Where We Be
| You don't hear much about this battle in America (probably because we lost!). A small number of British, Canadian, and Indian troops pushed back an invading American army trying to gain control of Montreal. |
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| THIS is why we stayed in Ormstown. It was the perfect little writing cabin set alongside a river. |
| Chateauguay River -- Ormstown, Quebec |
| The fruits of our labor -- our initials carved out of metal |
| During our drive up to Ormstown we also stopped at this high-tech plasma cutting plant where Robin's niece works. We each got to use a hand-held plasma cutter to cut through metal like it was paper. |
| You never know what you're going to stumble on when you travel. We'd never even heard of the Battle of Chateauguay, but there's a whole museum dedicated to it here. |
| Interestingly, the Ormstown fairgrounds are located right where the Americans encamped during the War of 1812 |
| We took a day off from writing to enjoy small-town living at its best |
| Robin got to experience her first-ever demolition derby -- and for me it was the first since I was a kid myself |
| What is it about cars intentionally crashing into each other that's so much fun! |
| Our visit happened to coincide with the county fair. You'll notice the sign is in both French and English. Because Ormstown sits so close to the American border, everyone speaks English here -- but French is definitely the primary language. |
| We happened into the equestrian center at the perfect moment, just as the morning sun was shining in |
| It's been awhile since we attended a county fair, so it was a fun walk down memory lane to see the skeeball lanes, petting zoos, merry-go-rounds, candy apple stands, and kids' contests and rides |
| We learned during our stay here that an important battle happened nearby during the War of 1812. American troops stole into Canada, marching right past this spot on the Chateauguay River. |
| The cabin is dubbed "Halte-Riviere" on Airbnb, which translates as "River Rest" -- an apt name |
| We felt lucky to find such a cute little cabin at such a good price: about $1,300 per month with the 50% monthly discount |
| The full kitchen let us cook for ourselves, and the cabin was located only five minutes away from two grocery stores in Ormstown |
"Why Ormstown?" This was the question we
kept getting -- even from people who live in
Ormstown!
Well, we stayed in Ormstown because we liked
the Airbnb cottage we could get there. It was
quaint, comfortable, and set amongst the trees
next to the Chateauguay River about an hour
south of Montreal -- or about half an hour north
of the New York border. There was a hot tub, a
deck with a river view, a cozy interior, and not
too many other distractions -- in other words,
the perfect place to get a little writing done.
Because that was our main purpose in coming
here: to update our book on early retirement.
After 5 years we thought it was about time. So
we spent two months in June and July updating
the book while enjoying some simple country
living. Across the street was a cornfield, and
across the river a dairy farm, so this definitely
qualified as country living! We got the second
edition of the book published -- and even had
time to take in the local county fair.
kept getting -- even from people who live in
Ormstown!
Well, we stayed in Ormstown because we liked
the Airbnb cottage we could get there. It was
quaint, comfortable, and set amongst the trees
next to the Chateauguay River about an hour
south of Montreal -- or about half an hour north
of the New York border. There was a hot tub, a
deck with a river view, a cozy interior, and not
too many other distractions -- in other words,
the perfect place to get a little writing done.
Because that was our main purpose in coming
here: to update our book on early retirement.
After 5 years we thought it was about time. So
we spent two months in June and July updating
the book while enjoying some simple country
living. Across the street was a cornfield, and
across the river a dairy farm, so this definitely
qualified as country living! We got the second
edition of the book published -- and even had
time to take in the local county fair.
| The real fruits of our labor -- the second edition of our book, updated and published! |