Northern Ontario Ablaze!

Northern Ontario Ablaze!

September 24th, 2014

I had originally planned to immigrate to Vancouver, but there were no openings for teachers there in 1989. So I came to Ontario with the idea of staying for one year and then tranferring to B.C. 

What Ontario had in store for me was nothing but astounding!  Apart from the wonderful people who embraced me with friendship in those first few weeks, and apart from being ridiculously happy with the students with whom I had been gifted, it fell to Mother Nature to seduce me into staying here with the splendour of her display that very first Fall - and I've been hooked ever since. 



It's not that we didn't have colour back in the U.K. - there were yellows and browns, and the occasional reddish leaf. But I had never seen such a vibrant array of reds, oranges, golds, and maroons against the vivid green background when Fall hits Ontario. 

Knowing that it signals farewell to the summer - and takes us closer to the transition to winter (which has its own charm), the Fall has to be my favourite season. Pleasant hikes along trails studded with fallen leaves that look like a mosaic, the gentle breeze kissing the trees, and no bugs with which we have to share the experience! What could be better? 

There are many reasons we love living in Elliot Lake. It's a given that people, here, are an amazing example of resilience - friendly and welcoming - and quick to lend a helping hand or share information about hiking trails and hidden lakes known only to the locals. 





But it is at this time of year that we find our hearts full of appreciation fir the abundance of foliage just outside our door - and even to be enjoyed from looking out of our window or from our balcony. 

Northern Ontario has to be experienced - and to live here is, indeed, a dream come true for us. 

  

Please enjoy the slide show we have put together so that you can experience it with us. All pictures were taken within 20 minutes drive from where we live. 

Here's the link for the slideshow:       Northern Ontario on Fire!                                      

Walk Off The Earth - A Trip to Heaven!!!

Walk Off The Earth - A Trip to Heaven!!!

September 12th - up early and excited!! because we were traveling to Huntsville to attend the first Muskoka Sound Music Festival. More to the point, one of our favourite bands were going to be top of the bill that night! 

We had watched the leap into stardom of WOTE (Walk Off The Earth) after their brilliant 5-people-playing-one-guitar interpretation of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" exploded on YouTube garnering well over 35 million views in under 2 weeks. Following an appearance on 'Ellen', the group have been on a global tour playing to packed out audiences that have been thrilled by the experience. 

Now, we are biased - Marshall (Ryan) happens to be the nephew of Mark's sister-in-law - but we also happen to think that this is one of the most innovative bands that have emerged of late. At last, we were going to see them live, and the performance on Friday night far exceeded our already-high expectations.

Being top of the bill, they were going to be the fourth band performing that evening, starting at 9:30 p.m. Mark had us firmly in place, front row - centre about 5 hours prior to that. In fact, we were the only ones who had planted our lawn chairs in place. 

We were determined to get the best seats in the open-air venue. We were rewarded for our early arrival because we bumped into the "bearded guy" and Mark got his pic taken with him. Yes - he does talk and has a great smile. We watched as he thrilled a little girl with whom he spoke after the pic was taken. Kids just love him! 

The preceding bands were really good, though the heavy metal group, Monster Truck, was a little crazy loud and we couldn't hear any of the lyrics. Nevertheless, the instrumental genius of the lead guitarist was totally awesome. 

Watching the staging being prepared was fascinating - there must have been nearly 100 different instruments - some conventional, some not! When we saw two wine glasses being filled, and some powdered substance being poured onto the cymbals, our curiosity fed our excitement. Our lawn chairs were now folded and nestled closely against the fence to which we were firmly pressed, standing in anticipation of what was to come. Front row, centre - and we were not giving up that space! Talk about a couple of 'groupies'! 

With bated breath, we awaited the entrance of the band we had traveled 6 hours to see. From the moment they came on stage, it was an action packed experience! From the amazing songs to the incredible timing and co-ordination, we were treated to 90 minutes of pure joyful, fun-filled entertainment at its best. 

