Saturday, March 27, 2010

2010, Our Third Year in Canada

...and then to New Years Eve at John and Carolyn's with neighbours. We had a good night toasting family and friends in England and Scotland at 7 p.m. ET. Bring on 2011. Isn't time flying by?
After the big Christmas day feast we did get out to Mount St Louis Moonstone for a days skiing. Well that was when we weren't still eating and drinking the favoured Vin Chaud. ...see we did get to the top of the hill. We didn't just tail-gate all day.
This year was our first Christmas at home in Canada. It was quiet but all the same we had a nice relaxing time. Sarah and Daisy under the tree swapping gifts. Well Sarah is, not sure what Daisy made of it all other than having a great time eating wrapping paper.
On Dec-23 we went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. It was a 'Rocking' good show. Lights, lasers and pyrotechnics were fab. They are touring Europe in 2011 so look out for them particularly at Christmas.
Neil, Julie and myself are the new Brownstones Condo Committee for 2011. Avoided the draft for 3-years but succumbed in the end. Anyway here we are posing for the official photograph in front of Julie's wonderful Christmas tree.
The morning after the Domino Canada Christmas Party at the InterContinental Hotel in Toronto. It was a great night on the back of a great year for Domino Canada.
British street artist 'Banksy' paid Toronto a visit in May-2010 and decorated the city with 7 of his works of art! Finding this piece, 'Policeman with Pink Balloon Dog', concluded Sarah's week of writing a thesis on the artist. Whether you see it as art or graffiti, it was fun finding this piece on the back of the old police headquarters building, located on Lakeshore Blvd between Bay and York St.
Cheers Sarah, Happy 18th Birthday, Oct 6, 2010
Not all the swimming pools are in N.America. Concentrate Alfie! We have 2-years until London 2012.
The Anchor at Rowhedge sits on the banks of the River Colne. We moored up alongside the pub and had lunch and a pint of Shepherd Neame on the patio. Well Grandad and I did. 'Lovely Jubbly'.
Family time walking along the sea front at Brightlingsea.
We returned to England in August for Mum's funeral which was on the 18-Aug-2010. Mum's final resting place in All Saints Church, Brightlingsea.
Daisy is now 11-weeks and quite mischievous. She has learnt to sit and that's about it!
A project for Victoria Day long weekend was to refurbish a pair of Maskoka Chairs. Well the weekend project became a summer project and I still have one to complete. They will both be ready for next summer. John and Chelsea our little mascot relaxing on the deck on one of those warm summer evenings in 2010. Let's be clear Chelsea is our little mascot.
Life is never dull for Sarah, as well as starting University she has also started a new job at Purdy's in Union Station, Toronto. Don't eat too many chocolates Sarah. You know what will happen!
So we couldn't put it off any longer. We just had to have a puppy. Meet Daisy she's a Shi-bi on her way to her new home. This is the first and last picture you will see of 'Lazy Daisy' because she has turned out to be 'Crazy Daisy'. A real bundle of energy and great fun.
What a fantastic summer we had in 2010. We have never experienced anything quite like it. Well maybe 1975 back in England (seriously). Lynda frying herself in the mid-day sun at Port Dover. The following week was not 'pretty'. Sore weren't you?
On route (pronounced route not root) to Port Dover we stopped at Hewitt's Dairy Bar or Diner as I prefer to call it. This Diner is the real deal, just like on the films. You just sit on little stools at a bar and the girls behind serve breakfast or what ever!
So Sarah has moved in to Toronto and mum & dad can visit and we can all go out to dinner. Since Sarah has moved in to her student house we have got to see a different Toronto. Much more going on if you move outside of the downtown core. Anyway this little restaurant is call John's Italian Cafe on Baldwin Street and we all like it. My pledge is to eat in every restaurant on Baldwin Street. Sarah thought that was a great idea.
Sarah's room with all her paraphernalia. We think she's happy.
Student digs.
Celebrating Graduation Day with Mr Mustoe her art teacher.
With friends at the pre-prom party.
We all vowed that the summer of 2010 would be a celebration of friendship and wine! I think we did a pretty good job this year. Well the weather helped. From LtoR Lynda, Bruno, Lorraine, Editor, Carolyn and John, who is admiring my new England cap. John and Carolyn had the great wisdom to name their little Yorkshire Terrier 'Chelsea'.
We made a real effort this summer to enjoy the nature in and around the ravine but boy are those squirrels aggressive. In fact it turned out that the grass cutting contractors ran over my bird feeder. Hooligan's.
We celebrated our third year anniversary of arriving in Canada with Bruno and Lorraine on the 3-April 2010. As always a fun evening. Lynda concentrating on getting the labels straight. We've been making our own wine for a couple of years in Canada. It's good fun and cheaper than buying it from the LCBO. Bring on the summer and evenings on the deck with a glass of wine.
In March we went to see the Jersey Boys at the Toronto Centre for the Arts which is in North York. It was a great show about Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. We didn't know the story but we did love the music. Had a pint in the Frog and Firkin before hand.
Not sure why Robert looks so happy, he has had more snow in England this year than we had in Canada. See Phil I do use the snow shovel. Well get on with it Robert there's work to be done.During Olympic week there was an event on in Nathan Phillips Square. We took Robert down to take a look. These are Olympic torches from previous Olympics. LtoR Beijing 2008, Turin 2006 and Athens 2004. Lynda and Robert standing in front of the ice-rink in Nathan Phillips Square.Now we are all smiles in the Lone Start restaurant in Oakville. The last time we visited the Lone Star was in Florida 2000.Robert came over in February to see us. We had a day in Toronto. Seen here on McCaul St, the center of the Universe according to Sarah. Only because the chequered building behind Lynda is OCAD where Sarah plans to spend the next 4-years 'hanging out with the clay'! Sadly in early February Muffin lost the battle with his illness. He had done so well for more than a year. What a brave little fella. He did bring us all so much enjoyment. RIP Muffin. Back to school in January for the final lead-up to graduation. Sarah displaying her art at IRHS. The theme apart from being iconic buildings is; dawn, day and dusk. These pictures are for sale to highest bidder. We have to pay for university somehow!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Friends and Family in Canada


