Music concert, biking and cottage time

July 17, 2016

This was a busy weekend! It started Friday afternoon with Samuel's music concert at La Petite Fanfare - he had been learning songs and was introduced to playing the piano and the violin. He was a very good performer!

At home after the show, he showed us how he practiced the piano.

The next morning we met with our bikes at Blue Sea Lake where we had a picnic lunch and the boys had fun playing/swimming in the lake. Karine played some music for us. We said goodbye to the Mallards and a yellow sea plane. It was time to start our bike ride to Messines. We biked along the road to the bike path.

It is a beautiful bike trail. We stopped for another swim again and had fun at the playground in Messines. Then the boys got what they were waiting for - a visit to the cottage. Soon we were back in our cars and heading there for swimming, checking out our new inflatable "island" and enjoying a BBQ supper. They had fun making a dog "birthday cake" for Boots who is 10. Boots splashed around in the water checking out his new "toys".

It was a perfect Saturday when the boys woke up early the next morning. They had breakfast and then headed out with Grandpa and Barbara for a loon count. A family of Mergansers was on the dock. Grandpa helped Sam drive the boat. When we saw a loon, we would have a drink of hot chocolate or a cookie. We saw several adults and one small young. We watched a Bald Eagle fly over.

Back at the cottage, Grandpa and the boys made their chocolate ice cream - it would be a treat for supper.

Then Sam went tubing, the boys swam and went the men went fishing for pike. Papa caught one! The day ended with a campfire.

The Locks

June 29, 2016

We started our day with a visit to the Fallowfield Via train station. We were lucky to see some people boarding, have a quick look inside the passenger car and watch how the steps were retracted before the train left.

At 9 Lambert the boys made their lunches for a picnic trip to the Hartwells Locks. They were intrigued by the water "steps" the boats used to go down the canal. Luckily, we saw several boats go through, including a kayak and a houseboat (with a 3 generation family of 8 aboard). A young boy had been catching bass using pink artificial worms. After watching some bikers use a metal track to get some stairs the boys quickly adapted the track into a slide. There was a lot to experience at the locks.

Before meeting Maman we had time to check out the Hogs Back Falls and have a chocolate monkey ice cream cone. A Mallard Duck put on a show in the fast water. A Blue Heron stood still below the falls. It was another fun day exploring.