Rideau Antiques, The Shots

Some shots you take to record an event. That's what I mostly posted yesterday: photos to show what the place was like, joust how crammed it was etc.

But even then, sometimes you can find shots that have some photographic merit. Maybe that's overstating it, but photos you like better than the rest.

These are a few that appealed to me.

The proprietor looked up just as I was shooting a candid.

There's something about the stacking of these crates.

I liked this collection of pop bottles.

Seeing doors through a propped up door appealed to me.

Ladders, ironing boards, and doors

Jars in b&w

Sign, shapes and textures

An old tractor by the corn field

A cow with its feet in the water trough

Okay, I'll stop now.

Rideau Antiques

We had heard about this place, Rideau Antiques, and that it was quite the place with all sorts of stuff all over the place. So, as part of the recent birthday week, we made the hour-long trek one fine day. As you can see (well sort of see) on the map below, it is located near Rideau Ferry which is kind of between Perth (top left) and Smiths Falls (top right).

Google Maps don't copy well, but if you click this link, it should open to the proper map that you can scroll around. If it works right, Rideau Antiques is in the middle of the ma and starred. https://goo.gl/maps/Wr23S4oxWXz

I thought I was prepared for the amount of clutter and stuff, but I underestimated. The amount of stuff was overwhelming. This is what you see at the entrance to the property.

Just inside the entrance.

The stuff goes all around the place on all sides. I mean, I could show dozens of photos, but it goes on and on.

Then we decided to go into the house.

Inside was just like the outside, only maybe more so. The amount of stuff was incredible. Aisles were very narrow and sometimes impassable.

There is a barn across the road that is also filled to the brim. Sue couldn't squeeze much past the door.

If you're in the area, it's something to behold.

Music in the Park

An acquaintance of mine came across someone playing music in the park one night, and he thought that it was the type of thing that should be organized into a regular event.

So he did something about, and worked with town hall to make it a reality.

Together, they were able to organize three Thursday nights in August, two of which we were able to attend. The first was on a very warm night and the last on a very chilly night. Sue had to wrap up well in order to survive, and even then we didn't make it through the final act.

The first couple on the second evening played fun older hits such as King of the Road, which I was able to sing along to, thus showing my age.

They were followed by a string trio, which for the most part played a more classical style, but they played a variety too. The violinist, who is giving me a bit of a stink eye in this photo, was actually a student of mine in my first year of teaching way back in 1971-72. Oddly, I remember him more than he remembers me.

The third act was a father-daughter pair, who were quite talented.

Sue took some video clips of this third group, and I spliced them into one montage.

Hopefully, Thursday Night Music in the Park will resume next year and become a tradition.

Middleville Museum, Part 3

I am not going to post much more of the museum, but I wanted to highlight this display and anecdote that caught my eye.

Ho hum, it's just another artifact: a silly, old ox cart.

But it was the description that caught my eye. I will post it below, but it's a description of a couple took in a cart just like this all of the way across province to Sarnia.

This was so interesting to me because we moved here from Sarnia which is on the western edge of the southern part of the province (we're in the east). Although Shauna could make the trip in less time by flooring it and hardly stopping, the trip would take Sue and me about 8 hours — on modern highways in a fast, comfy car.

I can barely fathom making the trip in ox cart along rutted roads. If you read the notice below (and you can click to enlarge), you will see that it took that couple about 40 days. The mother died there, and it doesn't say how the father travelled back, but there was no railroad in the 1840s.

Middleville Museum, Part 2

If I recall correctly, it was a picture of this car that attracted me to the museum in the first place. It's such a unique specimen.

According to the signage, it's a 1918 Chevrolet Model T Truck although I have never before heard 'Model T' being applied to anything other than a Ford. What an interesting conversion into a bus.

Here's another photo from the side.

And a b&w version

There was also a Ford Model T, this from 1923, which I took from two points of view. But I'll spare you the b&w conversions.

Here's an inside shot: not exactly built for comfort.

And while I'm at it, here's my dad beside my grandfather's Model T. Of course, I have posted this sometime in the distant past.

And one more with Dad and the Model T, which actually looks like a different model.

Middleville Museum, Part 1

I hadn't heard of the Middleville Museum until saw saw a link on Facebook. It's only open for a few hours in the afternoon Friday through Sunday, so at the beginning of birthday week we found an opportunity to visit.

Middleville, so named because it is located near the geographical middle of Lanark County is a pleasant 50 minute or so drive from Carleton Place in an area settled primarily by Scots who were unfortunate enough to be granted this miserable land. When I say miserable, I am thinking its relative isolation away from good waterways on rocky land that was not very conducive for pioneer farming. Of course, it's pretty enough to be attractive in this day and age.

The museum has dedicated itself to feature the early settlement history of the area. We found it to be delightful.

One of the first things we saw was a complete one-room log cabin has been reconstructed inside.

And here's a hearse with a manikin representing this actual attire of a diminutive lady who lived in the area.

And what would a Canadian pioneer museum be without including a sleigh for winter travel?

I loved this door to the old general store. A new store was built in the mid-forties, but now there is no store because Middleville is a very small place, making it difficult to support a store in an era when people are very mobile.

There was quite a lot more, and I will make at least one more post on this very interesting place.

Threescore and Ten

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.    Psalm 90:10

Well waddayano? I achieved the biblical milestone, and I am pleased to have done it. Seventy seems to stand out as a rather prominent birthday, and although I am hoping to celebrate a few additional birthdays, and perhaps reach fourscore years or more, to some extent I see additional years as gravy.

As has become our wont over the years, we attempt to make the whole birthday week somewhat special. By this, I don't mean that we do particularly outstanding or opulent things, but we do try create a somewhat celebratory mood and to do more than would be the norm in a typical week.

As things unfolded, we visited a rural museum and a rural antique establishment on separate days, and I reserve the right to say little now but more later.

There were both a restaurant breakfast and a lunch in town as well as a lunch at East Side Marios in the city.

One wonderful morning, I went for a walk to the neighbourhood park. I knew the kids would be there and thought it would be fun to see them. Before I knew it, they were running across the park shouting my name and bestowing great hugs upon me. While JJ returned to playing with 2 friends, Danica stayed with me on the park bench. When it seemed time to leave, she didn't want me to go, so I said if it was okay with her babysitter, she could come home with me for awhile. So she did, holding my hand all along the walk. Priceless and certainly a hilite of the week.

Also, as tennis fans there was the US Open, the first week of which is not always terribly riveting, but with the Canadian kid, Denis Shapovalov, making such a splash, we really enjoyed watching him play. As an 18 year old, as I write this, he has advanced to the fourth round, the youngest to achieve such a result in a very long time. Edit: He lost in the 4th round in three straight sets, but it was close, each going to a tiebreak. Quite commendable.

So, it was a very satisfying week, but now I propose to record more of the actual birthday, which was September 2nd. After enduring cold and wind on the previous days and close to an overnight frost, the day was filled with sunshine and warmth. This is made all the more special because as I sit here and type (on Sunday), it is raining with more slated for tomorrow and later in the week.

When I went downstairs for breakfast, I thought I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I went outside to check it out and sure enough, this was on the door.

They had also done the garage door. This is a pic from later on with the kids. They had done this by stealth on the previous evening.

On that gorgeous afternoon we went for a walk by the river in Almonte and enjoyed what could be the seasons last ice cream cones, with a milkshake for JJ.

Of course there were gifts and dinner (out in this case) and cake.

And a game after cake.




It was a great day to end a great week. I am blessed.