Leaving The County

Starting mileage: 422.7

I woke up squished into some bizarre Tetris-like shape in the morning.  I’m not sure who was where but I know I was not alone on the bed.  I took all of the dogs outside and made friends with Alaska.  Of course, it’s not hard to be friends with a lab; all you have to do is throw a ball…over and over and over and over and over.

I went with my friends for breakfast at the Picton Harbour Inn and if you’re in the area, I highly recommend it.  The portions are huge and the food is great.  It’s a small dining room so don’t be surprised if you end up waiting for a bit.  Trust me: it’s worth it.

After we got back, I loaded up the dogs and headed out with directions to Huycks Bay.  I wanted to get one last swim in before leaving the County.  And the bay did not disappoint.

A long backroad abruptly ended at a thick band of trees and when we followed the short trail, we found ourselves on the now-familiar rock beach.  There were a few people close to the trail but we walked a short distance past them and I let the dogs play in the water.  I think sometimes they run in the water just to see the splashes.  

It’s fun to watch how they all take to the water differently.  Jack likes to wade in chest deep and then sit down which I find odd since he will often find the hottest part of the yard and go to sleep.  Piper does this funny snuffle in the ground with her hind end in the air and then starts running around trying to get someone to play with her.  And Leo just runs around being a pesky little brother.

I sat in the shade for a while until all three of the dogs came back to sit with me, each one dropping down onto the rocks panting their little hearts out.  We slowly walked back to the car with me hoping they would dry quickly.  Piper and Leo did with their nice thin coats.  Jack’s course puggy coat is like a sponge so he was still fairly damp as I put his harness on. Fortunately either he doesn’t stink or I’ve become accustomed to wet dog.  Either way, back on the road.

But not for long.  I saw a sign for Picnic Food Truck.  I had to check it out.  The truck was parked at Rose Hall Winery.  Now first off, I did not sample the wares this time.  Partially because there was a crowd of people.  I happened to pick the day that there was a play being held at the winery and I happened to arrive right before it started.  But the women working the bar outside were just all over the dogs, offering to get us water and a bowl for them, filling my water bottle.  Amazing.

At their recommendation, I ordered the fried chicken sandwich.  It was a long wait, much longer than the 15 minutes they said it would be.  I wasn’t the only one peeved at the wait times, as some people’s orders weren’t ready before the play started.  The wait wouldn’t have bothered me so much if I hadn’t watched a friend of someone in the truck place their order after me then get their food way before me.  I get that you’re friends and all but at least don’t make it so obvious.  I watched him walk away with a chicken sandwich and thought “What the …?”  Or maybe it was the owner or an investor.  Either way, it sucked.

When I finally got my sandwich, I took it over to a picnic table overlooking the vineyard and took a bite.  It was…okay.  Just okay.  Maybe it would have tasted better with a glass of wine.  I didn’t bite into it and feel the earth move.  Maybe I just got my hopes up too high.  The chicken was crispy.  The bun was good.  The mayo was nice.  It was just all…okay.

We drove back to the 401 and made our way westbound.  I toyed with the idea of stopping for donuts again but when I thought back to everything I had eaten over the past couple of days, I decided that I would save the donuts for another time.

I was stopped at a light after we left the highway and reached back to pet the dogs.  Big stretch for Piper, then a sweep back and okay there’s Leo.  I waved my hand around.  Where’s Jack?  I snuck a peek and saw that Jack had worked his way onto the floor of the backseat.  He was still in his harness, just stretched out on the floor.  When he saw me looking at him, he wagged his tail then closed his eyes and went to sleep.  He’s done it before and seems to like it since he will jump back up on the seat if he wants to.  I can’t imagine that it’s comfortable but if that’s how he wants to ride…

That evening we parked the car and the dogs quickly found their sleeping spots while I unloaded the car.  It’s the part of road trips that I like the least since it signals the end of the ride.  I unpacked the least amount that I had to and sat on the couch and soon found myself surrounded by sleeping dogs as I closed my eyes for a rest.

Finishing mileage: 682.2