As this was the last performance of their tour, they announced that they were going to create an opening for their Christmas Video - and we were there at the front - so we're looking forward to seeing if we are going to be 'stars'! 

We particularly liked the way that they involved their crew in some of the numbers, as well as in the finale. Such talent, fun, and comraderie.... and the mutual respect between band and crew was obvious. 

We also appreciated that they performed 'Somebody That I Used To Know' which rocketed them to stardom on YouTube. It was good that they had not forgotten their roots and the crowd went absolutely wild. 

Seeing them live was well-worth the long trip and the long wait - and we didn't even mind the field of near-mud that had developed by the end of the evening. So much fun!  

Thank you, WOTE!!  You are awesome!

See our slide show of the event. Some of the pics are blurry, but you'll capture the pure energy!

A Little Piece of Heaven

A Little Piece of Heaven

At least twice every year, Mark and I trip down to the little township of Wilberforce, Ontario where our dear friend, Pat (affectionately known as Patsy Watsy), has a cottage on a Lake. 

This year, we missed out on the annual July weekend gathering of a dozen people or more because I had strained my back the day before we were due to travel. Bummer! - It was the first time in 17 years that we had not been present and it has been calling to us all summer. 

This Labour Day Weekend, we were able to take in a flying visit to this 'little piece of heaven' that Pat has carved out for herself, and which she generously shares with those in her circle of friends and beyond. 

Nestled on the edge of a beautiful lake, the cottage boasts of 300' water frontage.  (See slideshow for more pics).

Built in the 1930's, the log home is accompanied by three other buildings - a wash-house, a bunkie, and a boathouse, along with the customary woodshed. 


We were occupied in the woodshed for a couple of hours stacking wood that we had collected from a supplier just 15 minutes away from the cottage - making this a true 'labour' day! It was so much fun, working as a team, and accomplishing a task that brought back memories of our years living on the Holland Marsh.

The time went quickly as the bawdy remarks, jokes, and hilarious conversation among the participant 'workers' were shared with gusto. During that time, we also solved all of the world's problems!

After working up an honest sweat, the lake was supremely welcome and, at 19 degrees Celsius, it was a good 3 degrees warmer than our local beach in Elliot Lake. What a difference a degree or two makes! 




Good food, beautiful surroundings, great memories, and wonderful company made this brief weekend rendezvous special. Pat is the first friend I made when I arrived in Canada, back in 1989, and we have been fast friends ever since. If you can visualize loyalty, fun, joie-de-vivre, and variety - you have captured an image of Pat, who is an awesome representation of these wonderful traits!

Pat and Mark enjoying a 'mirthful moment'!

Rob & Danna

What a wonderful way to complete the summer!

Exploring Relationships

Exploring Relationships

It has been said that we become who we are through the relationships we have with others. I remember sitting in an auditorium at some point when the speaker said that our first awareness is of the limits of our own body - we move and feel and touch to discover that we do have boundaries. Our feet signify that we don't have bodies that go on forever. Then we become aware of an 'other' - usually a parent. We now realize that beyond our own physical limits, there is another 'body' to which we start to relate. 

It's through relationships that we learn who we are.... we belong to this family, not that one; this region, not another; this country, this culture, this community etc. In fact, several philosophies go as far as saying that we only become aware of who we are because of our relationships with others. 


I have come to understand that EVERYTHING is about relationships...   we have a relationship with our body, with money, with work, with our environment - with everything that is around us. However, the most important relationship is the one with our inner self. Our inner self goes by many names - our soul, our spirit, God, Universe, Source of All That Is - it doesn't matter about the label. It's that non-physical aspect of who we are, really, inside. 

So much of our time is spent on improving/perfecting our relationships with people/things outside of ourselves. We find ourselves trying all sorts of different strategies to make this happen. Yet, we often neglect the only relationship that matters - the one with our Inner Being. The strange thing is that when we get THAT relationship right, then all others fall into place. 







