Hello!!

It's been a tad tricky …
Coming back after our wonderful summer in Canada - spending time with our friends and family. We miss it … we miss all of it.  Of course we have family here- some pretty important family as it turns out! - and a couple of good friends - and we do have this lovely house to live in.  That all helps …

54 Boxes

It also help to have some of our own "things" from Canada to fill in the odd gap in the house and space on the walls. 

Ok - it's not going on our walls - but I love having it here
even if it's at Mischa's!

It took  54 boxes (on four pallets) to do it and I must say they we dealt with them pretty darned quickly once Australia Border Patrol had finished with them!  …

54 boxes ..

Mum helped!

Ours are in there somewhere!

They never did find the Emu egg and they didn't even look really hard so they missed the barn-board frame around Aunt Jen's copy of the Kirstead

and thank GOD they didn't find the BBQ sauce  or the Kraft Colslaw dressing
 … that all helps!

A couple of celebrations helps!! 
 Billie's 1st birthday and Jasper's 4th. We've been babysitting them extra days due to Jane - aka the competition - (the "other" grandma) having a back injury.  So that's been a chance to really (really) get to know Billie and all her strengths (she mostly has very strong strengths!) and weaknesses (she doesn't have any of these!)

This is Billie when I do her hair!

This is Billie when her Mother does her hair!

…and watch Jasper change from a baby to a little boy ready for kindergarten next year!
For sure that all helps.

Shade Sail
Not so helpful is the never ending saga of the shade sail on the front of this house!  I've added my rant  to the end of the blog (it's very long and probably not at all funny (I found it hard to see humour in it)  and Joseph is sick of hearing about it so assume it will be the same for you!  But for me … I put pen to paper … and it's at the end!

Christmas should help! 
Even when we were in Canada and I missed my family - Christmas always helped!

We've had the local Santa Claus parade; the greyhounds, the green bin, the prancing men (Morris Dancers!!) and a tired old Santa!! …but an amazing fireworks display in the evening!

The fireworks helped a lot … and with that ritual out of the way it's onto ...

Decorating!!  
- it sure helps to have some of our precious decorations, back with us.  Must say I can't see us using the Gel Gems (sad face) - there just isn't a window in this house that doesn't reach 40c on a normal day let alone when it warms up.  

Visiting Santa -
 I vowed and declared I wasn't going back to the same place as last year - that horrid experience - visiting "Santa" # 3 in a special room - just us and Santa and an exorbitant price for two photos!!

Ha!   I'm not the only one with a bad experience!

  - but alas! darling Jasper happens to remember the horrid experience quite fondly and can't wait "to see Santa and go on the carousel"!!
Oh dear - there are no carousels anywhere in town else except at that horrid store … so back we go!  This time Billie will be there - that should help!!

Florentines -
OK - I'll make them- that might help!!

Egg Nog -
It's going to be 35 on Friday, 39 on Saturday, 40 on Sunday and down to 32 on Monday.  I ask you - how can one even THINK of egg nog…  but I do have my special green bowl back with me … OK - maybe I will!  It will be in the bar fridge not the garage though!  IF I can make a good size batch I just KNOW that is going to help!!

Love Actually 
- yep it's December - I'm free to watch it again (and again) - I'm just afraid it might not help!

Christmas
 - gonna be different this year much to my poor Mother's dismay!  We are renting a house down south in Victor Harbor - 2 doors down from Simone's parent's house ( quite by accident).   Then after the rental ends we move our van on over to the Fritch's driveway and stay until New Years. That's because of …

The Wedding!!
As mentioned in the previous blog - friends from Ottawa - the O'Brien's -  have invited us to fill out the Canadian contingent at their son's wedding.  They have suggested saris if we wish so we've bought our outfits and there will be a Sangeep (party- think Bollywood!) on New Years and the ceremony and celebration on New Years Day!

Ok - I did put on weight in the summer but … honestly!

If it's hot it's gonna get ugly!
p.s. - I am NOT wearing those shoes!

So I reckon, if,  even after Christmas, after gifts, after the florentines and after the eggnog, we still find ourselves pining for snow and our friends - I reckon dressing up and dancing with Canadians at an Indian wedding in South Australia - I reckon that should help - and if nothing else it should guarantee something to write about next year!

Sending Christmas wishes from down under!

