As the summer of 2015 creeps towards the end of August I look back at four months of bliss. I have had a richness of interesting outings and activities, rewarding family times and celebrations, fun times with good friends, great entertainment and a period of good health that makes me count my many blessings. Where to begin... check out the text below and the links will take you to the pertinent photo collections on Flickr.
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL in HIGH PARK
Spring got off to a good start with our May trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival in High Park, Toronto - our first experience of that rush of pink petals. We managed to visit just as the trees were at their peak. There were thousands of people walking around, many of them oriental. It was a jubilant spring day with a note of hope and anticipation in the air. I had never really seen Grenadier Pond before nor had I realized how hilly the park is. The blossoms created archways over the winding roadway and the ground was covered with petals, as they blew in the wind. We had a most delightful walk.... a great way to welcome spring - May 8, 2015.
COLLINGWOOD RETREAT WEEKEND
At the end of May I arranged a retreat weekend with my girls - Amber, Miranda and my daughter in law Nagmeh. We had a kid free time at my friend Bev's cottage in Thornbury. This was a real treat and a first getaway for us... a good time for getting to know each other as adults, bonding and healing. We shopped til we dropped in the lovely town of Collingwood on Saturday, had lunch out, then went to the Pamperme spa for a group pedicure. My toe nail polish was called Green Witch. After that we spent 3 hours at the Scandinavian Spa... which was a real treat and a must see if you ever head up that way. Imagine indulging in a huge wood heated sauna, a ecalyptus sauna and several hot tubs then cooling off in many outdoor pools and sitting around fires and swinging in hammocks. Just what the doctor ordered!!!
This was Miranda's first pedicure experience.
ESCAPADES AT STURGEON LAKE
Next I had a wonderful gals weekend at my friend Deb' cottage on Sturgeon Lake in mid June, 2015. My oldest friend Jeani Collingwood was also invited and there were a few of Debbie's old friends there who I had never met.
We went into Bobcaygeon and checked out huge bathing suit store and the most amazing shoe store (Bigley's) I've ever seen. My first inclination when I got to Bobcaygeon was to hide out behind the liquor store to see if someone would get me some beer and gin!! On the way back we returned to the sacred site in Thurston Park of our old Greenhurst dance haunt (sadly the dance hall burned down about 10 years ago).
Back at the cottage we played old music, loudly, enjoyed delicous snacks, drank a bit too much and shared stories from the past 50 years amidst great laughter while we let it all hang out. Our mantra for poetic licence was, "So and so is such a bitch, bless her heart!!!" I think the fishing boats gathered from miles around to hear the stories coming from the crazy ladies up on the deck.
The weather co-operated, the scenery was peaceful and inspiring. A great time was had by all. Girl bonding at it's best!!! What happens at the cottage, stays at the cottage.Thanks so much Debbie.
(Debra, Jeani, Barb, Nancy, Nanci, Carol)
INSTALLING A NEW POOL LINER
When you own a house every year has it's maintenance projects. This year it was time to get a new pool liner. This ended up being a 6 week project as we went with a private person who did pool work on the side so between his full time job and the weather, things got delayed. I now know far more than I ever wanted to about installing a pool liner.
We were babysitting grandkids the day they came to empty the pool so Lua and Colby were quite entranced. At one point we went out to the street to see where the water was going to and the kids decided to splash around in the ditch where the water was being pumped to. As per usual projects have their issues and this one was the fact that water leaked out of the pool after we had paid the $700 to get it 2/3rds filled. In the end we were relieved to discover that the water was leaking on a light that had not been sealed properly so we only had to drain down past the light to fix the problem and then refill. So by mid July we were back in the pool again.
This year I decided to take the plunge and hire someone to hook up the pool heater which has been here since we bought the house but never in operation. I used the grandkids as an excuse and it now works beautifully though we had a bit of an adventure. During the process the worker left for a few days without telling me he had turned the heater on and when he came back the whole pool was a giant hot tub, 120 degrees!!! Don't ask me about the gas bill!!! Anyways it has been very enjoyable to go into a warmish pool on chilly nights and stay in longer with the grand kids.
Colby and Lua play in the water that is being pumped out of our pool.
Arthur helps to stretch the liner.
FAMILY OUTING TO TURKEY POINT - LAKE ERIE - JUNE 2015
Turkey Point Beach is a popular beach located about an hour and a half south of Guelph on Lake Erie. We enjoyed an early in the season family outing on a Sunday afternoon in June. I swear Colby was eating the sand. Luckily the water was warm enough for a swim and we enjoyed just relaxing in the sun and supper at a beach restaurant just across the road.
Ah young love.
