Dreaming Up North

Yesterday I decorated our first 'real' tree in 25 years and a sorry tree it was, but not as sorry as what I found this morning. Grrr. Next year I'll go back to a perfect artificial tree, I think!

Here's our living room area in the new condo. We'll be getting blinds and area rugs as soon as we can but it looks lovely so far.

The main bathroom sports a shower and a large tub--haven't had a soak yet--as well as two sinks!

One day a couple of weeks ago I was sitting waiting for my husband and I spied this dog who looked for all the world as though he was driving that little Jeep(?). He sat there as long as I did never moving a muscle as I started up my car, drove closer, wrestled with my camera and finally caught him.

A few days before we moved, our daughter asked for a picture of the old post in the basement where we put our children's heights over a number of years, and after a few tries and some major Photoshop magic, here is the best I could do. I guess we'll remember the idea as much as the actual post writings as they are pretty illegible. Nevertheless, this one's for you, Beth!

As I lay in bed this morning I thought of my mother and how she always sang the verse of White Christmas on this day every year--

The sun is shining, the grass is green, the olive and palm trees sway./There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills LA/For it's December the twenty-fourth and I am dreaming that I'm up north....

--and how I loved that there was an actual song for this day! December 24th. Christmas Eve. Today I'll be cooking a lovely little turkey just for us two before we go to sing one last time in our country church Christmas Eve service. After this we'll be finding a new church, part of the new adventure here in the 'big city'!

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

Snow in Ontario

Here is the picture from our bedroom window last weekend when we were homeless and our son took us in:

Looking out the kitchen doors I saw the barbecue snowed in:

And here's some of the back yard:

How about a sunny destination now, eh?

New Condo Post--Finally!

Today's post will let you all know where I've been for the last two weeks. Yes, we've been moving but the story is unfortunately so much bigger.

As I sit in my new office gazing at the setting sun through windows without curtains, I am finally able to outline our travails. The last few days before moving we were lucky to be invited out to eat or to just go to a restaurant as more and more dishes and necessities found their way into boxes whose stacks began to threaten us as we did our countdown to M-Day. Three more sleeps, two more sleeps, last night, and inevitably the big day came.

Sunny it was in the morning as the four moving guys trekked in and out of our home, stripping it of our possessions and rendering it an unrecognizable space, a whole lot easier to say goodbye to! Finally they were gone, my husband was off to an important business meeting and I was left alone with my vacuum, my cleaning supplies, and my memories. One last time to shine up the space and I would be gone. A bit sad, but I controlled my urge to weep, left all the extra keys on the counter for the new folks, did a final walkthrough and slipped out the side door of the garage locking everything behind me as I went.

Where to go? I still hadn't gotten THE CALL from our lawyer saying all the deals had gone through and I could pick up the keys to our condo. I headed over to her office, talked her into giving me the keys with a solemn promise I wouldn't go in until I heard from them, and drove under darkening skies the 25 minutes to Woodstock and our office where I had things to pick up to take to our condo. Once I had the car loaded up I headed for our condo, confident THE CALL was imminent. I sat in the driveway a couple of minutes but didn't dare go in. Along came someone from the development who insisted I could come inside and wait--he knew me and thought the thing would be closed in a matter of minutes. By this time it was 3:45 p.m. and the clock was ticking down to 5:00 when the registry office would close.

I hadn't been inside long wandering around my new place when my brother-in-law called and I told him what I was doing and that the movers were sitting in their yard waiting to get the call from me that they could come and unload. Through my many calls to the lawyer, my husband, whom I picked up, our son, and my two brothers-in-law, the clock moved in its dogged fashion towards 5 pm and still no closing. We learned there had been 6 properties to flip that day and our sale and purchase were the last of the six. My husband was in contact with the lawyer and finally at 5:30 came into the front office-to-be room and told us the deal didn't close in time. What to do?

The lawyer was trying to contact the builder to get us in anyhow but of course everyone had gone home. By 6:30 we realized we had no choice but to leave, lock up the condo, sadly back out of the place and go to my sister's place for some wonderful chili. Of course we had several offers of places to sleep and thankfully accepted that of our son and daughter-in-law; back to Norwich we went and bunked up with them.

So already this is a bad story but it gets worse. We had both contracted a nasty cold, Ron about a week before me, and mine had moved to the coughing up my lungs part, especially at night, necessitating us sleeping separately. He ended up on the couch and I slept nun-like in the double bed, coughing ya da ya da ya da. Thank goodness for family, though, as we were warm and toasty when the storm of the year hit over Saturday night, although Ron had cause to bemoan the loss of his garage as several times the next day he shovelled snow off the three vehicles in son's driveway! (I stayed in the house, coughing .......)

