Life is what happens when you are making other plans. Evidently, volcanos are something else that happens when you are making other plans.We have guests staying with us this weekend, while they are waiting on the ash cloud to settle and their plane to be able to fly them back to England. Their airline told them it would not be likely before next Wednesday. Maybe Thursday.
We know what it's like to be at the end of a holiday and suddenly discover that you are going to be there longer, even if your bank account is not going to be right there with you... And we know what it's like to be at the tail end of an absence from work, expecting to be back... suddenly finding yourself making alternative plans for the care of the dog, the running of the office, picking up the kids from grandparents...
The last time we had 'refugees' from Pearson International Airport was back in 9/11, when the skies abruptly emptied of planes. We took in a group of German tourists who had pretty much run out of cash.
We offered them our best deals, put them in comfortable, clean cottages... we did everything we could to ensure they had a comfortable, enjoyable time while waiting out events far beyond anyone's control. We're doing it again this week. For Michael and Ellie, we even provided them with free eggs from our chickens. Ellie commented how lovely it was to just stop moving for a while, to be able to cook their own meals. They caught up on laundry and lounged in front of the fireplace, went for a walk, caught up on the internet with their places of work thanks to our Free Wi-Fi service... They're planning on taking the Park Pass for a drive to look for moose, and I've offered to hike with them in to see the Beaver ponds. The deer showed up on the lawn to greet them, and there is a loon in the bay. Our Frisbee golf course is open. So are the local driving ranges. There's shows at the local theatre... or we'll just go out and talk about the stars -- maybe the Northern Lights will be 'turned on' again this week, and we can enjoy the concert provided for free by the spring peeper frogs.
Which got us thinking... if it's going to be several days before the Icelandic volcano stops making an ash of itself and the planes can fly again, up here at Bondi in North Muskoka is a far far better place to wait it out than lined up on camp cots in the airport... We're already offering great rates for our Off Season Spring Special, and for Volcano Stranded Travellers, we're doing our best to help them stretch their travel dollars. Maybe we can turn this inconvenience into a wonderful memory. We're sure ready to try!
705 788 4284 is the Volcano Hotline for us right now, since we're in and out of the office, catching up on gardens and spring cleaning. You can also reach us on the office phone, 705 635 2261 or by email through our website.
We're only 2 1/2 hours from the airport, so we're close enough that you can get back on track as soon as the air clears.
Spending the wait here, enjoying Algonquin Park and our own trails and area attractions sounds like a better use of time than sitting in the airport trying to learn how to pronounce Eyjafjallajokull.
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