Canada 150 - The Smitten Image 10

Time between blog posts seems to be longer and longer as my everyday life seems to get busier and more demanding. I keep hoping that I can put more time into blog posting and visiting but that just doesn't seem to happen. I'll keep hoping though!

This time, I thought I should acknowledge a couple of events - Canada's 150th birthday and my 10th blogging anniversary - both happening this month. Unfortunately, only one of those occasions gets a parade, party, music and fireworks - so my photos will focus on Canada's celebrations as they occurred in Peterborough.

Before I do, I want to express how very rewarding it has been (and hopefully will continue to be) to connect with hundreds of amazing bloggers this past decade. I've made friends with whom I've connected in real life, in email, on the phone and through Facebook. And I have sadly lost wonderful people along the way to illness and to tragedy. I've had incredible feedback on my photography and feel validated and appreciated because of it. Thank you ALL for allowing me to share my creativity through the years and for sharing yours with me. I hope we can all enjoy many more years of that blogging connection.

That's enough of stealing the spotlight from my elderly country. Canada turned 150 on July 1, and my town of Peterborough celebrated in style. Let's start with the parade.


Kidlets of all ages brought their wheels to the event.






This guy represents our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. McDonald who did many wrongs to our Indigenous People - wrong which we continue to hope that our current government will begin to right.






What's a parade without the Shriners and their funny little cars doing tricks and spins throughout the route?






Remembering our beloved Terry Fox who raised awareness and funds for cancer research by attempting his walk across Canada. Cancer took his leg prior to his journey across our country and it sadly also took his life during his Marathon of Hope in 1977 - a month before his twenty-third birthday. His life is celebrated every September with a 10k run, walk or cycle which raises money in his name.






This original float represents Southcrest Farms in nearby Lakefield, Ontario.






The Trent-Severn waterway passes through Peterborough. This means that boats, canoes, kayaks and floating recreational devices of all kinds are very popular in this area. This young canoe enthusiast sporting Canada-red hair represents Brownsea Base Water programs for Scouts.






After the parade, I wandered over to Del Crary Park where some of city celebrations were happening. Crowds had already gathered.






Several local performers took their turns to sing and dance on stage.






Two cakes were presented for sharing with the crowd. One was Canada's 150th birthday cake and the other represented our Multi Cultural Day which coincides with Canada Day.






Leaving the park, I encountered this adorable scene. Their Canada Day hats were homemade. Mom had posed them on this couch sculpture and was taking their photo from the front. I thought the back of their heads, all decked out in their patriotic finest were every bit as cute.






Eventually they turned to look over the back of the seat and I stole around to the front for a different angle.






I headed home for a few hours to recharge and saw this tree-hugging flag along the way.






The evening took me back to Del Crary Park to see singer/DJ Kim Mitchell perform. The concert kicked off the MusicFest season of free outdoor concerts every Saturday and Wednesday night through the summer.






Our seats were close and the music was LOUD.






They put on a good show.






The crowd left with major smiles and minor hearing loss.






Night had fallen and we walked along the shoreline of Little Lake so that we could take in the Canada Day light show..






Colourful jets of fire burst forward with colour, exploding in the night sky leaving tinkling showers of silver in its wake.






Canada's signature red and white lights scattered across the sky, shattering into a multitude of glittery sparks.






Puffy golden stamens were ablaze in the dazzling heart of a delicate flower of fire.






The finale brought cascading waterfalls, dazzling whirls and shimmering spirals - all which rained down on the lake in a twinkling trail brilliance.

Hopefully it won't take me this long to get my next blog post out but I'll have more photos for you whenever that is. Thanks for celebrating with me.

Till Sundown

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~ John Muir

The sun clearly indicates summer's departure by easing itself beneath the horizon earlier each evening. That might just be nature's way of telling me to take advantage of some great photo opportunities and still have enough time left at the end of the day to catch some of the new fall shows on television. Yeah, I'll go with that.

