Posted on in humour, parenting

Blame it on your kids

Two teenagers standing on a pier at dusk

A few months ago, I was sick as a rabid dog for two weeks with a nasty cold, the second time this year. One of my neighbours asked whether the reason I’ve been sick so much was because my body was finally deregulating after years of accumulated stress from working, and now that I’m retired, I’m more susceptible to colds and flus.

I said no, the reason I get so sick now is I had bronchitis when I was pregnant with Clare, and that compounded with COVID has weakened my immune system for battling chest colds.

I blamed it on Clare.

Blaming your kids for everything from getting sick to having a messy house, to being late for dinner is a rite of passage for parents. It’s one of the reasons we have kids (and dogs for that matter).

If your pristine kitchen looks like a dumpster accident by dinnertime, blame it on the kids.

Missing your favourite Roots hoodie? It must be in that mound of clothing growing like a Chia pet on steroids in your teenager’s closet.

Running late? It’s not your fault. If you didn’t have to remember backpacks, water bottles, extra clothes, toys, and enough snacks to feed an orphanage every time you left the house, you’d be early for that appointment.

Broke? Don’t even worry about making an excuse. Having kids is like attaching a Dyson vacuum directly to your bank account. Everything you own gets sucked into the universe.

You can also blame your kids to your advantage. Say you don’t want to attend a boring family reunion or work party. Make up some excuse about needing to take little Susie or Jimmy to their piano recital or big game, and not only are you forgiven, you are a hero, sacrificing your own fun for your kids. 

The great thing about blaming kids is you can even blame them for something they didn’t do today because they probably did it years ago. (This works for spouses too).

Say you’re late for work, and it has nothing to do with your kids. You can still blame it on them. They’ve probably made you late a gazillion times in your lifetime. Go ahead. Blame them with a clear conscience, without compunction or guilt. The little or big cretons deserve it.

There is one thing you should know about blaming everything on your kids. When they become adults, they turn the tables and start blaming everything on you.

This week’s #HappyAct is to play the blame game and have some fun with it. Just don’t blame the messenger. Have a happy week!

Posted on in Food and drink, travel

Hot diggedy dog

Canada Day is just around the corner, and nothing says summer more than the most unpretentious of barbecue delicacies, the hot dog.

My brother was legendary at eating hot dogs. He once ate 17 hot dogs at a friend’s barbecue when we were kids.

To celebrate summer and pay homage to the humble hot dog, I recently visited the mecca of franks, Easterbrooks Hot Dog Stand in Burlington.

Easterbrooks has been serving up hot dogs for 95 years. And not just any dogs, footlong weiner masterpieces like the Tear Jerker, a 12 inch dog topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos and chipotle sauce and The Belly Buster, topped with melted cheese, mustard, bacon, fried onion, chili and tomato.

When you drive into their parking lot, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time to the 1950s. Red picnic tables pepper the front of the small white building that looks like it belongs more in a beach movie than in a nice neighbourhood in Burlington.

The inside of the place looks like a 50’s diner too with black and white checkered paint and tiles, Coca Cola Classic signs and newspaper clippings all over the wall. A chalkboard at the end of the counter proudly proclaims “Since 1930 we have served over 1823 miles of hot dogs”.

Inside of Easterbrooks hot dog stand

Easterbrooks first opened in 1926 when its matriarch, Mable Easterbrook opened a tea room. In 1930, she started selling hot dogs and the family-run business has been selling dogs ever since (one of the owners brought out our order).

I ordered a Hound Dog, a 12-inch dog with aged cheddar, peameal bacon and sauerkraut while Dave, the OG hot dog lover, went for The Original. The dogs were tasty, but it was the fresh bun with the light crust on the outside and delicious soft chewy inside that made their offerings top dogs worthy of best in show. Their fries were delicious too, not oily, but crispy with a light-coated topping.

As we sat outside toasting the start of summer, all I could think of was how much my brother would have loved this place.

This week’s #HappyAct is to have a hot diggedy dog summer. I hope there are some franks in your future this weekend. Happy Canada Day!

hot dogs
Posted on in community, dogs, mental health, nature, parenting, travel

Stroll in a city park

trees and path in park

If you want to get a feel for a place, spend an afternoon in a city park.

