The Killaloe weekend

27.02.2009

Well, all us Ottawa Couchsurfers were invited to Killaloe for the weekend to go to Tim's party for the radio station there, CHCR 102.9 FM if anybody is in the area.

Initially Bob and his wife Therese were going to rent a van and go out there. Not enough people were interested. In fact, it was just me that was interested, so we canceled that plan, hopped in Bob and Therese's car and headed out.

The drive out was uneventful. We chatted and I sketched some stuff that maybe I would paint later on.

By the time we got there, it was lunchtime.

We stopped in at the Lion's hall to see Tim and drop off the Lisbon Bakery buns we picked up. They are supposed to be the best in town so I tried one before we left.

This is a REALLY small town guys, there is nothing here. Not even a McDonald's *gasp*. We drove around, and the only thing open was Del's Diner. So we stopped in here for a bite to eat. I guess they don't get many visitors because the lady in charge started asking us about why we were here and what we were taking pictures of her restaurant for.

We found out the stools were "original" from way back in the day. And we also found out where the famous covered bridge is. Earlier Tim told us it was a two hour drive away! Not so, it is just down the street.

After chowing down on a lunch special of burger and fries, we headed off to the covered bridge. Yep, there it is, the Killaloe covered bridge. There were also some snowmobilers making a river crossing at the same time. Right through the middle of town, snowmobiles. Only in Canada.

Anyway, Therese was on a mission to find some "interesting forest shadows" so we hopped back in the car and looked for some. We just drove around the backroads slowly until Therese saw something interesting, then we'd get out and take pictures. Hence, all the pictures of trees that I took. That was pretty fun. I have never done anything like that before. Just go somewhere for the sole purpose of taking pictures. That was something new for me.

After a while, we went back to the Lion's Hall, checked out the radio station and then went to the party. There were a few people there, but not many. That was OK, because I was not in a partying mood really anyway. I had come here to paint! So, that's what I did.

I noticed a big white sheet of paper on the wall with highlighters strewn around it. Kids were drawing on the paper and shining a black light on it. It was pretty awesome.

Basically we just sat around and talked about hippies, and learned about the Killaloe lifestyle. Which usually involves communal living and apparently playing a lot of Scrabble. The pot luck involved people randomly just unwrapping the stuff they brought whenever they wanted, and then people ate it at random times. I don't know if this is a result of consciously living in a world without rules, or if everyone was just too lazy to bring the food out and put it on a table and announce that the dinner would start.

There were some people playing some music, and a guy with an accordion, singing about Killaloe. It was pretty interesting.

Bob and Therese's friend Susan from Merrickville showed up, as it turns out, she is one of Tim's exes. (Of which he has many...) She brought some amazing pumpkin cake and caribou stew, she runs a profitable little organic squash farm out in Merrickville somewhere.

After the party, we headed off to Tim's house for a sleep. He has got to have the most crazy house I've ever seen. As soon as I walked in I had flashbacks from Yellowknife and the crazy cabin murderer.

Tim lives off the grid with solar panels, and a water pump that you have to pump with your feet on a seesaw like mechanism. There's all kinds of clutter around, presumably for all the strange inventions he concocts.

He said that I could sleep in the bed behind the wood stove where it is warm. But there is also a giant window there. As I am getting changed, I look out the window, and I either see someone run by, or else it is my reflection, scaring me. Whatever it is, I scream and run upstairs with my blanket to sleep with Bob and Therese in the attic. I know I know, DON'T go upstairs, isn't that what you always scream at the victim in those horror movies? But, I had to. That window was way too scary.

As I was moving the blankets upstairs, Tim walks in the door and I burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, I thought there was someone outside that window! I can't sleep there, I'm way too scared!"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh kay"

I run upstairs and set up my bed. I am just about to drift off to sleep when I hear some very strange thumping coming from downstairs.

Therese: "What...is that?"

Me: "I...don't...know" I peek out the door and notice Tim doing something weird by the stove.

Me: "Tim, what are you doing?"

Tim: "I'm pumping up the house!"

Me: "Oh, what do you mean by that?" Trying to conceal my quivering voice.

Tim: "Well, I have to pump the water so it goes upstairs to the bathroom"

My fear subsides, and suddenly I feel terrible for flushing the toilet...Phew.

Me: "OK, goodnight Tim!"