This is not new thinking. It has been a part of religious philosophies for centuries. I think this is what Jesus of Nazareth meant when he said, 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..... ' also stating that 'the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you' (emphasis mine). Once that relationship has been tended to, 'then all these things shall be added unto you.' The Gautama Buddha said, “If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.” The Hindu Laws of Life include these statements:  Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves! 

It would seem that there is an underlying awareness that we need to put our own house in order so that we can empower ourselves to bring love, acceptance, and healing into all other relationships. 

Once we become aligned with our true selves, once we get that relationship right, the world is our oyster!

Change can be scary... but it can also expand your horizons!

Change can be scary... but it can also expand your horizons!

This last week we've noticed that some of the trees in our area are beginning to change colour - already in the middle of August!! This early reminder of the oncoming season of Fall was a bit of a shock - especially as our summer has not been one of the warmest and sunniest on record. 

It got me to reflecting upon the passing, transient nature of things - that life, itself, is defined by change. It is inevitable, because nothing really stays the same. Since change is going to happen anyway, we have a choice - to resist it, or embrace it. Or we can initiate a change of direction ourselves. 




25 years ago, today (August 15th, 1989), I immigrated from the U.K. to Canada - one of the biggest changes that I have ever chosen to bring about. The remembrance of this transition is what prompted this blog post. 

I had visited Canada on several occasions over the previous decade or so, but in 1988, I decided to stay for a longer period of time - (five weeks, in fact) and to travel out west to fulfil a dream of mine. I had seen a friend's pictures of his journey through the mountains on the Rocky Mountaineer train (then, VIA rail), and had always wanted to do that - to sit in the bubble car and take in vista after vista. 

In August, 1988, I brought that ambition into fruition, flying to Calgary and then taking the train through to Vancouver. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was to see (though one Japanese tourist told me off when she found out that I had, at that time, not been to Scotland before coming to the Rockies!!). The splendour and magnificence of the mountains - one peak after another - pierced something deep within and I know that they continue to call to me even to this day. 

My 5-day stay in Vancouver forever imprinted a love for this city in my heart and, together with the ferry trip to Victoria, marked me for life. "You had me at... lakes, trees, and mountains!"

When I returned to Toronto for my final week in Canada that year, my brother and his wife took me to visit their friends, Geoff and Sandy. I had known Geoff from way back, and it was at his kitchen table that the seed was sown about coming to live in Canada permanently. In fact, I still refer to this as the 'table of decision'! 

After I had been back in the U.K. for a month or so, I  found myself thinking - I don't want to reach the age of 60 and wonder 'what if' I had moved to Canada. Once you have reached that stage, you HAVE to go, or you'll always wonder. 

I remember some of my friends told me that they felt I was very brave to be making such a change. To be quite honest, it didn't feel that way at all. What I remember is a sense of excitement and freedom. And the inner happiness of knowing that, at the tender age of 38, I could uproot myself and redefine my life from a new perspective, in a new country. 

It was relatively easier for me than for many others - I had a roof over my head, thanks to the kindness of my brother and sister-in-law, who took me in for my first few months in Canada. I also had a secure teaching post with the Scarborough Board of Education. I also had the names and addressed of a couple of mutual friends to call upon. Nevertheless, it was still a challenge and I will always be grateful to those who helped to ease the transition - on both sides of the pond. 

To get back to what I was saying about change..... I knew that before I could embrace that which was going to be new in my life, I would have to let go of some elements that had been part of my life up until then. Familiar surroundings, culture, friendships, workplace - even aspects of language and verbal expressions  - these were all about to undergo a transformation. While I have been blessed with wonderful long-lasting friendships that are as strong as ever today.... the physical distance from those friends was a challenge to be faced. Inevitably, some of those friendships gently dissolved and I had to embrace that reality.

