Wheeler's

In the post just below, I mantioned our trip to Wheeler's, the maple sugar farm and tourist operation that Cuppa and I found (not that I suppose that it was actually lost) the other day. At the time, I had wanted to post more of the numerous photos that we took that day. I managed to get one up using the older Hello system, but I find that the mood passes, especially when one is thwarted a number of times. (That's also why writing down blog ideas doesn't work for me; I have to blog a topic or idea while it is freshly on my mind, or it becomes stale, and I lose interest.)

BUT I did get the following photo up. At Wheeler's, they had a world map with pins sticking into it representing people who had visited from all over the world: Siberia, Africa, you name it. People have come from far and wide to this little maple sugar operation off an unpaved road in rural Ontario. Amazing.

Then, I focused on Australia and, then, one particular corner of Australia, the northeast coast — Queensland, by the Great Barrier Reef, and then on one city — Townsville. Depending on how you calculate it, Townsville has a population of only about 100 000 to 150 000, and it's on the other side of the globe — about as far away as you can get from here. Yet, I have several recent connections with the place. A couple of years ago, my daughter visited Australia and spent some time in Townsville. Now, my friend's son, a fellow whom I have twice taught is attending college in that city; and, a blogger from there, megz_mum, has lately chosen to drop by Raindrops on occasion. Quite a connection really.

So, I don't know if I was terribly surprised to find a pin in the map representing Townsville. In a way I was, and in a way I wasn't. It's a small world after all (la la la).

For your convenience (see how considerate I am?), I put a dab of yellow on the Townsville pin. But isn't it somewhat amazing to also note all of the other connections on this map?