Here's a picture from last week, when my uncle Gus flew down to Belleville to see to some business with my Grandmother, and he decided to take Maggie and the boys up for a little test flight. They had a great time, too bad it's a four-seater or I'd have gone too, but I was busy helping my father build a gate for a neighbor and so had my own fun messing about with western red cedar, deck screws and power tools.
Speaking of tools, we're still on repair duty in our Toronto house, getting things in order for the next tenants... we met with them yesterday, and they indicated that they'd be moving in a little later than originally planned, so we thought we'd take advantage of the extra time to fix up some things while we were here.
There's lot's to keep us busy: we have to replace 1) the downstairs toilet 2) the clothes dryer 3) the vacuum cleaner and also get a repair tech to look at our gas oven, which was giving us trouble. In between these chores, inventorying and repacking our stored goods, and gardening, we fortunately have some extra chances to catch up with friends and extended family. Sadly we had to sacrifice a few extra days at Maggie's parents' cottage, but we really had no alternative given the tasks here in Toronto. Hopefully we'll get up there again soon for a visit to complement the few days we spent earlier in our travels. As you can see from the photo below, apart from wanting to visit his grandparents, Duncan is eager to catch more fish.
The summer has been flying by. We arrived on the 24th or 25th of June, and the first couple of weeks were taken up for me in preparing for a concert on July 11th that I sang with Bruce Kelly and Brian Jackson, in Glenburnie United Church near Kingston. After ten years study with Bruce, this was the first time that I shared a recital with him, and the first time I had performed in recital with Brian as a pianist. It was very satisfying, and in between we had a chance to spend time at the McLean family cottage and catch up with Don, and Steve and Krista and three of her children. There was much laughter and eating and drinking going on, and the weather was gorgeous. The three sounds heard most often on the deck were the loons, the wind in the pines and the periodic chiming of the mantel clock. Amazing and relaxing.
We enjoyed many happy reunions with friends and family here in Toronto, including introductions to new babies (there seem to be lots of them popping out all over the place these days) and a street party organized by our neighbors. We also spent a good chunk of time in Belleville, swimming and socializing with family, and will return there next weekend for a golf and pool weekend with the extended family. Meanwhile this week will hold more singing sessions with Bruce in between the household repairs, and getting our things together for early August when we head off to Algonquin park for four nights.
So forgive us if we aren't blogging as much as other times; we're too busy and out of our normal routine to do it much!
Hope your summer is going well...
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