Where Roads and Rivers Meet

If you like the title of my blog post, you're not exactly in the same boat as most of Peterborough. "Where roads and rivers meet" was the proposed new tagline for the city but it was widely rejected recently. Despite it being a rather accurate description, I think its irony comes too soon after the great flooding we experienced this and previous springs. Social media spots and other various online publications have suggested a contest for a new slogan. Some of those suggestions as well as previous slogans, and those for the Trent and Kawartha area in particular will appear with my images below.



Slogan: Electric City
These are the churning waters of the London Street Generating Station.






Slogan: The place at the foot of the rapids
This woman was fishing closer to the shoreline at the base of the generating station.






Slogan: City of bridges
A small show of defiance on the nearby walking bridge.






Slogan: It's just around the way
Regardless of water levels, many locals have kayaks and canoes, and enjoy getting around town via the waterways.






Slogan: Heart of the Trent-Severn Waterway
A twenty minute walk or a three minute drive from the above scene, we found ourselves at Lock 19 where some of the same boats were now in action. This group really got around on that day.






Slogan: Gateway to the Kawarthas
The watery gates were soon opened and they continued on their way.






Slogan: Bright waters and happy lands
A few boats having a bit of a rest near the lift lock.






Slogan: Marine highway
And here is the lift lock in action. A couple of boats (including the Lift Lock Tours boat) in the left chamber are about to make their ascent.






Slogan: The land of shining waters
Almost at the top, they'll continue their journey north along the Trent-Severn Waterway. The caisson on the right was full of smaller boats including some of the kayakers we saw in previous photos. I told you they really get around.






Slogan: Popular Peterborough for progressive people
Peterborough has dozens (it would seem) of these Little Libraries around town.






Slogan: The participaction city
A little more graffiti on the way into Jackson Park expresses sentiments like "the whole earth is our hospital" and "resolute kindness."






Slogan: Nestled in nature
It was a beautiful early summer day with puffy clouds scudding across the sky. This Jackson Park meadow was very inviting with its long grass undulating in the wind.






Slogan: Where land and nature nurture us
A male Downy woodpecker was working hard at this one tree. His rat-a-tat easily caught my attention.






Slogan: Is there anyplace you would rather be?
This pole pretty much disappears behind the vines.






Slogan: Your life right here
Step back in time with this beauty parked near my place. Something tells me that it's from 1956.






Slogan: It's a natural
One of the many pretty spots seen while out walking one day in May.






Slogan: The wide awake city
A litte more graffiti because who doesn't love bees? And cake!






Slogan: Come share the magic
And finally, let's close this tour with a rainbow - a double one, in fact. This one illuminated our view on my birthday while my younger son was visiting and we were both on speaker phone with my older boy. Life is good!

It's What You See

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. ~ Henry David Thoreau

I have a few photos from late summer which are still occupying my hard drive. Now would be as good a time as any to share them.


An early September wander down to the Otonabee river where waders, swimmers and kayakers enjoyed the day.






Back in August, the Peterborough Exhibition came to town. This was the closest I could get without paying for admission. I wasn't permitted to drive, or even walk past the grounds which was just a couple of blocks from my place. The detour was a lengthy one, on foot but I snapped this over the top of a fence from a block away.






Along with the rides and games, there was a rodeo - which was well hidden from the street. The rodeo brought several PETA protesters, strategically placed at entrances and on corners, most of whom were happy to be photographed.






This adorable little Rottweiler sweetie was in a wagon with a little girl, waiting patiently for their people to exit a store.






There's a Tribal Voices shop in the nearby town of Fowler's Corners which sells these little wood carvings. The pair of cats reminded me of my furry guys - the grey and white Zephyr and my always-missed tabby, Skittles.






A couple of posts back, when we were viewing the lift lock, this crew on tour with The Canoe Museum was waiting for their turn to approach and descend.






Here's a bold little seagull, pecking along the shoreline of Little Lake in the late-day sunshine.






He then turned for the camera so that I could capture his best side.






Last month, at my friend Carol Anne's milestone birthday party, some of the guests played a game of croquet. I liked the faded paint colours on the mallets.






Then of course, there were the matching balls.






This sweet girl is Bailey - a cutie that my friend Dakshina and I encountered on one of our walks around town.






Last but not least, a fine Peterborough sunset.

Hopefully, I'll have some autumn images for you before too much longer.