August 11, 2020
This blog has been quiet as we wait out the US pandemic insanity from our new home. Things have been quite busy and as summer passes, we miss the sound of water slicing under the hull and the gentle rocking of an anchorage while sleeping.
That said, the borders remain closed and our modestly populated island on Lake Ontario is a world away from the risks of international travel. It is a safety first mentality, and with less than 100 cases of COVID-19 a day in Ontario and about 1000 a day in Virginia, where the boat is, I will wait a little longer before heading back to the boat.
Despite our lack of furniture and modest isolation, the new house has provided a nice platform for family gatherings already. We have been visited by a few friends sailing by too. Cycling here is a bit of a hassle with the need to take a ferry to do any significant distances (with only 9 km of paved road on the island, any ride on a paved road is really, really short without a ferry crossing).
The good news is that riding in the countryside is significantly preferable to anything near Toronto. It occurred to me the other day that I have been regularly riding for 50-60 km without stopping for any reason. No street lights or stop signs. That’s not to say there aren’t stop signs, street lights and the odd train to wait for, but some days they can be avoided. In some directions there are, but some areas are just that quiet!
After sitting out quarantine, we did meet some neighbours and highlighted that our home is not yet complete. Given that we didn’t expect to be making significant use of the home for a couple of years, we are light on furniture. As the neighbours entered our home, they may have been aghast by the sparse nature of the home as the previous owners kept the home perfectly laid out and spotlessly clean. While the house remains pretty clean, it is largely empty and I have come to describe it as three offices and a kitchen. Over the next year, the ‘appropriate’ furniture (aka, not office furniture) will begin to fill in the space I am sure.
We are enjoying the wildlife, the peace and even the heat. Jinhee loves being on the water and it offers a nice respite from the heat as well. Given our position on the lee of the prevailing winds and windward of the mainland, the water is very calm here.
The next update is not likely to occur until after I return to the boat, hopefully by month’s end or early September, but that’s just a guess with the COVID mess.
Some photos of the wildlife nearby . . .
I have been following your rides on Strava. Aside from the ferry crossing it is wonderful area to ride. Flat or hills it just depends on the direction you take. You are correct in your assessment of the US situation. I would not go their until strict controls are in place, the numbers go way down or a solution to the virus is found. Stay safe and well.