The SHADE SAIL…

(Save this for a snow storm - it might help the boredom if you are snowed in for 2 weeks!)

Posts were already there!!  … but no sail!! :(

Nobody - but nobody can appreciate how hot it gets at the front of this house!  The front of this house is ALL windows/sliding doors -  the vicious baking sun shines through those windows/sliding doors and heats the house up to melting point.  Granted that's good for drying clothes  and there are ridiculously expensive blinds and there is a.c. but … then …there goes the view!! - the whole raison d'être of this house!    We still don't know why the previous owner Robin never had a sail installed.  Nine years ago she had the plans from the shade sail company - nine years ago she paid for an engineer's report and nine years ago she had those all APPROVED by council - but she never had the sail installed.  (Sadly this lady @ 68 has very bad dementia so perhaps she was suffering back then?)  

Once "winter" was over - we could wait no more - so we decided it just made sense to just go with the same shade sail Robin planned for!  We had a photocopy of everything - just needed the originals.  Well that shouldn't take long!!!  We were VERY lucky that the builder provided us with a set of the latest house plans (that included the sail),  …. and we were very lucky that the engineers  gave us a copy of the engineers report.  … and while yes … they were both free … trust me it took quite a few pleasant "just checking" phone calls/emails  to make that all happen in  4 weeks !!

The shaded area on top is what we are trying to do!

Before we go any further I should tell you that "4-6 weeks" is what every (every) tradesperson or manufacturer will tell you is the time for anything and everything you want here in Adelaide; the tiling downstairs, the front screen door, the side screen door, the tiling upstairs.  The outside painter didn't say "4-6 weeks" but in the end that's what it worked out to be.   It just spews out of their mouths - it's their mantra  - and they live by it!

We checked with the shade sail company and yep!  they came and measured up and agreed with the plans & report and yep! they were ready to go AS SOON AS WE HAD COUNCIL APPROVAL.  Once we had council approval it would be … yep … "4-6 weeks"!!  … er "4-6 weeks" providing they could start by the end of October - after that - well they would be pretty much booked up for the summer!!    OMG!! It's the middle of September!!   No panic - we're ready to go - we have everything we need and it's already had approval by council (rules to be checked due to time lapse (8 years) )- so yep we should be good for  THE END OF OCTOBER - 6 weeks away!!

So on or around September 10th we submitted the application by hand -   figured if we forgot anything the receptionist would tell us.    "4-6 weeks" was all she said…and  …. of course we needed to add a few things - turns out she wasn't the PLANNING receptionist!  So that was a few days delay - but by September 18th, with help from planning-qualified daughter, the application  was acknowledged, given a number and in the system!!    Yippee!!

George:

On the 28th September we received an email from George.  Poor George he had no idea !

George's email said

"Further to the above application recently lodged with Council, you are advised that the proposal represents a form of development pursuant to the Development Act, 1993 and its Regulations that requires a decision from the Development Assessment Commission (DAC). 

A copy of the application has therefore been forwarded to the DAC for processing and a decision to be made.

If you would like to discuss this matter please contact me on 8405 6984…"

So of course I called George!

George said something - and then I explained to him ever-so-pleasantly that the application had already been approved and the sail was exactly like our neighbours yada yada yada and so really there shouldn't be any problems? George said well OK he would walk down (yep we were within walking distance) and have a look - hopefully this week. But of course George didn't get around to it that week. So on October 4th  I called George  and he said something and I ever-so-pleasantly explained that we were trying to meet an "end of October deadline" so George said he would go out today and check … and God Bless him - George did !  He checked and he called me and said council had no objections to our application  it just needed DAC approval.  Huh?  I thought George was the DAC?  Sadly not - so George said he would "put it in the mail" (yep - that's what he said) to the DAC … and he did do that - and the DAC registered it on October 12th.

Gabby:

There's a whole paragraph worth of explaining how I waited and what I checked and what I thought, but suffice to say that by November 9th having missed the "end of October deadline" but with a sliver of hope from the shade sail people (mid Nov latest) I went in search of somebody at DAC and I found Gabriella!!  Dear Gabriella!  Yes she found my application and she was waiting for information from council?  Huh? I said ever-so-pleasantly -  I know council had no objections so???  Well she said she would try and get to it by the end of this week … or next!!  Huh? So I ever-so-pleasantly explained  to Gabriella about  our "mid November deadline" and she said she would text me when it was approved and in the mail (yep that's what she said).  Woah - that would be ever-so-helpful I said  … and God Bless Gabriella she approved it (seemingly) right after she hung up from me . I know that because we received a copy in the mail on Friday Nov  13th and the approval was dated November 9th.

