“Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin’, we gonna do what they say can’t be done…”
A great line by an old country favorite of mine, Jerry Reed. That was running through my head as I left home in darkness to meet with Sandy and Peter Neilly at Mickey D’s, my first stop in Port Hope. They mercifully relieved me of 1000 papers and over a dozen delivery locations. Not knowing how long the delivery route would take, nor where it would take me, I put my trust in google maps and my cellphone to lead the way. In hindsight, a good old- fashioned fold out highway map would have been wise. Sandy offered me one but I foolishly declined. Regrets.
The route took me along the Highway of Heroes to small towns along the north shore of Lake Ontario. As a youngster, my family would take an annual trip along this route to Montreal and eventually Quebec City. Later, it became an area I often visited for its bird watching, a hobby of mine since my teens. [The small images above my editorial column are drawings I did years ago]. Presqu’ile Provincial Park was a mecca for bird watchers and still is. Also of interest to me was the changing geological landscape in that area, with drumlins and eskers painting a picture of glacial activity by the Wisconsinan glacier over 10,000 years ago. Unfortunately, time was not on my side for stopping and enjoying the view. I had a long way to go and a short time to get there, so I was eastbound once again.
As I drew closer to my original goal of reaching Bloomfield by midday, I realized my phone was almost dead and I had no charger with me. Why would I need a charger? The navigational app was sucking the life from my phone. Sandy’s map flashed in my mind. Can you still get those at a gas station? Time to conserve battery life. Memorize the route and turn off the app. Though tedious, it did reduce my battery consumption, but it was a nagging source of anxiety for me. It made me realize how tied in with technology I had become.
The drive was a pleasant affair with winding roads and little or no traffic. Apart from the phone issue, l was on schedule to reach Kingston before late day traffic. With less than 21% battery power left I dreaded the thought of finding 3 addresses in downtown Kingston without my phone. I also realized that I had miscounted the number of bundles I needed to complete my deliveries. I would have to send it by Canada Post when I returned. One generous advertiser in Kingston gave up some of his shipment to offer to those I had none for. It was a wonderful gesture on his part and I appreciate it. I apologize to those I did not visit personally but I hope you received your papers.
The drive back along the 401 was quick and I arrived home exhausted after the 12 hour run. A few days rest and I was off to our Capital City of Ottawa. This time I was equipped with on board navigation courtesy of Lynne’s SUV. Again, the route took me over familiar ground, from my early cave exploring days in Warsaw, my rockhounding days near Madoc with my young family, and my rock climbing days in Bon Echo. The varied landscape of The Ottawa Valley was also created many years ago by the same Wisconsinan glacier that covered much of the province, creating a huge depression that was soon filled by the Champlain Sea. As the sea eventually retreated the delta left behind by glacial melt became the path for the Ottawa River. All cool stuff.
By late afternoon I reached Ottawa during peak rush hour,battled countless red lights and completed my deliveries. Unknown to me, the navigation system guided me along major routes only which added substantially to my journey. Now dark, and the highway choked with semis, I white knuckled it home in 5 hours. Total run time was 14 hours on this run, for a grand total of 1700 kilometres. It was good to get home.
After only a week back, I’m already planning a better route for my next run. The map is already in the glove box. It will be December and the days will be short, but I hope to get papers in hand for the New Year.
Special thanks to all those who helped me deliver Issue 152. Without your help I would be unable to complete this task efficiently. I look forward to working with all of you in the future.
Wishing a successful year for all of our hardworking advertisers, who share the same driving passion for the antique world as Lynne and I, and I’ll see you when I’m on the road again.
John