My dear readers of a certain vintage may remember a Canadian comedic actor by the name of Don Herron. He appeared in many CBC shows however his widest exposure came on the American country music show Hee Haw where he appeared for many years, His most recognize character was a country bumpkin named Charlie Farquharson from Cucumber Corners, a rural farming community in south central Ontario. As we travel south down Highway 6 from Owen Sound, we pass through such towns and villages as Chatsworth, Williamsford (home of the Williamsford Pie Company), West Grey, Mount Forest and  Fergus. I’m sure any of these towns could have been the inspiration for Charlie’s beloved “Cucumber Corners”.

Highway 6 passes field after field of corn, hay, wheat and soybean. Every thing is so lush and green after a lot of rain and now the heat. The wheat is golden in the fields and looks ready to harvest. With the windows down we breath deeply the smell of freshly cut hay. As the highway passes  through the towns it becomes Main Street in most places. Beautiful, mostly old stone buildings line these streets. The bigger towns have a newer Tim Horton’s near the outskirts and a Royal Bank or a CIBC occupying a sturdy looking stone building near the center of town. You may remember my first post in this series where I called this journey the “True North Strong and Free Tour” The picture below was a scene painted on the side of a funeral home in Fergus. I had to drive around the block to go back and get the photo.

Soon we are into Guelph then on to the 403 freeway near Hamilton which puts us onto the Queen Elizabeth Way or the QEW as it is know in these parts. We are now on the Niagara Peninsula, the land situated between Lake Erie to the south, the Niagara River to the east and Lake Ontario to the north. Not a “peninsula” per se but an “isthmus” it is known for numerous wineries, historic sites of battles during the War of 1812 and of course Niagara Falls, a name derived from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra meaning “the strait”, “the neck” or “thundering waters.” We have arrived at our destination for the next week, my home for the first 9 years of my life, Vineland, Ontario where we are going to visit with cousins and party for the next week. Stay tuned……..