Elora Gorge and "From Now On I'll Call You Pussy!"

On my second to last day in Canada we went to Elora Gorge, a conservation area outside the city of Guelph, some 72 km north east of Stratford, Ontario. En route we passed the new house Stratford-born singer Justin Bieber had built for his grand parents which is somewhere out of the city limits.

Hurdie Gerdie at the Trailer

Around the fire at the trailer

Life would be uninteresting were it not for those "characters" we come across from time to time.

We went to the trailer at Bayfield for a few days, as Bruce had taken some days off work. The weather had

cooled somewhat with the temperature not going much above 25ºC, and over the next few days it got cooler as another cold front passed through.

Justin Bieber sneaks into Town

Mark and Shiela came in late in the afternoon saying the rumour was that Justin Bieber had returned to his home town, Stratford and had been spotted at the mall. Mark and Justin were in the same class at school when they were about 13 or 14, long before Justin became the idol he is today.

Oot 'n' Aboot

Saturday afternoon in the mall in London

The weekend weather was sunny and warm.
On Saturday we drove down to London, Ontario to look at a solid state hard drive and computer case at a computer shop. Glynis wanted to look for a dress for an upcoming wedding. What a pleasant experience it was walking around the mall without hundreds of people walking aimlessly about like The Pavilion or Pine Crest or even Gateway for that matter.

Thunderheads

Thunderheads to the NE of Stratford

After the storm

Sunset

After all the heat and humidity of the past few weeks, a welcome respite came in the form of thunderstorms all over south east Ontario. In some places much damage was caused by strong winds, leaving areas without electricity.

A cold front moved in from the north and mixed with the hot humid air coming up from south east America. This air picks up more

Swans on the Avon

The weather remains very hot and humid, with the temperature reaching 30ºC so we spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday in the swimming pool. Sunset is at 9 pm. Mark had his final driving license test which now allows him all the privileges of a fully licensed driver. Brad is doing driving training at the moment and can only drive while accompanied by a licensed driver.

Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula

On Friday evening we drove to spend the weekend at the trailer near Bayfield, and went to watch the sun set over Lake Huron. When we got to the trailer park, residents had decorated some of the streets with Christmas lights in preparation to celebrate "Christmas in July". The competition was on for the

From my Window...

Thursday was a much cooler day, with the humidity almost gone entirely, and today Friday is warmer again.

From my window, today

Back In Stratford

A pair of passing ducks settled in the swimming pool the other day. Abby was very interested. They swam around for a bit then flew off.

The eagle type birds we saw circling overhead do seem to be Turkey Vultures, it looks like that one

At the Trailer at Bayfield

Vette's in the Park

Last night (Friday) we packed the car and drove to Bayfield, about 60 km northwest of Stratford where my family have a trailer.

Today was the first day that has been really sunny and we took a walk into Bayfield and

Stratford's Pets

The Stratford Swans

Friday dawned overcast with showers. It's a bit cooler but still humid. Glynis and I went downtown to see if we could find a jeweler to repair the minute hand of an old clock. On the way home we drove along the bank of the Avon River and saw "Stratford's Pets", the herd of swans. In April each year after spending the winter indoors, the Stratford swans waddle through the streets of the city to the sound of horns and bagpipes. Their destination is the Avon River where they remain until the following autumn. Yesterday I spotted 4 Golden Eagles riding thermals over the house. These eagles are

Back in Canada - 2013

 

Flying over the Alps en route to Amsterdam,
The Netherlands

After deciding in January this year (2013) to visit my sister and family in Canada, the time had arrived and I landed at Pearson Airport in Toronto at 19:40 on Tuesday 2nd July after a total of 17 hours flying and a 5 hour stop over in Amsterdam.

Ear plugs and an anti-nausea tablet helped to get through the 10 hour flight from Johannesburg to Holland. Keeping a look out for a pass over the southern tip of Greenland made the 7 hour flight from Amsterdam to Toronto a bit more enjoyable.  The cloud was broken as we neared Greenland so I was able to see some of the jagged coastline as we flew over, but cloud covered the rest of the ice covered island