Flashback to Betty's Bog

So I haven't had any interesting travels lately but feel the need to post something to keep in the habit of writing... The week I spent in Ottawa wasn't terribly interesting in terms of exploring. I did spend a couple of hours wandering around Parliament Hill one cold afternoon looking at sculptures, statues and monuments but having already spent so much time in that city I kept the exploring to just the one day. The week (aside from a bit of time spent working) was more about visiting with friends and colleagues in town.

I had travelled with J. several times in my previous position and when I let her know I was coming to town she agreed to keep me company. J took me for dinner to a local pub one night and a wine bar that was excellent another night. I miss the craziness of my old job sometimes and J gave me scoop on what had been going with that group. It was fun catching up and J is great company.

 After making it home for a few days I was back on the road to Cornwall.

 Where, you ask? Exactly.

 An hour west of Montreal and across the St Lawrence River from Vermont. I tried to write about the few days I spent in Cornwall but there isn't really much to say. They renovated the Pizza hut since the last time I was there but that hardly seems worthy of a blog post.

 So... I'm posting a story from last summer. It makes me chuckle when think about it now and suprisingly, I laughed at the time it happened as well.. beacause sometimes all you can is laugh.

 I had been cruising along country roads between Parry Sound and Bracebridge on a gorgeous fall afternoon with the tunes dialed was up and my arm hanging out the window. These were exactly the kind of days I had envisioned when I took the job. It didn't seem fair that I was getting a pretty good paycheck (plus mileage and expenses) to spend my days touring around the province and I took a moment to appreciate that as well as the great views, warm sun and punk rock blaring out of my car. Farmland had given way to wet forest and paved road to hard packed dirt and when my blackberry buzzed with a conference call reminder I pulled over and turned off the engine and dialed in.

It was a few minutes into the call when I noticed across the road a sign, hand painted and nailed to a tree, reading..

 "BEWARE BETTYS BOG".

 Strange, I thought.

 Almost spooky. I realized how dead and dreary the woods looked. Had it been dark it may almost have had a Blaire Witch Project feel to it. The conference call ended about 45 minutes later and I started the car and pressed the gas, the engive revved, the tires spun and rocks and mud flew past my open window- the car rocked gently. Hmm. I got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side to see both tires sunk 4 inches into- wait for it....

BETTY'S BOG! I looked at both sides of the troad and see now plainly see the dark, miasmic, swampy, mucky bog. I was truly in some deep shit. Goddamn I thought, but started to grin a bit. I had been distracted by the somewhat ghostly overtones of the sign and the forest and hadn't realized the actual warning the sign was intended to provide. With my phone battery almost dead after the conferance call, and my gps having trouble maintaining a signal I managed to contact a local tow truck and convince him to come and help me out. Two hours and 75 bucks later I was back on the road, feeling 100% like the city boy that I am. Just another wicked day on the raod. Tomorrow I fly to Kapaskasing. Where, you ask? Exactly.