Finally Monday morning was upon us and early in the morning Ron and I tiptoed out of son's house, loaded up our two grocery bags of possessions--Oh! I forgot to tell you we had nothing to wear, rub or change on our bodies, so Saturday had hit Wal-Mart for some trendy Eastern fashion items. (Read cheap, made in China stuff.) Anyhow we headed for Woodstock, ate breakfast of trucker-type early morning bacon and eggs, clog your arteries fare--we waited outside for the door to open--and then put in some time at the office till 9:30. By then we had heard nothing so gave the lawyer a call.

Her assistant was busy trying to get the bonus money for us that the other side had promised in order that we would let them into our former house even though the deal hadn't closed. I regret to say I did a little freak and suggested she would be wise to get us into our property immediately as I had already rescheduled phone, water softener, blinds, dishwasher people and I was not in a mood to reschedule again. She took the hint, I loaded up the car, did a couple of errands and drove up to our condo. By 10:59 a.m. I was once again parked in the driveway hoping to get the call, and the irony of being in the exact place where I had been three days before, and the outcome, made me a little nervous.

At 11:00 on the dot the cell phone rang and it was Judy. The deal was finally closed. I could relax. I turned off the cell phone just as the superintendent of the complex drove up in his truck. I told him the news before I even had a chance to call Ron. Finally the wait was over. I let myself into the front door and breathed in the air of our new home. Then I called Ron.

Of course the waiting was not over as the mover could not offload our stuff till Tuesday morning so we stayed with our son once more, ever so thankful to have a roof over our heads. In the morning the movers met us at the new condo and the claim staking began. Oh, not before I had a bit of a scare, though. Before the movers came I was in the basement, heard a noise and turned to stare at a strange man in my house. "Did someone let you in?" I asked. "The door was open so I just came in," he answered. And I lost no time telling him how unacceptable that was. He quickly did his little worker thing and apologized his way out the door again.

For four hours I stood at my new front door directing movers where to take things, freezing and hacking up my guts all the while. Then, in the afternoon, two of my best friends came and helped me attack the huge kitchen unpacking job. The place looked disastrous for a couple of days until we finally got the first floor looking like home. Today Ron has even hung some pictures, we have a Christmas tree (undecorated as yet) in the corner, and we've had a couple of lovely quiet meals in our new space. It is wonderful.

And so, our saga continues in a new space, a new place, a new home. Yes, it is home, now. And we have nowhere to go but onward. Yay!

Moving Week

Monday dawned at its dark December time this morning and I lay in bed thinking of this last week in our house. I thought I was great about leaving this spot where we raised our kids and spent so much of our married lives, but little niggling things poked at my thoughts as I watched the room come into focus with the first threads of dawn. The curtains parted ever so slightly as my eyes made out the romanesque pattern of my handmade drapes which I'll be leaving behind; the ceiling that we painted a shade or two darker than the walls to help us sleep longer in the summer months; the empty screw sockets in the walls where used to hang our joint pictures from 1965; and the burnished tones of our amazing dimmer light on the ceiling. All will be different in the new condo.

I blinked my eyes and tried to remember what the condo will look like. The great room is maple hardwood flooring, the kitchen has loads of cupboards just a little darker than the floor. The bedroom carpets are a soft shade midway between white and beige and the bathroom has a lovely ceramic tile. It is all very beautiful, but the first time in my life I have ever chosen beige in any of my homes. Who says we're too old to change?

My thoughts came back to this day, one of the last in our house, and I realized if I just got up and got started, soon I would be one day closer to being in the new place and I'd be unpacking and putting everything in its place, building yet another nest for my sweetie and me. We still have a lot of living to do and are pretty excited to be starting anew once again. Hold that thought, eh?

The Softer Side of the Year

Today is a short post as I celebrate with you the softer side of the year--the time when friends stop on the street to spread Christmas greetings, when neighbours share a cup of cocoa or some fresh-baked cookies, when we all have something to think about other than our busy rushing lives. The kids are cuter, the lights are brighter and the smiles are gentler. There's a softer spot in my heart, for sure.

Click on the link below for a lovely soft oasis of good feeling.

http://ecard.ashland.edu/2004admission/index.html

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

A Bear-y Merry Christmas To All

Once upon a time there were three bears…no, wait a minute, there were four! And they lived in a lovely big house on a quiet wide village street in rural heaven. All was well with the bears as Mama and Papa worked at their teaching jobs and Boy Bear and Girl Bear played and learned and gradually grew into lovely adults, eventually going off to find their own bear fortunes, one just across town and the other way across the country.

