Where has all the summer gone....?

Here we are well past Labour Day and I can't remember where August went.  We seem to have been very busy and maybe as I write this, I'll recall what we actually did.

Georgian Bay cottage

Alan and Sidney

Picnic in the Mink Islands

Summer reading on the deck

Oh yes, the first wonderful August trip was going to Georgian Bay to visit Sam and Rose.  Although a long drive of 6 hours, it was absolutely worth it.  Their island is about a 20 minute boat ride out from Pointe Au Baril, just north of Parry Sound.  We had three wonderful days there.  Rose and Sam organized a family dinner with the young Blyth nieces which was one highlight and a picnic on the Mink Islands out in the "open" was another.  The nieces kayaked over for the evening from their various Georgian Bay islands with babies nestled into the cockpits rather like ducklings.  We're hugely admiring of their skill and navigational know-how as GB is not easy to get around.  Alan had never been there before although he's heard me rave about it for years.  He is now a fan!  We relaxed with great food, good weather and lots of good company.

Binks and Leo arriving

A week after our return I drove up to Toronto to celebrate a late mutual birthday with my twin, Susan.  We had decided quite a while ago to revisit our past by going to the Lincoln Center production of South Pacific which is playing in Toronto right now.  As young teens we had grown up on musicals and knew all the lyrics to all of them.  The show was sensational, very nostalgic and great fun for us both.  We had a yummy pre-show dinner at Note Bene, a restaurant close to the theatre.  A word about the theatre:  the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is very, very beautiful.  It is huge, all blond wood with a spare, open design.  My next visit there will have to be an opera.  While in Toronto I saw other family members including the newest great nephew, Felix.  Altogether a fun couple of days!  Alas no photos were taken.

No, that's not Alan on the roof!

The rest of the month has zipped by.  Our house has had a new roof put on it which has kept Alan busy.  He has no fear at all of heights....I carry enough for the two of us.....so he kept an eye on the workers, making sure we got what we had paid for.  We went into the project with the four connected houses because it made sense economically for us all to have it done together.  We weren't happy about the eventual choice of roofer but felt obliged to demur to the bullying of our next door neighbour.  Thus, Alan's overseeing of the job was necessary and we are satisfied that the job was completed properly.  We haven't had any noticeable rain for a long time so I may be biting my tongue later!

Rachel and Ellie sleepover for a week

Alan and Rachel cooking corn

Playdate with Jillian

In the meantime we've gone on excursions to the Detroit Zoo, Cranbrooke Science Center, the Detroit Institute of the Arts and various other local sites with Emily and the girls.  Our lives were made very joyful (and busy) when Rachel and Ellie came to stay for a week mid-month.  They were attending a little riding camp at the therapeutic riding centre where I volunteer.  Every summer they run an able-bodied kids camp.  The girls absolutely loved it and we loved having them live with us.

And so it goes..................I did remember some of what we did!  The weather has been something else but who cares as we keep busy, and run the AC constantly!!  Whew, enough said!  Of course, our tomatoes are fabulous because of the hot weather, so there's always a silver lining!