Christmas in Gravenhurst; Shop In Muskoka, What Do You Think When You Stop By The Woods On A Snowy Evening?

1991 Watercolour of the main street of Gravenhurst by artist Frank Johnston

CHRISTMAS IN MUSKOKA - BEAUTY IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - SPIRITS UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE WHO BELIEVE - POETRY NOT ALWAYS FICTION

WHAT MAKES MUSKOKA SO DARN ENCHANTING?

     I WAS JUST OUT SHOVELLING THE DRIVEWAY FOR THE THIRD TIME TODAY, AND WHAT I FOUND ODD, WAS HOW MUCH I WAS ENJOYING THE JOB. NORMALLY I HATE SHOVELLING SNOW. I MEAN, I REALLY DESPISE THE HOURS IT TAKES JUST TO HAVE A CLEAN DRIVEWAY; AS AN EXAMPLE TO OUR NEIGHBORS, ABOUT HOW OLD FASHIONED REMOVAL, WITH ANTIQUATED IMPLEMENTS, IS BETTER THAN A GAS POWERED SNOWBLOWER, OR BACKHOE, OPERATED BY A PROFESSIONAL, FULLY QUALIFIED SNOW REMOVER. MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER, CALLS IT "THE ART AND CULTURE OF SNOW REMOVAL," THAT WILL ENHANCE MY LIFE, IN OH SO MANY WAYS. I REMIND HER THAT THREE OF MY FRIENDS DIED, THE DIRECT RESULT OF OVER EXERTION, REMOVING SNOW FROM DRIVEWAYS JUST LIKE MINE. SUZANNE BELIEVES THAT I WOULD BE MAKING MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS, AND ALL THE OTHER ANTIQUARIANS ON THE BRANCHES OF THE FAMILY TREE, PROUD OF THEIR CONTEMPORARY OFFSPRING, EMPLOYING PIONEER CRAFT TO FREE THE HOMESTEAD OF WINTER'S SNOWY EMBRACE.
      FOLKS, I HAVE BEEN VISITED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMASES YET TO COME. APPARENTLY, I WILL BECOME A HOME HANDYMAN IN THE MONTHS TO COME. I HAVE FOR LONG AND LONG BEEN A TIM "THE TOOL MAN" TAYLOR (OF TELEVISION'S SITCOM, "HOME IMPROVEMENT,)" AFFECTIONADO, BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A PERFECT MATCH FOR MY PROPERTY-OWNER'S PASSION. IF YOU KNOW THE SHOW OF WHICH I AM REFERRING, I TOO HAVE BIG, EVEN HUGE PLANS, IN TERMS OF HOUSE AND PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS; BUT ALSO POSSESS A SORT OF DEATH-WISH SHADOW, THAT FOLLOWS ME AROUND BIRCH HOLLOW. TAPPING ME ON THE SHOULDER FROM TIME TO TIME, TO REMIND ME THAT IF I CLIMB THE LADDER, THE OUTCOME WILL BE, LIKE IT OR NOT, THERE WILL BE AN EMPTY CHAIR AT THE SUPPER TABLE. I'M NOT THWARTED BY THESE WARNINGS, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE VIRTUES OF PROGNOSTICATION, IT'S THE CASE I TAKE THINGS MUCH SLOWER, AND MUCH MORE DELICATELY THAN TELEVISION'S "TOOL MAN." I DON'T DROP WRECKING BALLS ON SUZANNE'S CAR, OR PUT UP TEN THOUSAND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TO BEAT MY NEIGHBORS, WHO BY THE WAY, HAVEN'T EVEN PUT UP DECORATIONS THIS YEAR. I DON'T RENOVATE OR RECONSTRUCT ANYTHING BIGGER OR MORE DANGEROUS, THAN SOME PLANTER BOXES AND REPAINTING THE BIRD BATH IN THE FRONT YARD. BUT I AM PLANNING ON BECOMING A MORE ACTIVE HANDYMAN THIS COMING YEAR, IN MY SEMI RETIREMENT FROM BLOGGING, AND I'M JUST HOPING I CAN FIND A DUPLICATE OF TIM'S NEIGHBOR, "WILSON WILSON," BECAUSE I SURE NEED A MORE LEVELING INFLUENCE IN CARPENTRY, THAN SUZANNE, WHO TRIES TO HIDE MY SAW AND THE ONE HAMMER AND AXE I OWN.
     I'M STARTING ON MY NEW HOME IMPROVEMENT WAY OF LIVING, EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR, AND MASTERING THE ART OF SNOW REMOVAL AND SCULPTING, IS MY LEAD-IN APPRENTICESHIP. ANDREW AND ROBERT HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE OF SNOW SHOVELLING FOR MANY YEARS NOW, BUT THEY'RE GETTING TOO BUSY AND OUR SCHEDULE TOO TIGHT, TO HELP OUT TO THE SAME LEVEL AS ONCE, GOSH DARN-IT. THIS AFTERNOON, THE BIRDS WERE SINGING, THE DOGS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WERE BARKING, AND THE HEAVY SNOW PLOWS AND TRACTORS WERE RUMBLING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE IT WAS A MILITARY EXERCISE. I REALLY ENJOYED THE LIBERATION, OF BEING OUT IN THIS DECEMBER SNOWFALL, AND WATCHING IT TRANSFORM THE BOG AND BIRCH HOLLOW, IN FRONT OF MY EYES. IT WASN'T TERRIBLY COLD, AND THE WIND WAS MODERATE, WHILE I WAS WORKING IN THE YARD. I WAS THINKING WHAT I COULD BUILD THIS YEAR, OR IMPROVE UPON IN THE GARDEN, AND WHAT TREES NEED TO BE TRIMMED AND CUT DOWN; SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAKES SUZANNE WINCE EVEN BEFORE I CUT MYSELF, OR BRING DOWN A BRANCH ONTO THE CAR. IF "HOME IMPROVEMENT" WAS STILL BEING TAPED, I COULD HAVE GIVEN SCRIPT WRITERS A LOT OF PERSONAL ACTUALITY FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON UNINTENTIONAL HOME DEMOLITION. ALL I'M ASKING FOR CHRISTMAS FROM SUZANNE, IS A DEEP WELL OF PATIENCE FOR 2015.