The Wayside Chapel in Niagara seats 6 people so the four of us made-up two-thirds of the congregation.
Julie and I in Niagara-on-the-Lake, May 2013.
Sarah and Alisa on Victoria Day 2013
We celebrated our 3rd year anniversary in Canada with Bruno and Lorraine. It was Easter Saturday and we had a nice evening. We said farewell to John, Alison and the children on April Fool's day. It was nice knowing them. They are heading back to England.
Waiting patiently for a storm to pass whilst our guide reads about the habitat of the beaver. The storm didn't pass and we had to hot-foot it back to the car. Julie and Peter came to see the fall colours (and us) in Oct-09.
Julie contemplating Smoke Lake.
What are you thinking about dad?
Dad and I in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mike and I love this town, it's very quaint, the flowers are beautiful and there's an English pub called the Angel. Dad thought the Angel was great to! Dad came over in June-07.  Mike's dad came to see us in Oct-07. He was our first visitor to our new house. Here we are in Niagara. I still feel guilty that Mike and I weren't at Hamilton airport when he arrived. I think Reuben knew a short-cut across the Atlantic.Sarah and Yaz on the shore of Lake Ontario. Yaz came to see us in Oct-07 and we had a lot of fun from the moment we picked her up at the airport. Can she talk, wow!! Armen was our next door neighbour on Pondview. What a great little fella. Can he ever talk! As we have only moved across the pond we still 'hear' Armen occasionally! Of course we do see him as well. Lynda and I were in Canadian Superstore one day and my name was announced over the PA system, or so we thought! No it was Armen hidden behind the watermelons. "Hey Mike" boomed across the store. Liz and Tina, friends of mine from school came over in May-08. It was great to see them. We had a great time together. They had a blast in Niagara and went on the 'Maid-of-the-Mist' and the helicopter ride over the falls. The 'Crazy Gang' arrived in June-08. What a weekend. We were eaten alive by mosquitoes at Crawford lake, bar-b-qued in a hail storm and Mike fell in to the lake with Siobhan's camera. We did have a fun time with Jon and Siobhan. Plenty of eating and drinking, just like old time's in Salisbury. Bill & Sarah at the 'Hug Me' tree in Toronto. Bill came over in July-08. Lin and Steve were the first people we met in Canada. We stayed at their Creekside B&B in Burlington. They are also British, but have been over here for nearly 30-years. They have introduced us to so many people and are now good friends. They are also very good skiers. They took us to Blue Mountain for a couple of days. Sharing a Chinese meal with Bruno and Lorraine our neighbours. Muffin and Bailey ready to pounce. We had a few late nights on the deck during the summer-08, followed by a few sore heads. Dad and Alex came to see us again in Nov-08. Here we are at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. This is the largest botanical garden in Canada. We had a nice weekend. Alex charmed everyone he met. Thanks for coming all that way for a brief visit. If it wasn't for school and work we could have had more time!! Thanks for the Greene King IPA 4-pack. Robert, Michelle and Alfie came to see us in Nov-08. 10-days of neglect hey Muffin, so you sit on top of Alfie. A trip to Crawford Lake and Alfie's first time in the snow. Michelle, Robert, Debbie & Jacques arrived on 31-May-09.
What can you see Alfie? The Holding's came back to see us in Jul-09. An afternoon stroll down at Bronte harbour.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Fall colours in Algonquin Park

We had a great view from the top of this 82ft viewing tower. The tower was built in 1922 as a forest fire observation post. In 1961 (that date sounds familiar) it became a scenic lookout for the town and tourists. We had a great view of the 'Lake of Bays'. Hey Lynda, we can see 310 sq. miles of forest from up here! Of all the views we saw on our trip to Algonquin Park this corner on highway 35 driving away from Dorset was my favorite. The colours were magnificent. Unbelievable colours on highway 11 leading towards Algonquin Park. The colours were seen best from the highway. When we ventured into the forest the trees were mainly evergreen. Plus Lynda was more interested in looking for bears. 'Mizzy Lake Trail' was one of our favourite walks when we came in the summer. This small pool on the trail gave us an opportunity to show-off our artistic flair with the reflection. I think it worked well!! ....and Muffin had a good time to!! Hey all you folks back in Suffolk, England. The guy who runs this trading post on the Oxtongue Lake used to work for the Greene King Brewery. It was a pity he was pumping gas not IPA! By the look of the photo I didn't need anything to drink.