You have reached your destination

Today I drive to the Ottawa/Wakefield area and Dick, the voice I chose for my Tom Tom, will announce, "You have reached your destination."  That is if I use Tom; I'm going to try my iPhone first. Barb and I found a route on Google Maps yesterday that she said was a good one, so I will start with it. 

I have just waved good bye to Barb and Norm. They're going to a charity quad weekend event about 21/2 hours north of Toronto. Norm spent yesterday afternoon and this morning readying all the gear. Barb made sure this morning just before they left that he had packed a half decent shirt for the banquet and that she had her Kindle and cell phone; she doesn't like too much roughing it in the bush. My only job is to lock up and leave the secret key under the canoe as I go. I'm going to wait until 10:00 to avoid morning traffic. 

Dad reminded me not long ago that when he used to warn me against doing something he thought was risky, but which knowing me never even approached extreme, I would say,"Sometimes you're lucky."  And I have been on this trip. Again in Toronto the fall weather has been perfect, sunny and warm. Barb, Norm, Jen their dog and I have gone on some wonderful long walks, around marshland, on the shore of Lake Ontario and along the Credit River. I saw the Toronto skyline from across the lake and from the top of the AGO. Barb and I took the Go Train downtown on Wednesday. We walked, took a trolley and the subway, had a tasty lunch at an Italian restaurant she and Kate go to and visited the AGO. We climbed the circular interior stairway to the 3rd floor to look at the Anne Colier photography exhibition. It's part of the AGO's Year of Photography. It presented her work from 2002 to the present. I especially liked some of the 'Woman with a Camera' works. Then we climbed to the top where you get a good view of the city.  I had mistakenly thought the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition was still on but it was long gone, so I was merely able to buy Jay a pair of Basquiat flip flops for half price. 

Barb, Norm and I have enjoyed wonderful dinners and evenings on their back deck. I hadn't spent as much time with Norm before. Now that we are all retired, we can relax and enjoy each other's company more, chatting and watching the moon fill and cross from behind the big pine into the clear dark blue between the trees. 

On Sunday I will be with Caroline and Albert to watch the supermoon eclipse, if I drive carefully out of Toronto. 

A moose in Oakville

Punk cedars in downtown Toronto near the Italian restaurant where Barb and I ate lunch

Barb and Norm heading north.