Pre-Cottage 2009

We head to Long Point, Lake Erie today after work. It is an annual thing now, us visiting Chris' cottage and it is a holiday I start counting down to as soon as we get out of the driveway after the trip. Every year, we pack up the car (though the first year we rented a vehicle) and make the 8 hour drive after everyone is done work. We land in Paris and then head to the cottage the next day. Previously, we have stayed until the holiday Monday and then made the drive back without Chris as she stays longer with her family, but this year we will be staying an extra two glorious days as per Jerrica's suggestion.
Another sort of tradition is the addition of one person each year. The first year it was just Dave and I and then the second year we brought Jerrica with us. This year, we are bringing Justin with us. We will be picking him up along the way and he will spend the 5 days at the cottage with us, it's very exciting.
Today we will be leaving work early unlike previous years, and picking everyone up then heading out of town, hopefully before the traffic picks up, it is a long weekend though so it is pretty unlikely that we will miss the traffic jams altogether.

Wild Wing

Dave and I went with our co-workers to Wild Wing a week and a half ago. They boast the best chicken wings and have 101 flavours (or something equally ridiculous). Dave got a wing sampler (20 wings in 4 different flavours) while I 'chickened' out and got fish and chips (I also just wasn't in the mode for wings). He was extremely pleased with the wings and wanted to go again soon.We went again yesterday evening and we were both very satisfied once again. We both got wing samplers and I ventured out of my comfort zone and got some 'different' flavours. I did however, get two of my favourites, honey garlic and mild, but also got salt and vinegar (chip) flavour and lemon pepper flavour. The latter was my least favourite as it was simply far to lemony but the salt and vinegar was surprisingly delicious! Of course the honey garlic and mild wings were both scrumptious, but that is to be expected. I was very pleased with my dinner and didn't come close to eating all of them so now I have leftover wings for later on. If you are a fan of wings, I strongly suggest you go and try out Wild Wings - you won't be disappointed.

Fear

Fear is a funny thing. Put in a fearful situation, some people freeze right up while others get so full of adrenaline that they are able to do the wildest things. I am afraid of some pretty normal things, come to think of it, I don't think there is anything that I am afraid of that the 'normal person' is not.

Things I am afraid of (in no particular order):

• sharks;
• vast amounts of natural water (large lakes, oceans, etc);
• being completely and utterly alone in the world (not being the last person on earth, though that would qualify, but more like having no one who loves me or who is there for me, etc);
• the dark;
• the unknown;
• extreme heights (everyday heights do not scare me, but abnormally high things do, like St. Paul's Cathedral or the CN Tower);
  
• scary/horror movies; and
  
• drastic change.

There are others, but I cannot think of them right now, so they can't scare me too much - or they scare me so much that I choose not to even allow myself to think of them right now. The thing that usually gets me more scared than anything else, is me. My imagination can get the better of me and that is why I find horror movies so scary. It usually isn't the movie itself but rather my imagination afterward.

Leftovers de Montreal

This is just a couple additional Montreal items that aren't really enough for individual posts.

Dave and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Renee-Levesque Blvd. It is right near China town but also right near some sketchy alleyways, which made for an odd dynamic. The Hotel itself was really nice. It was super clean and the people were really nice. Like most Holiday Inns, it had free hot breakfast in the morning which usually consisted of eggs, cinnamon buns, some sort of meat (it changed depending on the day) and then the typical breads, waffles, yogurts and cereals. There was also free coffee, and other hot beverages, available throughout the day. I booked our room not really knowing what I was getting, or what I was doing. I just picked the lowest price for a queen bed. In the end we got a really nice room. It had a little kitchenette in it which was really convenient since I ended up making us a microwave lasagna our first night and we were able to buy some fruit and water and keep it in the fridge. The bed was comfy and the TV had cable which was a nice treat for Dave and I. The view wasn't anything spectacular but it was nice, and the fact that we had an actual full door (though no terrace) was rather nice. All in all, it was a nice hotel and I would go there again. Though the valet parking was a little annoying as once we parked the car it was a little annoying to get it back shortly thereafter, though the attendants didn't make it seem like one.
A big feature of the Montreal skyline (well part of it) is Parc Olympique and the tower therein. You can go up the Tower and see the city from above, which would have been really nice, but when we first got there the sky was not nice and later on we were tired and didn't really want to go up. I think there is also some sort of museum at the base of the tower, but I am not sure as we didn't go in. I was able to take a bunch of photographs of the tower from both near the base and from the Botanical Gardens as well. I enjoyed that part for sure. We did however notice that the tower could do with some repairs. A few of the side panels had fallen off and/or were very damaged. It could also do with a fresh coat of paint, but I guess Montreal Tourism money goes elsewhere.
Montreal was great, and we will definitely be going back again - though we may use the transit to get around next time (at least on weekend nights) as the traffic was crazy!

