just as good as the first time around.

It was another beautiful sunset and shiny moon.

We tried to get to bed early but it was hard to sleep. We were both nervous about Wednesday's paddle. These days whenever you read anything about paddling trips there are always umpteen warnings about the various dangers you can encounter, and it can wear on your psyche over time.

We got up with the sunrise. It was nice, but the backdrop of Lake Erie doesn't compete with the sunsets over the marsh. We had a hearty breakfast of oatmeal with peaches and cream, bacon, and tomatoes, and set off to catch the ferry in Kingsville. You have to reserve and you have to arrive half an hour early, or too bad so sad. They are serious about this and it makes sense to listen, because the ferry is not cheap...it cost us $32 (one way!).

It's a 90 minute ride and we didn't talk much. It was sunny and windy, and generally quite pleasant. Peering over the sides of the ship one could not help thinking about the conditions and what it would be like to soon be paddling in them. The size of the huge ocean freighters crossing perpendicular to the ferry also got the mind working...our little kayaks are going to be in the same water as one of these things?

We drove off the ferry and looked around for the launch site that was supposed to be nearby. We sure couldn't find it. So we just headed west down the Pelee Island shoreline until the road turned into dirt and we were in the Fish Point nature reserve. We stopped at the entrance of a hiking path and took a peek through the hedges. Happily, it was not 20 feet to the beach in Mosquito Bay and you could see Middle Island from there, about 6km in the distance. The other nice thing was that the bay was very calm, so it helped with our confidence.

We paddled past a nice cruiser anchored nearby, and out into the lake. The tip of Fish Point was blocking the northeast wind, so as soon as we got about a kilometre out there, the waves picked up considerably, coming at us from the back at an angle, which is a bit tricky. Keenan's kayak has a bow that is better suited to rough water, and Julie was having some trouble keeping up, and also getting splashed by the waves with greater frequency. When we were about halfway, the island seemed like it was still very far away. It has a very eerie appearance (no pun intended) because cormorants have worn the leaves and branches off a lot of the trees and it produces a spooky effect.

As we got close enough to make out the shoreline, we located the gravelly tip that was to be our landing site, and it was covered in gulls, cormorants, and the occasional heron. The surf was slapping over the shallow and rocky shoreline, but we both landed without any trouble. The birds were going absolutely nuts.

We grabbed a drink, took a stretch, and started adjusting to the stench of bird poop which prevails all over the island. Julie was not in a talkative mood after the hard paddle. Keenan was busy searching for a path through the poop-laden brush, in search of the many strange sights said to be found inside.

We eased our way into the Carolinian forest (Middle Island is the same latitude as Salt Lake City, Rome, and the French Riviera!) and it was just like a jungle. Vines everywhere, and all sorts of birds screaming and croaking. It was hard to see them, but you could sure hear them.

The man who sold us our binoculars told us that when cormorants get upset, they tend to throw up, perhaps as a deliberate attack on whatever is upsetting them. Well, one such cormorant gave it his best shot, lobbing a huge chunk of partially-digested bass at us. It hit the ground with a thud and started to think maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But we soldiered on.

We soon came upon a storage shack and some ancient lawn furniture, which turned out to be on the front lawn of the tiny hotel and casino that was once operated here by the gangster Joe Roscoe. The island was also used by the underground railway to bring slaves to Canada, as well as Al Capone for rumrunning purposes.

We took some snaps of the hotel, and checked out some sort of strange farming implement, which may have been used to help clear the brush for the old airstrip that has long since been grown over.

It was getting a bit claustrophibic in there, so we stumbled around until we could hear the crashing surf, and took long deep breaths of the relatively clean air on the shoreline. Julie was now sporting a smile and even agreed to pose for a few pictures. Then it was time for a nice lunch on the gravel beach. The birds seemed to less concerned about us, and we all relaxed together on the point.

We stoked up on tomatoes, melba toast, fruit, and cheese. This time we put all our gear (binoculars, cameras) into the hatches so we could just focus on paddling. Normally we have them lashed to the deck in case we want to use them. But we knew where we were going and it was too choppy to be balancing for photos.