Mama Bear and Papa Bear were happy for their bear children but couldn’t help feeling their lovely big house was a little empty, so they decided to sell the lovely big house and look for something smaller, just right for two. Eventually, after a long, long time, these things came to pass, and Mama Bear and Papa Bear began to clear out their lovely big house. Many things would go with them to the new, just right for two condo, but many others had to be sold.
The Bears held two huge garage sales, advertised several bigger treasures in the paper, sent pictures over email to many of their bear friends, and eventually their house started to look really bare. (ha ha!) Piles of boxes filled the corners, all labeled with strange coding: Fragile, basement. Odds ‘n’ sods, m.b., serving pcs. Kitchen, and so on. Mama Bear wondered where she had put many things, such as the theatre tickets and the bear passports, and she said a little prayer to the Big Bear in the sky that all would appear in the new place.

While Papa Bear was off working very hard and very long hours, Mama Bear planned for the new home. She got the address, the phone number, the Internet connection, the water, electricity and heat---my! Bears need a lot of things---and every night lay in bed hoping she hadn’t forgotten anything.

Finally the big bear moving van came on December 14 and Mama Bear and Papa Bear got up for the last time in their lovely big house, showered for the last time in their shower, packed up a few precious breakables into their bearmobile and welcomed the Moose Movers at the front door. The Bears were off to their new condo in the city, hoping to be settled just in time for Christmas.

A very wonderful Christmas to all of you bear friends. We have our first bear grandchild on the way—Beth and Rich—expected March 1. We are ecstatic! Please come and see us in our new home.

Maybe There Is A Plan!!!

We've all experienced it, we've all heard the stories about it. From deja vu to been there, done that, we've all used the expressions which have evolved to describe it. The theme of my piece today is serendipity, those moments that just seem to magically happen where coincidence is pushed to the limit.

This morning while we were preparing breakfast my husband and I were talking about what we would do with the remaining books from my 1500-book collection after our final invitation to friends and family to come and grab what they want this Sunday. We talked about boxing them up and giving them to charity or to the local used book store and hoped we wouldn't have too many to take. Imagine my delight a few minutes later when I opened my email to find a message from my brother who has offered to take all of them to a new used book store opening up in his area. Wonderful! First that the books are going somewhere they'll be appreciated and second, that we don't have to take them!

Yesterday we took a jaunt to Tillsonburg to a great furniture store to see about a new sofa--an idea we have since put on hold till we see how our stuff looks in the new place. On the way home we decided at the last minute to have supper in a remote little restaurant en route. Sitting waiting for our meal we were chatting about the Monday night visit from our friend who lives in Chilliwack BC and was here visiting his elderly mother. He told us about meeting some people out there who used to live here and they knew us. When we heard the names we marvelled at how small the world is. You might think that's the end of the story but the words had no sooner left my mouth when I looked up at the couple who had just sat down at a table nearby and thought I recognized them. I couldn't believe it. These people now live somewhere in Manitoba and we haven't seen them for years. I got my husband to turn around to verify and sure enough there they were--the people we had just mentioned not two minutes before!

Well I know we all have those moments but when they happen I really start to wonder about the power of thinking things into reality, as mentioned in The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. That idea that like attracts like as in positive ions--whatever they are!--is pretty magical and I have to think that our house sale is an example. From the time we got an unexpected offer, got excited about moving, and then through all the counter offers and waiting for conditions to be met, I just kept seeing that the deal was going to go through. And it did.

My word for today, therefore, is serendipity. Here's to magic!

The Pictures are in the Words

Lately I have not posted much at all, primarily because of our impending move and the mountains of extra things I've had to do in preparation, but also because I've fallen into the habit of only posting when I have new pictures and my camera has been lazy to be sure.

I find this situation surprising as the writing is what I have always loved--finding just the right word or combination of phrases, making up the occasional new onomatapaeic word--how clever!, and bringing tears to my own eyes with my heartfelt laments. So what has happened to Elaine the wordsmith? I think I discovered how easy writing about fabulous photos can be, compared to cutting, pasting, deleting, retyping, rewording, discarding it all and starting again. Lazy. I have become lazy and it's not a good thing. I wonder how many of my readers find themselves in the same position?

Also I find that when I use great pics in my blog many more people stop by, leaving me catering to the audience, I guess. And here I thought I was so original! A little introspection happening here, folks. Pardon me while I flush my vanity.

Driving the 401 the other day to a lovely lunch date with my oldest friend (read longest friendship), I heard an insistent blast of the horn and searched to see from whence it came. A yellow truck was so close behind me in the middle lane, I automatically tightened up my buttocks and pushed the gas to get out of his way, a good plan most of the time but all three lanes were solid and there was no place for me to go. Beeeeeppp! I heard the horn again, so loud and so close that I decided to sneak into the passing lane and push ahead even though I was already doing 120 kph (20 over the speed limit!).

