Often in summer we leave a few windows open for fresh air.
On quiet mornings, bird songs - and the chattering of chipmunks - remind us that there's an active world out there!
Those who enjoy the sounds of nature - but can't open their windows - can still listen to forest sounds from around the world on a website called Tree.fm.
A world map is even provided to indicate where these forest sounds have been recorded.
Another kind of "virtual" travel!
Last weekend, we drove to Brockville - a town on the St. Lawrence River - for their annual rib fest.
The live music was great!
The barbecued corn on the cob, blooming onion...
And, of course - the ribs - were a treat.
The views were spectacular!
So nice to be back... It's a great place to visit - especially in summer!
Two nights ago, a sudden, fierce storm passed through our neighbourhood - and at 10:35 pm, our power went off.
The next day, it was still off, so we headed over to our nearest McDonalds to have coffee and charge our cell phones. (For a while, at home, Terry was able to use a battery for a cordless branch trimmer to power his computer! Life is forcing us to be innovative!)
En route, we saw piles of downed branches...
Now we're back home, hoping that power will be restored soon...
Here's another downed tree on a path often used by dog walkers...
I wandered over to Earl and Mary's yard where part of a neighbour's tree snapped off, pulling down some wires.
There's lots of tidying up to do, apart from our loss of electricity!
It's been quite a summer - and we haven't reached hurricane season yet!
Terry and I recently drove to Merrickville - one of my favourite towns along the Rideau Canal. We hadn't been there in a while.
We actually thought that Canal Fest might be back, with its crafters' market and free canoe rides - but when we got there, there were lots of visitors, but no organized events...
... though at least one vendor had set up shop outdoors!
We headed to our favourite bakery - Violet's On Main - and enjoyed some treats.
Then we went to the park next to the canal and watched boats going through the locks.
It's always interesting to see.
I was surprised to see more young women than men working on the canal locks this year. Opening the locks is a physically demanding job!
Before leaving town, we just had to have some locally made ice cream!
It was a perfect day... Ducks and geese were enjoying it, too!
Last August was very dry - in fact, we had very little rain all summer in 2025.
But my photos - dated by my phone app - remind me that during the previous summer - 2024 -we had A LOT of rain.
I wonder how wet the field is this year. We had a lot of rain last month. I wonder if the pump is running to keep up! From year to year it's different.
I thought it was a rubber plant - because of the shape and shininess of the leaves.
It sat indoors all winter - then I put it outdoors this summer - where it has received abundant direct sunlight and lots of rain - perhaps too much!
But recently my camera phone identified it as a "blushing philodendron" - which, apparently develops large fragrant blossoms. That would be lovely!
It also resembles this photo of a philodendron 'black cardinal' whose leaves eventually turn black. No mention of flowers.
Now I'm going to check online for more information... since these two versions of AI don't agree! (Imagine that!)
My hope is that it's a blushing philodendron that will grow beautiful, fragrant flowers!
