"Alice" by the Avon!

~~~AAAAH STRATFORD ONTARIO....
As many of you know Friday is my day off. I found that I really need that day to recoup from the previous "workout" days.

On this particular Fri. June 26th my friend Alice invited me to join her and hubby and some other of her friends from Toronto to see the play "West Side Story" and to enjoy a picnic in the park. Following a day of storms and much needed rain this day the sky was cloudless and the temps...comfortably warm.

Well, I jumped at the offer.

We found a lovely spot to have our picnic right at the river's edge. Following a walk around the beautiful grounds and finding the Toronto gang we proceeded to enjoy our lovely meal and really good conversation.

That performance of "West Side Story" was one of the best I have ever seen...and of course it brought me to tears.
The costumes, dancing and the fantastic singing will stay in my memory for a long time. The whole theme of that play is ageless and so pertinant to our "time"!

Following the performance we decided to head up town for a drink and a chance for the two teenagers in the group from Toronto to check out the unique shopping in Stratford.
We found a lovely spot where there were tables and chairs on the sidewalk. You guessed it...more delicious food and wonderful conversation.


It will be a day I will long remember!
Many thanks to my dear friend Alice and hubby Brian for inviting me!

Till next time...

It just isn't Stratford without the Swans!




This is a memorial to the beginning of the Stratford Festival back in 1958.
It shows two workers pulling on the ropes to raise the centre pole of the tent under which the first performance at the theatre was enjoyed.


This rose garden is just outside the main entrance of the building.
And again, it wouldn't be the Festival without the roses!

~~~I mentioned some time ago that I ordered my tickets to view Curling at the 2010 Olympics well, today I booked my flight.

Can you imagine...going Business Class (OOOOOOOOh I couldn't eat another pea) out to Vancouver and back how lucky can I get and it is all on my Aeroplan Points.
Ya think I am doing something right these days?

Till next time...

~~~This is as far north that the sun will travel
north as taken from my living room.
The longest day is on Sun. June 21 and the days start to
get shorter...

Till next time...

~~~Looks like the Amish are heading for Walgreens...LOL!

~~~I was having a fantastic drive around and away from Chicago earlier this morning and I couldn't figure out why I didn't come across any toll roads. I did remember several while going into the the city.

Then it hit me...I didn't follow the directions given my by my darling GPS as I call her and I was heading south and onto Memphis...yeks! I was ready to continue my adventure by not that far south...not today. Any way I was able to make the correction and darling GPS isn't speaking to me any more...I turned her off.

I knew that I had to head east so I spotted Fort Wayne Ind. The highway was two lanes for some time then it broke into 4 and what a beautiful roadway and not much "dancing" with trucks either.

I went over the Wabash river twice and past Kokomo...yup you guessed it the singing began...thank you Perry Como and I don't know who wrote "The Wabash Cannonball" but I do remember Johnny and June Carter Cash sang it.

I also spotted at a very busy intersection an Amish family in their buggy.

I'll be heading home tomorrow...I think...this has been a wonderful trip.

Enjoy the pix...

till next time....

~~~Yup, went past KOKOMO....

~~~Another excellent day this time it was Frank L. Wright's house in Oak Park. This was the beginning of his illustrious career.

Till next time...

~~~Here is one of Wright's favorite style of statues in the garden.

~~~"What a FANTASTIC CITY CHICAGO IS!"
I took the 1/2hr train ride into the city on Wed. and then got to see and ride on the Chicago River while riding in a water taxi. I decided to get the all day pass which was very useful.

Then I wanted to walk Michigan Ave. for a while till I needed a rest. Now it was time get a "Hop On Hop Off" ticket on the double Decker and was I in for a real treat.
Chicago is a very beautiful city and I wasn't expecting that. The city is trying to get their bit in for the 2016 Summer Olympics well they sure have my vote!
Enjoy the pix that follow!

Till next time...

Here is a view from a Water Taxi!

~~~Clouds and Skyscrapers!

~~~AMERICAN GOTHIC AND ME!

~~~A pic as promised....more to come!
As you know I travel alone and it is difficult to capture some good pix!

Till next time...

~~~"HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN"!

The old adventure "bug" has hit me again...I am in CHICAGO as I type this. Yes, I knew that I needed a holiday so off I went. It was a wonderful drive into the city although there was a lot of smog you could still see the buildings.
I am in a small community just north of the city called Glencoe...so very quaint
Hey Charlene it reminds me of the area that your shop is in Grosse Pointe.

Cousin Mike get that map out and check out Kalamazoo...been there!
You would have loved the area...I thought of driving around Birmingham as I approached Chicago.

Barry thanks for your kind words wishing me well.

I hope to head into the city tomorrow and maybe I'll have pix to post...
keep your fingers crossed.

Till next time....

~~~"WHOO...HOOOO"!
As some of you know I really love the game of Curling and now I am the proud owner of tickets to see the wonderful sport in action at the highest caliber of play in the world...2010 Winter Olympics.

Dear nephew who lives in Vancouver BC emailed me last fall and asked if I was interested in seeing the Curling and he invited me to stay with he and his family...well, I jumped at the chance.

Memories came gushing back of the day in the winter of 1988 when I carried the Olympic Torch with an old colleague who has since died. Sorry for digressing...

Back to the story...Nephew pointed out to me that the Curling Venue is just down the street from where he lives and so easy to get to. I have never been to Vancouver so you can bet I will be doing a lot of sight seeing while I'm away from the rink...that is if I can tear myself away from the TV and their fabulous coverage.

Today I was able to order three of the tickets for the Curling events and I am so happy....
Now I wonder if I will be able to confront a "Torch Bearer" and catch a little of the excitement I experienced in"88"...

Till next time...

~~~So sorry for the delay...internet was spottie over the weekend!

I forgot to mention that as we drove into the Park memories of that wonderful National Park in AZ aka The Grand Canyon came to mind. The road at Geneva Park is not paved but the small and large out buildings were painted similar to the GC and the way that the buildings were placed about the property was so similar.

I do have to apologise for no pix...(maybe I can blame it on having too many "senior moments") but I always forgot to take my camera with me. Anyway we were really busy and every class was so interesting...Gee I learned SO much!

Thank you so much "YMCA"...perhaps I can repay the organization some day by sharing my new acquired knowledge...

Till next time...