Sitting out the Tempest.....

Tuesday, 28th August,

Sooo hot today, hot and very humid.

After the whirlwind of child care and off to work had left the house, we took stock, "girded our loins" and headed off via the subway to the ROM (the Royal Ontario Museum).   An unfortunate incident at the doorway saw Ali limping for half of the trip but it fortunately seems that no lasting harm has been done and so in we went.

Firstly to the History of Canada section, with a collection of mostly settler materials, showing initially a copying of "Old Country" styles and then the commissioning of pieces of prestige and wealth.  At least, that, I think, was the narrative.....  At one end was a collection of works by Rex Woods, most of them covers for magazines and many of those "pin-ups" of varying styles.  But some were biting social commentary - like this...

And then in to the First Nations gallery, where the intricacy and accomplishment of the bead work in particular fair took one's breath away.  But, as if to declare that cultural appropriation is nothing new......



The whole gallery tells  complex story, in part a mutual respect, evidenced by the giving of head-dresses, in part a colonial oppression, achingly illustrated by the distillation of a residential school-room.  I so much need to learn more about this.

 But, you see, some things are above price:
A 1 million dollar gold coin; probably worth about 6 million today; and Kitty (No comparison - priceless!  [I shall get in to soooo much trouble for that!])














Wednesday, 29th August.

An early concern about a lost medicine (for me) delayed and delayed us.  A closer look at the weather forecast and an assessment of the route added to the delay.  The opportunity for showers and hair washes  added further to the delay.  I fell asleep, and now it's evening.

Being so long without people in our own house, no noises but those that we make, no pets, no children, means that the little breaths and sighs of Guy and Julie's place remind me of that enchanted island.

"The Tempest; Shakespeare: Act 3, Scene 2.

Caliban.
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
   Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
  Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
  That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
  Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
  The clouds methought would open and show riches
  Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,
  I cried to dream again."

Being flexible........

Saturday, 26th August

A lovely drive through harvest countryside to Ottawa where P and N had both the repaired car and a welcome ready for us.  We returned the rental car and settled in for a stupefied time of catching up the blog pictures and fighting our way through the smaller half of a take-away pizza!  Pam and Noel have also taken care of Burlesque for us.....

Sunday, 27th August.

An early peek at the weather forecast for the next few days showed three days of violent thunderstorms!  (As I write, the TV has just flashed a tornado warning for central Ontario!!!). We already had a night booked in Port Perry so we agreed with Guy to drive onwards to them on Monday.

But Sunday evening was a pleasant supper in Port Perry and a very comfy bed.





Monday, 27th August

A lovely, chatty start to the day with too big a breakfast and a charming host, Mike.  A quick look at the put-in showed fog, rain and a very unpleasant view. So we set off down to Toronto for lunch, shopping and supper with the family.  Hmmmm, peaceful.

Slaying draggons

Fear is a very strange thing; it gnaws and nags at you and make molehills seem like mountains.

Thursday, 23rd August.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the last run was a bit of a washout for three of the four boats.  We'd all been increasingly competent all day, increasingly confident, and then, on the last run of the day through a bouncy, wave-trainy sort of grade 2 / 3 (if you took the wrong line) first one, then a second boat wiped out.  Not too bad, water's warm, but the instructors went on high alert (thankfully) and so we began to catch up with ours (in fact, he seemed to be getting in the way!).  But once clear of him we followed our lines, crashed through the haystacks (big waves with no rocks underneath them) and headed for the open lake - where another of the instructors was waiting with a rescued boat.  So we dodged around her at full pelt in the tail of the rapid -  and then noticed a paddle floating alongside us.  So each of us made a grab for it - and we fell in.  By now we were a long way from shore, had to be helped to swim the boat into a bay where I could stand up and then emptied and righted the boat.

All controlled, no danger.  But one of the swimmers was pretty bruised, having been towed ashore through boulders, and really the whole mood was pretty subdued.

As it was on Thursday Morning.

So we went back to basics, back to the Dam where the flow is more defined and where we could practise S turns and O turns across the current.

But still the mood lay, like Smaug with one eye opened, sniffing blood.


And the dragon got to us; our mood soured, we became driven, unforgiving (well, a bit) and just unhappy.  Do we go home now?  But Thursday night was fun, with the Awards (we have now successfully completed "Paddle Canada; Moving Water Canoe Skills Introduction Tandem"), and our personal assessments........

Friday, 24th August.

The mood was better, but Smaug had his head up now.  We went to a lovely, classic, Canadian lake with a little jet feeding it from the western end and with large eddies (bays) where we could practise our turns in flat water. 


Which we sort of did; but Smaug wasn't banished yet.  There's a four stage, grade 1/2 rapid with a kick in the tail that drains this idyllic spot.  We all walked up it (on the bank), identifying features and land marks and talking, talking.