Botanical Gardens

So I have been saving one of the best locations for last. I partially saved it for last because it is the place where I took the most photographs and therefore had the greatest amount of editing to be done.The Botanical Gardens was absolutely gorgeous. It was a slightly rainy day, but that didn't hinder the photography or the experience at all. The foliage within the greenhouses were vibrant and beautiful and despite the fact that you are not allowed tripods within the greenhouses (for space reasons) I was still able to get some nice shots. Dave and I were also able to set the camera up on rocks and take some semi-long exposure shots. There weren't very many people there, so that helped with the longer shots as well.I think one of the more interesting greenhouses was the ones with the bonsai and the Chinese equivalent, penjing. There was a little robin in the one area that I thought was fake. I stared at the little guy and moved my camera near him and he did not move. We walked on and when we did walk back, he had moved to a new location and was wandering around the little trees. It was very spooky, but he was adorable so I forgave him for it.We eventually found our way out of the greenhouses and walked around the exterior gardens. They were just as nice and they were in extreme humidity so both Dave and I were able to stop sweating so much and my camera was able to stop fogging up every ten minutes or so. We walked around the 'normal' gardens and found our way over to the Chinese exterior gardens. They were simply breathtaking in their beauty. Dave asked me to take as many shots as possible of the architecture around the gardens and I did not object. I'm not entirely sure what my favourite shot is from that garden, but I am putting these ones on this blog and I am sure the rest will eventually make their way on to my photography blog in the near future.We then walked over to the Insectarium which is located on the garden grounds. It is a small little pavilion similar to those at the Toronto Zoo, and is absolutely stuffed with one man's collection which he donated to the gardens. They have since added to it and are displaying live insects as well, but the majority of it apparently all belonged to one man whose name I forget right now. There were some really neat looking bugs on display, both alive and dead, and some absolutely massive ones! It was pretty neat, though I hope I never run into the vast majority of that collection in the wild.

Fireworks

Our original plans for the Montreal trip did not include fireworks but when Yan brought up the international competition happening Saturday evenings. We walked the somewhat dodgy path down to the harbour to watch the fireworks. Due to heavy foot traffic we were a little late and were still walking to a good shooting location when they started.Dave and I set up my tripod and I got the remote hooked up. It took a few practice shots, but eventually I got the hang of it and just had to wait for the right type of fireworks to shoot up into the sky. As previously mentioned, we then spent a little while taking night shots of the architecture around Vieux Port and then walked back to the hotel and drove Yan home.
The trip that should have taken 15-20 minutes took over an hour and a half! The ride consisted of downtown Montreal on a Saturday evening - yes it was an incredibly bad idea, I know. Anyway, we eventually make it through the horrible driver and mean Quebecers cursing our Ontario, personalized plates and got Yan back to his car. The drive back wasn't nearly as long and we made it back to the hotel at about 1:00 or 1:30 in the morning, which made getting up early the next day particularly difficult.

