Abandoned but not Forgotten

A road trip along the Georgian Bay is a great way to vacation. The northern vegetation combined with an expanse of water is refreshing . We only had a weekend but we explored and discovered some abandoned sites along the way.

In Nobel we found remnants of a wind tunnel used to test the Avroll Airplane engine. On Parry Island we found the Harbour where ammunition was stored and later burned. What made the remnants of concrete interesting were the stories from the past. Tom had done his research and bit by bit painted a picture of what had been.

You could only look at the remains and infer from their placement where the buildings might have been. In some cases, all that was left was flush with the ground. The footprint left was quite small. Time and progress is gradually wiping it all away. Sometimes it was only part of a concrete floor or wall that could be found. But I found it interesting.

The fun was in looking, taking pictures and realizing that a whole bunch of 'history' was there for the discovering. The past is over and we can't go back and glorify it. But we can remember and learn from those who have lived before us. It was seeing the abandoned remains that triggered the questions and stories.

It would be nice if I could choose what my footprint will look like fifty years from my passing. So much of what I collect will decay and break down. Even pictures and stories can only last as long as they are viewed and shared. But there is life in my children and the values that I can pass on to them. Maybe it's the people in my life that are my best investment into that future footprint.