A city park is a refuge, a place to exercise, play, eat, rest, and reflect. It’s a place where neighbours, friends, strangers, and lovers meet. It’s a special place that is often the life and heartbeat of the city and the community.

When I travel, one of the first things I like to do is take a stroll in a city park. Whether it’s Regent Park in London, Central Park in New York, or Stanley Park in Vancouver, I love exploring the meandering paths and watching the people and activity going on.

Gage Park in Hamilton has been my strolling ground lately since we are housesitting for Dave’s sister. Here’s what I’ve observed during my morning walks.

Conversations.

An older couple sit on a bench talking to a homeless man. He shares his experience of living in shelters across the country, from Charlottetown to Saint John to Hamilton. He spends part of every day at the Salvation Army. His voice breaks when he tells a story about being chased by street gangs downtown.

Two young mothers pushing strollers walk briskly, sharing confidences. “I’m always thinking, what can I do tomorrow to keep him entertained so I don’t lose my mind. Where’s me? I feel like I’ve lost me becoming a Mom.” The lament of every young mother. I say to them in my head, “Don’t worry, you’ll find yourself again.”

A man wearing a Toronto Blue Jays hat. He doesn’t think their chances are good this year. We chat about the weather and he asks Siri for the forecast, which is very detailed, chance of showers later in the day with a heat wave blazing toward us by the weekend. He used to work on a chicken farm on Starr’s Island in Port Perry and loves dogs. He takes the bus to the park.

Sights, sounds, and smells.

The fragrant scent of lilacs and peonies and roses and the surprising smell of vinegar in the rose garden.

Birdsong. Robins chirping in the trees. A cardinal singing, brightly welcoming the morning.

Black squirrels with brown tails and grey squirrels with black tails chasing each other around the craggy bark of a Kentucky coffee tree.

Bike bells chiming as a man on a bicycle passes a bunch of kids on scooters.

two squirrels on a tree

All ages from all walks of life.

A man in an electric wheelchair whirring around the park blasting out Steely Dan on loud speakers; it’s a Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress on his second tour.

City workers hunched low, pruning and weeding in the rose garden, talking about their plans for the weekend.

A young couple lying on a blanket, their heads resting on their elbows, almost touching, deep in conversation.

Toddlers in blue and pink onesies with hats with brims so wide you can’t tell if they stumble because of their pudgy little legs, or because they can’t see two feet in from of them.

A dog walker with six dogs, four types of doodles (always the doodles), a husky and some kind of German shepherd cross. How do the leashes never get tangled?

A parade of mostly mothers and strollers marching through the park and gathering in a circle under a big oak tree for a yoga class.

An older gentleman dressed nattily in a blue checked short-sleeved shirt, grey dress shorts and socks, black running shoes and a bowler hat, jogging slowly through the park. How does he manage to look so dapper jogging?

Teenagers splashing each other with water from the fountain, screaming and swearing, oblivious to the disapproving looks of the older woman sitting nearby.

That irritating older woman, always on her phone, looking down instead of up.*

This week’s #HappyAct is to take a stroll in your city park and discover the heart of your city.

*Ed. note: To truly experience the sights, sounds, and smells of your stroll, it’s recommended to stay off your phone. I did use my phone to take photos and notes since I have a poor memory. And for those of you with a historical interest: Many of Canada’s grandest city parks were built in the golden age of park development from 1874-1914. Mont Royal Park in Montreal was built in 1874, Stanley Park in 1888, Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg in 1909, and Gage Park in 1922. As cities developed, there was a recognition that people needed access to nature for their physical and mental health. The City Beautiful Movement rose which promoted beautiful public spaces, including buildings, streetscapes and parks.

dog in park

My trusted companion on my morning strolls.

Moms and strollers in the park
Dog walker with six dogs
Fountain at Gage Park in Hamilton
Posted on in arts, entertainment, health and wellness, humour, mental health, science of happiness

A funny thing happened on the way to my improv class

Group of people from improv class

Special guest post by Jon Begg

Our bus hit a polar bear. Someone was giving the bear CPR and my head was stuck in its jaws and no one was helping me. Seriously.

