The Old and the Restless

This year Paul and I flew back from Florida for the Christmas celebrations. Megan hosted a birthday dinner on December 24th at her house. Ella is almost as tall as Margot Megan preparing the ham Paul N. and Tom made airplanes. This time Tom let me try to fly one. It flew like a boomerang. Birthday dinner. Ella did not want to sit at the boy's table because they were too noisy. Christmas dinner at Mark and Margot's. Mark's parents, Bob and Dolores were there. Under the table were two of the three dogs snoozing. After dinner Ella in her sweet voice sang one song while Margot accompanied her.  Then she played the piano. Joshua played Rio, a jazzy piece pn the piano. Then he played Home on the Range on his guitar.

After the two weeks of cycling we visited Bryn and family in Wavre, Switzerland. Alicia was performing in a voltige demonstration. Before Alicia's group, there was a "musical ride" in which Bryn was participating. Alicia mounting the horse, while it was cantering. Next there were two, and another girl was preparing to join. Three on the horse, Alicia at the bottom. A gymnastics display at the end. After the performance there was a barbeque. Upper picture from the left: Gisele, Jean-Louis, Hervé with Brandon opposite. Lower right: Hervé. Bryn and Alicia on a Sunday ride. I rode a bike. We met Paul and Zucco. This weekend it was Bryn and Alicia's turn to muck out the stables in the morning and to take the horses in at night. A final bike ride the day before we flew home. It was beautiful, clear weather.

Because we needed to get the weeds out from around the dock at the cottage in order to sell it, we went there with Brandon and Maggie, Megan's dog. Paul, working on the weeds. Note the green weeds. What do you think Brandon is looking at? The cottage did get sold. Visiting Margot and family in Barrie. They are standing in front of a sculpture called the Spirit Catcher which is on the Barrie waterfront. This sculpture was originally created for EXPO 86 in Vancouver. We also went Tree-Top Trekking. In the foreground is Joshua. I took Brandon and Brendan who lives next door to Wonderland. It looks as if they are praying before the ride. I guess it went OK. We went on a Sunday bike ride with the Toronto Bicycle Network... ...and we went on a Tuesday ride with lunch at the Brickworks.

This past weekend Paul and I went to Kingston to check out two rides that I will be leading, and he will be sweeping in the Kingston area. Along the country roads, it was a lilac scented ride. However, the Rideau Canal was a torrent of water. This spring has had too much rain causing flood damage and many other problems. We had to walk our bikes around an area where the road was out because of the spray from the water flowing down the canal. Luckily this road closure did not affect our ride.

Easter dinner was again at Megan's, but was held on the Saturday rather than Easter Sunday. Before dinner we went for a walk to the local playground. Joshua talking to Margot and Mark. Ella...about to try hanging upside down. Tom, in a rare moment of sitting still. At the top. Ella's boots made the climbing a challenge.

We bicycle.... Dinsmore led me on a 62 km ride from his mother's place at Palm Bay on the Tropical Trail. Before we began, he pointed out a giant Florida Katydid that had been hanging around for a few days. Take a break and enjoy the view. A flock of Ibis at the lunch stop. The following week, Paul and I did the upper part of the ride, (42 km) starting from Cocoa. Paul did not enjoy the part of the ride on U.S.1

We go with Glen and Norma to see what birds are hanging around Viera Wetlands. The limpkin, a large Florida bird, gets its name from its limping gait. The male builds the nest and waits for females to visit. Someone is coming...and putting on a display Another one? Want to party? Do you live nearby? Follow me... Into the deep... Great Blue Heron...just hanging around Gotcha! How to eat it? Hmmm. It's a big meal! (Glen's photo) There was an interruption here because I stepped on a hill of fire ants. The bites did not show up until the evening of the next day. Ten days later, the bites were still an angry red and very itchy. Other inhabitants... A white ibis A boat-tailed grackle came looking for a hand-out while we ate our picnic lunch. We haven't seen a roseate spoonbill at Viera Wetlands before... ...but we have seen sandhill cranes here. We finished the day by going to Merritt Island but ...