Saturday, day 2: From Colonel By Island to Kilmarnock ( 40 km )
Part 3
So after the motor issue I had at Poonamalie I was able to get going again and soon after I arrived at the city of Smith Falls at about 1:15 pm.
The Smith Falls Detached lock is just beyond the bridge.
It was VERY hot and humid. I debated whether to continue on my journey or rest a little and grab something to eat.
The first lock is adjacent to the main city street and I could see all kinds of stores from where I was.
I decided to take it easy and walked to a Canadian Tire store a couple blocks away to buy a gas canister for my stove as I thought I may not have enough with me.
Canadian Tire stores are very ... Canadian
( this pic was taken much later in the narrative though ... looking at ground will give some clues
)
So I got the gas and then I went by the raincoat section to look at what was available. There were so many and in different price ranges that I soon became a little overwhelmed and decided to just go back to Esperanza.
"What's a little summer thunderstorm anyway" I thought, "It's so hot I would probably just enjoy the rain for a little while and it will dry off in no time".
I knew they were calling for a 60 % chance of thunderstorms.
I also thought about getting 10 mm socket wrench or good pliers but did not.
On my way back I went by a KFC and got me some chicken tenders and a coke ( I had not eaten KFC in like 15 years ).
As I arrived at Esperanza, drops of rain started falling so I quickly covered my cargo with a blue tarp and went under a nearby tree to eat my lunch.
I had not even had time to finish the second tender when the floodgates of heaven opened up and started coming down hard.
The
house boat in the above picture caught my attention and I had to take a pic in the middle of the downpour ( I later found out that it costs like
$ 110,000. CAD )
BTW the chicken tenders were SO SALTY and greasy
, I could not finish them.
My fried bass/blue gills are 100 times better
So by this time I was totally drenched and after hearing some explosive thunder decided that it was not wise to be standing under a tree so I went back to the KFC store. It rained so hard and it lasted for almost an hour.
I went to the bathroom and squeezed my clothes as dry as I could and tried to dry them in the hand dryer.
When it finally stopped I went back to Esperanza
I bailed out the water and then it started raining again
so back to KFC I went and tried drying my clothes AGAIN the best I could as I got soaking wet AGAIN .
After 45 min or so it stopped raining so back I went to bail Esperanza ... again.
It was then that I noticed a rabbit in the water, desperately trying to swim and unable to climb the rock walls of the docks.
I pulled out an oar and tried to help it but every time it would fall out of the oar back into the water just as I was about to get him to the top. A couple times it sank and stopped struggling before resurfacing a few seconds later.
Finally it swam towards Esperanza and I was able to "wedge" it between the boat and the dock walls and slowly lifted it up and put it on the ground.
It must have been in shock because it did not move for a little while. I was afraid it would run back into the water but finally with a little nudge from the oar it scampered off to safety
At this point it started raining AGAIN
This time I ran off to a McDonalds and had a coffee and a donut ( and attempted to dry my clothes YET again in the bathroom LOL)
When it finally stopped I went back to the lock, not realizing that I was forgetting my precious straw hat behind
.
As I arrived the attendant told me that they had closed the lock after the basin as the lockmaster had to leave to attend to and correct the water levels at a dam one hour drive away. He said he could not tell me if they were going to open it that day.
My heart sank
I decided to wait and see and go for a walk in the meantime to take pictures of the locks, basin etc.
If they did not reopen I was going back to Poonamalie ... NO WAY I was camping in the middle of the city ( with only a porta potty for a bathroom vs the nice bathroom in Poonamalie where I could wash up
)
So off for a walk I went.
There are two locks at Smith Falls with a huge basin in between them where there is a marina and boat rentals ( big ones to cruise the Rideau )
The way out of Smith Falls after the second lock.
Dam
Basin
So after my walk I went back to Canadian Tire and took my sweet little time buying me the best raincoat and rain pants I could find
.
I also grabbed a set of wrenches
I went back to the lock and as I arrived a boat owner nearby told me the lock attendant was looking for me just 15 min before as they had opened the locks.
YEAH, I was on may way again
The attendant phoned the lock after the basin and the one after that ( only 1 km away ) to coordinate my passage as it was likely the last one for the day.
In the basin ( can you spot my new rain gear ?
)
Arriving at the lock on the other side.
This a huge, modernized (hydraulic) lock that was built to replace 3 locks just beside it. It's called "Combined"
YEAH, I AM FREE. BYE BYE SMITH FALLS
6:03 pm ( is getting a bit late now though )
( to be continued lol )