Fear. Absolute fear. How did I get myself into this situation?

Well, I signed up for it, a Level One improv class at the Tett Centre in Kingston.

I was a longtime fan of Whose Line is it Anyway so when I saw the ad for improv classes pop up on my Facebook feed I thought ‘Why not’?

I sent the payment, put all the dates on my calendar, told my wife I would be busy Tuesday nights, poured myself a tall glass of red wine and thought to myself “What have I done….?’

The class will probably be filled with quick-thinking Queen’s students… and me. I’m almost 62. I forget people’s names, I can’t think of the right word now and then, I never remember where I put my wallet and keys and the list goes on.

Now I’m going to be put in odd situations with people I don’t know, with no prep time, and have to make a 3-4 minute scene flow seamlessly by blurting what comes to mind first! “Don’t think” they tell you, the gold is what comes out first. Oh, and it helps if you get a few laughs along the way. No pressure at all.

It turns out there was no pressure.

I wasn’t the oldest in the class which for some reason made me feel good.

And there was laughter. Every class. We laughed with others and we laughed at ourselves.

Reader’s Digest had a section called Laughter is the Best Medicine. Turns out it’s true. Laughter is a wonderful thing. Studies around the world have shown laughter boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones, decreases pain, relaxes your muscles, and can help prevent heart disease. Those are just the physical benefits. Mentally, laughter eases anxiety, tension and stress, and can improve your mood. It checked a lot of boxes for me.

Improv was a great way for me to challenge myself, but more importantly, a great way to laugh at myself and at others sweating it out on stage!

For two hours a week I gave no thought to divisive politics, inflation, how to survive retirement, or the long list of social issues we hear about on our daily news feeds. I just laughed. I highly recommend it.

I hope that polar bear is doing okay.

Jon Begg

Jon Begg is a communications specialist, husband, father, grandfather, and fisherman who’s been telling jokes and laughing all his life.

Posted on in ageing, family, parenting

Make time for messy exploration and play

Woman standing in a daycare

Do you wish sometimes you never grew up? That you were still a child, with no worries, responsibilities, or never-ending to do lists in your head, just the prospects of a new day of exploratory play and learning?

I found I was mourning the loss of my inner child a bit yesterday when I toured an absolutely amazing facility, the Child Care Centre in Sharbot Lake as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Rural Frontenac Community Services. The Centre was founded by my dear friend Audrey Tarasick who served as the Centre’s director for a decade in the 1990s. As part of the celebrations, the Centre dedicated a bench in the playground to Audrey who passed away last year.

As I toured the Centre, I could feel Audrey’s presence in every kiddie cubbyhole, reading nook and painting cranny. There were tiny wood tables and chairs, a big circle carpet with trees and clouds, and toys everywhere. Audrey loved children and she had the unique ability to see the world through a child’s eyes and let children guide their learning by letting them play, explore and take the lead.

I saw artwork and toys and banners with messages like “Learning is messy business,” “Creativity is messy and we are very messy”, and “Every child is an artist”.

It made me wonder why, as adults, we hate mess and seek out organization and structure, and what impact this has on our creativity, happiness, and ability to learn and play?

I bumped into Marcie Webster who has worked with RFCS for 34 years and who remembered me from the days when I brought my two girls to her play groups. She shared a story about one of her first few days at work. A child had mixed some red paint with yellow paint and Marcie had said to the child, “Try not to mix the colours”. Audrey asked her why she told the child that, and Marcie said so the paints would be intact for the next child. Audrey replied, “But the child was exploring and learning like a scientist. Let them learn.”

Early in my career, I worked as a copywriter for an educational toy company, Discovery Toys. Their motto was “Play is a child’s work” and their belief was children learned through exploration and play. Because I had to write about the toys, we would play with them every day. I literally was paid to be creative with the toys and play. It was a great job.

