"RIVER RAT"

What is a river rat you say to me?
He’s tough & He’s loyal & He’s proud just to be.
He weathers the storms, the cold and the wind
That the mighty St. Lawrence wields out to him.
He loves the river like a father loves the son.
For He and the River are not separate, but one.
A river rat is not a person you see
He’s the spirit of the river living inside you and me.

(By Pam Bennett on the River Rat Café Menu)




The St. Lawrence River……One of God’s most beautiful creations…majestic, ever flowing, mysterious, paradise, awesome, magnificent, solitary. And what of those creatures that inhabit its banks and know of its mysterious ways and can navigate it fully? The name sea captain comes to mind – a sea captain is stately, full of knowledge, and can navigate with all the cunning of many, many years. On the river these captains of the water can be known as “River Rats”.

These unique beings have so much history and lore. Sometimes one is not sure if it is blood that flows through their veins or river water! Have you ever cornered one and taken the time to hear of the river stories? If you haven’t then you have missed a special part of life. Fortunately for me I grew up with a river rat. As many times as I’ve heard the stories, I laughed each time anew and am in just as much awe as the first time I heard the story. There are tales of prohibition (the stories flow faster and wilder than the whiskey did), Indians, fisherman, farmers, explorers….you name it! Be sure to enrich your life by carefully listening when you are able to catch a river rat spinning his tales.

Being on the river calms the mind and settles the soul

The old Indian lived in an old homemade houseboat just down the shore in a small bay. He was elderly, stooped over, smoked a pipe, could not read or write, BUT could count money. The houseboat was pulled up on the shore. It was neat and clean. Along side it was a St. Lawrence River rowing skiff. Now it is told (by one of those River Rats) that ‘ol Jim Wright got upset one day. He listened to those frogs croak in that bay just so long and all that croaking really got to him and got on his nerves. He shoved the houseboat into the water, hooked on to it with the skiff and started to tow it. He rowed and rowed with the houseboat in tow and with each pull of the oars he was heard to utter, Damn Frog Pond. I’m sick of living in a frog pond! He towed that houseboat right around Mink Island (island can be seen from Duck Cove Cottages) and right back into the bay and pulled it right back up on the shore in the same spot that it had been!



The River has a magnetism about it that just draws you back time and time again. As a young boy of about age seven, Bill Schermerhorn (my River Rat Dad) used to sneak down from the farm and his chores to the river. At this young age he had already steered a small boat by himself across the river to the Canadian side and upriver to Gananoque, Canada. On this particular day though, he had been told not to go to the river, but the sun was out and the river just beckoned to him. He ran down and jumped into his boat. That was mistake number one. The spout of the gas can rammed into the bottom of his foot. After pulling it out, he was in a quandary as to what to do. Trying to get back up to the farm in this much pain was going to be a feat. Perhaps the pain in the foot would not be as bad as the punishment for disobeying his father. After finally getting back to the farm, Bill’s father took one look at the wound, pulled it apart and poured turpentine into it. That was punishment enough! However, no infection ever set in. Even this did not stop the draw to the river. By ten years old Bill had navigated to Kingston, again never telling his parents.


Does a River Rat really exist? Sure they do and they are in touch with the pulse of the River.

COME TO THE RIVER……..BECOME A RIVER RAT

Tune into the River; hear the wind filter through the pine trees, see the sea gulls glide. Hear the mechanical motor purr and the water break against your boat. Smell the clean fresh air. The river does not linger,
BUT YOU CAN.
Listen for a moment…..listen to the river……listen to the stories…..relax and enjoy.


If you fondly remember the days when the St. Lawrence River was peaceful, uncrowded and unhurried, you should discover Duck Cove Cottages on the banks of The River. Our part of the River is serene like the River used to be. Escape from your hectic life……THE RIVER IS BECKONING YOU…..