     NOW THAT I AM IN THE FINAL DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2014, AND MY NEW YEARS SEMI-RETIREMENT FROM WRITING DAILY, GENERAL, AND HISTORICAL MUSKOKA BLOGS, I THINK YOU FOLKS, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THESE DAILY COLUMNS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, DESERVE AN EXPLANATION ABOUT SOME OF MY CHARACTERISTIC ODDITIES. MY FAMILY KNOWS ALL ABOUT MY QUIRKS AND STRANGE BELIEFS IN THE PARANORMAL, AND THE SUPERNATURAL. I AM STILL TRYING TO READ THROUGH THE C.S. LEWIS AUTHORED BOOK, EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SUPERNATURAL AND THE NATURAL. I STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. NOT IN READING IT, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT TWICE ALREADY. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS GREAT AUTHOR (TALES OF NARNIA) MEANS, AS RELATES TO THE TWO DEGREES OF ENTITIES AND VISIONS NATURAL AND SUPER-NATURAL. AS I VALUE HIS OPINION, I'M STICKING WITH THE BOOK, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT UP MY ALLEY OF CONVICTION; OR AT LEAST I THINK IT IS.
    BACK WHEN I BEGAN WRITING BLOGS FIVE YEARS AGO, PUBLISHING TWO OR THREE EACH WEEK, OVER SEVERAL BLOG-SITES, I WAS ACTUALLY COMPOSING THE ROOTS OF WHAT WAS YET TO COME, EDITORIALLY SPEAKING, IN MY DAILY FORAY. I WAS WRITING ABOUT THE NATURE OF MUSKOKA. I EVEN ENTITLED A BLOG-SITE, "MUSKOKA AS WALDEN," A TAKE-OFF ON THOREAU'S "WALDEN POND," IN CONNECTICUT, IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE WIDER MUSKOKA HINTERLAND IN MY MIDST. I REFER TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WETLAND, AS MY "WALDEN POND," BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF WATER TO PARALLEL WHAT THOREAU KNEW, AND ENJOYED IN HIS DAY, HAVING BUILT HIS CABIN IN ITS VICINITY. THE BOG IS A WET AND MYSTERIOUS PLACE WITH A WONDERFUL FRINGE FOREST. IT HAS BEEN A WORKABLE SUBSTITUTE, FOR THE REAL WALDEN, AND SEEING AS I DON'T LIVE IN CONNECTICUT, IT IS CERTAINLY MUCH MORE CONVENIENT TO WANDER THESE WETLAND TRAILS. I AM A TRILLION MILES SHORT OF BEING AS COMPETENT A WRITER AS THE GOOD MR. THOREAU, BUT THIS SHORTFALL IN CAPABILITY, HAS NEVE THWARTED ME FROM TRYING TO REPRESENT OUR REGION'S NATURAL ATTRIBUTES WITH BORROWED ENTHUSIASM.
    I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MODERATE WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEST, BUT IN THE CASE OF MUSKOKA, I AM PROBABLY MUCH CLOSER TO BEING AN ACTIVIST BY CHARACTER. WHEN OUR FAMILY MOVED TO MUSKOKA IN THE MID 1960'S, I WAS GIVEN A MOST AMAZING GIFT; THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN A REGION BEST KNOWN FOR ITS RESIDENT RECREATIONS, THE BEAUTIFUL LAKELAND, LUSH, SPRAWLING WOODLANDS, AND AN ABUNDANCE OF MAGNIFICENT WILDLIFE. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED, IF I EVER THANKED MY PARENTS FOR MOVING US TO MUSKOKA, AND FOR THIS CONTRIBUTION TO MY CREATIVE INTERESTS AND GENERAL QUALITY OF LIFE. BUT HERE'S THE STRAIGHT-UP CONFESSIONAL.
     I SEE AND EXPERIENCE A SIDE OF MUSKOKA THAT MOST DO NOT. IF YOU DO, THEN I WELCOME YOU TO THE CLUB. IT'S A LOW KEY, NON ARROGANT NETWORK OF FOLKS WHO HAVE IMAGINATIONS BIGGER AND MORE ACTIVE THAN IS TYPICAL THESE DAYS. IT ISN'T A PARTICULAR FAULT, THAT THIS IS THE CASE; IT'S NOT THAT THESE FOLKS HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG. WE ARE ALL CREATED DIFFERENT, AND REFLECTIVE OF OUR ENVIRONS AS SUCH. MY WORK AND CREATIVE ENERGY IS THE RESULT OF A WILDLY VIVID AND VIGOROUS IMAGINATION. SOMETIMES IT'S A GIFT. AT OTHER TIMES, A WEE BIT OF A CURSE. I OVER-THINK AND CAN BE OVERTAKEN AT TIMES, IMAGINING THE EVENTS IMMINENT IN OUR LIVES. I'M WRONG A LOT OF TIMES, BUT I'VE ALSO NEVER MADE A CLAIM ABOUT BEING CLAIRVOYANT. I CAN'T SEE THE FUTURE, BUT THE WHEELS OF MY IMAGINATION, TURN REGARDLESS. MAKING ATTEMPTS TO DEFINE WHAT IS SOON TO COME RAGING DOWN THE PIKE. