Odds and sods

 That was a storm on Friday. After dinner, we watched episodes 3 and 4 of GONE. Being happy go lucky, we watched 5 and 6! I love the layers of clues, the accents, the scenery. It was filmed at Downside Catholic School in the UK. 

"– inspired by the book To Hunt A Killer by former detective superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, and ITV crime correspondent Robert Murphy, with both Mackay and Murphy consultants on the series.^[2]  Wiki  

GONE

We'll often watch a foreign film with translation. We just finished Fosca Innocenti 2022  and it was one of those light, joyful, mysteries. Almost a RomCom. The lead female is the Commissario in this TV Series from Italy. The characters are gender diverse.

She's not a size 2 actor, nor heavily made up. It is refreshing. We've been discussing it, how the make-up, the barely clad people of the American shows, is left behind in the dust in comparison. Filmed in Arezzo, Italy. 

Well, back to our little piece of heaven. The frog in the goldfish pond is against photos. Can you see his little eye balls?!

I wasn't that near to him, but I caught his legs in the photo! I am slow to respond. 

I snapped a photo another day.

Another throw back to cottage life. Caitlin hung up diapers! I have been looking for this photo for days... 

Barry Beaver seems ticked off still. All the trees he'd prepared to chop down fell in the July 1st storm.  We had our path cleared July 30th. I haven't seen Barry since then. I noticed that the duck weed and frog bit hadn't budged. 

Aug. 12

There seems to be some action, Aug. 13th.

 

The Freds seem to be slowing down. The cool nights are doing it, I think. A bit of a shock this morning!

MiniFred peeks his head out. Auntie Fred is minding her own business. They are solitary critters, I've read. I've seen proof as Auntie doesn't go under the deck. MiniFred stays away from the shed.

That sweet little face!

We have lovely afternoons on the back deck. Joe pulled up a chair for Cinnamon. 

As we sat there, I spotted the resident hawk flying at eye level towards us, then it veered up over the roof. I was too slow to spot it and capture a photo. However, this one is a frequent flyer. 

I've noticed several millipedes wandering across the driveway. Three or four, methinks. It's a bit odd. 

Of course there are things that are on the hunt in the night. Finally a half-decent image grabbed from the video of our regular fox visitor.

Saturday's Critters

There are many signs that fall approaches. Friday morning it was 14 ℃, today 13 ℃ and a tad chilly. It reminds me of cottage life. Putting on a fire in the morning. Critters begin to find warmer lodging!

This dock spider has many names. It's a biggie, I'll call it sir! It was released outside. 

The next photo is the exoskeleton of a cicada I think. The one after one I found. Soon they will stop singing as we cool down.

  

The goldfish will come in later. Meantime they have loved all the rains filling their pond.

The light is changing with the time of year. Fred was out munching in the garden, as he is wont to do. He has some eating to do before he konks out for winter. Auntie Fred has been out, as well.

MiniFred has been out front more than the back. I tossed him some leftover cabbage.

   

 I do love reptiles and amphibians. Spending lonely summers at the cottage, they were my friends.

   

 I came across a garter snake on my forest walk. It was sitting there looking like a cobra, head up, watching me! I suspect it had just had lunch and was feeling vulnerable. 

   

 The frog pond is over grown. It is quite full, which varies year-to-year. We've had a lot of rain this month. The frogs are happy with this.

 If you turn up the sound you can hear the bullfrogs.

 

Saturday's Critters # 661 visit more critters, hosted by Eileen!

Algonquin Park Canoe Camping

Nope. Not us. Our extended family! These four braved the bugs, wind, rain, and poison ivy to go camping Aug. 8 - 11th. It was epic. Aster, a school chum, Caitlin and Jean-Luc were off. Jordan had popped in for a couple of days, home on the bus Friday, back on Sunday. He took their photo.

I watched the lightning radar just as they were on their way! There is no cell service in the park. It is a strange feeling, knowing we cannot contact them! 

They were quite prepared, as they are very experienced canoe campers. Maps by Jeff are amazing! You can purchase these detailed maps created by another experienced camper. The maps even warn of poison ivy patches in camp areas.

 

The Algonquin outfitters do a really cool thing. You can have the company take your canoes to the launch spot for you. Then, you can have them take your car to where you finish, and they pick up the canoes. It is a wonderful modern take on such an experience, in my mind. Not that I have ever camped, but I have canoed a lot in my time, and I know how tricky it is to haul on those sore muscles. 

I looked it up online, and found several people who have done this route: Achray, through Barron Canyon, to Squirrel Rapids. This is the video JL took at their campsite! 

 Tuesday we were visiting Jordan in Kingston! Our Kingston trip!

Trip over (Saturday => Tuesday), Caitlin kindly texted to say they were back in cell phone service. By then we were home, too. 

They stopped in Renfrew to recharge the car and grab lunch! Happy Campers! Then, they headed home, safe and sound. Muskoka chair photo-op!

The photos and videos trickled in. Everyone took photos. It was great fun. I absolutely adore Muskoka rocks, flora and fauna.

 I'd love to visit Big Falls in the park, but that won't happen! This was epic. Aster took a flying leap! Twasn't a skill I knew Aster had managed! 

At home, this is what we had. No sound, just a light show. Ah, nature is grand.

Our Kingston trip!

 We planned a trip to Kingston to visit Jordan. He's living and working in Kingston. He is all signed up courses for September (astrophysics and a minor in geology). He's enjoying his work, receiving and organising goods on 6-hour shifts at a grocery store. 

This is Jordan at 18 months old, 2009. 'What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's' I still have this roll of tape. The little one wanted to be covered in it! I told Jordan the story about us babysitting. Momma and Papa had a wedding to go to somewhere in southern Ontario, while we were in Muskoka.

2009

In preparing for our visit, I used the tape to close the lid of the parcel. 

 What do you take a university student in student housing? A tea towel I regifted and a nail kit. Freebies from the Red Cross fundraiser. 

Also, I took 18-year-old the window crayons! 

We used those a lot. This was 2017-ish. 

Here are the kids using the window crayons!

I wrote about Papa putting in the air conditioner in their top floor apartment, left by the previous renters. It makes a huge difference on the top floor.

 

We had a great chat and talked about all sorts of things, past, present, and future!

GIFTS

Jordan's bathroom was renovated in the summer. While teeny, it has a nice, newly renovated shower. 

The next photo is the toilet paper we gifted him. When he was in residence last year, he'd run out. As with this rental, they come in weekly to clean, replenish toilet paper, etc. There was never enough. We gave him some last Christmas! Not so much a gag gift, as a necessary one.

Jordan harvested the sign on the wall behind a dumpster. Guests are invited to sign it!

A great university. There is quite a variety for student housing. There were 29,000 students for 2025/2026.  Jordan's roomie is at home for summer, but will return for university in the fall.

It really is a great city. Summer brings lots of tourists, and summer employment for the students.

mural for a spa

Tragically Hip mural

A couple of passenger tours left as we had lunch.

It was a lovely drive home.

UPDATE:

Jordan sent a photo. He's already decorated his window!