When it came time to take a photo of Audrey’s family on the bench, instead of sitting normally, one of her great-grandsons hung upside down with his legs flopped over the back of the bench (his family later asked him to “sit properly” for an official photo). I snapped a picture of Walt upside down and thought, “Audrey would have loved that.”

This week’s #HappyAct is to break the chains of adulthood and let your inner child lead this week. Just be messy and explore. You’ll never know what you may learn–or how much fun you’ll have doing it.

Boy hanging upside down on bench

Photos: Main: Marcie Webster, one of the longest-serving employees at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake in her EarlyON play group room. Above: Walt having fun and exploring upside down on Great Grandma’s bench.

Play area with sign "creativity is messy and we are very creative"
Posted on in community, entertainment, Historical, Hobbies, shopping

Going once, going twice, sold!

Auction sale sign and antique print

If you’re looking for a fun and interesting way to spend a morning, go to an auction.

Yesterday, Dave and I headed out under grey cold rainy skies to an estate auction on Maple Road, just north of Odessa. It was an antique and collectibles auction of a local farmer featuring horse gear and memorabilia, but with lots of interesting household antiques, prints, books, and tools.

The auction company was Snider and Sons, and what made this auction particularly interesting is it was their father who had passed away, so the sons who were the auctioneers had first-hand knowledge and commentary on many of the items.

Some people might balk at bidding on the cherished possessions of a family member who has passed, but I’ve always taken the opposite view, taking comfort in knowing these precious antiques and treasures will be loved and become a part of a new family’s home for generations to come.

There’s always so much to see at an auction, starting with the treasures themselves. There were antique baskets, cowboy and bowler hats, snowshoes, rugs, horse bits, drill bits and wrench sets, stamps, and books under the main tent, and more garden and farm tools on three wagons out in the yard.

I had my eye on a cast iron rabbit, a unique wood carving of an Indigenous chief and eagles, some signs, including a No Fishing sign I wanted for the lake where our geothermal coils are in the water, and some antique oil lamps.

Wood carving

I was bidding on this unique wood carving but it ended up going for more than I was willing to pay

Sometimes there are items that nobody knows what they are; sometimes there are items you haven’t seen in years, like the stoneware bed warmers called “pigs” that sold yesterday for $10.

Items bought at an auction

These stoneware pigs were used as bed warmers in olden days

Then there’s the people. You get “all kinds” at an auction, from serious collectors, to local farmers, and casual bidders like me who just love a good auction and turn up for fun. There was one couple who bid only on tire-shaped ashtrays and cigarette lighters (they had a whole box of them by the end of the auction), a younger woman and older fellow who got into a bidding war whenever antique horse bits were on the auction block, and a guy who wouldn’t bid on anything over $10.

The fun thing about an auction, unless you’re an expert or a collector, is you never know what price things will go for. Some box lots can go as low as $1, but then a pair of wrenches (these ones were rare Comet and Oxo wrenches) went for $75. I was surprised when two small sleeves of stamps went for $370.

There is a noticeable excitement in the air when rare or big ticket items come up for bid. At yesterday’s auction, the biggest items were Black Horse Ale collectible statues that went for $1,500 and a custom display of antique horse rosettes or pins that went for $3,100. The crowd applauded after the bidding ended.

If you’re new to the auction game, there are some things you should know. First, not all auctions are alike. The ones we like best are estate auctions, where you can get a glimpse into the person’s life and the contents are from one home (some auction houses will combine lots).

Always get a bidding number even if you’re not sure you want to buy anything. You don’t want to be unprepared if something comes up you want to bid on.

A good auctioneer will signal what an item is worth and what they hope to get in their opening chant. The first amount they say is what it’s worth, the next amount is closer to what they are hoping to get, then they’ll come down to where people want to start bidding. So they may say, “$100, do I hear $100, $50, do I have $50, $25…” and maybe starting as low as $10, but if the auctioneer started at $100 and dropped it to $50, there’s a good chance the item will go for between $50-$100.

In the end, I only walked away with my no fishing sign, $10 well spent for a morning’s worth of entertainment.

This week’s #HappyAct is to go to an auction, but hurry, before it’s going once, going twice, sold!

