this dock is awesomesauce

This is what the storm wreaked in Ottawa but we are still standing. On the dock! DockMan FTW!

wild skies

We were sitting on the dock enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail. Suddenly, at the north end of the lake we saw a sheet of rain rushing towards us. Then this happened.

lakeside

Here is what it was like sitting by the lake.

Some people are playing badminton.

heat wave

During the July heatwave my friends invited me to the cottage. Here it is:

And here is the view:


This canoe spent the winter in my parent's backyard.
Doesn't it look happy to be back in its natural habitat?


My friend was busy. He put in the dock.


I have no pictures of him weed whacking but here he is rescuing a badminton shuttlecock from the roof.


And he kept his finger on the pulse old school.


Until this happened.

Hamilton rules

Not sure I can really get behind this anti-flaneur stance over here in Hamilton.

Hamilton rules

Do not feed the birds while holding hands?

a nice place to learn

I went to Belleville yesterday to do a presentation about literacy for a group of people who work in literacy, settlement and employment services. Nice people.


I took the train down in the morning and had to wait until 9:30 until I could get a train home. What to do?

Hang out with the amazing folks at Quinte Adult Day School of course. The staff are Marsha, Gary, Chris, Cory and Stacey and are just what you would expect from literacy workers - funny, compassionate and passionate. And, of course, fantastically smart, innovative and creative.

One thing they do at QADS is work with people on job skills and one of the ways they do that is by restoring the beautiful old buildings of Belleville and Trenton to their former glory ... and into well-appointed places to learn.

Needless to say, I learned a LOT!

Thank you QADS people and thank you Community Literacy Ontario for providing us with this opportunity.

now cross-posted @ the Café.

vancouver loves toronto

paris bound

After we left Stratford, we headed east to Paris. Paris, Ontario.

are we there yet?

paris on the grand

spritual paris

rest acres

My dad lived in Brantford, Ontario when he was a lad. He and his mum, dad, two sisters and brother used to spend the summers at a place near Paris, Ontario called Rest Acres. They used to rent a cabin on the river. Grandma and the four kids would spend two months there. Grandad, who worked as a Baptist minister at Park Baptist Church, would spend one full month there. During the working month he would come up in the week when he could take the time.












As we approached Paris, we saw a sign for Rest Acres Road. We drove down that road for a bit but saw no sign of the resort. We decided to ask around in Paris.












At the Chamber of Commerce we got to speak to a woman called Jane who remembered all about Rest Acres. The resort is no longer there. The site is now a conservation area.

into the woods