Re-discovering the natural beauties of La Belle Province and Les Chutes Coulonge, thanks to the Internet , I realise the Upper Ottawa countryside has seen considerable development since my first venture there one summer with my young family, Helena and our children Susan, Catherine, Robin and Heather travelling by car up the Pontiac to visit my good friend Fern Laliberte, his wife Helen and their kids at Campbell's Bay, QC.
Fern worked at Pontiac Paper Mill where we'd met during one of my business tours of the region.
It was Fern's thoughtful kindness and community pride that took our families together to picnic in the lush green pine forest alongside those rushing wild, brown waters of la Riviere Coulonge and there to share a good natured day of folksy hilarious pranks and practical jokes.
Fern had cleared and set up a primitive campsite under the pines at river's edge for his family and friends, including the requisite wooden picnic table, a rough stone firepit and a comfy wooden one-holer outdoor privy...site of his greatest prank of the day...including exploding firecrackers and a paper wasp nest.. although his wife Helen tied a ribbon on our day with one of her own:
Towards the end of our wonderful family outing, it began to rain...but what's a picnic without rain?
Still seated around the picnic table, Helen and Helena were sharing favorite recipes.
As the rain began to fall through the pine trees overhead, Helena was scrambling with pen and paper, trying to scribble out Helen Laliberte's favorite old family recipe for roast turkey, which instead of a bread crumb stuffing, called for popcorn.
With everyone except Helena holding their breath in anticipation, Helen hurried to dictate her recipe whilst excitedly urging Helena to hasten before the rain obliged us all to take shelter with the children in our vehicles.
Finally, Helena finished and sitting back for a moment, she studiously began to review aloud what she'd written in haste, blindly unaware that she'd just become the brunt of the prank of the day...
the popcorn stuffing explodes!
As long as life permits, with thanks to Fern and Helen Laliberte of Campbell's Bay QC, I shall never forget that glorious day at La Riviere Coulonge.
Je me souviens!
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