Eight Days on the Lake = Three Words: Too Much Happiness

I have so many years of photographs, I thought this year I'd just edit some of the video I took. Here you go - there's even seven seconds of me, slinking out from behind the camera for a change.

Canada's cottage country... can't be beat.

Bruce the Bat's Summer

Yes, Bruce the Bat has been along for the ride a lot this summer, as usual. He had a great time.

He travelled by streetcar, subway, train, this blog's favourite cute Fiat 500, stayed in hotels and lurked in my overnight bag.He also found an intriguing door at the bottom of a tree in a forest.

He hung out with his girlfriend Anoush, his new best friend Moose and some cute birds at the cottage.





More cottage time... and island time!

His friend, M, made him a hammock, so I made a video.

The ROM has a bat cave, but even cooler was the T-Rex. Look out, Bruce!!!







After all the excitement of ths summer, it was bathtime. Now he doesn't only look good, he smells great!

Last Day of the Vacation

An afternoon on the Toronto Islands with a dear friend. Reading poetry under trees, later looking at the lake on the far side of the islands (where you'd never know there was a city behind you). Finally, back on the - er - mainland, a really excellent burger on the Against the Grain patio.

Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

A lot of my summer has been spent here, just a short ferry ride across the water, laying under trees, reading, dreaming, relaxing. We're so lucky to have the Toronto Islands. I love the view on the ride back. One minute you're on the beach or the parkland, next minute you're facing a well-known and impressive city skyline from the deck of a cute little ferry.

BUSY

...but not to busy to take a ferry to the island for a few hours today, to picnic under the trees.

Haliburton Days

The hols continued with three lovely days in Haliburton, on a motor-free lake just 10 minutes outside Huntsville. The days were cooler, but the swimming just as good as it had been in the depths of July. The company was... DA BEST.

Kawarthas, 2013

The vacation started with 10 days in the Kawarthas, and this blog's favourite cottage. After an iffy weather start to July in Toronto, we lucked out in non-stop hot, sunny days on the lake, until the very end when we witnessed a huge storm... always very exciting.

Dragonflies are a blog favourite. It seems my toes are a favourite with dragonflies. Please excuse the extreme close up of my toes, which surely no-one needs to see. And - hey - do you have to do that on my beach towel??



The chipmunks were back, but not the smartest ones we've seen. They would peel a two-nut peanut shell, take one, and toss the other. Or maybe we've spoiled them? One day I got a lot of shots of a cute green caterpillar.

Beautiful Walk

My friend B suggested a walk along Duffins Creek in the Greenwood Conservation Area. The weather forecast had called for blazing sun. What we got was an overcast day with no wind. The colours and light were soft. There were many beautiful things to soak up:

... soft buds...





... whorled bark like the surface of a raked Japanese garden... I see a face in the tree, do you? Two eyes, a sticky-out nose and then it's also sticking its tongue out!









... the chartreuse of baby trees...






... a tree whose random roots made it look like a baby brontosaurus... see the front legs?



... silvery grasses...



 ... we've had a lot of precipitation this spring, and the creek was running swiftly...





... leaves, bark, slopes, trees, beautiful moss...















... a stunning view. Imagine it in a month... or in the fall..



... who let in the crazy tree hugger?



... cracked ice sheet...



... good news...



Not only is B full of great ideas, she also surprises you at the end of a long walk with a picnic of piping hot tea, cookies, chips and grilled cheese sandwiches. AND... a drop in on the way home to the Lindt chocolate outlet (I stocked up). Thanks, B!

Walking

Friday evening, I needed to walk so badly. Just walk and walk and let the air clear my head. I needed to hug a tree, and I did. Spring is on its way but that walk back home from Cherry Beach, with the wind in my face, was brutal.

Pretty much a year to the day that I thought I should retire the old Sauconys... I've got the new ones. Just as comfortable... good companions on the regular 5k and 10k walks.

Bring on the spring, the walks, the trees... bring it all on.

A Few More