ORILLIA — Spring is a state of mind. It has to be these days.
Last week, Marchmont artist Dave Beckett, an avid outdoorsman and lover of paddling, was itching to launch his latest canoe. His fifth boat was something he had long coveted — a cedar strip canoe.
With the new launch at the ready, he could feel the rushing waters calling his name.
Then, winter returned — with a vengeance. Three numbing days of wicked wintry weather that alternated between nasty ice-pellets, treacherous freezing rain and almost nine inches of wet snow left many with blisters on hands weary from shoveling. And it left most people reeling from an unexpected wintry wallop in the early days of spring.
As the storm finally subsided and the streets became almost navigable once more, Beckett could no longer hold back his fervor.
“To Hell with it,” he said. “I launched it any way!”
And while he wasn’t quite ready to don his bathing suit, he did grab his red toque and went for his maiden voyage in his new prized possession. It was admittedly a short trip in the snowbanks.
But, at least, it made him — and his neighbours — smile. It was just what the doctor ordered.
He’s hoping his next trip will be a little longer.
— OrilliaMatters.com