Although a “Severe Thunderstorm Watch” now prevails at the end of the day, the weather this morning and earlier this afternoon was the ideal mid-summer heat with soft, balmy gusts and brilliantly sunny skies. The temperature rose to a commanding 35°C. By chance my lovely niece Julia and her husband Matt were visiting from California (on the heel of comedic performances in Montréal). They and my sister Linda and her husband Edward are staying at a cottage near the Village of Combermere along the Madawaska River. It is part of the Township of Madawaska Valley. It is named after Sir Stapleton Cotton, Viscount Combermere (1773–1865) though for the immediate reasons why I regret to be unable to discern. He has a vivid biography.

Of more recent historic notability Combermere was the victim of an astonishing tornado – which by less than flattering chance my sister’s family experienced first hand.

Extensive damage resulted in the community when a tornado moved through the area during the evening hours of August 2, 2006. Trailers, roofs. and cottages sustained heavy damages with an estimated cost of over one million dollars from the tornado (a strength of F1 according to Environment Canada). A state of emergency was declared in Combermere after the tornado. Acres of land were flattened .and groves of century-old pines were destroyed. The same storm that produced the tornado also left about 175,000 hydro customers without power. There were no deaths in the community.

My sister’s family has been frequenting this cottage (that is, the one before the roof blew off) since my niece and her older sister Jennifer were children.  The annual outing is in every respect a part of the family idiom. Edward reported today that, arising from recent conversation with another former cottager, his family is the last of the longstanding regulars still vacationing there.

As part of our drive to the cottage today my partner Denis and I first stopped at the Bent Anchor Bar & Restaurant in Combermere for lunch before connecting with my family. It was evident unequivocally that everyone there was profiting by the pleasant weather; and, that they were all in the mood to capture every particle of enjoyment from the flawless summer day.

Afterwards when we rallied at the cottage the identical sentiment permeated the atmosphere.

Apart from this emotional content of the summer day we were overwhelmed by the topography throughout the entire 2-hour drive to the cottage. Maintaining a steady 85 Km/h we rolled up and down while twisting left and right along the uniformly well-maintained and newly paved roadways. I remarked that someone at Queen’s Park in Toronto is on good terms with the country members of parliament from Renfrew County. The adjoining farmlands and waterways made for a serene image.

Back home, the weather has turned.  The clouds are suddenly dark and the rain is pouring. I do however see the glimpse of blue sky. The thunder and lightening have subsided.