St. Joseph's Oratory

St. Joseph's Oratory was a last minute addition to our Montreal trip, but boy am I glad we went. Not only was the Oratory itself breathtaking, but the view was amazing. I got a chance to take some panoramic shots and use the Photomerge feature in Photoshop.The Oratory has become a famous location not only because of the gigantic and beautiful architecture, but also because of one brother in particular. Frere Andre (aka Blessed Brother Andre) was a Holy Cross Brother and is very famous among French-Canadian Catholics. The Oratory and the small chapel in Brother Andre's name are littered with crutches and walking sticks from people who came to visit Frere Andre during his time to be healed, honestly the below photo is a ridiculously small portion of them.It is reported that performed thousands of healing miracles during his lifetime. Since his death in 1937, he has performed one posthumuous mircale - curing one of the patrons of cancer. The miracle was credited by the Pope at the time and his followers are now awaiting his second posthumuous miracle which would label him a Saint, officially. His heart lies within the Oratory still at his request as he believed it would protect the structure. People came to the Oratory everyday to pray to be healed. The stairs of the Oratory are considered to be a sort of pilgrimage, and upon arrival, one can pray right at the tomb of Frere Andre. It was moving to see so many ill people obviously praying for their health, but more touching to see the apparently healthy people praying for loved ones to be healed.The Oratory itself, is breathtaking. For a little comparison, St. Joseph's Oratory is taller than St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. Both Dave and I took a great deal of photos from inside the Oratory and I am very pleased with how my camera behaved. Though we had brought it with us and photography was 100% acceptable inside, I didn't feel right using my tripod.There will be lots of shots from here on my Photography blog over the next little while for sure, that is how please I am with the vast majority of them.

Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal

When planning the trip to Montreal the first place to see on my list was Notre Dame Basilica. It is noted to be 'one of the crown jewels of Montreal' and was absolutely a place I had to see.
When we went to the fireworks and I took all the nights shots, I thought of going to Notre Dame Basilica to see what it was like at night. I did not, however, know where I was and didn't really want to make Dave and Yan walk around downtown so late when I had already made them wait for me while I was taking shots down at the harbour. Turns out, they have a light show most nights and it would have been pretty neat, but the night was still great and I am rather pleased with the shots I was able to get during the day on Sunday when we travelled there.
Of course going on a Sunday wasn't the greatest idea as there was obviously church in session when we went. We stepped inside and as expected, no photographs were allowed. It was beautiful though - breathtaking really.Dave and I then spent about 30 minutes taking photos of the exterior of the church as well as the fountain nearby the church. In fact, I took more photos of the fountain than of the church itself. It was a really nice fountain, and with the help of my tripod, I was able to practice my moving water shots.

Parc du Mont Royal

After checking in at our hotel, Dave and I headed to Parc du Mont Royal. The drive there was very pleasant and a nice change from the hectic traffic ridden drive into the city. It was all uphill and had spectacular views of the city. There were some pro-level bikers using the hill as training ground and I found them to be very impressive. Once we parked and figured out where in the massive park we were, we started wandering aimlessly around. There were rock statues situated throughout the park which would have made for some great shots if the sky had been a little nicer. I did however, manage to take a few shots of some of the more ornate and natural looking ones, like the above picture. I am not entirely sure what this one was supposed to be, and doubt anyone can help me since this is a very close-up shot, as most of my shots tend to be, but I found it to be very interesting looking.We then walked around the park and into the Mont Royal Cemetery which is nearby. I know this seems weird, visiting a cemetery on your vacation, but I find them to be very beautiful and this one was no exception.The place was packed of tombstones and mausoleums but didn't have very many living people when we were there, though it is very large and it would be easy to walk through it and never see anyone, despite them also being there with you.
It was a very nice walk, but by the end I was utterly exhausted and we ended up spending the rest of the night in our hotel room watching cable TV and eating lasagna I made us in our microwave, which was delicious.

Cirque du Soleil - Ovo

Though Dave and I had been planning on going to Montreal 'sometime' it was the purchase of our Cirque du Soleil tickets for Ovo that decided the actual date and made the trip a reality. The show was amazing, like I knew it would be, and I strongly recommend going if you are even the least bit able to. As previously mentioned, it is a show about insects and the world they live in. It was adorable and breathtaking to say the least. The acts were spectacular and at times, kept you on the edge of your seat. It was however, the show during which Dave and I learned that there are 'not good' seats. We sat in what turned out to be the wrong seats and were unable to see a small portion of the stage. When we moved we learned that the focus of the seating selection should not be getting as close to the stage as possible but rather to get in middle rows whenever possible. Unfortunately, there was a lighting post that blocked part of the back wall and took away from the trampoline act slightly.All the acts revolved around a different insect. One I was most looking forward to was the one dealing with ants (above image from here). They did amazing things with kiwi fruit and mini corncobs. The tossed each other around and were flawless throughout their entire performance. Their costumes were also the cutest as the rest of the female costumes were sexier than they were cute. I think this was likely my favourite act. Dave's favourite act, as I knew it would be, was the trampoline act. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, this was the act that was partially blocked, but it was still really great.I took the above photograph after watching the fireworks at le Vieux Port. The last few minutes of the fireworks all I could think of was which buildings I was going to photograph since the lighting on the really old buildings down there was fantastic and I couldn't resist them. I am really happy with not only the shot, but the fact that I finally was able to photograph the big top. Every time Dave and I have gone to Cirque shows in the past I have left my camera at home, since you are not able to use them within the big top and I never wanted to risk losing it or getting it stolen. I am also glad I took this shot as the next day when we were walking around Vieux Port, the clouds were not friendly and would have provided a massively overexposed skyline.