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, WHICH FORTUNATELY HAS ALWAYS HELPED ME AS A WRITER, I'VE NEVER SUFFERED FROM ANY KIND OF LONG TERM WRITER'S BLOCK, AND BECAUSE I WRITE ABOUT NATURE FREQUENTLY, I CREDIT THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKELAND FOR KEEPING ME INSPIRED. IT'S ALSO TRUE, THAT I HAVE A STRONG FAITH THAT THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN WHAT WE SEE IN FRONT OF US, OR SPECULATE SURROUNDS US IN THE SHADOWS. I HAVE NEVER GONE TO BED AT NIGHT, OR ARISEN TO MEET A NEW DAY, WITHOUT THE DEEPLY IMBEDDED BELIEF, THAT THERE ARE ENCHANTMENTS AROUND US, WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE. I WILL NEVER LOOK AT A SNOW SCULPTED WOODLAND, AND THIS BOG ACROSS THE ROAD, AND NOT FEEL A SENSE OF AWE, WITH A SLIGHT SHIVER, THAT THERE ARE ACTIVITIES WITHIN, AND SURROUNDING, THAT ARE OF "THE FANTASTIC," NOT EASILY UNDERSTOOD, OR SENSIBLY EXPLAINED. I COULD NEVER SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT EVERYTHING I SEE OUT MY OFFICE WINDOW, THAT LOOKS DOWN UPON THE BOG, IS THE RESULT OF A CRAFTY SPIRIT-KIND; THE HANDIWORK OF MAGICAL ENTITIES WORKING FROM ABOVE AND BELOW, AS NATURE'S ARTISANS. I DO HOWEVER, ALLOW MYSELF TO DOUBT AND QUESTION UNABATED; KNOWING THAT EVERYTHING I SEE FRAMED HERE, CAN'T BE SIMPLY EXPLAINED BY EITHER THE CLIMATOLOGIST OR THE MUTTERING, CALCULATING REALIST, WITHOUT CONSULTING THE ARTIST AND POET, WHO I FOLLOW WITH BLIND FAITH. I SOMETIMES THINK, THE ILK OF SULLEN REALISTS, AS A MATTER OF PROUD DECLARATION, EARLY IN LIFE, WERE ONLY EVER FASCINATED, BY THE MISSION TO DISPROVE, THE WHOLE RIDICULOUS FANTASY OF SANTA CLAUS. WELL, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE DIFFERENT. I STILL BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. THINK WHAT YOU WISH. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INDEBTED TO THE LEGEND AND LORE OF THE SEASONS, TO INSPIRE THE WAY FORWARD ALONG THE DARK AND WINDING PATH.
     I HAVE NEVER DISMISSED THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AND THE MAGIC THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH ANY EXTENSION OF GOODWILL ON EARTH. IT IS THE "SANTA" PHENOMENON, THAT INSPIRES SO MANY CITIZENS TO DONATE TO CHRISTMAS FOOD AND TOY DRIVES, AND HELP FUND SUPPER CLUBS, AND VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME, TO HELP-OUT WITH MAJOR FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES IN OUR HOME COMMUNITIES. I'VE SEEN THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES OF THE "SANTA CLAUSE" IMPACTING HUMANITY, TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. IN CONCERT WITH INITIATIVES BY CHURCH GROUPS AND RELIGIOUS-OUTREACH, THERE IS MOST DEFINITELY A HALE AND HARDY CHRISTMAS SPIRIT TO BEHOLD, IN ITS FULL, GLORIOUS, SPREADING ACTUALITY. IF YOU KNEW THE FULL EXTENT OF CHARITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF MUSKOKA, AS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE BROADER SCENE OF BENEVOLENCE, METHINKS YOU WOULD BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ABOUT MUSKOKA'S TRUE INVESTMENT IN CHARITABLE CAUSES. THE EXTENT OF THIS ISN'T FULLY KNOWN. MUCH AS THE CASUAL VIEWER, MIGHT DISBELIEVE, THERE IS ANYTHING MAGICAL, AT ALL, ABOUT THE ENCHANTED SCENE OF A MUSKOKA FOREST, ON A SNOWY DAY LIKE THIS. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS MUCH AT WORK IN NATURE, THAT THE BOTANIST AND SCIENTIST CAN NOT, AT THIS POINT, EXPLAIN; NO MATTER WHAT THEIR INVESTIGATIONS REVEAL, TO DISENFRANCHISE CURMUDGEON FOLK-LORISTS, FROM WHAT THEY BELIEVE OF THEIR STORY-LINES. FOLK HISTORY ISN'T CAST IN STONE, BY AUTHORS WISHING TO SELL READERS ON NEW REALITIES, AND THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST STUDIES ON THE ETHEREAL, THAT CAN NEVER TRULY BE EXPLAINED. AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. FOREST LORE IS WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE, AS VOYEURS WITH A GIFT OF IMAGINATION.