It was hard for Ali, she's so physically competent at things and the bow paddler (as we have learned) is hardly ever anything other than the motor and the lookout.  All those little correction strokes of hers that we have learned on the lake, where a bit of a zig-zag doesn't matter too much, have to go.  And in return, I have to accept that a call from her in the bow "Rock (go) right!" has to be obeyed immediately.  But I don't always remember which stroke moves the boat which way.....  And then it was hard for me because Ali could see exactly what I was doing wrong and I knew that I was letting her down and I felt less and less competent and more and more criticised.


We agreed to let everyone else do their run, and then we'd decide.  They were all OK - no swimmers.  And of course we decided to go for it.  Carole and Deb came to lead us down (Ducky fashion) but we got off the line once or twice and definitely took the grade 2 route!  Still we ploughed on, I seem to remember a brace stroke in there somewhere - a definite sign of an "ooh, nasty!" moment and then we came to the last 30 feet of the run where the current has swung river right under a bank and where we washed out, onto a large table rock, at right angles to the flow!

So we sat (briefly) gradually inching towards a two foot drop off said rock and at right angles into the current.  And we said "Ready? Go!" and we did, and we dropped down off the ledge and held the boat in the current and turned downstream and pumped the air as we flowed out into the lake, made our turn back towards the shore and came home.  Smaug vanquished!

And the Draggon Slayer in chief - Carole Westwood, our instructor.  Just brilliant!

What made the whole day slightly ludicrous was the sight, whilst all of us on the course were with varying degrees of trepidation practising our S turns and our ferries and our surfing (not us!), one double, open canoe with two adults plus three, standing kids under the age of four, and another open canoe with two standing infants and a dog (!!!!) copied our moves with great panache and then slid down the rapid, stopping in tiny eddies on the way!  Pshaaaw!

Back at the Centre, supper was good, the beer and the chat were welcome, emails exchanged, farewells made.  We've come to an old, Railway hotel here in Barry's Bay for the night.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.; perhaps a reduction in the aches?!

Wet, wet, wet!

Saturday, 18th August

We drove to Ottawa. Just in the south-eastern suburbs, the car developed a horrible rumble in the front left wheel. We limped to  Pam and Noel's who wrapped us in a lovely supper, and their care and helped us plan for the morrow.

To cut a long story short, we decided to leave the car at their local garage and rent a saloon to drive down.  So, big thanks to them for putting up with us, helping us to hire a car and looking after the repairs.

Sunday, 19th August.  Drove to Madawaska Kanu Centre, bedded in.  everyone seems to be our age - well, it is seniors' week!

Monday, 20th August

Breakfast (and supper) in this lovely place were generous and welcome.



















To the dam, firstly for instruction in how to strap in, and how to "pop" prys and draws on the flat water.  Then, after lunch, we all had a swim - one at a time, -to get used to getting out of current.  The water, controlled from the dam, comes off the surface of the lake and is super warm!

We began moves on the moving water below the dam.  It went relatively OK but we were certainly aching afterwards. 









Tuesday, 21st August.

More eddies and slack water, beginning to learn how to read rapids; we fell in after bouncing into a rock.  Profound lessons on communication......
















Today - Wednesday, 22nd August.

Very stiff last night, a broken night.

Rapid running (grade 2) today. 


Terrific until we got to the lake at the end - when we fell in!

Mixtures of jubilation and funk.  But we wish we'd done this 30 years ago.  Take note, it's never too late!

 Come nightfall, when the water is turned off, we went down to the slalom course to compare the change!

Countdown

Thursday, 16th August

Little things to do around the place.  The most perfect, mirror paddle in the evening; the excuse being the need to leave Big Green upside down whilst we are away........  We sorted the main meals for the trip' Ali washed and ironed and ironed....

Friday. 17th August.


Last summer, we arrived here a year ago today!  These extra six weeks have been amazing.

There is Big Digger activity across the road at Yves' and Lucie's place.  I pottered down to look.  It's the same excavator gang that levelled the meadow for us. 

The power of that digger is extraordinary!





Back home we are sort of organised.  Sort of!

The one that didn't get away

Tuesday, 14th August.

Karen and Denis left soon after breakfast - come again soon, guys!  So, it's time to get the gear out for Burlesque - if the glass-resin sistering has worked - in preparation for the trip. 

At (our) lunch-time we had a lovely chat with Bryony and the boys by Skype.

By late afternoon we had worked out how to use the tie-downs under the bonnet (hood) and rear door of the car and had liberated the canoe from the basement.  In to town to collect timber from Glenn (for another reason - see later in September) and to fill up the water jugs.  But the beach / launching ramp is closed at 5.00 so we came home and I went fishing.  A seemingly very good fish beat me for the third time (first time I struck too soon, second time it jammed the hook in the dock! This time it leaped to free itself.) 