George:

God Bless George - just as I was picking up the phone to call him on Monday Nov 16th I received his email explaining he had received DAC approval and "I will pass it onto our building department this morning"! Huh???  … So I called George!!  George I said ever-so-pleasantly - who what and why the building dept.?  … and he said something and even though I no longer had a date to aim for, I just ever-so-pleasantly explained that it would be saving the planet a whole lot of energy if we had a shade sail and George said he would try and rush it through this phase.  

On Nov 23rd I wrote to (poor) George and God Bless George - he gave me Blake's name and number - Blake is the Building Officer looking after our application. So I called Blake.

Blake:

 Urgh!  …  I'm sure you can pretty much guess what Blake said - but what really floored me was when Blake said that it had to now be approved by an engineer and because council no longer had an engineer it would have to go to an outside engineer and he had no control over how long that might take!!!!   "BUT!!!" - I ever-so-pleasantly pleaded - we already had an engineer's report!  Blake said yes that was correct but they needed to check that engineer's report.  Oh dear!  

I called Blake (again) today, December 2nd .  Such good timing Blake said - he just found out the he should have the engineers report … tomorrow!!  … and then (assuming it's OK) - well then Blake will give HIS approval!!  God knows when that will be… but really it doesn't matter anymore!  I've given up!  They've beaten me … it is I fear, only God who really knows when we will have shade on the front of our house - Maybe if they ratify something in Paris it might help? - but that would be at least 4-6 weeks!! :(

 p.s. I did write to (poor) George and asked for his boss' name or somebody I could write (complain) to … but God Bless him - George hasn't written back !

Thank you … seriously … thank you!

We are back "home" now,  to "winter" (it's 10c) and I'm thinking about all of the people we are indebted to and the THANKYOU's I should have said … all of those people that made it such a great summer … that summer of 2015 ... in Canada!

The highlight  was probably celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary - not the usual grand party - but a lovely relaxing afternoon of cake … and friends.  So there were thank you's for that one for sure!   We (well Joseph mostly)  also managed to pack and successfully ship all our worldly possessions off down under.  So there are thanks required there as well!  … and of course those unsuspecting friends who housed and fed us and the sibling that loaned us his car … thanks there for sure.

So here we go - a tad boring unless you are mentioned I guess … and if you should be mentioned and aren't … well um … remember I might have mentioned you in previous blogs  …and if I didn't …well I'm sorry! :(

 Thank you Hungry Goat Cafe - Ottawa

That's Henry Assad the owner with his niece - his helper.

- for letting us invade their garage … er cafe … with some friends and the girls from ONW and The Boutique and our cakes and making us coffee and tea as needed and for making the sandwiches to feed FORTY people (that turned out to be only twenty)!

That's the girls from ONW … and Brad in front!
Jacqui, Luna, Sara, Candace, Sasha, Simon (Danielle's husband), Danielle … and Brad!!

That's the girls from The Boutique
Jo-Anne, Joe, Sarah and Gala!

It was also our 40th anniversary
not far off how we celebrated 40 years before
when the guests bought their own food and drinks!

now you see why I married him … such a cute bow tie!!

Thank you Jane Keogh:

-  for offering to make a cake and then to be told it needed to be for twenty people!!

… and then she went ahead and made the most spectacular cake!

Thank you Dan and Wendy

- We squeezed in a visit at the last minute and Dan cooked up a great meal as usual (and we woofed it down … as usual), and Wendy was gracious as always in-spite of her difficulties.

Thank you to The AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario)

 - for letting us escape the hottest day of the summer in their beautiful air-conditioned building. Lunch at Frank was great … and cool ...

Ken,Eileen, Joe, Gwen Les
et moi - nice and cool!

and so was the art

That's Ken and the project he works on
(counting the birds (in the circle)

and so were our friends (Les & Gwen) who shared their membership with us (& the Ross').

We are definitely connected.

Thank you Guido:

-  the forklift driver at the shipping site who offered to help us pack the boxes. 

