We were cycling on "la grande presqu'ile" which is surrounded on 3 sides by water. There are farms here in the middle of the Ottawa river between Ontario and Quebec. For more information on this park click here: http://www.sepaq.com/pq/pla/en/

Big sky and angel wings coming out from under my helmet. 

Cycling in Plaisance provincial park nearby. The scenery is very Dutch isn't it? Lyne, Nancy, and Jacqueline. 

Is it waterlogged?

Later on Wednesday, I wanted to take some pictures of a garden shed that J. and I liked and the camera was acting weird. My Fujifinepix's guarantee expired 6 months ago and I read online that Fuji was horrendously slow for repairs.

This is what I was getting as images until I shook it Friday morning and it went back to taking normal pictures. I was relieved because I didn't want to have to buy another digital camera. It was an added expense that I did not want.

This is my favourite pic from that morning. 

On Wednesday, July 19.

Nancy, Lyne and I went for an early morning paddle. Thank you , ladies!

My colleague, Clarence, and I paddled a section of the Petite-Nation. It took us 15 minutes to paddle downstream from the Aquaventure kayak school, down to a portage site, and then an hour of hard paddling to get back to our starting point. Here is a calmer spot we found to rest and have a snack. 

I tried taking my own picture in front of the Chateau Laurier...I didn't want to ask that lady in the turquoise blouse...I'll always wonder if she would have smiled and said yes.

Not my best work!

This is the Chateau Laurier.

I decided to take a day off from playing beachhouse* in order to drive into Ottawa and play shopaholic at the Rideau Centre. You can see by the clock on the Peace Tower of the Parliament buildings that it is government lunch time. There was a concert under the bridge right below my feet in that picture.

*Beachhouse is a mind game I invented right after the last day of school for the kids in which I only do what I would do if staying in a beachhouse on the east coast, i.e.: stay in my pyjamas or damp bathing suit all day, read fun novels, try my hand at writing a novel, swim, kayak, barBQ with friends, play Scrabble or cards on the deck with friends while sipping wine and swatting the mosquitoes.