Another hot night; windows open and ceiling fan on all night.

Wednesday, 15th August

We slept fairly well, both of us, but there was thunder and rain first thing and so it was late before we had finally showered, read the news (in fine detail), had breakfast and headed down to des Mauves to see how Burlesque went (well; the new stern seat is larger and comfortable.  The "sistering" seems to have worked well)..  We paddled all of baie Gregoire, Ali ghilie'd me whilst I fished (three in the boat, including a small Lake whitefish, none in the bag).  I think we were out about an hour, paddling steadily.  Seem OK.

The prospect of car-topping the boat for just the journey back up to the house seemed silly so we had taken the trolley with us.  In the end I sat in the open back of the car with the bow of the canoe cradled in my lap and the wheels at the stern and Ali gently drove us up!











Then, to work.  We weighed out all of the lunches for the trip, calorie counted!

This was really successful last trip.  We mix up the choices for any given pouch so no two are the same.  The surprise of the variation is nice.

Breakfasts still to do but the main courses are being a bit more of a problem.  I shall just have to add some cans of meat and some fresh veg......





And then the thought of that "seemingly very good fish" was nagging me and I left supper to defrost and headed back to the water.  It was a virtual dead calm.  I met another turtle, a bit smaller, but only a bit; this is supposed to be it taking a surface breather.  By the time I got the camera out I think you can just see the rings it made in diving, just off to the right!

I paddled to the dam and then let the boat drift back up the lake, casting, feeling for every likely "Bass-y" venue.  Two in the boat, none in the bag.......  Then I cast for the place where I last missed the bigger fish. 

White worm, presented cross-wise. 

In! 

The little, folding rod that I bought in Buckhorn last year was bent in a full curve.   The fish ran really deep; I let the clutch out on the reel, it was taking line.  And then a lucky plunge of the net and Yes!


Two more in the boat; none in the bag - this one was too large for the bag.  0.789kg (1lb 13.5oz) uncleaned. Happy bunny - meal for two.

Little steps

Friday, 10th August

It is a very long way from Toronto to 107.  But we broke the Journey firstly for fuel and breakfast at Tim Horton's on the 401. 

(You can not travel in Canada without using Timmy's at least some of the time), and then (the chip truck at Kaladar having mysteriously disappeared) at the Subway at Sharbot Lake.  (Note to self - there's a very nice, river side pull off about 5 miles South West of this....).  In previous years we would have taken it in our stride; this time, we were really tired by it.

We decided to take the lake shore route through Ottawa with the intention of crossing the Cartier bridge and joining les Allumetieres but we missed the start of the queue for the bridge and swung on to the Parliament building!  Oh well, no harm done.....


On and on with  stop for Gas at Notre Damme de la Paix (where the spud festival was in full swing with many RV's in residence) and then home

to deer on the meadow,  burgers in buns and a relatively early night.  Shattered.
















Saturday, 11th August.

Half a day, really.  K and D arrived after lunch, I went paddling (fishing, but paddling sounds more energetic)  Karen did a ferocious session of aquarobics watching the loons - the little ones have grown such a lot.  Shows how good a fish diet is for you.  Three in the boat, none in the bag.

Mark and Janice hosted a BBQ and reception for the Quatuor Andara, 4 delightful young musicians who played a really very competent and varied programme.














Sunday, 12th August.

Arundel for church.  Just lovely!

Then home to fish in the little boat, Kit (pictured at the launch in 2013. It goes very well with a double paddle and is fast and very good to fish from.  It's just a bit wet!

A flotila of young ducks came to explore me - and then thought better of it!

"Three (fish) in the boat, one in the bag"; 465gm cleaned.  I need to mend the attachment of the thwart.









Monday, 13th August.

For reasons none of us can explain, we all slept badly.  K and D went early to the Chiropractor in St Jovite, I followed later to meet them for breakfast, to do some shopping for the trip and then to bring Karen back.  Denis has house-building things to arrange.

The proprietor of Snug Harbour, one of our hoped-for stop overs on the way from Port Perry to Buckhorn rang to offer us a camp site.  Hooray!

I went on to Dan and Lorraine's where they are clearing underbrush, to look at their beautiful power boat with a view to helping with or at least advising on its restoration in September.  Hmm.  Undoubtedly more of this later.

And then home to put the new roof rack on the Edge.  Seems firm!

Karen has been teaching the present iteration of Chipmunk to take food from the hand!

"School" runs, sleepless nights, hugs - and a swiming bear!

Tuesday, 7th August.

No photos just now.  I took them on the Big Camera and they need cropping.  I have a mote in the lens which shows up rather markedly.  And my mouse has stopped working, so that is very laborious.  I'll get there in the end, but not this evening.