     WHEN, FOR INSTANCE, I WRITE THE OCCASIONAL MUSIC REVIEW, FOR OUR CHURCH CONCERT SERIES, THAT SONS ANDREW AND ROBERT OPERATE AT GRAVENHURST'S ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH, I ALWAYS OFFER A PREAMBLE APOLOGY. AS AN UNQUALIFIED REVIEWER, I ASK OF PERFORMERS AND READERS, TO ALLOW ME MY FOLLY, TO WRITE ABOUT THE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE AS IT INFLUENCES MY IMAGINATION. INSTEAD OF HAVING A VIDEO ACCOMPANY THE MUSIC I ENJOY, I WANT TO OFFER MY OWN IMPRESSION, OF WHERE THIS PERFORMER TOOK ME ON AN ADVENTURE, AND WHAT I SAW DURING THE TRAVERSE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY; WHETHER BY TRAIN, OR CANOE, BIKE OR WHILE SITTING IN THE BACK OF A PICK-UP TRUCK, AS I USED TO AS A YOUNGSTER. THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THEIR WORK, ARE OF MUCH LESS IMPORTANCE TO ME, THAN WHAT THE MUSIC ACCOMPLISHES IN MY MIND AND HEART, AND IT IS SPIRITED INTO AN HONEST APPRAISAL OF THE MUSIC SO KINDLY EXTENDED FOR MY BENEFIT.
     EVEN AS A CHILD, I WAS THE CONTENTED VICTIM OF AN OVER-ACTIVE IMAGINATION. I CAN REMEMBER MY MOTHER BERATING SEVERAL PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, WHO DARED TO CRITIQUE HER SON'S SHY DEMEANOUR AND HIS UNBRIDLED IMAGINATION. "TEDDY IS ALWAYS STARING OUT THE WINDOW AS IF HE'S PLOTTING A WAY TO ESCAPE," ONE TEACHER COMPLAINED, OF MY LACK OF FOCUS ON THE BLACKBOARD, AND HER TEACHING AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS. OH, DEAR ME, YOU DIDN'T SAY THINGS LIKE THIS TO MY MOTHER. SHE KNEW I WAS AN ODD DUCK AS A CHILD, BUT DEFENDED MY RIGHT TO REMAIN THAT WAY. I HEARD WHAT MY TEACHERS WERE SAYING, BUT I WAS WEIGHING OVER WHAT I WAS GOING TO ACCEPT AS FACT, AND WHAT WAS SPECULATIVE AT BEST. NO ONE WAS GOING TO TELL MY MOTHER I WAS A LOST CAUSE, BECAUSE I WOULDN'T CONCENTRATE ON THE IMPORTANT STUFF HAPPENING AROUND ME. AND I NEVER PAID THE LEAST ATTENTION, WHEN A TEACHER WOULD THREATEN TO GIVE ME A POOR MARK, FOR DOING WHAT GOD GAVE ME AS A MORTAL GIFT. I KNEW AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, THAT I WAS ABLE TO USE MY IMAGINATION AS A KEY, TO MAKE THAT ESCAPE FROM SITUATIONS I WASN'T COMPATIBLE; OR WHEN A LESSON BECAME MORE IMPOSING THAN I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH AT THE TIME. I KNOW THIS HINDERED MY LEARNING IN THE CONVENTIONAL CLASSROOM, WHICH IS WHY I HAVE ALWAYS GRAVITATED TOWARD IMMERSION IN PLACES AND SITUATIONS, I FEEL I CAN ABSORB KNOWLEDGE NATURALLY. I WOULD RATHER LEARN FROM THE STERN OF A CANOE, WITH A PADDLE IN MY HAND, WHAT THE MUSKOKA RIVER, OR AN ALGONQUIN LAKE IS ALL ABOUT, THAN RELY ON THE RIGIDITY OF THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONS; THE BOX STRUCTURE OF BOTH THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CLASSROOM, AND THE MINDSET OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, TO TELL ME HOW I SHALL INTERPRET NATURE IN THE FUTURE. I GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR TRYING TO PROGRAM ME IN THIS FASHION, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH EASIER, TO OFFER ME, AND MY CLASSMATES, OUTDOOR EDUCATION TO THE EXPONENT OF TEN; THAN FORCE ME TO QUAGMIRE, IN WHAT, TO A LARGE EXTENT, WAS SIMPLY UNNECESSARY, FRIVOLOUS INSTRUCTION. HOW MANY TIMES, DID YOU THINK, AS A STUDENT IN THIS SAME SITUATION, THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE DAY'S LESSON, WOULD NEVER BE SIGNIFICANT IN YOUR LIFE AGAIN. "WHY DO WE NEED TO LEARN THIS STUFF?" MAYBE YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN STILL ASK THIS QUESTION.