There was no cause for worry. The wind has shifted a little and it was basically a headwind all the way back. This might not sound too great, but it's actually very comfortable. You can see exactly what is coming at you and make adjustments accordingly.

It was such a beautiful day, it was actually with some sadness that we completed the paddle across in under an hour. We extend it by checking out the tip of Fish Point. We had a laugh at the one lonely goose there amongst the gulls, cormorants, and shore birds. He must have arrived early for migration.

We made a lazy paddle back to the beach, and slowly packed up. It was only about 3:00 so we had about 3 hours to explore the island by car and on foot. Before leaving we came across a plant rarely found in Canada (Miami mist) and also a snake, which we believe was an Eastern Fox Snake.

We drove east and ended up at the path that takes you to the restored Pelee Island lighthouse. There's also a nature reserve with a nice marsh, where we stopped to watch a cattle egret doing some fishing.

Around the area and during our research for the trip we'd heard about a kayak outfitter store on the island called the Pelee Paddler so we thought we'd drop by and maybe share a tale or two about Middle Island. We drove right past it twice, as it was basically a little blue shack. Unfortunately, it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, open Thursday through Sunday, and we were there on Wednesday. It appeared to be closed. Keenan took a photo of their fleet, and we were off to "town" for some dinner. If anything was open!

The big tavern/restaurant right across from the ferry was open, although nobody else was inside. We each got the soup of the day, which was a delicious home made cream of celery. We followed that up with a big basket of yellow perch. It was really good, but not quite as good as Paula's.

After dinner we checked out the one local clothing shop, and wandered down the lane in search of ice cream from a stand we had spotted earlier. It appeared open but nobody was there. Eventually someone emerged from the house nearby. The pleasant woman explained that her grandchildren had deserted the stand and left her to do housework and sell ice cream at the same time.

A sign on the picnic table said "please don't feed the cat" and we were looking forward to seeing what we assumed to be an overweight beast of a fluffball, but he or she never showed up.

We got in line for the ferry. It was a really nice ride back. You could call it a sunset cruise, almost worth the $32.

When we got back Julie accomplished what Keenan had failed to manage all week...get through to the Vintage Goose restaurant, which was said to be the best fine dining in the area. We'd driven to the place (or what Julie THOUGHT TO BE the place) and it was always closed. The phone was always an answering machine. Then finally they answered, and we got a reservation for Thursday night.

It had been such an awesome day. We sat on the deck and relaxed. There's really nothing like the sound of a crashing surf. There was time to do some laundry and a big of cleanup. It's a big cottage and we'd managed to spread our stuff pretty much all over the place.

Thursday we went for what we assumed would be a short paddle in the Hillman Marsh. It turns out that it's pretty darned big! We ended up doing something like another ten kilometres. Along the way we saw all sorts of neat things. Lots of herons (blue herons and night herons), lots of cattle egrets, a wild swan (who knew?) and even a bald eagle. And there were HUGE fish in there. Gigantic carp but also enormous smallmouth bass leaping out of the water in the middle of a hot sunny afternoon.

And of course there were the ever-present cormorants. Can these suckers ever swim! For some reason one of them decided to play with us. He flapped his wings and walked on the water right past Julie, and then taunted us for about 15 minutes. He would pop up right in front, make a little tooting noise, and then dive under the water, emerging about 20 feet ahead of us. He kept doing this. One time Keenan paddle furiously during the swimming stage and got pretty close. The reaction of our new friend was to blast about 100 feet ahead (underwater!) and then he just sort of laughed at us and flew away.

We were paddling in a little bay and ran into two locals in camouflage hip waders who were busy installing a duck blind. Apparently in two weeks or so they will be allowed to blast ducks who come to rest up here during their migration. It seems strange to allow hunting in a nature reserve, but perhaps it was a local compromise of sorts. Anyway, without them we'd never have spotted the bald eagle that flew overhead. We followed his flight with our binoculars and tracked him to the top of tree where we were able to watch from a distance.

We'd travelled the perimeter of the pond and were about done when we came across three cattle egrets doing some fishing. They were a funny bunch, hopping in and out of the nearby trees. We watched for a while and then called it a day. It was really hot in the marsh and we were anxious to relax one last time on the deck with a cool drink.