Biodome de Montreal

As part of our trip to Montreal, Dave and I went to the Biodome de Montreal. We went on a Saturday afternoon and apparently that is an incredibly bad idea. The lineup to get in wrapped halfway around the Biodome. It took somewhere from 30-45 minutes to get in, but we didn't have to wait around any longer than that as we already had tickets since we had bought a package deal at the Botanical Gardens which we visited earlier in the day.
There was just a ridiculous amount of people and Dave and I didn't spend as long in the Biodome as I had thought we would. We skipped a few of the less popular displays in an attempt to bypass the crowds, but to no avail. We elbowed our way up to the popular displays so I could try to get some shots, but weren't that successful. I got lots of shots, but none are really that great as the lighting was low and we weren't able to get the tripod out due to the afforementioned crowds.
The lemurs were probably my favourite display. The keeper was talking to the crowds but in french so I only caught parts of it as I had to concentrate of my photography. Despite the crowds and lack of really great photos, I enjoyed the Biodome. Next time though, we will make a point of going in the morning.

Vacation #2 - Montreal

Dave and I went to Montreal as our second vacation of the summer. It was a really great trip and one I would make again. It did, however, start off a little badly in that the traffic was so wretched on the way in that it really discouraged Dave and I. Once we got to our first actual destination (after checking in at the hotel and getting some lunch), we both realized how great the weekend was going to be.
We went to Parc du Mont Royal and the Cemetery therein on Friday and then to the Botanical Gardens, Biodome and Olympique Parc on Saturday. That evening we met up with our friend Yan, and went to dinner at Milso, a Brazilian restaurant that was really entertaining and then to Vieux Port where we watched Fireworks as part of an international competition. Sunday we walked around Vieux Port until our Cirque du Soleil show started in the afternoon. We then went to the St. Joseph Oratory before heading back to Ottawa.
I plan on blogging about each individual part of our trip in separate posts as the trip was so enjoyable, that one post would not do it justice. I can almost guarantee they will not, however, be in chronological order as I took all of the photos during this trip in Raw format which means I will need more time to complete the post-production. I will also be posting additional photos from the trip on my photography blog.

Haiku #5 - Limericks

Limericks are hard,

I have tried to create one,

But to no avail.

Mixed Tape

I recently pressed play on my CD player only to find that one of the CDs Dave made for me was inside. This was the third (I believe) 'love CD' he made and it was compiled shortly before my trip to London with Chris in January of 2008. I know this not because I read the read me file on the CD or because I remembered off the top of my head, but rather because he incorporated little airline and British sound clips into it. It is very sweet and makes me realize just how incredibly lucky I am. I love Dave very much and I know by the little things that he does for me, that he loves me just as much as I love him. I am a very lucky human being.

Rent Increase

Every year, landlords can increase their rent by a percentage outlined in the Tenant and Landlord Act. This year was the first time I have ever actual had this used on me. Minto Corporation is our landlord and as an actual corporation rather than an independent landlord, they have certain advantages to them, but they also have some disadvantages, one being the fact that they know what they are doing very well. They are a well oiled machine that knows how to work the Act to their advantage, like increasing the rent in a timely fashion. I don't really have a problem with paying an additional $9.80 to live here, and know that I myself would be increasing the rent as allowed on an annual basis if I was a landlord. I still feel like this place is well worth the money we pay for it and am still very much in love with it.