 The last two HUGE boxes containing chairs were assembled and packed on site - and there were lots of cavities that needed things stuffed into them…

Poor Guido had trouble understanding that "yes we could buy (most) of these things in Australia" but "no we don't want to part with these things because … they are special to us"…

Well …maybe the Inuit-art print a wedding present from Tom … and maybe the original Terry Lewistka Australian scene … and maybe one of the three or four posters we had mounted (but are freely available to all) …maybe just maybe they were special … but he really had trouble with the mounted poster of the original iMacs!!   I'm afraid that's "going straight to the pool room" …  We are going to have the most art-adorned garage in the whole world… upstairs there just isn't much wall space to mount art… of any kind!

And I might add - Guido was mightily impressed with Joseph's very accurate planning of how the different size boxes would line up on the remaining two pallets.

The two large boxes to the right - the other two pallets full of boxes
(placed meticulously) on the left!

Thank you Brie:

- for a nice Airbnb in Toronto on Queen street - right on Queen street - very convenient!

We would NOT like to thank Toronto traffic for turning a 1.5hr car ride to Waterloo (to visit the Feeney Clan) into a three-hour epic journey… but we DO thank Tom and Andrea for being so gracious about it all … and we showed our gratitude by woofing down the yummy steak and salads … and then leaving!  (well we did visit for a while but it sure did feel like that!) … note: return trip was … just under one hour!

why didn't I take any photos? :(

Thank you Cook's 

- we actually need to thank Greg & Florrie for ALL of the visits to THEIR cottage - but this time poor things had barely unpacked their bags after arriving from Calgary and Florrie was on crutches with a cracked hip and then we (& the Ross') show up for one last (overnight) visit!

That's Florrie showing off her crutches , Joe, Greg, me Ken & Eileen
 - a rather ethereal photo no?

That cottage has been a life saver to us - back when we couldn't afford the time (or cost) for a vacation - so thank you Greg & Florrie for letting us use your cottage even though for most of those years you weren't even there!!

That iron-lung kangaroo sugar dish was a gift from Melinda way back in the Nortel days!
It fits in so well at "the cottage"!

Thank you O'Brien's

 - double thanks here - to the Bushes for driving us ALl the way to the "cottage" (it's a mansion) - way up on the other side of the river in Quebec!!  …

Mary broke her noodle!

 and thanks to Al & Gail for hosting seven of us… 

just one week after hosting a massive wedding party for their son including housing visitors from USA and Australia in their "cottage"

That's Al and Gail between Mary and me!

But, ever the gracious visitors - we showed our appreciation by woofing down the beef tenderloin and salads (that we didn't bring) and drinking copious amounts of wine (one from us!)

...and marvelled at how small the world is that has their son Scott was marrying a girl from Adelaide on New Years Eve - not in Adelaide - but in Victor Harbor AT THE SAME VENUE that Mischa & Simone housed their wedding party (and partied on for two days after the wedding!)!!   Once again we have been gracious in offering our help to fill out the Canadian contingent at the three-day celebration… we'll probably show our appreciation by woofing something down!!  … and most importantly I will have to buy a new dress.

Mr. Disney was right … it is a small world after all!

.

.

.

This is a crazy photo:
That's Al's bag of spanners that, in the middle of the night,
for no particular reason,
suddenly acquired a hole in the bottom through which the spanners fell
one by one and clinked the bottles as they fell and woke everybody up
assuming we had been invaded by racoons!
A most strange happening.

Thank you Para Transpo

 - thank goodness for Para Transpo because that meant Jane could bring Monty home to their house in Greely to be part of our visit with the Brigham clan! (Due to multiple strokes Monty lives in a nursing home.)

Jill, Jane, Monty, Don, Stephen and Joe

   The "clan" included 3 of their 4 children,  their darling grandchildren (only 6 of the 8 under 5) and Jane's famous brother J.Donald Lafontaine (eminent entomologist) and her oldest brother Stephen.

There's the girls Eva, Annie and Mollie

That's Jackson

… and the twins!

Jane's daughter Emily is apparently a bossy Mother!

We go away back with them.  Joseph birded with Monty when he was a whipper snapper of 16 and I met Jane in London in '75 and I would say, that they have been the most influential people in our lives!  It was Monty who helped Joseph get a job at the CNF and eventually Nature Canada Bookshop - and who knew how important that would be to us.

And it was because of Joseph and Monty's bird trip to the Amazon in June 1975 that I met Jane in London … and well …no other people in our lives hold such an important place in our hearts and that just might include our parents!