OUTING TO GRAND BEND WITH INEZ
Inez and I decided to do a cross country trip to go to a play at the Huron County Playhouse in Grand Bend. It was quite impressive to come upon a giant theatre structure in the middle of a corn field. We had arrived and were surrounded by a sea of grey hair. Are we at this place already? We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast called Hardt on Huron, in nearby Zurich. It was a very pretty setting, clean, well adorned though a tad too many light houses!!! We enjoyed the play, Chicago immensely and had a fun time shopping in Bayfield the next day. What a great start to our summer. Check out the photos at this link.
Playground at Grand Bend Beach.
 Inez makes the 50 Steps down to Zurich Beach. |  The main drag in Grand Bend. |
VISITING WITH FRIENDS
We had many opportunities to visit with friends this summer.
In June I got to meet Maike's friend Nicole from Germany. We went to Stratford to see Sound of Music and had a picnic supper on the Avon with the ducks and swans and a floating music barge.
 |  Maike, Nanci and Nicole. |
Speaking of Stratford, Arthur and I also went there to see The Diary of Ann Frank. The set was amazing. We also ate supper out along the Avon, this time touring the pathway along the far side of the river for the first time.
 Swans on the Avon. |  Swans on the Avon. |
 A scenic walk along the Avon. |  A scenic walk along the Avon. |
Joanne and Gary came for their yearly summer visit. We went to the Dunfield Theatre in Cambridge to see Canadian Legends and had supper at Amber and Matt's new home. It was a delightful evening. The production was fabulous!!!! Neil Atchison is hilarious and the music was top notch. I had no idea what a mark Canadians have made in the music world.
Joanne and Gary with Nanci in front of the Dunfield theatre in Cambridge.
In June one of my brother's best friends, Leta drove to Canada from Florida to pick up a
Taylor Coach RV trailer she had purchased from a lady in Guelph. Apparently Canada is the only place where trailers light weight enough to be towed behind her small car are made.
We had visited Leta a few years ago when we were in Florida so were happy to accommodate her here during the venture. She is spending the summer as a welcome host in a trailer park in Maine to be near her daughter and grand children. She was thrilled with the quality and functioning of her new wee trailer though it does look a bit like a sawed off shotgun. Did I mention that she brought along a dog, two cats and two large birds. We had quite a fun time.
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 Leta's wee Taylor Coach. |  |
KELLER RED HEAD COTTAGE OUTING WITH MY BRIDGE FRIENDS
Six ladies from our Tues PM Bridge group escaped to a lovely cottage on Lake Huron near Point Clarke for 5 days at the end of July. We had the other Huron Lake cottage ladies down for an afternoon of bridge and a pot luck supper. It was peaceful and lovely. We swam at a nearby local beach called Bruce Beach and walked along the Station Beach in Kincardine. We also got to see the Kincardine summer pipe band Saturday night parade.The sunsets were glorious, the company fun and the scenery just beautiful. We had some interesting "family" dynamics but survived!!! We also survived one of the worst storms ever up that way with trees down, roads closed, power off and tons of rain and hail. Quite a memorable adventure.
Waves after a storm on Bruce Beach.
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 Old Fashioned Bathing Suit. |  Bev in front of Redhead Cottage. |
PLAYING WITH THE GRAND KIDS
Our grand kids love to come to Phelanland and swim in the pool. Dayyan at 7 is swimming like a fish and loves doing the cannonball and spraying everyone with those amazing styrofoam guns. Hyatt almost 3, is getting braver every day and will be an early swimmer since she is so agile. Colby at 2 is still a bit clingy but loves the water and watering can. Lua knows no fear as she goes in the water without wings even though it is up past her chin. We got to experience her making her first unaided pool crossing. Check out the great video below of this event.
Dayyan going down the slide.
Check out the ecstasy on Hyatt's face as she plays in the water with her Dad.
Grandpa playing with Colby.
Check out this link to see Lua do her first independent swim across the pool.
Ralph playing with Lua and Colby.
The water is finally warm enough for Miranda. Colby's new stay on sun hat.
My girls at play. Memories of Marco Polo.
Check out this link to photos of other spring and summer activities with the grand kids as described below.
We often take them to an amazing park in town that has been developed from the inspiration of children with angelman syndrone. Kate's Place is an inclusive, accessible interactive playground. The zipline and the bumpy slides are two favourite features.
Hyatt climbing and on the bumpy slide.
Dayyan on animal mountain.
Colby and Lua on the bouncy teeter totter.
Elmira has a unique skateboard park which Dayyan really enjoys. I am amazed by this culture and the safe and orderly way the kids conduct themselves there. The death drop feature in the bowl end defies description. Oh to be young again.
Lua meets Liam at the skateboard park.
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Liam was a riot.