Antique sleigh in front of a barn
Auction in yard
Auction main tent
Posted on in mental health, nature, science of happiness

Rainy day people

Girl walking on the beach in the rain

It feels like it’s been raining cats and dogs and elephants this spring. The grass and yellow dandelions in the yard are a foot high, the plants from the garden centre sit shivering in our driveway, and muddy shoes lay strewn across the front porch caked with mud. Everyone I talked to is fed up with the rain.

It begs the question, how does rain affect our happiness and mood?

Rain can make some people sad or depressed. We can’t (or won’t) get outside to do the things we enjoy which puts a damper on our mood. This is true and well-documented for people who are more prone to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the winter months. Lack of sunlight decreases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter proven to help regulate anxiety, happiness, and mood.

But you may be surprised to learn rain can have a positive impact on our mental health and happiness and there are some of us who love the rain. They even have a name: pluviophiles. For these people, rain can be rejuvenating, calming, and restorative. Let’s dive into the science.

When it rains, negative ions are released. These are odourless, invisible molecules which are created in moving water. When it rains and water hits a hard surface, the drops break up and pick up a charge. If it is a negative charge, it can generate electrons that can be picked up by molecules in the air, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, forming negative ions. Research on the effects of negative ions indicates they boost mood, relieve stress, and give us more energy.

Then there is the impact on our olfactory senses. The earthy scent after a rain has a name too. It’s called petrichor, from the Greek words petra, meaning “stone”, and ichor, meaning “the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods”. Petrichor includes a chemical called geosmin, which is made by bacteria in soil. Inhaling it can have a calming effect.

I personally love the sound of rain. On a rainy day, I’m quite happy to sit in my screen porch and listen to the steady drumming of the raindrops on our steel roof. Relaxation and meditation videos use the sound of rain and buildings include features such as artificial fountains and indoor waterfalls for their relaxing sounds and calming effects.

There are even benefits to the grey skies that come with rainy days. With less light, the body tends to produce more melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, helping you rest better. 

And yet we tend to be wet blankets when it comes to rain, hiding ourselves indoors until the stormy skies pass.

If you live on the West coast or in Great Britain, you make the best of the rain, dress for the weather and get on with your day.

I once spent six weeks in England and Scotland in November and December. It rained almost every day. That didn’t stop the intrepid Brits. The streets of London were bustling with shoppers, brollies in hand, and the parks were filled with young families with babies in strollers covered in plastic and little ones dressed in bright yellow and red raincoats, splashing in puddles.

Sure, there were days I was tired of the grey skies and panda-sized puddles on the slippery sidewalks, but I remember the wonderful feeling of coming in from the cold, and warming up with a hot cup of tea or enjoying a pint in a cozy pub with some friends.

This week’s #HappyAct is to become a pluviophile and get out for a walk in the rain. Time to go, I see the sun is starting to come out…

Related reading: Swimming in the rain (a poem)

Photo: Clare walking on the beach in the rain in South Carolina

Posted on in charitable, community, retirement, work

Learn when to say yes and no

Volunteers working voluntary road toll

One of the greatest skills you can learn in life is when to say yes and when to say no.

This applies to parenting, volunteering, work, relationships, and the list goes on.

Some career coaches would advise you to always lean in and say yes when tapped on the shoulder to take on a new role or responsibilities at work. Not at the cost of your happiness.

There were at least three times in my career when I was offered a different role not in my chosen field of communications that would have given me broader management experience where I said no. Would I have advanced further in my career? Probably. But I know for a fact I would have been miserable and to this day I’m grateful I made the right decision for me and for my family to be happy.

I’m now a retiree and one of my retirement pledges was to help my community more. I’m still navigating what this looks like. I’ve started volunteering at the community garden once a week that supplies our local food bank and Meals on Wheels programs, just finished my annual seedling fundraiser for the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, and worked a shift for the Verona Lions for their annual Victoria Day voluntary road toll. I was very happy to say yes to all of these volunteer jobs.

I also have greater clarity on what I’ll say no to. I refuse to do another garage sale—they are just too much work (ironically, Dave volunteered at one yesterday morning), and true to my retirement pledges, I’ll never sign up for something where I have to be on Zoom or in meetings a lot. Been there, done that.