We the Brighams!!

Thank you to The Ross'

- probably (no not probably - actually) the biggest thanks of this epic summer must go to Ken & Eileen who stupidly suggested waaay back in 2014 that when we visited Ottawa next summer "we could stay with them the whole time".  Well of course we wouldn't do that to anybody - not anybody we really liked!  But that is exactly what we did!

We holed up in their basement while Joseph used half their garage to perfect the box-packing and we came and went as we pleased and to show our gratitude we woofed down one yummy meal after another; breakfast, lunch, dinner - it didn't matter we were just there to please them!!

we left the door open to Ken's workshop in the hopes it would
make us be tidy … but alas!

We did try to give them the odd breaks - trips to Toronto, the wonderful wedding weekends away, and a week-long sojourn at the Elliott's (thanks a million to Brenda & Brad for agreeing to that!) - the odd weekend at various cottages - but mostly we were in their basement.  Through the tooth extraction, the root canals, the hot the cold, the movies, the shopping, the birding … on and on it went!

"Did those 2.5+ months of summer pass quickly for you?" people would ask "ask the Ross' " I would reply!  They may never recover!!

Note:  I should add that many, many (many) people offered to "put us up" (or was it "put up …"?) and it wasn't just that we weren't sure of the quality of the meals at their respective houses - it was just that once Joseph started on the box-packing it didn't make (too much) sense to leave… 
(although I do recall the Ross' offering to help move those boxes!)

No seriously we can't thank K&E enough … 

friends for more than 40 years … yep … that works!!

Thank you Brother & Sister-in-law

 - another random promise back in 2013 when Tom & Elizabeth were visiting us here in Aus - '"you can use "your" Honda while you are in Ottawa"" (Tom bought the Honda from us when we left).  Now, as if we would do that to anybody - take one of their cars away from them for 2.5+ months!!!… as if??  But that is exactly what we did!  We fell right back in love with our little Honda and we bumped along the roads from the Ross' to the storage unit and down to Toronto and off to cottages - off we went as though it was our own.

T&E hosting family!
Greg,Donna (cousin), Elizabeth, me, Paul (cousin), Joe, Patsy, Marie, Frank and Tommy!

Related!!

 We returned the car to them and to show our gratitude we woofed down a pretty yummy BBQ with them the night before we left - and then - as if that wasn't enough - we made Tom get up at 4.30 a.m. to drive us to the airport.!!  Seriously - thank you T&E.

Tom, Joe me, Sharon (yes Sharon of the cliff-fall) and Elizabeth - just before the woofing down!

... and finally we left … a few last Thank You's:

Thank you Air Canada (I don't care what people say)

 - for an uneventful trip back to Australia - all the bags arrived - all four of them -  and not one thing was broken (and there were mugs and bottles in there).  They let us spend the WHOLE day in Vancouver (9.30 a.m. - 11.30 p.m)!!  … and that gave us a chance to spend time with Cassia's friends Emily and Katrina (& Scott) - so of course we woofed down some more food with them - both meals very (very) yummy and how lovely of them to take time out of their day and even K&S to drive us back to the airport!

Well …er there was one tiny hiccup for AC - the passenger behind us didn't get her "simple" meal!!!  What is a simple meal?  It seemed that whatever the flight attendants tried to offer as a substitute wasn't simple enough!  … well my meals were just fine - I woofed them all down!!

That's Em (Emily Schultz)

…that's Katrina and Scott - after more woofing down!

The Pharmaceutical company that makes Alprazolam!

 - there is nobody else in the world that completes my life like Zanax does … when I fly!!.  Not the little-half pill they suggest - but the THREE whole (and then one extra somewhere over the Pacific) pills that allowed me to be unconscious for most of the 22 hrs in the air.  Sadly I chose not to take one-last pill for the trip from Sydney to Adelaide - a mistake I will never make again - residual I thought - there will be enough residual effect left over that should get me through!  Ha!  Not enough for the ridiculously dangerous landing we had to endure because  our flight happened to land right in the middle of one of the worst storms this winter!  I was of course hysterical and vowed never (ever) to fly again!

-----------

So stay safe everybody... 

safe in the knowledge that I will never again land on your doorsteps

 to stay for a whole summer or use your car for a whole summer

 or plonk down at your cottage or eat your food 

or use your memberships. 

