At six o’clock this morning I was startled from my soothing lair. The preposterous theme of the alarm was “By the Seaside“. The alarm would normally not have been so persuasive but today involved a quest, a tête-à-tête with my automobile dealership. I wanted an explanation of the carbon-coloured drippings discovered on the garage floor beneath the engine and middle of the car. This was not to my thinking normal. Nor did it strike me an especially happy acquaintance with a new vehicle.  It was exactly two weeks ago that I took delivery of the Aviator. Since then I have driven it 2,198 kms.

I am not certain which of them I prefer – churches or cemeteries.  Churches often capture the dignity of great architecture – especially if the churches were constructed a century or more ago.  The cemeteries – which in some instances adjoin the church property – house incalculable history.  I wager that a mere wander in a pleasant cemetery is assured to inspire one’s simmering poetic nature.

The local churches and cemeteries in the Town of Mississippi Mills stand in equal delight as that of the remarkable country homes.  While many of these grand homes have been converted to multiple uses, there remains a sizeable number which continue to serve as a private country residence. Though the mind reels at the mere thought of maintenance costs for these superb properties, the greater attraction is the mere sense of history that these ancient productions manifest.

Everything in the Town of Mississippi Mills is nearby the Mississippi River – whether it’s the Town Hall in Almonte, the 5-span bridge in Pakenham Township or the Mill of Kintail in Ramsay Township. Even the tiny Village of Blakeney (Rosebank) has its rapids. The River is the boundary of the erstwhile railway right-of-way which now serves as a pathway for pedestrians, cyclists, off-road vehicles and snowmobilers. Together the railway and the river (as well as the highways that are parallel to them) mark the preferred locations of homes, farms, businesses and travel.

Artist: Kevin Dodds