Some people say yes to everything. They are the heroes and backbones of every workplace and community. I admire these people, but I am not one of them.

Here’s the wonderful thing about saying yes. When you say yes to the things you enjoy, you feel good about your contributions and are far more confident and unapologetic about saying no to the things that won’t bring you joy.

Sometimes it all comes down to timing. There are periods in our lives when you want to do more, but you just can’t. You have enough on your plate. During those times, it’s okay to say no. The day will come when you can say yes again.

This week’s #HappyAct is to learn when to say yes and when to say no. And whatever your answer is, always prioritize your happiness or the happiness of your family in the decision.

Pictured above: My neighbour Odin and I working the Verona Lions road toll. All the money raised goes back into the community. Learn more about volunteering with the Verona Lions. Below: volunteers at the Grace Centre garden with the garden coordinator Josey Cadieux (Dave was whipper snipping and didn’t want to be in the picture). See this article in the Frontenac News for more on the garden.

Garden volunteers standing beneath an arbour
Posted on in environment, nature, travel

The lakes of my life

Sydenham Lake at dusk

Are you a mountain, beach or desert person?

My brother is a desert person. There’s something about the light and landscapes of places like New Mexico, Utah and Nevada that speaks to him. Since I live on a lake, and am a water baby, it will come as no surprise to you that I’m a beach person.

And while Canada is blessed to boast three coastlines, all with stunning scenery, I have long since realized that I will always need to be or live on interior lakes where I can swim.

Here are ten interior lakes in Canada that hold a special place in my heart:

  • Big Hawk Lake: I’ve been visiting this beautiful lake north of Minden, Ontario since I was a teenager. The lake is on a popular canoe route and is dotted with pretty islands and bays and has several interesting features including rapids, a historic log chute, a rockface known as the three chiefs, rocks for cliff jumping and even a totem pole.
  • Lake Moraine: There is a reason why this picturesque lake in Banff National Park in Alberta was featured on our $20 bill. When you round the corner from the short hiking trail, your breath is literally taken away by its stunning turquoise blue colour and mountainous backdrop. (The colour is unique to glacial lakes and is caused by rock flour that is produced as glaciers grind against bedrock and is carried by glacial meltwater into the lake). Substitute any mountain lake in the Rockies or BC.
  • Red Lake: Anyone who has spent time in northern Ontario will understand why Dave’s father calls this region God’s country. Located where the road ends off the TransCanada highway near the Manitoba border, Red Lake is a fisherman’s dream, spanning 165 kms of islands, bays teeming with walleye, northern pike and muskie. The constant drone of float planes taking off from Howie Bay serenade you while on the water, but can make swimming in Red Lake hazardous!
  • Mazinaw Lake: Bon Echo Provincial Park houses this second deepest lake in Ontario, famous for its impressive 100 metre high Mazinaw Rock. While the rockface itself is magnificent, it’s the ancient pictographs painted centuries ago by the Algonquin and Anishinaabe peoples that are said to have spiritual meanings and qualities that attract people to the cliffs.
  • Georgian Bay: With more than 30,000 islands and grey granite sculpted shorelines, Georgian Bay is a boaters dream. Every time I’ve spent time in this beautiful region of Ontario, I fall in love all over again with its greenish blue waters, unique shorelines and undulating waves that stretch for miles and miles.
  • Lake Superior: The granddaddy of the Great Lakes, Lake Gitche Gumee is massive, majestic, and magical. It can be peaceful, calm, and breathtaking on a nice day, and dark, menacing and deadly on a stormy day. Take the Lake Superior Circle Tour, a 2,000 km route and enjoy the magnificent views and natural wonders. Be sure to take a slight detour to Mackinac Island just south of Sault Ste Marie.  
  • Lake Memphramagog: This stunning lake in the Eastern Townships straddles the Quebec/Vermont border and offers picturesque mountain views. Legend has it that a sea monster inhabits the lake! Spend an afternoon strolling along the boardwalk in Magog or in the pretty town of Newport, Vermont which Dave and I explored last fall on our way back from the Maritimes.
  • Opeongo Lake or any lake in Algonquin Park: There’s something about Algonquin Park that is special. When people think of a wild space, they think of Algonquin. Picture early morning mist gently rising off the water, revealing stately pines lining the shoreline and pure silence. It’s pure heaven.
  • Mackenzie Lake: Located near Lake St. Peter Provincial Park in Ontario, this lake and region is a snowmobiler’s dream in the winter with trails galore. Surrounded by cliffs, there is one concave rockface on the southern end of the lake that becomes almost mystical towards the end of the day when the light hits it. Patterns of light dance across the rockface and the water. Alone in a canoe or kayak, it’s one of the most spiritual places I’ve ever been. 
  • Lake of the Woods OR Lake Muskoka/Lake Joseph: Okay, since this is supposed to be a top ten list, I’m cheating and combining the lakes that make up the “Muskoka of the South” and the “Muskoka of the North”, even though they are 1,600 kms apart. Beautiful, stunning and expansive, these lakes have become prime real estate. Take a boat cruise and spend time gawking at the million dollar cottages. Hey, you can always dream!
  • Bonus pic: Desert Lake or any lake in South Frontenac. Dave and I moved to this area thirty years ago because of all the beautiful shield lakes and its proximity to Kingston. When you’re paddling on the north end of Desert Lake on a bright sunny day, watching eagles perching on the tips of pine trees swaying in the breeze and loons feeding their babies beside your canoe, you feel like you’re in paradise.