No - I promise I won't do that because …

- I AM NEVER EVER GETTING ON A PLANE AGAIN!!

Canada in the summer …

After we stopped dressing up in our best clothes for the weddings & funeral -  our clothes & activities were a bit less fancy …

Here, in no particular order of occurrence or preference, is what we've been up to in the Nation's Capital (and surrounds)  this summer:

Camping
ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Tom, Sharon and Elizabeth!

Flowers 

this really was the first thing we did - we went to see Machiko (our favourite florist) for some beautiful flowers to thank Ken & Eileen for hosting us for (little did they realize) … 2.5 months (give or take a week or two 

the beautiful and talented Machiko
there MIGHT be a better florist (I doubt it)
 but there isn't a nicer one!

Our hosts - before they realized how long we would stay

Dentist

Strange thing todo perhaps but we don't have "a dentist" in Adelaide (yet) so - off we went to see Dr. Lehrer our dentist for the past 40 years!  … no fillings - but oh joy!  an extraction (Joe) and root canal (Jill ). My first and I was quite devastated  - the needles didn't bother me as much as the horrid gag-inducing latex thing covered my mouth!!  Joseph seemed quite happy to have the mind-altering drugs required for his!

no pics of dentist or root canal or missing tooth!

Hair

- I do have a hairdresser in Adelaide but I don't have Bruce - and even though his shop burned down just days before - he saved my day and made me feel human again.

Chiro

Feeling more human maybe, but my stupid frozen shoulder didn't realize it was warm in canada and that it could keep on thawing (it's been 1.5 years!) - it was going back to frozen!!  -  so off to visit Ken - I was SO happy to see Ken and it seems he has (once again) worked his magic - it is thawing now.

Eating - there has been a lot of eating

Started with a picnic with Nortel friends … lots of laughs and … nice healthy snacks there!  

Then we were into the serious stuff …

•Straight to Art-is-In Bakery for Croque Monsieur

… it did come with a salad!

•A few days in Toronto and of course there was LEE

- outside just as we like it - moderately healthy food

•Back in Ottawa and dinner with Jane (both Jane's),

here's Jane # 2 - Jane Keogh

here's Jane #2
Jane Brigham

• Dinner with the Bush's and the Bush's neighbours - a salad here and there

but no pics!!

•Father's day lunch with Julian and Chelsea and the beautiful Sophia (jetting in from Montreal).

•Dinner with Leanne & Jacques at their beautiful house

Yes they have a tree in the middle of their house!
(and I hope they don't mind me posting it!! yikes!)

•Lunch with Christine from the Second Cup (I know she is so much more - but that's what she'll always be to me!)

•Lunch with Özlem & Pete (Nortel)

Özlem & Pete's backyard with pool
… but they couldn't drag us in

Look what's in their backyard -
a good old TREE FACE!

... and in order to meet up with Cassia's friends Lesley and Helenka we had to eat  … and then I dragged myself off to  breakfast with Jane (K) and Brenda …  then there was the Italian Festival with the cars …

…  and( lots of) food of course!  (met up with old neighbours as a bonus)! 

(There were salads but there were lots of sweet potato fries as well!)

As one would expect - we've been eating non-stop with our wonderful hosts Ken & Eileen and now Brenda & Brad are hosting us this week so … 

well … it's off to try every restaurant on Preston Street! 

ooops - we ate the pizza!!

We squeezed in a lunch with Freddie and his parents

..there's Freddie and his parents - Karen and Marl

Cottages on lakes

 - the quintessential summer activity in Canada

 - well Eastern Canada

 - well in this part of Eastern Canada anyway!

Cook's Cottage - Crosby Lake, Ontario

 If you don't own a cottage hopefully you are (lucky enough) like us to know somebody who does. 

Not sure those friends are quite as happy as we are - but off we went …

To the Cook's:

We've been going here for 29 years  - some without the Cooks and some with - this time it was without them but with everybody else!

Pip, Eileen, Ken, Paul and me
those orange curtains make everything look orange!!
Happy Birthday Joseph!

 then Chris and Katie joined us … just missing the Cooks :(

To Marie & Frank's

- a chance to catch up with Janet et al … and T&E

There's L-R - Marie, Elizabeth, Frank, Tom, Joseph, Taylor (in front), Riley and her mum Janet

Riley - dressed for the beach!