     I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A FOREST, THAT I DIDN'T SENSE IT WAS HAUNTED. NOT BY A HEADLESS HORSEMAN, OR BY BANDY LEGGED WEE BEASTIES, PLANNING WAYS TO TRICK THE INTERLOPER INTO A SUDDEN EASE AND VULNERABILITY. LEAVE THAT TO THE PREDATOR WILDLIFE, A FACT THAT IS THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTED; THEIR FEEDING HABITS ON INTRUSIVE HUMANS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD. BUT THERE'S MORE TO EXPERIENCE. A POETRY THAT IS NOT FICTION. LEGENDS AND LORE THAT ARE UNSEEN QUALITIES, THAT ARE EXPERIENCE BY SENSORY PERCEPTION, NOT BECAUSE OF A DIRECTIONAL SIGN, OR AN ACCOMPANYING PAMPHLET, THAT MAY DOCUMENT THE SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA, NATIVE TO A PARTICULAR WOODLAND OR WETLAND. IT'S NOT A CASE THAT I SEE WANDERING SPIRITS OR FAIRIES IN ENCHANTING MOONLIT REVELS, OR RANDOM HOBGOBLINS, DANCING IN THE DIM LAMPLIGHT ALONG THE NEIGHBORHOOD LANE. RATHER, THESE ARE THE STRANGE FICTIONS, THAT SPARK THE IMAGINATION; THE CUMULATIVE RESULT OF CLEVER CREATION, BY ALL THOSE IN THE PAST, WHO HAVE REBUKED THOSE, WHO HAVE WISHED TO DASH THEIR WISHFUL THINKING. I WILL ARRIVE AT THE END OF MY MORTAL COIL, BELIEVING IN THE AMAZING FANTASIES AND POTENTIALS OF THIS GRAND OLD WORLD, AND BE HAPPY, WITH MY LAST BREATH, TO OFFER GREETINGS TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL, TASKED WITH MOVING MY SOUL TO THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN.
     I DON'T LOOK OUT THIS WINDOW, WITHOUT THE SPICE OF FANTASY IN MY IMAGINATION. IT DOESN'T STOP ME FROM THE DAILY RATIONALIZATIONS, AND PASSIONS, TO GET THROUGH YET ANOTHER WORK WEEK. BUT I WOULD FEEL GREATLY DISADVANTAGED IN THIS LIFE, TO HAVE NEVER PONDERED, EVEN MOMENTARILY, THE THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT, AND WHAT STRANGE MANIFESTATION OF JACK FROST, PAINTS THESE WINDOW PANES WITH ICE; THE VOICE THAT COMES WITHOUT A VISIBLE SOURCE, THAT BECKONS OUR ATTENTION MOMENTS BEFORE SLUMBER. I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE SAME ENCHANTED LIFE, IF I HAD ONLY LISTENED TO THOSE, WHO WISHED TO BRAINWASH IMAGINATION, FROM ITS COMFORTABLE PLACE IN MY YOUNG MIND. I HAVE THOUGHT MANY TIMES, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, IF THESE SAME INDIVIDUALS, WHO FELT IT WAS INSUBORDINATION FOR ME TO LOOK OUT THE CLASSROOM WINDOW, WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION, AFFECTION AND IMAGINATION, EVER WONDERED, HOW THE GREAT INVENTORS, SCIENTISTS, MEDICAL INNOVATORS, ARTISTS AND AUTHORS THROUGHOUT WORLD HISTORY, WOULD HAVE FARED, IF THEY HAD BEEN INFORMED, OVER AND OVER, HOW AN OVER-ACTIVE IMAGINATION CORRUPTS THE LEARNING CURVE. HOW POORLY OFF WOULD WE BE NOW, WITHOUT CREATIVE ENTERPRISE, THAT USES THE IMAGINATION AS A PRIMARY RESOURCE.
     I NEVER LOOK AT THIS OFFICE WINDOW, ANY TIME DURING THE FOUR SEASONS, AND INTERPRET ITS ALLURE, AS A LIMITED SCENE. RATHER, I VIEW IT AS A WONDERLAND, THAT ALICE MIGHT HAVE FOUND MAGICAL, PEERING THROUGH HER LOOKING-GLASS, WITH UNTOLD POTENTIALS FOR EXCITING INTERACTIONS. I WISH THAT EVERY CHILD WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR DYNAMIC OF IMAGINATION THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, WITHOUT COMPROMISE, BECAUSE IT IS THE ONE RESOURCE, THAT HERALDS ALL POSSIBILITY, AND CREATES NEW HEIGHTS OF ENLIGHTENMENT; GROWN IN PROTEST, FROM THE RIGID TETHERING OF ACCEPTED THOUGHT, FAULTY LOGIC, AND PHILOSOPHICAL ARTERY NARROWING. IF YOU THOUGHT MY WRITING WAS OVERLY ROMANTIC, MAUDLIN, AND LOADED TO THE HILT WITH HISTORY AND NOSTALGIA, WITH THE EVER PRESENT INVITATION I PUT TO YOU, TO DAWDLE ON THE WHIMSEY OF FANTASY, THE ONLY APOLOGY I MIGHT OFFER, IS THAT I HAVE TAKEN SO MUCH TIME, AND EXPENDED SO MANY WORDS, TO EXPLAIN A SIMPLE PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY. I CAN'T POSSIBLY WRITE ALL THAT I WISH TO, AS I AM RUNNING OUT OF STEAM. THE NEXT TIME YOU COME UPON A SCENE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE WORLD, THAT YOU MIGHT THINK IS QUITE PICTURESQUE AND BEAUTIFUL, GIVE YOURSELF THE INTIMATE FREEDOM, THE LIBERATION OF RESTRAINT, TO LOOK AT IT, AS WOULD A CHILD, WITHOUT THE FRAMING OF FORMAL EDUCATION; THAT PRECLUDES FANTASY AS A COMPONENT OF REALITY. MY REALITY IS THAT I HAVE AN OVER ACTIVE IMAGINATION, AND FOR ME, FANTASY IS A DAILY FULFILLMENT. THE EMBRACE OF FREEDOM IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE, I SHALL NEVER DISMISS AS A CASUAL ACQUAINTANCE.

