Trip to CP and Stittsville

Feb. 28th we took off for errands. First stop, Carleton Place.


Next stop, preparations for March Break and the grandies: Lego! (They arrive Tuesday!)


Forests and swamp.


Man on a mission!


The snow machine trails are done! They go on forever, many exploit the old railroad tracks, now defunct.


I love the old farms.


Next stop, chores done, the old Post Office in Ashton. It was a General Store: Ashton General Store for a long time. <=We visited just prior to its closing. It's a lovely building, now a craft store.


The sign made me think twice.


Whoopsie. Busted!


All the way to Smiths Falls, to visit Chef Ram's Chuckles Jack restaurant!


Smiths Falls is an old town.

Ashton General Store

It's a pretty little town, Ashton, but the General Store is closing! Their lease is up. We took a drive for distraction.

The store is a heritage building, under the Ontario Heritage Act. It's a busy spot and people arrive in cars, or on horse, and pop in for mail or sundries. You can see the original wicket, preserved from various iterations. It is one of those buildings with the original wooden floors.

'Like Cheers without the alcohol': After 150 years, Ashton ...

Inside, there’s a friendly cat named General, afghans and assorted handcrafts, vintage screws and nails, a shelf of second-hand books for trade, local honey and eggs, and jams and pickles made by Pignal’s mother, Dorothea Bendall, who sometimes runs the post office counter, although Sylvie retains the title of “postmistress.”