Of course, family is family - wherever you are - and those relationships have also deepened, in spite of the miles that separate. 




Change can be scary. There is a part of us that gets comfortable with the status quo and resists anything that 'upsets the apple cart'.

I remember that someone had said to me, in my teenage years, that when you make a change, only alter one aspect of your life - either your job, your relationship, or your where you live. He said that when you do this, you retain some continuity in life that enables you to move forward more easily. I have found this to be true. However, when you have excitement for life, it can sometimes allow you to embrace change at several levels, simultaneously. This is what happened to me, back in 1989, and I have not regretted that decision even for a moment. 

So, what's my point? 

My point is - if you are thinking about making some kind of change in your life, know that, although there are some things of which you'll need to let go, you will be making room for something new, and if you embrace the new, you'll find a new, expanded platform from which to experience the world around you. 

Discovering French River

Discovering French River

We had often passed the French River Provincial Park on the way to and from the GTA, and we always promised ourselves a visit one day. 

Yesterday, we were able to fulfil that promise as we had two wedding planning meetings - one in Parry Sound, and the other in Garston, near Sudbury, and they were spaced apart enough for us to fit in a visit to the museum at the park as well as a 1.5 km hike to Recollet Falls. 

I always think I'm extremely lucky to meet such wonderful couples at these planning meetings, and yesterday was no exception. Super people - and a joy and pleasure to work with them, and I'm really excited to be meeting them again on their special days. 

We had been to visit family in Ajax, so we left very early so that we could be in Parry Sound for our 11:00 a.m. appointment with the first couple. We actually missed a lot of the rush hour traffic as we took the back roads to Hwy 400 and then we were going in the opposite direction to the commuters. We arrived in Parry Sound a full hour before our meeting, so we spent some time down at the waterfront - another favourite spot of ours.

The 30,000 islands tour boat was just leaving when we parked, and we were able to catch sight of a couple of seaplanes - one taking off, and another landing. I was also hoping to see a train going across the high bridge that spans the Sound. It always fascinates me to see these long, double-decker freight trains crossing a bridge that has very little in the way of walls on either side of the track. 

Meeting #1 accomplished, we left the Sound and headed north towards Sudbury. When we saw that we were ahead of time, we knew we were able to dust off another mini ambition and decided to take in a visit to French River, the first designated Canadian Heritage river, noted for being one of the routes of the Voyageurs at the time when New France was in its heyday.

Starting with a tour of the Visitor Centre (with an entry fee of only $1.00 each) we took in the 'Voices of the River' exhibit with interest. It's always a good thing to see artifacts and hear personal stories about times and events which had only been shared through text books at school. It was very well done, and we also learned about protected species that are in the area - including the Massasauga Rattlesnake, which is peculiar to the Georgian Bay area. 

Taking note of the warning sign at the entrance to the hiking trail, we ventured along the 1.5 km pathway over rocks and gnarled roots to finally reach the Recollet Falls. A returning passerby we met on the way there said she felt they were more like rapids than waterfalls, but I don't think that was a fair assessment. They were not among the most spectacular natural water features we have seen, but beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder and, for us, it was well worth the trek.

Another returning passerby told us that he had seen some water snakes at the falls, and we were eager to get some pictures of these non-poisonous reptiles. Unfortunately, there were none to be seen, even though we stayed there a full 15 minutes to take in the scenery. 

One slightly disturbing observation..... the appearance of a newly-dropped red maple leaf on the trail!!  I looked up to see the colours beginning to appear on some of the maples - already at the beginning of August!!!  No, Mother Nature - while I love the colours of the Fall, let us please enjoy a few more weeks of summer before you bless us with your splendour!!

It's good to have a bucket list, no matter how short or long it is. When the intention is there, the opportunities will surely follow. We were able to cross this item off our list in a pocket of time that were given to us in between our two appointments. We're looking forward to other opportunities to come our way - and when they do, we'll be ready.