Discovering Ottawa: Mer Bleue

“Did you see anything cool?”  We ask the young boys running ahead of their mother in the parking lot. “Frogs!” they exclaim. “There’s a frog sitting on a wasp’s nest, catching the wasps as they exit,” another group tells us.  We head in that direction. We’ve come to Mer Bleue Conservation area just east of […]

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Discovering Ottawa: Manotick

We are drawn to Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, to visit with friends.  Arriving early, we decide to check out Watson’s Mill along the Rideau river.  Unfortunately, as it is off-season, the mill is not open this day, however there is still plenty to explore. Next to the mill is a Veteran’s Memorial Garden with […]

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Photo A Week: Water

Water, I confess, holds me in its spell – I would follow it across the land from the Oregon coast, and ocean swell to the Arizona rivers, oh so grand: Set me by a waterfall and I will swoon, mesmerized by such awesome power, even deafened by its thunderous boom, I could watch the motion […]

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Kettle Point

The shores of Lake Huron hold many memories for both Ric and I.  He grew up in a small community just outside of Sarnia, Ontario, where the Bluewater Bridge crosses over to Port Huron, Michigan.  My family spent many summers cottaging in the area, and my parents retired to the lake. Lake Huron is said […]

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CFFC: Pondering with Whimsy

It’s hard to decipher, when staring through glass who is eyeing whom, is it me or the….bass? And what happened to treasures left to rot surely they held such dreams when first bought? And if reincarnation is part of the deal, where do I sign up to return as a seal? I’d make friends with […]

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A Photo a Week: Quintessential Canadians

I hope not all Canadians are not as noisy and messy as the goose that bears our country’s name, but I do know many of us are as industrious as the beaver: (For Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge:  Quintessential)

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VJWC #3: Muskoka Wonder

It is the combination of trees and rocks and water that holds such allure for me.   Here in Muskoka, it is easy to understand how artists such as the Group of Seven were inspired to capture such beauty. The weather has been perfect for our visit on Sparrow Lake, and my body has graciously […]

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Muskoka

North of Toronto, Canada, there is an area of lakes known as Muskoka.  Having traveled extensively over the winter, and marvelled at many new and exotic landscapes, we return to the places of our youth with a new appreciation and respect for what we have here at home. Muskoka and the Haliburtons are vacation destinations, […]

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VJWC#3: Nurturing Wonder

On the road, everyday is defined by a sense of adventure and discovery – an attitude I feared I’d lose on returning home.  In truth, these past six weeks of settling back in have focused on family and friends and doctors visits.  All good, and yet, already, I notice that carving time for writing is […]

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