How long has it been since we've walked together? Too long? Okay, let's remedy that right now. No need to grab a jacket. The evenings are still plenty warm here and we'll be around the water and back before you know it. Let's head to the calming waters of Little Lake.


This photo was taken much earlier in the spring before the marina was actually open for docking. The combination of clouds and late day sunlight made for an interesting view. I also played around with the image a little bit in Photoshop to make it a tad more dramatic.






By the time the first of many outdoor concerts began (see previous post), boats were coming from far and wide to dock and enjoy the music.






When the evening sun hits it just right, the spray from Centennial Fountain lights up like a rainbow beacon.






There aren't usually any boats moored in this location. The man on the dock often tosses tennis balls far out into the water, and his two dogs readily jump in to retrieve them. On this day, he had a narrow opening between the boat through which he could throw them. One of his dogs was uneasy about the presence of these large watercraft while the other dog continued leaping into the water as if nothing had changed.






Homes which face west across the water are treated to regular sunsets. As we face east, they provide us with the view of a colourful, quaint community.






Shortly before dusk, the Liftlock Cruises were probably done for the day and a young man relaxes while fishing the waters of Little Lake.






Here's the view to his left, in case you were wondering.






A warning to boaters as they pass through a channel with more shallow waters.






Evening skies provide such pretty colours.

It's getting late and nightfall is just ahead. What do you think of stopping for a bit to enjoy the view, and I'll pick up where we left off on the next blog post? Let's get an ice cream cone from the nearby kiosk and grab seat on the bench behind us for a while. What flavour would you like?

Evening photos coming up soon.

Sweeter, Richer, Louder

Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there. 
~ Judith Viorst

So now that the chilly month of November is here, I figure it's a good time to reintroduce the balmier days of summer. Mostly, I happen to have a lot more photos from the period of time when I suspended my blog and so I'm going to inflict some of them upon you from time to time. This is one of those times.


A familiar site from the past. A foggy morning in May with the sun just beginning to peek over the hill and a graceful bird on the wing.






And here's the same spot at the end of a different day.






Later in the summer, this is the view from one of the bridges in Peterborough. On this August evening, friends and I were about to head over to a free Kruger Brothers concert in the park. Their amazing banjo and guitar strings weave classical music with bluegrass and folk. I had seen them perform with Steve Martin on Letterman a while back and was looking forward to this evening's performance - minus the wild and crazy guy. The forecast called for a likely rain shower and we were equipped with raincoats and umbrellas. You can see that although it was still dry, the clouds were beginning to form.






It was difficult to take the imminent rain seriously when sun and clouds painted the sky such a friendly shade of pink. The music hadn't begun yet, and neither had the rain. Oh, but both of them did - at around the same time.






I didn't take any photos of the rain because I was trying to keep my camera and myself tucked under the umbrella because it didn't just rain - it POURED! The downpour started early on during the music and only let up a bit before the Kruger Brothers were done. Most of the people who sat around so casually during the pink sunset were long gone. A diminished number of us sat it out and enjoyed the show immensely, in spite of the wet weather. These guys managed to stay dry on stage and neither their spirits nor ours were dampened. The show was fantastic.






A couple of weeks later, I joined the same friends at a different park for a different show - the folk festival. I was tired and didn't stay for very long but enjoyed the music and the people-watching while it lasted. It wasn't any more crowded than this but I still had a hard time finding Carol Anne and Michael. They were somewhere on that hill. And I still can't find them in this picture. It's not them - it's me!






I did find them eventually - seated not too far from this cutie.






This pooch was hyper-focused on his person - waiting to get the signal which would allow him to grab the frisbee.






The view toward the stage was lively. Music was good. Kids were happy. The weather was dry!






The sun bathed the hill with gold as it began its descent.






In between performances, folks chatted, daydreamed or read. Some went off in search of food. Many just enjoyed the last rays of sunlight.






A quick photo on my way out.

More (perhaps even more current) photos coming up soonish.