Lazy Hazy Days of Summer

I rushed up to my Collingwood Shangri-La late yesterday afternoon after a full work week. My goal is always to arrive before sunset and to get out to the gazebo at the end of the sea wall and watch the sun go down. Yesterday I managed to leave work by 4 and get onto the highway heading out of town by 5:30 - so I was unpacked and basking in the holiday atmosphere of Rupert's Landing by 8:00, well in advance of the published sunset at 9:00.  I never get bored with the pictures I take at sunset.  Yesterday's sunset created a wonderful orange sky you see in the picture above.

 

The last snapshot before the sun sunk below the water line revealed a nice pink sky. "Pink Sky at Night - Sailor's Delight" - For Sure!

 I rushed home from holiday last Saturday after attending the annual Blue Mountain Chili Cookoff. You get tickets for 15 sample "shot glasses" of Chili from your choice of the 20 or so contestants and a vote to cast for the best "People's Choice" chili.  The best chili IMO was Local Wild Bison & Boar Chili by Bridges Tavern – Kyle Cupskey, Meredith Brown – Thornbury, Ontario.  Go here to see all the category winners.   It is a charity event put on by the Thornbury-Clarksburg Rotary Club and is held at the Village at Blue every year at this time.  There are events at the Village at Blue every weekend.  Village at Blue is the ski village at Blue Mountain during ski season, and it is only 10 minutes by car from my Collingwood Shangri-La.

Today and tonight there is a music festival at the Village at Blue - the Harvest Moon Festival which is a tribute to Neil Young featuring 14 up and coming young Ontario artists.  I will be heading up there later this afternoon.


I was able to get back to Toronto in time to go out to Liberty Bistro and take a listen to Laura Fernandez with her band XOTEKA. They perform the first Saturday of each month and I so enjoy the Latin Jazz that the band specializes in. I caught the first set and headed back to my place in time to watch the 2nd night of fireworks in the Symphony of Fire at Ontario Place. 

Sunday morning I ran off to see the Tall Ships sitting in port at Queen's Quay and then back home in time to see the sail past Ontario Place of the 8-10 ships in the afternoon whilst I prepared for a bit of a dinner party for Sunday night.

I have to confess that although I have lots of pictures, they all got downloaded on my home office desktop and since I just have my wee laptop up here in Collingwood, I cannot offer pictures from the Chili Cookoff, Fireworks or Tall Ships, even though I have some good ones.   But come back on Monday as I will add some more pictures of both the Chili Fest, Fireworks  and the Tall Ships to this blog on Sunday night when I get back to Toronto.

Africa Anyone?

I finished up Sunday with a bit of a bonvoyage party for my son Jeff - he is heading off to Africa for a 2 week trip . He is going on the GAP Adventure tour "Delta and Falls Experience" and will be visiting Botswana, Namibia and Zambia as well as South Africa. As a matter of fact, he is in South Africa today and will be trying to find a local bar to watch the world cup game  today. He flies to Windhoek, Nambia tomorrow and sets off on a overland for his Africa trek which will involve travel via truck, tent camping and the modern day roughing it "safari" experience.  He will end up in 10 days time in Livingstone, Zambia.

I envy him this trip and look forward to hearing all about it when he gets back.  I have my own plans for an Africa trip - to Mali in Sub-Saharan West Africa, once part of French West Africa colonies.  Hmmm, looking for a travel partner - anyone interested?

Bella enjoyed our little bon voyage party as we all sat out on the balcony and enjoyed breezes and watched the sailboats out on the harbour.