Still Friday 20 December

We left for Sarnia at 1.00pm and arrived about 3.30pm. There was no freezing rain, fog most of the way, some rain but the temp stayed between 1º  and 3º , which meant it didn’t freeze on the road.

We drove around the town, having a look at the areas where Steve grew up, went to school, worked, played, down to the lake, although we couldn’t see much it because of the misty conditions, just the edges which were already icing over. Over to the other side to the edge of Lake Huron.  Already “icebergs” are forming at the edge where the lake begins to freeze.  We could see over to the US side, which looked very close.

We went to the two bridges that connect to the US, one for each direction – very impressive structures. Most pictures are from inside the car because it was too cold and wet to get out! Boats are lifted out of the water and shrink wrapped for the winter – stored in multi level frames; otherwise the freezing lake would crush them.

After a light meal at Tim Horton’s, we drove along the park to see their beautiful display of lights and then went to the Mall, just to do some walking because we’d been sitting so long in the car.

We arrived at Steve’s brother and sister-in-law’s place, Cec and Vera, and soon others began to arrive. Vera decorates almost every square inch of their home with Christmas and they have two magnificently adorned Christmas trees. Very Dutch-style decorating and a lovely, cosy house; entertaining was down in the basement and the room was soon full of people.

It was great fun talking with all the lovely men and women and partners who make up Steve’s family. His eldest sister, Margaret, turns 80 next year. It was Vera’s 70th birthday, so the Dutch tradition is for the family to all gather at the birthday person’s home; she had to provide all the food and even her cake. However, I’ve just realised there was no singing of Happy Birthday or candles etc.

We left by 9.15; it was pretty dry for a while; the rain started a little way into the trip and followed us to about 10 mins out from home, when the temperature dropped to 0º  and the road started to ice. By the time we were home at almost 11.30, we had to be careful walking from the car because it was very icy already. 

Thank God for a safe trip!