On a recent visit to Merrickville, we happened to see the "Kawartha Voyageur" - a cruise boat I took down the Rideau Canal 10 years ago.
It was such an interesting experience!
I wanted to view the canal from a different perspective - from the water, rather than the land.
What a fun - and relaxing - learning experience that was!
I would definitely love to do it again!
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!
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!
Terry and I have a long-standing tradition of driving to Perth (Ontario) for their annual maple syrup festival.
After all, maple syrup is one of Terry's favourite foods - and he loves to sample!
Last Saturday, our family met up there.
In spite of coolish weather ...
We all had a wonderful time!
We hadn't taken highway 7, through Tweed, in a long time.
Years, I think...
What changes would we see?!
We passed Tweed's tiny historic jail... No change there!
The biggest deterrent on this quiet highway is not being able to pass slower vehicles for long stretches at a time.
That problem didn't happen - but a dozen cars did get caught up (with us) behind two extra wide loads - two halves of a large prefabricated building. So there was no passing at all! But the whole convoy did manage to maintain a reasonable clip.
Near Perth, the wide-load vehicles turned in at a truck weigh station and our convoy quickly dispersed.
An interesting, peaceful drive home.
It amazes me that someone had the vision and desire to invest in this large project - building soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a hockey arena - and numerous play structures - with the faith that, if he built it, they would come...
And come they do, all year long!
Next time I come, I want to try the walking path that encircles the fields.
A busy, joyful place to be!
Last Sunday, my younger son and 5-year-old grandson joined me on a walk down "Lilac Lane" in Franktown, a community near Carleton Place.
Jericho brought along his styrofoam airplane - which flew well on the paths - as long as it didn't fly high and get caught in branches!
Smelling the lilacs was a new experience for Jericho as well!
I hope it’s one he won't forget!
We eventually came across a local frisbee golf course...
Also a 200-year-old church where the stone wall needed to be repaired.
A few people were working on it.., Note the pile of stones next to the wall, ready to be repurposed.
A fun, interesting outing for us all!
There were fire engines to peer into...
Play structures for the kids...
A petting zoo - where one shrewd goat grabbed my granddaughter's cone full of animal food - taking it all!
S'mores to snack on!
I was impressed by one young man's creativity - selling creatures he had made using a 3-D printer.
What a great idea!
The rain didn't dampen our enjoyment of the day!
Lots of delicious fun!