ENJOYING THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE ALL OVER GRAVENHURST - 

IT'S ALL PART OF THE HOMETOWN EXPERIENCE, SOME WOULD RATHER DEFER

     THIS MORNING, DESPITE A TRACE OF FREEZING RAIN, SUZANNE AND I DID WHAT WE CALL OUR "HOMETOWN TRADITION," COMMON EVERY CHRISTMAS SEASON; ESPECIALLY DURING THE FINAL WEEK.  AS RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF THIS HISTORIC AND VIBRANT SOUTH MUSKOKA COMMUNITY, WE WENT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LOCALLY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOME OF OUR CITIZENS WON'T SPEND A DIME AT LOCAL BUSINESSES. UNLESS THEY HAVE TO, OF COURSE. AND THEY GRUMBLE ABOUT THAT!  NOW ISN'T THAT SILLY? IT IS A TRADITION WE BEGAN WITH OUR SONS, BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THEY ACTUALLY WANTED TO CHUM WITH MOM AND POP. WE SHOPPED LOCALLY, BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES, OUR BROKEN OLD JALOPY, WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT DOWN THE HIGHWAY OR UP, FOR THAT MATTER. WE SUFFERED THROUGH SOME LEAN CHRISTMASES, BACK IN THE EARLY 1990'S, AND AFTER NECESSARY CAR REPAIRS…..JUST ABOUT EVERY MONTH, WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE FRUGAL CELEBRATIONS…..AND KEEP OUR DRIVING TO A BARE MINIMUM. WE HAD A LITTLE ANTIQUE SHOP IN BRACEBRIDGE, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO WORK, BUT EVERY TRIP WAS A NAIL-BITER, HOPING IT WOULDN'T CONK OUT BEFORE AT LEAST HITTING THE OUTSKIRTS OF BRACEBRIDGE OR GRAVENHURST. I CAN REMEMBER HAVING JUST ENOUGH MONEY, LITERALLY DOWN TO DIMES AND NICKELS, TO BUY THE LAST FEW FOOD TREATS FOR THE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION. I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP. BACK DURING THE REAL ESTATE MELT-DOWN, HUNDREDS OF PREVIOUSLY WELL-OFF FAMILIES WERE IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT. WE NEVER THOUGHT OUR NEW HOUSES WOULD DROP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN JUST A FEW MONTHS. WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD ALSO IMPACT ON JOBS AND CAUSE WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT. WE FELT SORRY FOR OURSELVES FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THEN WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO START RE-BUILDING THE BEST WAY WE COULD. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A HOME ECONOMIST TEACHER IN THE FAMILY, AND SHE STRETCHED PROVISIONS REMARKABLY WELL……SO WE NEVER DID WITHOUT. EVEN AT CHRISTMAS, WE SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO SALE-HUNT FOR ALL THAT WAS NEEDED FOR THE BOYS, AND NO ONE EVER COMPLAINED THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TO EAT.

     WHEN I READ TODAY ABOUT FISCAL CLIFFS, AND OUTRAGEOUS PERSONAL DEBT IN THIS COUNTRY, AS WELL AS READING ABOUT THE DECLINE IN REAL ESTATE SALES, THIS PAST YEAR, GEEZ, TALK ABOUT REMINISCENT OF A REALLY SCARY TIME. IN RETROSPECT, I'M GLAD WE EXPERIENCED THIS ECONOMIC CALAMITY, BECAUSE WE LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT BEING COCKY, FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE, AND TAKING ON DEBT LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS. IT'S NOT THAT WE LIVED IN A MANSION, OR ATE PRIME RIB THREE NIGHTS A WEEK, OR HAD A PORSCHE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. BUT WE STILL RAN UP DEBT ON CREDIT CARDS, WITHOUT APPRECIATING THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF HIGH INTEREST, AND THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY, OF LOSING A MEANS OF EMPLOYMENT. IT HAPPENED TO US, IN SPADES, AND IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO OTHERS, REAL SOON. ALL THE CONDITIONS ARE LOOKING THE SAME, AND I DON'T CARE WHAT THE TALKING HEADS ARE SAYING. THEY OFFERED THE SAME STUPID ADVICE IN THE 1990'S. "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY," SPEND UNTIL YOUR CREDIT-WELL RUNS DRY.

