~~~GREETINGS!

I have been having some difficulties bloging and I have so much fabulous stuff to share with y'all!

I had the very best adventure EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had planned to visit dear husband's cousin and hubby but due to other commitments they were not available.

The destination was our nation's capital, Ottawa. I love that city so much. My last visit proved a disappointment since I tried to view the lovely statue of the young Queen Victoria which is in the centre of the library and there was a "press conference" going on at that time. I so wanted to see that statue.

Now several of you know how "head strong" I can be and once an idea pops into my head I run with it and so was the case of wanting to visit Ottawa.

Then I remember I had a Pen Pal who lived in Kanata which is a suburb of Ottawa. After making contact with Pen Pal (aka PP) a very nice invitation was extented to me to visit and I did.....

I stayed in Ottawa for 4 days and PP showed me so many interesting and beautiful sites and wonderful meals. From Wakefield in the Gatineau Hills to the Art Gallery and the Byward Market and last be not least the Statue of Victoria....
I thought I would cry since that library is magnificent and there she stood in the centre...I was so darn proud to be a Canadian.

I will post pix once PP checks out my poor sick computer which holds all of the pix. The pc has a very bad "worm" so I just hope I didn't loose anything.

Hang with me on this one guys!

Till next time....

~~~UP AND AT IT FOR ME!...
I was up really early this morning and had a very nice chat with my pen pal or as we call it my "e pal" who happens to be a very nice and extremely pleasant person at any time of the day!

Following a good cardio workout and some mild stretching I decided to tackle the "windfall" apples from the tree in the back yard. I raked enough to fill a wheelbarrow. To date that is the fourth load and probably a few more to go before fall.

Next on the "to do" list was "spider patrol". If I keep a vigilant eye on those little creatures then they don't create too much of a mess.
Following that was plant watering which doesn't take too long and then I was off to the have a shower.
And all of that took place before 7:45am....Yeks! one would think it was a "full moon" !

Till next time...

~~~THE GROOM AND THE BRIDE !!!
Stephen and Ella are being married on Saturday afternoon and the parents of the groom planned a surprise party Friday night immediately following their rehearsal. The party was not the surprise however all those who attended was a surprise to the Bride and Groom. Everyone in the neighbourhood and their guests were there.

It was a Caribbean theme complete with a live steel band, tropical food and drinks, all in a wedding tent. The dress was casual.
This was a way for the parents to thank the neighbours in advance for their patience on this special weekend.

It was wonderful meeting so many of my neighbours some of whom I had not seen for quite sometime.

Till next time...

~~~~ "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT....OMG".....
These were the words of Old Bro # 2 who is visiting for a few days.
He asked if he could help me with the painting and of course I was
so glad I had help. So he wanted to paint the arbor and I would do
the wishing well and the sills will have to wait.
As you can see he had a little misadventure....he got tangled up in the
arbor and look, just look at where the paint ended up.....LOL

Cousin Mike....he's at it again....

Till next time....

~~~DEAR READERS....
bare with me...and no I am not lazy just so damn busy with visiting and visitors and all the other commitments that go with living up here in "Heaven"!
Also I am planning my next adventure....
To be con't....

Till next time...

Here are some more pix of the event taken from my room balcony!


Even the train when by in the early evening when many people went for dinner.

~~~ONCE UPON A TIME.....
there was a man named Bob Gibbs and 25yrs ago he had a birthday party for his wife Maggie. At the party they played jazz records and had a sing-a-long and joke telling as well as karaoke before it was karaoke!
The second birthday party was more sophisticated and a family member accompanied Bob, on his piano, with a bass and banjo. It was after this that they decided to invite jazz musicians in the area to join in the birthday celebration at a "jam session" on the lake.

As the years went by, the party grew in the number of performing musicians, as well as, spectators. Thus, the party spilled over on the to neighbours' lawns and beaches, which encompassed the entire city block.
This continued for 16 years and went from a "potluck" lunch to a "bring your won picnic".

Problems occured when the weather was bad and that is when with the cooperation of the Thomas Edison Inn, thus, giving the party the advantage of being able to move inside in case of inclement weather.
By this time the Jazz On The Lake Committee was formed and along with the Blue Water Jazz Society this event is make possible.
All of the musicians attending do this voluntarily and the groups change about every hour until the "old pros" take the stage. These guys don't need any music stands or music. This happened in the evening and it just "blew my mind"!

Bob died a few years ago and his wife Maggie continues to attend for part of the day
There is a long-standing tradition with the jazz party ...free corn-on-the-cob which is roasted in its husks on the BBQ as well as other things like hot dogs, salads and drinks all at your own expense.

The event started at 2:00PM and went through to 10:00PM.
I arrived at 12:30 and met so many very nice people and got to chat with my new friends...

Here is Eunice and Pat, two women who have be attending this event for over 7yrs. Eunice is in her late 70's and Pat in her 80's and a real "nut" for the vibes.
They sure love their Jazz!
The woman sitting just behind Pat is Ellen and a fantastic drummer and she played several sets.

I was able to get a room at the Inn which faced the courtyard and the river. That is the International Bridge which spans the St. Clare River...
That Lake Freighter was on its way down the river....maybe even coming form Goderich...
Ok, cousin Mike get that map out once again....if the "oinking" isn't too distracting! LOL!

How's this for a cruise ship?

I couldn't pass a chance to do some "shopping" before heading home so the next day I did just that...what fun and the stuff I bought was new for a change!


Till next time...