Dear Honorary Loopers,
We had reached Clayton, NY, by the end of Week 1 of this year’s Loop voyage. Once we left Clayton, we really got going. We moved from the Thousand Islands in New York, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, westward along the Lake’s north shore. We moved from the US to Canada, and from the familiar (Clayton NY) to the new (Picton and Belleville, Ontario), then to one last familiar stop (Trentport, Ontario, at the entrance to the Trent-Severn Canal we had taken on our first Loop).
Though we only went a little over 70 nautical miles, I felt like we traveled much farther – not just in distance covered, but also in time (back into the past), in experiences, and in the lessons the Loop reliably brings. In a way, during Week 1 we were still “dabbling” in boat life – we stayed in a motor lodge, we had a rental car, we only visited the boat. Only by the end of Week 2 did I feel committed to life aboard Affection, and to the reality of actually being Loopers again, open to all the expanded perspectives and deep learnings we’ve come to expect from the Looper lifestyle.
Firsts
In Week 2 there were still plenty of firsts, whether “first time this trip” or “first time ever.”
“First times ever” included a tour of La Duchesse at the Clayton Wooden Boat Museum, seeing firsthand the two-deck houseboat, including the elegant outdoor dance floor with a large window into the music room so people could dance to live piano music;
a tutorial in WordPress to learn how to create blog posts (my technology learning curve continues!);
and watching a man “swim” his dog in the Picton marina – he said they go for 2 hours, take a rest, and then go another 2 hours – the dog is insatiable!
“First times this trip” included a stay in a sailing club, in Belleville, ON, courtesy of our membership in the Hillsboro Inlet Sailing Club in Florida (the bar is one-of-a-kind);
first weather cool enough to wear my Bryn Mawr hoodie (left on the boat for 9 months!); and first afternoon nap on the bow (Affection has a great bow for snoozing).
We enjoyed our first Looper docktails with Edna’s Secret and 3 other Loopers in Trentport. One of the Loopers shared stories of a new kind of housing development: houses built not around a golf course but around a racecar track! Sadly, I suspect that was our last contact with a group of Loopers: they all went together up the Trent-Severn Canal, and we went west along the shore of Lake Ontario, all alone.
Also in Trentport, we saw our first bad docking of the trip. A boat backed into the slip next to ours on a windy day. The captain reversed fast into the slip, to prevent being pushed into the other side of the slip by the blustery wind. That strategy didn’t work so well – the wind pushed his bow over anyway, and his backward momentum shoved his swim platform into the near dock. Crunch! He maneuvered out of the slip and tried again, this time yelling to the dockhands to cleat the lines his wife threw them. Unfortunately, the dockhands cleated the stern line, the captain lost any leverage to move the boat’s bow – and the stern again went “Crunch!” into the side dock! Amazingly, the captain had enough tools and knowhow to fix the twisted and bent dinghy cradle, and the dock survived both collisions.
Where We Went and What We Did There
After leaving Clayton, we traveled across the St Lawrence to the Canadian side, passed Kingston (scene of wonderful memories) and Wolfe Island, checking into Canada in Picton, Ontario. Picton is a town in Prince Edward County (PEC), a man-made island created by the Murray Canal. We docked at the Picton municipal marina, with the help of Craig, a very friendly dockhand who was very curious about the Loop. Craig lives in Belleville, a town on the mainland, but eagerly volunteered to help us find fun things to do in Picton. When we mentioned seeing a flier for a motocross event at Base 31, some distance from town, he happily gave us and our scooters a ride up the very long hill to the site in his pickup truck.
Base 31 is a repurposed World War II military air station where thousands of Allied aircrews were trained. Now a cultural and entertainment event space, the 750-acre site houses performance venues, outdoor food courts and shops, museums, sports fields, public art installations and summer camp headquarters, as well as the motocross/trail bike track. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon.
Our adventure continued on the way down the long hill, where we stopped at the historic MacCauley House and Church museum (where a Path to Reconciliation has been painted on the entrance walkway), and then we investigated the nearby Birdhouse City.
This whimsical collection of birdhouses was started by PEC superintendent Doug Harns in 1980 with one massive birdhouse in the shape of the 78-room Massassauga Park Hotel in Picton. The collection grew to over 100 birdhouses in various shapes and sizes built and donated by various civic groups, schools and individuals. Many represent structures in PEC, while others are internationally famous buildings.
A sandwich board sign at the marina led to another wonderful experience, a production by the local theater company. I wasted no time ordering tickets for that night’s performance of “First Date”, a comedy about what can go wrong on a first date.
Later that morning, while walking through town, I saw a yoga studio and booked a lunchtime class for Jeff and me. The class was great, and after class I engaged a woman in conversation and discovered that she is the executive producer of the theater company producing First Date! When we arrived at the Regent Theatre that evening, it was like Homecoming, with a hearty welcome, introductions to other board members, and hugs all around.
During intermission we read that the Regent Theatre had been scheduled to open in 1918, but the worldwide influenza epidemic delayed its opening a year. This fact resonated strongly, echoing down through the decades; so many plans were put on hold in 2020 by our own era’s pandemic.
Who We Met:
We did some “Loopfrogging” with a Looper boat, La Rea, seeing the boat but not the crew at the Thousand Island Club, and then seeing them pass Clayton while we were docked there, and we weren’t sure we would see them again. Imagine our delight to see La Rea in the Picton marina! Once we got situated, we walked over and said hello to Chris and Diane, and had dinner with them at a nearby restaurant.
We had a great evening, trading Loop stories (they are on their third!), boat stories (they’ve got their share), and tastes of the delicious Asian fusion dishes, particularly Ube ice cream made from purple yams – so yummy, and such a delicate lavender hue!
Our helpful marina dockhand Craig asked if his wife Aimee could meet us and tour the boat when we reached Belleville, our next stop. It felt like Loopfrogging to see him again, and to meet Aimee. Her career in financial fraud detection soured her on the human race, and now she spends her time caring for abused animals, making reparations for the harm humans cause. 6 cats share their house, along with a possum who adopted them – and another 55 cats occupy the barn, along with a potbellied pig and 3 Belgian draft horses (show horses, not rescues). Sad to know that there’s an inexhaustible supply of abused animals in need of love and care… but Aimee is doing her best with the ones she has.
What I learned:
Week 2 reminded me of a Loop lesson: when in doubt, say “yes”. When the sandwich board catches your eye, book the tickets. When the yoga studio offers a conveniently timed class, go to it. When someone offers a favor, take it. When you see friendly boaters, invite them to dinner. Don’t wait til next time. Don’t ignore opportunities.
One of the couples we met at the Belleville Yacht Club had known each other for decades. Alan’s wife was Jean’s best friend, and her son’s godmother. After Alan’s wife died, Jean and Alan started seeing each other, and now, in their 80’s, they are sailing together around Lake Ontario, exploring a new closeness, literally (the sailboat is not that large!) and emotionally. Jean described the painful joy of this unexpected gift, a chance to honor the memory of the woman they both loved while creating new joys together. They are saying “yes” to life’s gifts… and we are trying to do the same.
Appreciatively,
Judy