     THE POINT OF THE PASSAGES ABOVE, COMES DOWN TO THIS TRADITION OF SHOPPING LOCALLY. WE REALLY DID HAVE CHOICE AT FIRST. AFTER THE FISCAL CLIFF WE DROVE OVER, I COULDN'T RISK PUTTING TOO MANY MORE MILES ON THE VEHICLE; AND BY IMMERSION, AND CIRCUMSTANCE, OF NOVEAU POVERTY, WE FOUND THAT WHAT WE HAD BEEN DOING PREVIOUSLY, SHOPPING EVERYWHERE ELSE BUT AT HOME, HAD BEEN NOT ONLY COST INEFFICIENT, BECAUSE OF TRAVEL EXPENSE, BUT ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS IN TERMS OF THE SAVING WE COULD GARNER RIGHT HERE IN OUR HOMETOWN. MOST OF THE TIME, WE COULD HIT THE MAIN STREET, IN ONLY A FEW MINUTES TRAVEL TIME, PULLING THE BOY'S WAGON, OR A LITTLE WIRE BASKET CART WE USED TO TAKE TO THE GROCERY STORE. THE TWO GROCERY STORES OF CHOICE THEN, WERE THE WONDERFUL OLD IGA AND MR. GROCER. WE SHOPPED FOR NOURISHMENT VALUE, BUT ON A STRICT BUDGET. WE ALWAYS CAME HOME WITH GREAT BUYS, WITH LOTS OF VARIETY, AND MANY SLIGHTLY BRUISED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. I LOVED THOSE TWO STORES, FOR WHAT THEY GAVE US IN LOW PRICING. AS AN EXAMPLE…..AND THE BOYS STILL REMEMBER THIS…..MR. GROCER MADE A HABIT OF SELLING THE END CUTS OF COLD MEAT AND CHEESE, IN SHRINK PACKAGING, FROM THE DELI COUNTER LEFTOVERS. SOMETIMES THERE WOULD BE FOUR OR FIVE PACKAGES TOSSED IN THE ADJACENT COOLER, FOR A COUPLE OF DOLLARS EACH. THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF POUNDS OF EXCELLENT SANDWICH MEAT IN THOSE PACKS. LET ME TELL YOU FOLKS…..THAT WAS A BONANZA. WE'D GET THEM ON A SATURDAY MORNING, AND BOY OH BOY WHAT A GREAT LUNCH THEY MADE. LOTS OF THICK CHEDDAR AND HAVARTI, WITH ALL KINDS OF SAUSAGE, HAM, MOCK CHICKEN (WHICH WE STILL LIKE) AND SOME DELI SURPRISES. WERE WE THAT DESPERATE, THAT WE HAD TO WRESTLE OTHER POOR CUSTOMERS FOR DELI CAST-OFFS. YES WE WERE! POOR BUT AMBITIOUS. AT A TIME WHEN WE WEREN'T SURE IF THE BANK WOULD RE-POSSESS OUR HOUSE, YUP, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS, TO SAVE GROCERY COSTS. BY THE WAY, SUZANNE COULD MAKE SOUP OUT OF A STONE, TO KEEP US FED. SHE COMES FROM HARDY MUSKOKA PIONEER STOCK, IN UPTOWN UFFORD, ON THREE MILE LAKE, AND ENTERED OUR MARRIAGE WITH A SUITCASE FULL OF SURVIVAL RECIPES THAT HONEST TO GOD, GO BACK TO HER GREAT GRANDPARENTS, OF THE SHEA AND VEITCH FAMILIES.

MODERN DAY SURVIVALISTS, WHO LIKE TO SHOP AT HOME

     There was a time, and I make no apology, when Suzanne and I would load the boys in the upgraded "somewhat newer" vehicle, and take a once-monthly drive to Robinson's Store in Dorset. We have been traveling to Robinsons for years and years…..even when I was kid, and it's a place, because of its rustic interior, that reminds us of simpler country times. We have always been rabid about canoeing and camping in Algonquin, and Robinsons was always a required stop to get our food supplies. We did buy as much as we could at home, here in Gravenhurst, but honestly, we just adored the ambiance of the old general store. It's what I was writing about in yesterday's blog, regarding the old Muskoka Trading, in Bracebridge, that I knew as a youngster, and the Kilworthy General Store, Fred Schulz and family operated during his youth. Robinsons was always a trip back to yesteryear, and Dorset was the kind of village we always thought would make a good home for a rural-loving family. But you know something? I always felt the same coming back. Immensely glad to arrive home to Birch Hollow. We liked to wander, but always felt comforted, seeing our tiny bungalow, waiting for us, amongst the trees, on the bank just above The Bog. I think it came down to all these regional trips, exhausting us, and coming home desiring the familiar comforts of the same old-same old. Gradually, we just stopped motoring past Bracebridge to the north and Orillia to the south. What it means, is that we just like the experience of living, working and shopping here instead. Our boys spend so much time in their main street shop, that taking canoe excursions just isn't possible any more. This makes me a little sad, but Suzanne and I are so happy, that every one of us, has found our own slice of paradise, right here, where it was all along. The place that held us close, and looked after us, when times were tough…….the little Muskoka town that made our Christmases so charming and homespun, when we were feeling defeated and unhappy about the potential of the future. It asked nothing of us…..but gave us inspiration day after day; sometimes for me, by just looking out the front window, and seeing deer wandering through The Bog, or chickadees and bluejays at the verandah feeder……with the squirrel we called Seymour waiting his turn to eat.

     At first, Gravenhurst was, to us, a bedroom community. We worked in Bracebridge, and the boys went to Bracebridge Public School. We came home, and curled up to recover from the days misadventures, and tried to figure out the way to navigate the next few days. We had the usual bill lottery, and found enough cash to keep us from losing anything we really needed, like hydro and water. We couldn't long range plan. Everything back then was short term. What happened was immersion by necessity, I suppose, and eventually we would have the opportunity to move the boys to Gravenhurst Public School, transfer Suzanne to Gravenhurst High School, close the antique shop, and sell our rare books and published histories online instead. It was very gradual, and so was our shopping experiences. More and more we began shopping locally, and I'm telling you honestly, that today, as a result, we do ninety-five percent of our monthly provision buying in Gravenhurst. So far this Christmas season, one hundred percent of our purchase have been made here, at local, hard working, high quality businesses. Not just uptown, or in the plaza area, but all over the place. We do the same with dining out, and getting our treats. This morning we visited "The Bakery," on Bay Street, to pick up fresh chelsea, meat pies, dinner rolls, sausage rolls, butter and pecan tarts, plus a date cookie and raspberry turnover, we ate in the car, while overlooking a picturesque, frozen Gull Lake. What a beautiful scene and what delightful treats. We have one of the finest bakeries in Canada. Chelsea buns to die for. The baked treats are for the ceremonial raising of the Christmas tree, tonight at Birch Hollow. We always have food and beverage, fitting to the season, when the tree is raised to the rafters. It's a tradition. We're kind of set in our ways about this stuff.