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One day we made up a tent had a picnic lunch outside. Then Lua decided to climb high up the step ladder to remove a dead bird from the eaves trough. We got out the bubble machine and Colby was chasing them all over the place.
We continue to have Lua and Dayyan one day a week but Lua will be off to school in September. I'm not sure if the school is ready for her bossiness!!! Hyatt will continue at her Montessori preschool and Dayyan will be going into Grade 2. See Lua's happy smile. You can tell how much fun we have with them all and why we feel so blessed.
OTHER FAMILY EVENTS
Over the past year Amber and Matt they did a lot of work on their new house... the biggest job being that of installing a new kitchen. They took the walls and ceiling right back to the bricks and two by fours. What a wonderful improvement this has made on the place. Amber built the kitchen at her old workplace in Elmira. Matt was the wiring pro. Arthur helped them quite a bit with the demolition, drywall installation and advice. Like every project, it took a lot longer than they expected. They are now seasoned home owners.
Amber and Matt have hosted several family events this summer. I think I could get used to being waited on!!!
They had a housewarming party at the end of July. It was a lovely afternoon outside on their friendly deck. They have a double lot so the yard works well with children. The place is surrounded by gorgeous Rose of Sharon hedges. Ask me if I'm jealous.
Amber and Matt are still in the honeymoon phase. They celebrated their first anniversary Aug 17th.
They also hosted a family BBQ in August so we could visit with my niece Karina and Kyle who came from Edmonton and were staying with them so they could attended a family wedding in Cambridge. This was also a celebration to honour Arthur's 65th birthday. Later in the week Arthur and I had supper out at the Breadalbane Inn in Fergus with our friends Walter and Joyce and then attended the Music Man in Drayton. We plan to make that long dreamed trip to California this coming winter to further celebrate his 65th.
Kersti and Brandon's Wedding
 Kersti and Brandon tie the knot. |  Karina is a bridesmaid for her half sister Kersti. |
 With the four kids. Check those facial expressions. |  Samara Maple Key Stained Glass gift from me. |
Arthur's 65th Birthday BBQ
Arthur turns 65. Check out the birthday hat.
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We managed to get a rare family photo or two.
(back) Aaron, Matt, Ralph, Arthur, Colby, Kyle, Miranda, Amber
(front) Nanci, Karina, Dayyan, Nagmeh, Hyatt, Lua
The kids liked doing this one better.
We ate in the garden of the Breadalbane. I always wanted to be a mermaid by a water falls.
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Evening out with Walter and Joyce.
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Kyle and Kariina relaxing at Arthur's birthday. Nagmeh and Aaron behind.
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Dayyan and Lua helping with the candles.
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HURON LAKE GETAWAY WITH DEB AND ART
At the end of August we went on an outing with our friends Deb and Art to show them the Lake Huron beaches and towns. First we visited my friend Ginny in Sauble Beach and enjoyed our picnic lunch at her quaint cottage. Unfortunately we picked the coldest day of the summer and ended up wearing our winter coats on the beach while we watched the huge waves and windsurfers flying over them.Oh to be young again!!!
In Southampton it was too cold to get out and travel the boardwalk so we settled for a few art stores while the guys tried to be patient. We ended up staying overnight at the Windspire Inn Bed and Breakfast in Port Elgin. This was a charming old inn with lots of antiques, comfy beds, ghosts and a yummy breakfast. Again it was so cold that we just drove to the beach and the others stayed in the car while I walked out on the peer. It was too cloudy to enjoy the sunset which is one of the prime drawing cards in all the Lake Huron beach towns.
The next day was warmer and blue skies greeted us. We took the scenic route out of town and drove by Gobles Grove beach. In Kincardine we checked out the boardwalk, beautiful garden plantings and snapped a few photos at Boiler beach. Last stop was Bayfield where it would have been great to shop til we dropped but we only had an hour to enjoy the
ambiance of this pretty, artistic town.
Our outing culminated at the Huron County Playhouse in Grand Bend where we thoroughly enjoyed the Legends of Rock and Roll. The production was lively, entertaining, professional and great fun. It was so nice to hear all the old songs with my friend Deb as we were able to walk back through time to those teen years we spent together in high school.
Check this link to view photos from this Lake Huron adventure.
HUNTER'S HAVEN COTTAGE IN GOODERHAM
This was our year to try out another shared family cottage adventure. Our immediate family with the exception of son in law Ralph and daughter in law Nagmeh (who had to work), spent the last week of August at a cottage in Gooderham, not far from Haliburton. This as a place we booked online last winter so it was much awaited and anticipated.