Okapi

"The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in central Africa. Although the Okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. There are approximately 10,000 - 20,000 in the wild and only 40 different worldwide institutions display them." Wikipedia.I first came across Okapis in the Endangered Species expansion pack to Zoo Tycoon 2 (a truly great game in its own right made even better my introducing the endangered species I love so much). Your zoo had to be pretty darn famous to even get the option of adopting one, and when you did, they were darn hard to breed since they seemed to be rather peculiar animals. I found the above image on Cute Overload this morning, and realized that though they are odd looking, they are simply adorable.
The feature that makes these animals so odd looking, is also the one that seems the most appealing when young. The stripes on their legs not only provide camouflage in their natural habitat but are also thought to assist young Okapis follow their mothers through the dense rain forest foliage. Another extremely interesting feature of the Okapi is its blue tongue. It is similar to the tongue of a giraffe in colour and the fact that it is quite long but the Okapi has the uncanny ability to clean its own ears inside and out, with its tongue. It is the only animal that has the ability to lick its own ears! Okapis are technically not endangered, but they are listed as threatened (Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species includes threatened species as well but that name isn't nearly as catchy) by habitat destruction and poaching.

Whale Watching Raincheck

As I have previously mentioned (multiple times now), Dave and I had planned a trip to the East Coast this summer, but this has since been canceled in lieu of a 'new' car and an extended trip to Montreal and Chris' cottage. This makes me a little sad as I very much wanted to go whale watching. I have always wanted to capture an image like the one below, and though I know it is very rare, it would have been amazing.

(image from: here)

Our trip will be postponed and I will take a raincheck on whale watching until next year when hopefully there are less unforeseen, money-guzzling circumstances.
Chris was able to go whale watching on the west coast this summer and had the 'pleasure' of witnessing an pod of Orcas (killer whales) hunting sea lions. A truly spectucalur, yet dismal display of the natural world.

One Minute Writer #31

What is the greatest sacrifice anyone has ever made for you?

I feel Dave has made a pretty significant sacrifice to stay in Ottawa. He has sacrificed time and energy in finding a job in his field for me to gain experience in mine.
I truly believe that others have made sacrifices for me, namely my parents, but I do not know of them - but do appreciate them greatly.

One Minute Writer #30

What day of the week is your favorite, and why?

My favourite day has recently become Thursday. It is a full day of possibilities and anticipation. There is only one day left of the work week and there is still plenty of time to make plans for the weekend - if you feel like it. The worries of the week are almost past you with the view of the relaxing weekend in the distance growing ever so close.

Sims 3 Continued

I have had the Sims 3 for almost a month now and can say without a doubt that it was money well spent. I have enjoyed every minute of the game that Dave calls 'playing house for adults'. I have made Dave and myself and other random characters as well and of course made a bunch of houses all over the towns. The only part of the game that Dave enjoys is the building of houses so he has built a couple houses in the towns as well.
One of my only complaints about the game is that they have gotten rid of some of the skills I enjoyed the most from the previous game, like the basic music skill. It has been replaced by the guitar skill which means there are no pianos in the Sim world anymore. Also, you can no longer read a generic cooking book to advance that skill, rather you have to spend lots of resources (food) cooking food that will inevitably go to waste. Although, you can store leftover food in the fridge so it does last a little longer than it did in Sims 1 and 2.

On Site

I have spent the last three to four months in the office writing reports, setting up site visits and doing basic project management jobs. Though I enjoy being in the office and knowing what I am going to be doing the next day, it was getting pretty boring and I was getting pretty restless. The past few days I have been on site at CFB Rockcliffe doing designated substance surveys in the houses that are scheduled to be demolished. It has been nice to be out of the office, despite the fact that I haven't been able to work with Dave like I had initially planned. I am back in the office on Monday, but hopefully I will be able to get all my work done in one day and will be able to go back on site on Tuesday and for the later part of the week as well.

Court Date

Monday, June 6, 2009 was the court date for the accident - or rather, for my appeal of the ticket I got because of the car accident. I was very nervous about the whole thing and started freaking out about it at the end of last week as I couldn't get a hold of the man who was going to help me with the trial. Eventually we connected and I told him I wanted his assistance on the day of the trial, for a fee as expected. We discussed what was going to happen and I continued to wait.