It was soon time to get cleaned up for the Vintage Goose. We drove to Kingsville and pulled in to the parking lot of what we THOUGHT to be the restaurant. There were no cars in the lot. And the door was locked. Hmmmmmmmmm. Wait, what's that sign on the door..."If you are looking for information about the Village Goose Inn, please drop by the Village Goose Restaurant on Main Street."

Aha. Oho. The Inn and Restaurant are in separate locations. Eureka!

The restaurant was located and we were greeted warmly. The place is a visual delight. There are umbrellas and globes hanging from the ceiling. Hats adorn the walls. It's rather eclectic, as is the cuisine.

The waitress set about explaining the menu, and as soon as she mentioned the "Epicurious" we were hooked. The chef would prepare for us an appetizer, salad, and main course accompanied by a chosen wine, but we would have no idea what was coming. A risk, but worth taking.

The appetizer was as delicious as it was strange. Escargot wrapped in fried wontons. Scrumptious!

The salad included tender strips of chicken, and also had a bit of an oriental flavour to it. Was there an Asian theme emerging, pondered Julie?

No.

The enormous (like, huge) main course featured breaded pork tenderloin, bread pudding, and ratatouille. It all went together very nicely, but it was a lot of food. We both managed to eat just about all of it. The chosen wine turned out to be one of our favourites from Cave Springs. Keenan took some delight in adopting a sophisticated tone and telling the waitress "Yes, I know this wine."

For dessert we both got the flourless chocolate ganache cake with Sambuca sauce. It looked to be modest in size, but it was heavy going. Don't worry, it was worth finishing.

We rolled out of the restaurant and headed back for our last night at Herons' Haven. Keenan talked about how much he would miss the soothing sounds of the surf, which has since led Julie into an exploration of waterfront properties. After three years of marriage and many more years together before that, Keenan still hasn't learned the consequences of such remarks.

Friday was masterful execution of an ambitious travel plan. Get up before the sunrise, get through Toronto just after the morning rush hour, and get to Ottawa before the afternoon rush hour.

There were two quick stops for gas, one that included a Wendy's chili, which Keenan consumes like a drink while driving.

The plan worked perfectly. There were two spots of construction work going through T-O, but no big deal. The rest of the drive went great. We found ourselves home by about 2:00! Plenty of time to get unpacked, unload the kayaks, grab a shower, and then...get ready to go to the football game. Yes, a long day!

The two dads showed up at 6:45 and after a quick look at our new iron fence in the back and our new exercise equipment, we all piled into the van and headed to the game. The little community in Section G was in fine form, and dad Wellar was soon an enthusiastic participant in the "sit down" club. There are many nimrods who wander around while the game is on, and it is quite fun to get together as a group and tell them to move and/or sit down and/or come on time or don't come at all.

Ottawa played a great game against the best team in the league, but Montreal came through in the end with a blocked punt that went for a touchdown and a 23-16 victory. But it was a great crowd of 24,000 and the team seems to be getting better. But they need to start winning!

Saturday we rested up and spent the day with Bubba and Pookie watching the US Open, and of course downloading and developing pictures (well, the camera store developed them).

Sunday was visiting day with both sets of parents. We started with the Wellars, enjoying delicious tomato sandwiches on the patio, and then gave them a computer slide show from the trip. It was good to catch up on everything.

Sunday evening was the Kingstones. We got another delicious meal (barbecued chicken breast) and we all watched some football and tennis. David and Keenan played ping-pong while Julie and Trish got into the Scrabble. David took the traditional picture of us in front of the "wedding tree" which is looking good!

Monday was a very lazy day of US Open and napping. And it was the second time using our new barbecue (Julie went out and in a somewhat spontaneous fashion purchased it on Saturday, forcing Keenan to trapse around the house trying to figure out what the "big surprise" was). It was a great week. And a great year that seemed to move by very quickly.

That's it for "anniversary journal" 2004. We'll try to keep up with our daily journal for the coming year so do drop by and see us!

Julie & Keenan