Sunday, July 5, 2015

You CAN go home again

I recently had a sentimental journey to my old home town.


We descended on Parry Sound, Ontario aka Seguin Sound, that fictitious small town in The Year of the Rabbit.

My siblings, their significant others and offspring were scheduled to gather for our family reunion.  My oldest son and I prepared well with a day on each side of the weekend to allow for and recover from travel.

Sadly, the passenger trains don't stop there as much anymore.  We took the train from Ottawa to Toronto then connected by bus. 

We played tourist in my old home town. A lot has changed in 30 years. I reacquainted myself with some of the sites that inspired settings in the Novel. We also got in a visit with a dear, old friend. 

I captured many photographs of my childhood neighbourhood, the nearby Seguin River and that famous CPR train trestle. If you read the novel, you will know that trains played a major role. They passed by many times a day and night blowing their loud whistles, sometimes stopping to bring visitors and at other times, taking people away. 



We walked to many places within good distance of the lovely Bed and Breakfast on the rich side of town. As you can see from this building mural beside the Seguin River, logging was a big part of Parry Sound's beginnings.



After a rainy Sunday walking tour to tower hill and around the old neighbourhood, we ate a warm lunch in the restaurant that inspired the Red Hare.


I was compelled to have a bowl of chicken wonton soup - for old time's sake.


 
The soup, the river and the passing trains wrapped me in the good, fuzzy memories of my old town. Thankfully, I didn't bump into any old flames or undesirable characters while I was there.  

As stated in the opening pages of the Novel, the reference to any characters that resemble people living or dead is purely coincidental.  Some characters may be a blend of individuals I encountered in my early life.

I haven't heard any complaints via email or in the reader feedback comments.  Maybe enough people haven't read the novel yet. So until they do, there is no worry of going home again.


Thanks for dropping by.  

If you're curious to read the novel, you can visit Smashwords to download a sample or purchase an ebook copy. It's only 99 cents or you can pay what you feel is a fair price. It's okay, I didn't write it to make money, only to share a story. If you enjoyed it, mention it to others. Please post a rating and/or a review on Smashwords, or on Goodreads if you already have an avid reader account. 

Otherwise, stick around for a few years as we work on a shiny new print edition, due out by 2023.


If you're curious to see more Georgian Bay vacation pictures, drop by my Deep Blonde Thoughts blog.  I'll be posting more soon.

Have a nice summer.

T



1 comment:

  1. Home sweet home, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. aloha

    ReplyDelete