This past weekend was a disaster in terms of my stress levels. Whenever I wasn't sleeping, making a meal or playing some kind of video game, I was worrying and fretting about the trial. I had never been a part of a trial and had no idea what to expect. I would dream of important meetings/events and either screwing them up or missing them all together. It was very unpleasant. I spent the morning worrying even more and deciding what I was going to say when it came time to speak. The trial was at 1:30 and I was there at almost exactly 1. Paul, the man who was helping me, showed up about 5 minutes after me and we discussed a few options I had such as taking a by-law fine rather than a Highway Traffic Act (HTA) charge. As we spoke, the man who hit me showed up and we eventually followed him into the actual courtroom.
It was like a combination of a tiny courtroom and a tiny church. I say church because the seats were like pews in a church and the atmosphere made me just as uncomfortable as a church.
The witness to the accident, who was behind me when I was hit, also showed up and of course the police officer was there. The whole thing was very unnerving and I was very glad I had decided to get Paul's help. He spoke with the prosecutor after which he and I made what I consider a very wise decision to take the by-law fine. Nothing is attached to my license and there is only a small monetary fine that I have no real problem with.
I am really happy with the outcome of the trial, that in total took about half an hour, two minutes of which were the actual trial. I can now put the whole thing behind me and get on with things.

One Minute Writer #29

Besides laughter, what is the best medicine?

Pepto-Bismol. It works wonders on more than just what is included in their jingle. I find it can sometimes get rid of nerves and headaches, whatever is making you sick. This may be because a great deal of the time I really only need a placebo. Mind over matter afterall.

One Minute Writer #28

If you have children (or plan to have children, or can imagine having children), what trait do you have that you want to make sure you don't pass on?

When I have children I really hope that they do not get a couple of my physical traits such as my wide legs. I hope that I do not pass on the traits that increase my weight problems so that they do not have to deal with them as I have. When it comes to non-physical traits, I hope that my children are more social than I am as I have had to jump a few hurdles because of that.

One Minute Writer # 27

Write about a business you would like to start.

So we all know what business I want to start and will eventually start - one day, but I am going to answer this One Minute Writer question from over a year ago (I have started going back in their posts as I am not finding the current ones very interesting), with a different idea of mine.

I would like to start my own food establishment. I am not sure what type exactly as it changes every once in a while, depending on my mood and current likes but something along the lines of either a delicatessen, bakery or gourmet chocolate store. Not only do I want to be the owner of an establishment like this, but I want to be the main cook/chef/chocolatier, which essentially means I want to learn one of these trades extensively. Perhaps in the future I will take a course or two in these fields for entertainment purposes, but I highly doubt I would ever start a business based on them as I would rather focus my entrepreneurial efforts elsewhere.

Google Analytics

I had signed up for Google Analytics quite some time ago and apparently never but the necessary code in my html for this (and my other) blog(s) - oops. So a couple days ago I finally realized this and put the code in the proper place. I can now track pretty much everything about my blogs: how many people come on the site, how long they tend to stay, which posts are being read, where the people are from etc. I won't be using it as I am sure some larger sites would, to collect data about their visitors and use it to their advantage, this is merely yet another way for me to amuse myself and even better - procrastinate from doing actual work while at work. I love gadgets that assist in slacking off at work.

New Stuff

In the Sims 3 the people enjoy it when they get new stuff and get a mood booster for a couple of Sim hours. It is a nice little booster because all you have to do is buy them something new and make sure they are around when you purchase it.
I bring this up because this past weekend Dave and I purchased new clothes and a shiny, new fan for the living room. Shortly after the fan was put together, I realized that I too get a mood booster of sorts just after I have purchased a new item. I love the actual act of purchasing things and then the later acts of assembling or arraning/organizing the new item and of course just the simple act of knowing I own something now that I didn't before. It is very materialistic of me, but I can be quite materialistic. But, unlike the Sims, it does not have to be the very best item for me to be pleased with my purchase - I tend to be just as delighted about an item from the dollar store as one from a more expensive name brand store. I just love new stuff.

One Minute Writer #26

Think about the games, rides, and attractions at a carnival. Which one best represents your life?

Right now my life is very much like a ferris wheel. A basic ride that goes nowhere in particular and has both ups and downs, both rather predictable in nature. It is enjoyable, but safe.

142nd Birthday

(image found through Google image search)
Canada is 142 years old today!
I am a very proud Canadian and feel this is a great nation in which to live. We have our faults and definitely lots of things for other nations to poke fun at, but it is beautiful and the place I happily call home.