Of course, every lake is special. I’m reminded of this every time I’m out exploring our pretty little lake in my kayak. This week’s #HappyAct is to spend some time on the water.

Related reading: The trees of my life

Rockface at Mackenzie Lake

The sunlight reflecting off this conclave rock face on Mackenzie Lake at the end of the day is very spiritual. I’ve yet to photograph it in the perfect light.

Beach with canoes

Pog light campground in Algonquin Park

Girls paddling kayaks at dusk

My girls paddling at dusk on Big Hawk Lake.

Featured photo above: Sydenham Lake at dusk in South Frontenac.

Posted on in Food and drink, travel

Here’s to Happy Hour!

Is there any happier time of the day than happy hour?

It’s the perfect excuse to stop what you’re doing, especially if you’re working, take a load off, enjoy some cheap food you don’t have to make yourself, glug back some cheap drinks, and catch up with new or old friends.

On our recent trip to the Maritimes to pick up Clare from school, it was pouring rain on our final day in St. Andrew’s by the Sea. After seeing the sights through windshield wipers on high speed, and dodging puddles and downpours as we browsed the local shops, we dried off at the beautiful historic Kennedy House Inn where we were staying and popped downstairs for their happy hour from 3-5 for half-price wings and pitchers of beer.

As we played darts and watched the ball game on the big screen TV in their bar, we started chatting with the “locals”, most of whom had moved to this picturesque seaside town from Ontario in the past few years. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.

“Happy hour” was born in the late 19th century, when social clubs in North America started planning activities in the late afternoon, such as dancing, quilting, games and lectures. They actually included the name “Happy Hour Club” in their titles.

In 1913, the US Navy adopted the idea of happy hour when a group of sailors who called themselves the Happy Hour Social started hosting twice weekly events aboard the USS Arkansas. The navy prohibited alcohol on ships, so the focus of the hour was on entertainment like boxing bouts, movies, and music.

It wasn’t until the prohibition years, the 1920s and 1930s when young people flocked to speakeasies to eat and drink at all hours of the day that alcohol figured prominently in happy hour.

Restaurants and bars quickly realized they could lure patrons in earlier in the day by offering discounted food and drinks before the busy dinner rush and the modern version of the happy hour was born.

In a cruel, cruel joke, I had just turned drinking age when the Ontario government decided to ban happy hour in 1984, claiming it promoted drinking and driving. The government relaxed its rules in 2019 and happy hour happily has made a comeback in the past five years. Now just about every bar or restaurant offers some kind of happy hour specials.

What’s your favourite spot for happy hour? Leave a comment and share the happy!