Renting cottages is always interesting with a mixture of positive and negative experiences. This time it was mostly positive but we would not go there again with kids at this age because to our surprise, the 250 feet of waterfront had a road between it and the cottage so it was very nerve wracking trying to keep the kids from crossing the road and hauling stuff back and forth.
Amber and Miranda canoeing on glassy lake Gooderham early one morning.
Matt had a wild adventure that involved 3 kids, a water boat and a bicycle boat.
The cottage was clean, well supplied with comfy beds and an easy to clean floor... which came in handy as Colby was in the midst of toilet training. The beach area was lovely with great sand, clear weed free water and the perfect depth for young children. There was a nice BBQ spot, docks canoes and paddle boats. We enjoyed the pristine vista and were inspired by wildlife visitors, especially the loons and pileated woodpeckers.
 |  Miranda is actually relaxing |
It was so nice to all be together in one place for an extended period of time and enjoy some gorgeous summer weather while trying to relax. The kids had a ball but the adults were somewhat challenged as things got very hectic with our four strong personality grand kids at their various stages of development and they got so excited seeing each other for such a long time. We had a few near drownings, burnt marshmallows, sand throwing, food challenges and lots of peeing in the lake. Thank heavens for Amber's husband Matt who joined us mid week and kept the kids at bay. They love playing with uncle Matt and he has just the right demeanour for our feisty brood.
Hyatt in fine spirits.
Dayyan climbs a giant rock sculpture fountain in Head park in Haliburton.
Aaron is also 'Mr. Patience' with the kids. They had fun in grandma's water boats.
Arthur and I managed a quiet day away from the hub bub as we were invited to the Goddard cottage on Catchacoma Lake for lunch. We had a delightful time with Ted and Carlene in their real cottage "cottage". We also had some time in Haliburton one afternoon, visiting the Curry Gallery and then going for a pleasant walk through the Sculpture Forest at the Haliburton School of fine art. It was a pleasant drive to and from the cottage as well but we were glad to return to Elmira and get all the stuff put away and life back to a normal routine.
Arthur relaxing on the dock at Goddard's cottage.
Check this link to view additional photos from our cottage week.
VISITS WITH EXTENDED FAMILY and FRIENDS
My 'endless summer' diaries would not be complete without including photos of some other family and friends we were lucky enough to see this summer.
Wade gets his PHD
In June we spent and evening with the Wilson family from Tweed to help celebrate their son Wade's graduation from Waterloo. It was quite interesting being at his thesis defence last fall and a joy to see that he now has the papers (Rec and Leisure) and a part time job teaching at the university. We've know Wade since he was in kindergarten in Tweed with Amber so feel like he is part of the family. We are very proud of his academic successes and the fine young man he has become!!!
A Visit with my Aunt Betty and her daughter who came from Vancouver
My aunt Betty Carter and her daughter Dianne made a rare visit to Toronto in June to see my cousin Steven. They came for a visit with Steven and Caroline and we enjoyed lunch by the pool. My girls snuck away from work for a bit so they could see their great aunt. We had a lovely visit. Betty was mom mom's closest friend and favourite travelling companion. She has been an avid walker and golfer most of her life and still manages a few games inspite of arthritis. Can't believe Betty will be 86 this fall.
Dianne, Amber, Betty, Caroline and Steven
Nanci and Dianne - we see each other about once in a decade
Later in the summer we spent an afternoon with Caroline and Steven in their Don Mills ravine garden. Steven has taken time to read, relax and heal this summer spending much time in his garden retreat with the trees and Caroline's folksy chickens.
I love this tender picture of Caroline and Steven.
Joanne and Gary
We had a fun time in Cambridge with my old and dear friend Joanne and her husband Gary. Amber and Matt had us there for supper and then we attended "Canadian Legends" at the Dunfield Theatre. It was funnest most entertaining show ever!!! We all had a blast.
My Aunt Marion turns 80
We made a trip to Peterborough to visit my aunt Marion and Hugh to help celebrate her 80th birthday. We enjoyed a lovely supper out at Roland's Steak House. Doesn't she look terrific? I'll never look that young even if I happen to still be around at 80. Marion has been a wonderful blessing in my life with her great sense of humour, positive attitude and nurturing ways. I have fond memories of being their flower girl many years ago. Imagine, they will have a 60th anniversary next summer.
GOODBYE SUMMER
It has been a glorious summer, in spite of the coolish weather and persistent rain. Our gardens have been beautiful. I've especially enjoyed my herb garden. We have a great crop of basil that is delicious in those decadent bacon and tomatoe sandwiches.
 My Chihuly Herb Garden. |  New Glass Balls. |
 Glorious Lilies. |  I love Clematis. |
Mr Fix It.
|  Arthur's Delphiniiums. |
All is well and life is just a bowl of cherries!!!
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