The start of Grand-parenting duties in earnest!  Guy took us both to James' nursery and to Lila's Summer Camp (in a local school; no marshmallows in sight!) so that we could be both sure of where we were going and recognised as bona fide collectors.
G and J headed off for their glamping trip at about mid-day and we took a day off!  But we did manage to arrange the bookings for the next stage of the grand trip.  As instructed, we were on time for the little ones and brought them back to crudites, crispy chicken and strawberries.  They ate well.


Wednesday, 8th August.

But they didn't sleep well :-(  James was awake and happily active from something after two until about 06.30.  During the late evening and rest of the night, Toronto was lashed by a spectacular rainfall!  I popped my head outside at one point and the rain sounded like a train passing.  50mm in an hour.

We overslept, had to rush to get Lila in in time and then shuffled a very reluctant James in to nursery.

I'm afraid we dozed on and off for most of the day, but we were on time for the little ones.

A virtual repeat of yesterdays supper and bed ritual

Thursday, 9th August.
- greater success, until James' refusal of milk at bed-time woke him.  But a bottle or two soon had him settled again.

But Lila was in good time for her Camp - field trip (to a water park) today and James made it in time for breakfast....

Some scurrying around the apartment and then - off to the AGO for a really wonderful exhibition of two Inuit painters.  These are three prints - each an original in the way that real prints are - of The Enchanted Owl by Kenojuak Ashevak; 1960.

 This is Luminous Char - same artist.


We travelled each way on the subway; quick and easy.  We were back home in good time for the kids but G and J had already arrived home and they went to collect them whilst we made tea.  Spag Bol - yum.

This has been a lovely trip; the kids have been great and G and J say they had a good time.  Perhaps I'll live long enough for the two grandchilren to come to spend time with us at the cottage - but that'll be a long time; have to get exercising.......

Oh!  The swimming bear...

That's one of the paintings by Tim Pitsiulak.

En famille

Sunday, 5th August.

Hotter and hotter!  Fortunately, Guy brought a large shade with him to the campground which made life easier.

 James in particular was a little shredded by the heat and by needing to sleep so lunch was something of a non-event.











A wild rabbit provided a diversion - there was a good range of wildlife around the site, American robins came morning and evening, mourning doves fluttered over the teasels,  the rabbits came and went.

We waited until about three for the five of us to take to the pool while Julie guarded the site.




Then we lit the fire and served up burgers and excellent sausages and some other, generally uneaten morsels...  It really was very hot.



Ali and I sat on after they had left.  It really was an acceptable site despite the 'noises off'  But the humidity and the temperature stayed high and I became confused when we woke for Ali's late antibiotics and stayed awake, thinking it was 7.00 am!  More trains, more planes...  Ho hum.

Monday, 6th August

We decided to leave the site because we need to practise dropping off the kids for school and summer camp whilst The Parents take their trip.  Leaving before 12.00 noon we were refunded the day's fee!  Traffic down the 427 was lighter - it's a Provincial Holiday - than sometimes, but be prepared to be passed on each side!


We found a car wash - much needed - and came to the house in time for a trip on the subway to lunch and a visit to a bookstore (as you do) and an ice-cream parlour.  We dodged the welcome rain home.  The children played with painting books for a little, before demolishing a large platter of crudites.

At last, we all sat for a semi-somnolent evening once the kids had gone to bed.  The fold down bed was comfy, the air conditioning a kindness, even if it's barely quieter than the trains!

Where are we?

Wednesday, 1st August.

A bit of a change of plan.....  Off to Buckhorn today, to stay with the Churchwarden of  St Aiden's where we left the car for the long trip last year.  A long trip, more than six hours, but such a lovely welcome from Eunice and Jim. 

We went to visit her daughter's house, a former general store in the process of brilliant restoration, beside the river and we really should be able to link the end of the lake to Buckhorn lock!

Supper in Buckhorn with pickerel (fish) imported from Europe and then a long sleep and a longer chat over breakfast.  Thanks, both!

Thursday, 2nd August.

Then the wandering journey down to Port Perry, trying to find overnight stops.  We think we've done it...
Canoe slip at Lindsay; Hmmmmmm



Bed and breakfast at The Ranch - beside a busy road - and a deceptively delicious meal at the Foundry in Port Perry.  One to return to...

Friday, 3rd August.

The last of the possible stops, confirmation with a retired gentleman at the marina that we can park the car; a side-step to a piece of the trans Canada trail which might eventually lead down to Toronto....






And down to a municipal camp site in Toronto, bordered by an active goods rail line (you can just see the goods wagon above and to the left of the car), the airport, a construction site and the motorway.  But it suffices; it has fire pits, a salt water swimming pool, climbing frames and loos.  What's more to want?



Saturday, 3rd August.

Guy and Julie are at a  concert since 3.00 p.m..  the kids have been left in our care.  As they will be next week!  Hence the change of plans.

G and J seem to think we're doing them a favour, when the opposite is true.