July has been great weather-wise and we were fortunate to spend Canada Day as well as most of this month in Elliot Lake. While many evenings were spent as a couple chatting and socializing with friends, John did manage to kayak most days. Whether it was on Esten, Elliot, Dunlop, Depot or Cinder he made the rounds and enjoyed every single lake.
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| Cinder Lake |
We also had a visit with great friends Dave and Flo who live in southern Ontario and as per usual we had a super time. Last year Dave and John kayaked the Little White River, this year they opted for a tour of Cinder Lake.
On Saturday, July 20th John and I returned to Ottawa and took a new route (for us) via Bracebridge so we could attend the 57th Muskoka Arts and Crafts Summer Show.
The highlight was chatting with friends Kate Hyde and Thomas Aitken (as well as ogling their incredible ceramics - and yes, it goes without saying that we are proud owners of a few of their lovely pieces).
We were back on the road again by mid-afternoon, it was a long, but satisfying drive of 773 km from start to finish.
Somewhere between Bancroft and Ottawa we spotted this family of albino moose. Around the same spot the temperature reached a humid 33C.
On Sunday we went for a walk along the Ottawa River Pathway. Take note of the water line on the brown garbage container on the far right. It shows how extensive the flooding was this past spring.
Tuesday was spent at the Kemptville Hospital and this next shot is of the inner courtyard. Take note of the beeper beside my cup of coffee. Its job was to notify me when it was time to collect John and take him home after his hernia operation.
He's doing exceptionally well - especially given the fact his double hernia operation morphed into a triple 😳 once he reached the operating table. I suspect even after the pain subsides, his discomfort, however, will linger. Why? Because he's under strict doctor's orders to refrain from kayaking for the next six weeks. Yup, you read that correctly. Six. Excruciating. Weeks. In Paddle Boy speak that's an eternity!
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| John swimming in Cinder Lake after kayaking with Dave |
Nonetheless, this too shall pass, and sometime in August we'll return to Elliot Lake and put our feet up once again.
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