Our One-Night-Stay Getaway Vacay Day!

  Doralyn and I had most of last week off and this is how we spent it!

Doralyn, being photogenic in Chapters.

   On Wednesday, we went to the movies and took in "The Grand Seduction", a Canadian movie about how a small maritime fishing harbour tricks a young doctor into taking up residency there so that they can procure a contract to have an oil industry by-product refining factory move and, basically, save the harbour. Great movie!
   Afterwards, we ended up in one of our favourite stores, Chapters, for a look-see!
   We spent about forty minutes in the parking lot at the Keg next door, hoping to pick up my son, Bryant, after work, but the young lad had totally forgotten our magnanimous ride offer and left with a co-worker. Too bad!
   The following day, we had decided to take advantage of a gift certificate for a one-night stay at the Benmiller Inn I'd given Doralyn for an anniversary present four years ago! Now, we'd talked a couple of times about using it but the timing just never seemed quite right and then, in the middle of all that, a tornado blew through the Benmiller area a couple of years ago, damaging parts of it. Last week, however, the timing just seemed right.
   The Benmiller Inn is situated on the Maitland River in southwestern Ontario. It was originally a mill but was converted to an inn back in the early seventies. It prides itself on providing a little bit of luxury in the midst of a rustic setting and has a very high reputation in the area.


Our private little patio area,
Maitland River in the background.

   We arrived there in the middle of the afternoon and very quickly realized we'd forgotten swimsuits, necessitating a quick trip into Goderich, a nearby and very picturesque town on the shore of Lake Huron. Managed to pick out a couple of suits in record time and then headed back to the inn.
   We got back just in time to get changed for dinner ("casual business attire"--whatever that is) and headed over to the main building. Not only did they renovate an old mill but they also purchased a couple of surrounding old houses and converted them as well so the whole resort has a bit of a "spread out" kind of feeling.
   Dinner was magnificent, the roast beef was to die for and the salads and desserts were wonderful. We actually couldn't finish our meals. No pics unfortunately, as we were attempting to be "grown up".

The pool, from above.

   After dinner we got changed into our brand-new swimsuits and headed down to the pool. The pool area is awesome as well but we actually found the water to be a little too cool so opted to luxuriate in the hot tub before returning to our room.
   We kind of spent the rest of the evening relaxing, watching the Ontario election results and enjoying being together. We set the alarm for early so that we could get up, grab some breaky and then hit the surrounding trails the next day.


Doralyn at breakfast.

   Breakfast was just as awesome as dinner the night before. I had an omelette and sausages and Doralyn had French toast. One the impressive things about the dining experience at Benmiller was their willingness to satisfy Doralyn's requirements for gluten-free food. At both meals, they were able to provide us with all sorts of gluten-free options. As well, the food is all local and fresh!



Me, at breakfast.

Part of the dining room.

   
After breakfast, we headed into the nearby Falls Conservation area. Normally there is an entry fee but we had been told that Benmiller guests get in for free just by producing a room key. When we got there, though, the entry gate was
 not being manned and, instead, there was a quaint little "man" set up there to take your "honour" donation.

   We walked for about thirty minutes before we arrived at The Falls. They are a succession of fairly shallow rapids in the Maitland River and are very scenic. There were actually a couple of fly fishermen there when we arrived but it didn't look as though the fish were biting particularly furiously. We took some pics and then headed back.
   Back at Benmiller, we just rested up til checkout time and then were on our merry way. We didn't go all that far and we didn't stay all that long  but it was just what we needed round about the time we needed it the most!
   Here are some of the other pics we took while there!

             Benmiller Photo Dump



Bridge over the Maitland--just around
the corner from our room.

The main building and dining room.

The pond.



Her tea, my coffee.



The mill stream--right through
the middle of the building!

The Gled House



Doralyn at rest.

Part of the grounds.



Once again, the mill stream.



On our trail walk.

Fly-fishing on the Maitland.



The Falls

Totem 1



Totem 2

Another view of the mill stream.

The conservation trail.







There is a picture of her

There is a picture of her

I am trying to find,

sifting through all of them here

and unable to come across the one 

which needs finding.

"There are so few of them of me,"

she says,

"because I am the only one

who takes pictures."

This is true,

the rest of us have missed

what needs preserving the most;

our daily moments, our

occasional celebrations and

mad foolishness.

She is occasionally there,

with a boy, or a snake, or a cat

because it seemed like

a good picture at the time

so she'd have one of us

take it.

This is good

and somehow all wrong

at the same time.

We should be able to see her

in every incredible moment

of her day and night,

from the simplest ministration

to the most joyous transformation.

In full flight

and at contemplative rest.

There should be a camera

in every room. We should

learn to recognize what

really needs to be

remembered here.

Knowing this, we should capture her at every

possible moment and,

if there is an elusive smile,

we must snatch that,

as well!

An album of her,

(smothered in boys,

wrapped around satin pillows),

should rest on shelves

in every room. It should be

that easy to find her,

she should be

on every page.

Okay,

I have finally found

the picture of her

I was looking for.

It is a picture like all the pictures

just described to you.

She did not know,

there is no posing in it.

She is asleep

on my lap.

Her hair

is a veil.