Canada Day Ramblings

Warning: Lots of pictures below!

I’m a couple of days late with my Canada Day post, but it took that long to get the energy to unpack and upload after the wonderful weekend I had!

I am a Niagara College Graduate (class of 19XX) from the Radio Television and Film program (that and $4.25 will get you a cup of coffee). I worked in the industry for a few years and then had to get a “real” job with a steady paycheck. So I left the glamorous world of 4am call times and 18 hour days to work 8-4. Why am I telling you this? Because on the long weekend I returned to the scene of the crime and spent time with people that have been my lifeline more than once when things got tough.

I was able to spend a lot of time with good friends Kate and Garth. They have a wonderful dog Neeka, who is the soul mate of my best friend Sheryl’s dog Ky. Watching the unbridled joy with which these two dogs play, was therapy for me. Whever Neeka went, Ky was sure to follow – it was like watching two 16 year olds flirt with each other.

My favourite part of their relationship is that they share the toys – right down to the stick. When neither dog could carry it on their own, the other was there to help them shoulder the burden. Much like Sheryl, Kate and myself. I am truly blessed to have these two powerful women in my life.

Sunday brunch with Sheryl’s parents Penny and Jim is also a “must do command performance”. These are the people I would have chosen to be my parents (if I hadn’t already had mine of course!) Penny and Jim have been wonderful to me over the years (hard to believe that it’s almost 20 of them!). Penny’s going through a rough spot physically right now, so any prayers you can send her way are appreciated.

Then there is Gerry the Giraffe. Gerry lived in Niagara on the Lake for many years and when they decided that he was no longer appropriate for their town, he was shipped over to St. Catharines. I don’t know why they thought he was inappropriate, but I think he’s amazing – right down to the red light on his nose that, you guessed it…glows at Christmas!

I hadn’t been by the Falls (what the locals call it) in almost 15 years. Guess what? It’s still the same – crazy, crowded and spectacular. My friend Sheryl slowed down the car long enough for me to snap these pics. So here are my gratuitous tourista shots. They start with us driving from Fort Erie along the Niagara Parkway towards the Falls. You can see how choppy the water gets when you get closer. I think they turned out very nicely considering I was hanging out of the window of a moving car when I took them! If you look between the trees you can see the spray from the Falls.