The Space Cadet has been out with his camera.
The wind and rain should give way to sunshine by the weekend, according to the TV weather people, but what do they know? Are they ever right? Stay tuned, I'll let you know.
Random ramblings from the cluttered brain of a Brit ex-pat North Devonian trying to keep cool in the steamy summers and warm in the frosty winters of The Great White North.
Wednesday 31 October 2007
Gone missing..... Florida sunshine
Thursday 25 October 2007
Time Out....
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Shoe Tree
Monday 22 October 2007
Looking out
Sunday 21 October 2007
The Wedding - a few more pics.
The Bride's bouquet... orange calla lilies...
and the bridesmaids carried an assortment in autumn colours.
and the bridesmaids carried an assortment in autumn colours.
The bridesmaids were stunning in their gorgeous dresses.... three friends of the Bride and the Bride's sister....
.... and the groomsmen looked pretty good too. OlderSon was Best Man, and the other three handsome young men are friends of both the Bride and Groom.
And of course, the Wedding Cakes! The round one was a three tier chocolate cake provided by the reception venue. The Bride and Groom decoration on top came from the wedding cake of the Bride's great aunt who passed away earlier this year.
The square cake was my homemade fruit cake decorated by Susan. Both cakes were served at the late night buffet.
The square cake was my homemade fruit cake decorated by Susan. Both cakes were served at the late night buffet.
Saturday 20 October 2007
The Wedding!
On a scale of 1 to 10 for weddings, that one was absolutely, definitely, and without a doubt, a 10!
Everything went according to plan. Wedding guests arrived from UK and Newfoundland on time. The weather co-operated with sunshine/clouds and a chilly breeze but NO RAIN! We seem to have been eating, drinking, and celebrating for weeks.
The Bride arrived with her mum and dad.
The ceremony was at the Royal Botanical Gardens, in a courtyard surrounded by flowers.
OlderSon (who was a very efficient and handsome Best Man), me, my newest daughter-in-law, and YoungerSon. We all look so happy! No, I didn't wear my wedding hat.... I thought about it, but, well, I decided it just didn't go with the outfit.
Everything went according to plan. Wedding guests arrived from UK and Newfoundland on time. The weather co-operated with sunshine/clouds and a chilly breeze but NO RAIN! We seem to have been eating, drinking, and celebrating for weeks.
The Bride arrived with her mum and dad.
The ceremony was at the Royal Botanical Gardens, in a courtyard surrounded by flowers.
OlderSon (who was a very efficient and handsome Best Man), me, my newest daughter-in-law, and YoungerSon. We all look so happy! No, I didn't wear my wedding hat.... I thought about it, but, well, I decided it just didn't go with the outfit.
And the first son-in-law for the Bride's family.
Of course, enjoying ice-cold Champagne in the stretch Hummer... and a picnic of ham buns and Nutribars, thoughtfully packed by the Bride's mum to stave off hunger between the wedding and the reception.
Friday 12 October 2007
Wedding Cake Update
Canadian wedding cakes are usually sponge cake or chocolate cake, but I wanted to provide a traditional oldfashioned fruit cake, the sort seen at weddings in the UK.
and so..... the ingredients....
mix it all together...
and so..... the ingredients....
mix it all together...
bake for two and a half hours making the whole house smell delicious.....
douse well with sherry and cover with marzipan.....
and then take the three cakes to Susan for her expertise in decorating... remember Susan? The cake is currently in the back of my car ready for transportation to the reception.
Saturday 6 October 2007
Trompe d'Oeil
A couple of blocks away, there is an old wooden shed with double doors that has been painted up with a Trompe d'Oeil design that I had often admired, so we biked over there to take a pic, and this is what we found.....
Susan, the artist, paint scraper in hand, had decided that the five years that her design had graced the doors was long enough, and it was time for a facelift.
I decided to record what was left... the topiary bushes either side of the doors....
Susan, the artist, paint scraper in hand, had decided that the five years that her design had graced the doors was long enough, and it was time for a facelift.
I decided to record what was left... the topiary bushes either side of the doors....
Why did she choose that particular day to scrape the doors?
Why did I choose that particular day to take the photo?
I think it was serendipity..... after talking to Susan for a while, I discovered that she makes and decorates wedding cakes, and I have been desperately looking for someone to ice the cakes for The Wedding, so a deal was struck, and I'm taking the cakes to her next week!
Perfect timing.
Susan has finished transforming the shed, here it is today with it's new look.
Wednesday 3 October 2007
Markham Fair - Part 4
Is everyone tired of visiting Markham Fair yet? Don't worry, this is the last chapter!
The Tractor Pull. Souped up tractors with alcohol injected engines. Each one pulls a heavy sled that offers progressively greater resistance as it is pulled. There's lots of noise and smoke and dirt flying everywhere. Cheering crowds and the smell of exhaust in the air, and a crazy commentator who doesn't actually know anything about tractor pulls.
The transfer sled is loaded with 45 gallon drums filled with concrete, which is moved to the front of the sled by an operator at the back.
The Tractor Pull. Souped up tractors with alcohol injected engines. Each one pulls a heavy sled that offers progressively greater resistance as it is pulled. There's lots of noise and smoke and dirt flying everywhere. Cheering crowds and the smell of exhaust in the air, and a crazy commentator who doesn't actually know anything about tractor pulls.
The transfer sled is loaded with 45 gallon drums filled with concrete, which is moved to the front of the sled by an operator at the back.
In the last competition the tractors were pulling 22,000lbs of concrete plus 7,000lbs weight of the sled itself.
And then there's the midway, games of chance, win a giant stuffed furry animal, lose your money, eat candyfloss and peanuts, try out all the rides.....
Tuesday 2 October 2007
Markham Fair - Part 3
As with all rural Ontario Fall Fairs, there's the Handicrafts section. This includes painting, knitting, crochet, dressmaking, stained glass, woodcarving, cake decorating.... well, whatever your talent is, there's a class for you to enter.
I made my way straight to the quilt display.
This Champion Quilt was hand stitched..... each scrap of colour is a separate fabric.
.... and this one... well! It knocked me speechless. Grand Champion Quilt of the Fair. Semi-circular bottom end, corners the top end, machine stitched, I love the colours!
I have a quilt half finished... it's been that way for the past five years. Better get on with it ready for the 2008 Fair.
Scroll down to see Markham Fair - Part 2, the veggie display, and Part 1, the farm animals.
I made my way straight to the quilt display.
This Champion Quilt was hand stitched..... each scrap of colour is a separate fabric.
.... and this one... well! It knocked me speechless. Grand Champion Quilt of the Fair. Semi-circular bottom end, corners the top end, machine stitched, I love the colours!
I have a quilt half finished... it's been that way for the past five years. Better get on with it ready for the 2008 Fair.
Scroll down to see Markham Fair - Part 2, the veggie display, and Part 1, the farm animals.
Monday 1 October 2007
Markham Fair - Part 2
The Town of Markham, just north of Toronto, was essentially a rural farming community since it was first settled by pioneers from Britain and Europe, but in the last twenty years it has developed into a thriving urban centre, with most of it's new immigrant population from China and other parts of Asia.
However, Markham Fair still displays it's rural roots every September, and I hope it will keep the tradition for many years to come. Without farmers, we wouldn't have anything to eat.
First prize feed corn... a bit tough for us, but the cows love it.
The old tradition of a wheatsheaf.
However, Markham Fair still displays it's rural roots every September, and I hope it will keep the tradition for many years to come. Without farmers, we wouldn't have anything to eat.
First prize feed corn... a bit tough for us, but the cows love it.
The old tradition of a wheatsheaf.
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