Back on The Gatineau River

I'm sitting on Barb's couch looking out her livlng room window at the barbecue, deck chairs, lawn, leaves and perfectly still river. The leaves on the far bank might be marginally more colourful than when I arrived but still mostly green and more shrivelling than turning the bright reds and yellows of fall that I had hoped to see. 

Aside from that, the weather's been splendid. Caroline and I worked one day in her community garden, collecting the last vegetables and seeds to dry and plant in the Spring.  Miche and I had a good bike ride along the Quebec side of the Ottawa River from 'Hull' to the Aylmer Marina, and a few days later Don inflated the tires on Mela's bike so Caroline and I could ride along the Ontario side. Today I will join Barb's group for a bike in the Wakefield area. I'm as lucky as the Toronto Blue Jays; although, when I left Pollock's, Albert was watching the game that would determine whether or not they would have home field advantage in the Pennant and they were losing. I don't know what the final outcome was, but I hope they win the World Series this year. It seems as if across the country the people are cheering, "Go Jays!" and "Stop Harper!" I'm with them. 

The evening that I arrived in Wakefield was the last of the TaDa Festival, so Barb and I went to 'The Midnight Birth Show' which was a two person show, the Montreal rapper All-Ever and the contemporary dancer Kim Henry. I was really impressed with her dancing and his music, especially the lyrics. They performed in front of a large screen of moving light and Animé-type figures; it was very professional. However, I was the only one I talked with after the show who was so impressed.  I was also lucky to arrive for the last weekend of the Wakefield artists in their environment tour so I saw Marilyn's latest works, which I like very much. While in Ottawa, I went to a movie with the Pollocks, Don and John. It was about the debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr., on ABC television in 1968 during the Republican and Democratic Conventions. They were two extremely intelligent and eloquent men, but many parts of the debates degenerated into personal animosity, the confrontational style that continues on American tv. but with more banal thoughts less well expressed. 

This evening Barb and I are going to go to a 'cinq à sept' at Michelines, where I will see as many of the WWW as are able to make it. 

Caroline in her garden with two of her giant  cauliflowers. 

Balancing stone figures on the shore of the Ottawa River. 

Archie and Marilyn with my favorite of her recent mixed media works. 

The Walefield bike group enjoying a beer and lunch on Barb's lawn after a morning ride along the river. 

Meanwhile, back in Vernon, Jinhee gets ready for her first basketball game with the Harwood Heat and

Minhee chills.