To Pricilla & Keith's

 - OK - there's isn't really a cottage (it's their year-round home) - and Ok it isn't on a lake - it's on the Ottawa River - but it was LIKE being at a cottage.  These are friend's from Nortel so with Brad, Brenda, Lila and Priscilla it was a chance to reminisce about the "Good old" days and they would be the ones at BNR - that's how far we go back (30 years)

Keith built a topical island on the river!!

Brad Brenda and Lila on the "island"

Making sure I don't go under

See what I mean when I say it's not like a cottage!

There's Brenda, Keith,us, Brad, Priscilla and Lila!!

Spas

 - well somebody had to accompany Eileen to Le Nordik Spa!

https://www.lenordik.com

- and somebody had to accompany Brenda for her pedi!

Visits

Aunt Zita

It was nice we could attend Joseph's cousin Joan's memorial service at the nursing home   … and … right there in the same home ... was Aunt Zita!

Now you need to know that this is Mrs. Dafoe's younger sister and she is 101. 

(Mrs. Dafoe was almost 101 when she died and their elder sister Gen was 99 and their younger brother was 92 .)

Aunt Zita doesn't look 101 and she doesn't act 101!  She doesn't nap during the day - huh? !!  She goes to bed at 10 p.m. and is up at 6.00 a.m.  I'm too embarrassed to divulge our schedule!  We had to cut short our visit because she was going to her quiz afternoon - "Are You smarter Than a 5th Grader?" - trouble is, she whispered "I forget somethings I learned in 5th grade"!!

Maitland Garden of Hope

Our friends Colleen & Dave "grew" and grew their garden and now open it up for tours (guided and self-guided) and donations go to their daughter's school in Kenya.  

… and colleen makes the statues scattered throughout the garden.

… Jan stopping to smell the …
lilly!

… and they have a zen garden ...

Not only do they grow things - Dave is the most amazing cook and they are both amazing hosts… so off we went for a tour of the garden and … more food …

  Ribs (why did Dave never win his own Rib Cookoff competition??), lamb cooked especially for me (perfect), and chicken that was (apparently) to die for!  

… and ... a breakfast …fit for kings!!

… and Colleen is an artist!!

There's Cyril and Jan, Dave and Colleen … and us!!
You would look this happy if Dave had just fed you!

Canada Day

Canada Day in Ottawa is quite the day!  To celebrate - we went back to our old 'hood for pizza

Happy Canada Day eh?

our (former) corner pub … Pubwells!
then did our old walk into town to "the hill"

 - saw the Snowbirds flying over our heads right over the Peace Tower

There's the Peace Tower  on the hill
(too slow to get a pic of snowbirds)
…and there's Helenka -in the denim shorthand red sweatshirt
(and we didn't know she was there!)

 - heard "Summer of '69" (Bryan wasn't there)

- missed the concert (it has to be a BIG anniversary to be a good concert!)

 - but did see the fireworks from Ashley & Andrews balcony (thank you) …

Not the best fireworks I've seen here
(not the best photo either!!)

Canoe trip

Canoe trips are Joseph's favourite part of Canada

… but  not mine … 

so he took Brad to Algonquin Park and Brenda took me to N.Y.

 … well not New York CITY but N.Y. state

 Rochester upper N.Y. State (brad's brother lives there) and coincidentally there are Outlet stores on the way 

… and there is Dino BBQ (with the beautiful Ashley)

So that's more food!
I was able to stuff in some of the best BBQ pork and coleslaw in the whole world

...and bless (our host) Boyd's heart …
he cooked us ribs and took us to a lovely restaurant for …
yep … more food!

So we are into the home stretch now - back to Toronto to pack the millions of boxes onto half a million pallets … and  there will be … more food!!

… this is one of the larger boxes he is packing!

There's lunch at the AGO in with Les & Gwen (who also fed us dinner in their beautiful garden way back in May!!) and it's also a chance to catch up with more family - the Feeney Family and there will be food … and photos of this one I'm sure  … sorry Kerry! :( 

… a few last-minute visits (more food?) and then good-byes !!  Oh dear - I'm not looking forward to them!  I AM looking forward to see everybody back in Adelaide - but I'm not looking forward to the goodbyes

YumYum Beavertails!

It's 38c outside the mall and these people are sitting around the fire inside!
Something wrong with this
… good old USA!