Just before sunrise on the French River.

It's amazing how few people venture out on the lake when it is still nice (The UC and I were the only ones on the lake, and Sunny too), but not necessarily "beautiful." On Friday evening it was warm, humid, foggy and drizzly with rain, but it made for a great put-put around the lake nevertheless.

The Urban Cowboy came to town last week (see link to phone call from Urban Cowboy for a more "in-depth" account of the trip), and among other "events" we went for a bike ride through North Bay.

How would you like this sucker motoring along in front of your lakeshore - 1,000 horsepower!!!

UC checks in for action at work on his iPod. Well, actually, he doesn't work anymore, so he's probably checking out the score of the Blue Jays game.

A post bike ride de-briefing with the Ice Marshall was in order, as were the 5km beverages.

My neighbour, Ron, is a WWII vet, landed on the beaches of Normandy and helped liberate Holland. Although he didn't often drive a Jeep in the war, he was often a passenger. After the war, he acquired this Jeep, and through the years he's used it quite a bit and has kept it restored. It is in unbelievable condition! It's almost like time travelling when you are up close to it on the road.

Tour de Montreal - Night Life

We were biking around Montreal during the Jazz Festival, although we didn't attend. The crowds were crazy, and it was a better event if you didn't have a bike.

Here's the Tuesday golf group, another group of "truth-benders."

It has been a golf week as pal Terry from Batawa entertained the troops on the links.

This old cottage on The French River surely has a few tales to tell.

In mid-June this cottage was boarded up, but I'm guessing that's not the case now at the height of summer.

Here's a bit of "folk decoration" in a little garden on an island in the French River.

At first glance as we paddled by this structure we thought it was of an alien nature. Upon closer scrutiny, albeit from our boats, it proved to be a rock outcrop that had eroded in a very unusual pattern. It's hard to imagine granite eroding over time in this fashion.

Here we are at a small rest stop after paddling for 4 km into the wind and white capped waves.

This is looking back up river from our final night's camp site.

The view down river from our last night's camp site.

Looking up river, again, from our camp area through the beginning of Canoe Pass.

This worn, ice scarred rock outcrop at Canoe Pass has seen all the canoes pass through here - Natives, Samuel de Champlain, fur traders, missionaries, and recreational canoeists.

After a rain drenched Day 2 of our French River canoe trip, Day 3 dawned sunny and warm. Here's our view from our fabulous campsite.

Just before we shoved off for another day of trekking, we toasted our good fortune to having some great weather.

Halfway through Day 3 we found a group of islands in the middle of the river. The main island had a camp, unoccupied at the time, and a very high rock outcrop with a fabulous view both down and up river.

Some of the weathered rock outcrops along the river displayed quite interesting marks of erosion.

The other "boats' paddling through a gap between islands.

Here's a reflection photo taken from Mike's dock at his family's cottage on Lake Mazinaw in the blistering heat last Wednesday.

Tour de Montreal

Day 2

On our 2nd day in Montreal, Mike and I pedalled up Mount Royal in the 33C heat. What a blast! Going down was way more fun.

Nothing like a short tour of Montreal. My lasting impression is of a very international city, very bike friendly, quite French, and in a lot of ways it seemed to me it is very much like how Havana, Cuba, would be now without a lot of the last 51 years of what it's gone through.

Tour de Montreal, Day 1

Mike and I drove to downtown Montreal, and then we biked around downtown for 5 or 6 hours. It was pretty neat and very hot. For all Expo 67 fans, here's the Habitant building that was an architectural focus of the fair.

Mike poses in front of the Montreal skyline.

This is looking at Montreal from a bridge over a St. Lawrence River canal.

Just got back from a 5 day adventure in Eastern Ontario. The first event was our annual Margarita Bike Tour of Ottawa. A tour that was gruelling both on and off the bike.

Doc Bain and Wolf pause for a photo op at the junction of the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. Margaritas are up next.

After one margarita stop where the drink was sub par, we resorted to taste the beer of the country of the restaurant - in this case, Italy. How's this for a "beverage photo," UC?

On the Sunday of the G20 in Toronto a fast moving convoy of 12 minivans race down Bloor Street towards Church Street from Younge Street. Each of the vans was loaded with police in "action gear." The last minivan, above, stopped and cops piled out. They seemed to be checking in all directions, looking for stragglers or "bad guys." After the quick look-about, they sped off to catch up with the convoy. A minute later another cop minivan screamed through the intersection going north on Church. It was a bit odd to see all this action as most of the protesters antics were happening well south of here.

More post-Arnott retirement stuff.

I'm not sure if this is Dan's fantasy or yours, but it sure isn't mine.

Here are a few more shots of our French River "cruise." It's a great place to photograph, except I took so many photos I'm having some effort finding time to "filter" them.

Chris and Rob "ham" it up on the 18th green.

My partners for the round - Carby and Denis.

The Leafs hit the links for Canada Day, and afterwards retired to the pool deck for some yuks, food and refreshments.

The day was capped off at 2am as Mr.P. and I tended the campfire and the beverage fridge. The guitar was allowed out of its case for a spell as well.

Happy Canada Day!! 143 Years Young!
Here's a Group of Seven-ish looking island in the French River.