     The point I'm trying to make here, and I apologize for using so much verbiage, is that we found a Gravenhurst business community that provided everything we needed to run a contented household. We had been neglecting home opportunities, believing we could do better, shopping elsewhere. When we were forced by circumstance, to drive less and bargain-hunt to survive, much to our amazement, a whole thriving commercial opportunity opened to the wide-eyed voyeurs. We began driving less, walking more, and enjoying what we found in our own neighborhood. Even with a short drive around town, for some shopping locations, we found out just how mistaken we had been……shopping out of the area for so long, assuming these opportunities, value, and quality wares, weren't available here. Our mistaken impression, was quickly wiped-clean, and each year, from the mid 1990's, we invested our money right at home. We're not unique in this, because many homeowners re-invest in our commercial sector. Yet there are still many who refuse to buy anything more here than groceries and fuel for their vehicles, because of the same assumption we had, as new residents…….that Gravenhurst just wasn't up to snuff when it came to variety and cost efficiency for large scale shopping. It was nonsense then, and it's nonsense today. We have bought our cars here, major and minor appliances here, and have used service technicians to fix what needs to be fixed, without feeling the necessity to shop anywhere else.

     As I explained in a previous blog, our family does have to move-about in the region, because of our professions. We are antique hunters. But even then, we range between Orillia and Bracebridge, and can get everything we need, to operate our own mainstream business venture…..driving much less than we did in the old days. Now look, we do have a huge conflict of interest, considering we operate several Gravenhurst businesses. So telling you to shop locally seems a pretty big issue of self serving economics. This is true. I'd love you to shop with us. But it's a free country. You can do what you want. Shop where you feel most comfortable. Take advantage of sale prices elsewhere, to your heart's content. But remember, the health and welfare of your home community should be a concern. Are you proud of our town? Do you enjoy coming home, after a day of traveling? Do you feel bad when you hear, or see that another local business has had to close its door, due to a lack of business? Can you justify every closure, with the blanket statement, "They didn't know what they were doing anyway,"  and close the issue, by saying "Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles." There are shopkeepers in our town, who are highly capable of running successful businesses, but are often denied the opportunity, of fulfilling their potential, by customers unwilling to take a chance on a local upstart. There are businesses in this town, on the verge of closing shop, simply because customers refuse to give them a chance. Not because they don't have quality products or provide wonderful service to their customer base. It's because of some ridiculous human patterning, that honestly, reminds me of our own family shopping, back when we had all kinds of mobility, and a crappy attitude, about shopping locally. We couldn't have cared less, if local businesses failed. It wasn't our fault. We had every right to shop where we wanted to…..and no bylaw stopped us from spending all over God's half acre. There may be readers disenchanted by these observations and opinions, and I wish I was wrong. I really do. I have talked to many townsfolk, who have issues about shopping locally, that resounds of a strange and awkward prejudice, as if their boycott of certain local businesses, is designed to teach a lesson…..as part of a feud that only they know about. The collateral damage, is that all local merchants have to fight twice as hard, to regain the trust, from the backlash of those who continue, to bash the qualifications of the business sector…..while at the same time, having little idea what the business community has to offer. Their boycott stops them from finding out.

     I love shopping. Suzanne, ah, not so much. The boys are maniacs around town, and they have many great places to buy their coffee and treats daily, and where they like to have meals out, which is different each week. As far as spreading their money around, you bet they do. We believe it helps. But we're only one family, and the support needed, requires many more citizens here, to turn on to the reality, that if they continue to ignore the needs of the local economy, they will inspire profound change in the future……that will cause serious damage to the well being, of the special place they like to call home. Spending more money in Gravenhurst, helps us all. It helps young and old, keep jobs and businesses here. It makes business expansions possible, and there's nothing like seeing a thriving business community, to inspire more commercial investment from outside the area. Goodwill on all sides, is the key to this. The business community has to win folks over……..and the work doesn't get easier even over time. Staying competitive is a relentless pursuit, but the benefits are huge. What we want to hear, when customers leave our shop, is the simple affirmation, spoken loud or soft, "We'll be back!"

     Suzanne and I arrived home exhausted this afternoon, with a van full of Christmas presents and bakery treats for this evening's hearthside tree-raising. We had an enjoyable time visiting local shops and got everything we had on our list, and a few extras. No, I'm not working for the Chamber of Commerce, the BIA or the Town of Gravenhurst. It's not a job, to promote this town. We love living in Gravenhurst, and Muskoka generally, and as such, we love shopping here as well. I don't need to get paid, to write the obvious. If you have seen us on our local gadabouts, with parcels under arm, a smile on our faces, well sir, then you know I'm not fibbing. Please help out local businesses, who employ our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, cousins and significant others. It's the right thing to do at Christmas, and throughout the year. There's nothing as uplifting, in the business sense, to see the kind of facility expansions and upgrades, that are going on at present in this town……which tells us, pretty clearly, we've got lots to look forward to in the coming years.

     As historically inclined people, buried at times in old books, and the stories they contain about pioneer times,…. and being enthralled students of regional history, Suzanne and I have talked often, about the days when shopping locally was a fact of life in this hamlet, village and town; and not so long ago. Remember the good old days? You had to count on local merchants. You couldn't drive off to the Big Smoke like many do today, on a whim, for a fun night out. The shopping trip radius was a lot smaller back then…..and our grand parents and parents survived, even with the limited shopping opportunities. Many owned their own local businesses, as well, and passed on their ventures to sons and daughters. One day soon, we may again, have to rely much more heavily on goods and services provided locally. The economy and world circumstances may force this upon us. I think we should get a head start, and begin a serious investigation, just how good we are at customer service, and provision in this town of ours.

     Thanks so much for joining me at hearthside today, for this wee recollection of Christmas past…..and the hopefulness for Christmases in the future. Please visit again soon.