We had a lazy start to the day and spent some time in our hotel working on a few thing and taking it easy. About noon we drove around Smiths Falls doing an Adventure Lab geocache which took us to several places that used to be major employers in the community. There was a huge farm implement company here that closed quite a few years ago and another place that made metal tool boxes which closed in 2008. The big Hershey’s chocolate plant also closed in 2008 but that building has now become a Tweed Marijuana plant. It took over the whole of the old Hershey’s factory, plus two other buildings on the street. It is a huge processing center now.

We also walked around in Confederation Park beside the Rideau Canal lock in downtown Smiths Falls.

After a late lunch we drove 25 minutes out of Smiths Falls to John’s second cousin’s cabin at Ottey Lake where we spent a lovely afternoon, enjoyed a delicious dinner and even had ice cream cake dessert to celebrate her eldest son’s 22nd birthday, which is tomorrow. It was a wonderful day.

Melanie stays most of the time at her own cabin but we met at her father’s cabin a bit futher down the road that she and her sister now own. We went for a walk through the woods to her cabin and back before dinner. We walked on the road between the cabins but came back on a trail through the forest.

Tomorrow is going to be another driving and visiting day. We are heading south to Cobourg where our daughter’s fiance’s mother lives. We are having dinner with her and spending the night before taking off on Tuesday. We decided to only go a short distance to Lindsay so we don’t need to rush away and have time for a good visit. Then we will be spending a few days in the Georgian Bay area.