208/365 An encounter with a Kraken

Work was fine, no dangerous encounters on the way home (kept my eyes peeled for hipsters, all safe. No zombie joggers out in the heat either).

Then - disaster! The Kraken hit, and hit hard (*):



It appears that if you mix up two usually well-behaved ladies with a day of hot weather and a bottle of rum, there is an inherent risk that you will end up with two very giggly ladies with numb knees (well mine were numb anyway!). I think this may have been what concerned P most about me having so much free time - a decent into afternoon drinking.

For now the Kraken has been hidden in the cupboard, and my partner in crime has jetted off to tour Europe....so P may be safe at least until she returns....I'm sensible enough to realise that venturing into Kraken infested waters alone is not safe for anyone.

(*) 'Hitting hard' actually consisted of two much diluted cocktails, I am as ever a cheap cheap date.

207/365 Danger everywhere

A girl needs to be on her toes at all times....

206/365 Daytripping

Today I went on a day trip.
To a tip.
Well technically it is a composting and landfill facility, but that doesn't rhyme.


Learnt many an interesting fact, most of which I have since filed away in a safe place in my brain, so you will have to make do with those I remember:

* People in Gatineau can be trusted to produce a higher class of compostable waste than those in Toronto who have been allowed to place their organic material in plastic bags because seeking out (compostable) alternatives is far too complicated.

* Some people think that their compost bin is an appropriate place to dispose of engine parts and dead cats. (I am pretty sure these were distinct cases and not the same person, but who knows).

* A local man has been trained in the art of falconry, and will be flying his falcon in the landfill to scare off the gulls. If this is not successful they will grade up to a hawk. The final stage in this environmental arms race is bald eagle - watch out gulls.

* Poison parsnip exists and you should stay away from it.

* School buses are cool. Uncomfortable but very cool.

For info on the facility itself check here. A most informative and enjoyable tour.

205/365 Sundays are for music....

Treble musical brownie points for us today. First stop was Rideau Hall grounds for a free concert as part of Chamberfest. On offer was an hour of beautiful harmonies from the Borealis String Quartet. Perfect accompaniment to our scones and iced coffee.

A quick dog walk and then off to the National Gallery, for a concert by Jesse Stewart, who set up camp in the abstract gallery, using Voice of Fire as his backdrop. If you have never heard a waterphone played (and you probably have, just weren't aware that's what it was), make sure you do. Eerie. Combined with drums, beaters, and a multitude of gizmos that are well beyond my musical knowledge - fantastic. My knees were vibrating. (That's a good thing!). Sadly no photos....

Yes, only the third event of the day is recorded pictorially, and from the picture you would think there were only a handful of people out enjoying the offerings of the Piknic Electronic this week.....

the crowd (~150) were mostly hidden up in the shade, but enjoying the music nonetheless. I admit to being most skeptical about the appeal of this event, but yet again Dr.H proved me wrong. Worth the cycle for the people watching alone, and I actually enjoyed the music much more than expected too. Will definitely venture back again before summer draws to a close.

Oh, and great views of a scaffolding-less parliament on the way home too.

204/365 Jam-packed Saturday

A day filled with dressing up. Strange animals in the park this morning with a penchant for sugar-snap peas.




Then theatre in the park - much drama over The Fan, with a hodge-podge of period drama, slapstick and a spot of panto mixed in. Very entertaining.

203/365: Back in the swing of things....

The camera is back - hoorah! New lens and a thorough clean. Shame it was such a palaver getting it sorted, but at least I didn't have to buy my third camera in two years (I dropped number 1 in a lake whilst getting out of a canoe, could have happened to anyone).

Anyway, today I got the cooking bug, the house seemed so cool in comparison to Thursday's 41 (with the humidex, think it maxed at about 36 without). Yes, 33 seemed like a very reasonable temperature to be baking in:



Delicious. A Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall recipe - Polenta and Asparagus Tart.

I think Paul is gradually morphing into HF-W. Not a bad thing, and definitely an improvement on Jamie Oliver, who he got compared to when we first arrived in Canada. Must be the dimples.

MIA

Hello all,

I'm afraid the lack of camera combined with three days of camping over the weekend have led to a tail off in blogging.....I will be back (try to stifle your moans, you don't have to read it!) but rather than list the photos I wish I'd been able to take, for now I'll just jump in when I've got something to say until I'm back on my photographic feet once again....


xxx