I left the offensive one in the dust and traveled normally for about 5 minutes when, once again, the horn behind rattled me. The yellow monster was back. In the thick traffic I had nowhere to go but noticed him move to the inside lane and nudge up on my right. Of course there was no room for him to pull in ahead of me so I watched to see what he would do. You guessed it! He threw on his signal and cut me off so much so that I had to slam on my brakes to keep from hitting him.

I'm ashamed to say I laid on the horn, which caused him to give me the 'finger'. Now I was just a little angry and my mama didn't raise no coward girls! I threw caution out the window and pulled out and passed him, this time hitting 130 plus as I left him to watch my rear end diminish in the distance. I kept a close eye on him in my rearview but he left me alone and I reached London with no more problems. As I ruminated about the event I realized I'd just had my first encounter with real road rage. I'm lucky he didn't shoot me, I guess.

Thinking about it now I realize he won because I did speed up and get out of his way. Hmmm. Not such a great reaction. Now I wonder how many of you have had similar traumas?

Les Chutes du Niagara

For years we have been tripping to Niagara Falls--les chutes!--to picnic, to bike, to trek Clifton Hill, but mostly to gaze in awe at the ever changing, always thrilling Niagara Falls. Here are a few shots from last Monday's 1 1/2 hour walk (while my husband was giving a seminar at a conference there) around the area.
A cool but comfortable morning it was as I took the walk from our hotel, through the Marriott where we had stayed a couple of years ago, by the magnificent Casino Niagara and down the curving street to the centre of attraction.
Here is a view of the American Falls across the Niagara River. I loved the play of the red leafed vine on the old reservoir in the corner.

I liked it so much I tried a few more angles, the one below with lush green grass in the foreground.

And this is a landscape shot where you can easily see the American side of the Niagara gorge--this is the longest undefended border in the world, quite a feat today, I think.

This is the bridge to the U.S., a shot I've captured countless times but which still calls me with its suggestion of human conquering of a wonderful wild space. Magnificent.

So popular are the Falls, both American and Horseshoe that every day of the year sees tourists from all over the world lining up for trips behind the Horseshoe Falls, eating dinner at one of the many overlooking restaurants, or even up in the Skylon tower, and getting soaked on the Maid-of-the-Mist boat tour under the Falls. Here is one of the boats taking its passengers back to dock opposite the American Falls, having survived the biggest thrill under the Horseshoe Falls. The famous blue raincoats, hats and heavy rubber boots are required if somewhat stinky wear.
Turning away from the water for a moment I caught this blue sky dominated by the Skylon Tower.

Being fall the abundant flower baskets are overflowing with colour all along the Falls walkway as though trying to compete with the natural splendour just a few feet away.

This is the Niagara River before it races over the Horseshoe Falls; the water level dams which slow the water as it approaches the Falls intrigued me as I know that a number of years ago the water was diverted so that repairs could be done to keep the Falls flowing beautifully and I wonder if this is part of the plan. Interestingly much of the water is diverted from flowing over the rocky Falls in order to keep them from eroding, but still providing a stupendous roaring sight.


This is my favorite picture of the bunch, I think, with its splash of sumac making the scene vibrate. Nature is the best painter!

On my walk back to the hotel I paused directly across the road and soaked in the sight one more time. What a treat. I wonder if the people living there forget to be thankful?

Of course I have written about the Falls before. For more pictures check out this link.

Garage Sales

Yesterday we had a big garage sale but didn't have as many people as I would have liked, though we made about $200 for a morning's time invested. Not too bad. My nephews were here overnight and helped get everything out of the house for the early birds. As soon as you put up the signs people come, whether you have the stuff out or not. A bit of a pain to this organization freak actually.
The day was cold though sunny and we needed cups of apple cider and hot chocolate to keep warm. My friend, Donna, came and helped out a lot--I am sorry to leave her when we move. Two of my sisters came with family and that was fun. I kept giving things to their kids, happy to see their faces light up with their treasures. Another little girl came across the street with her Oma and Opa (Dutch for Grandma and Grandpa) and I gave her some little glass animals and a cute wee vase all of which had belonged to our daughter a long long time ago, and seeing her smiling eyes was rewarding. Reminded me of Glass Menagerie.
Our house is starting to look a little bare, an exciting thing to both of us as we have just too much stuff. We haven't moved in 31 years so there has been way too much hoarding and saving going on. Purging is good.
We have decided to have another sale next Saturday as we still have piles of stuff to get rid of, good stuff, too. I should be putting it on E-Bay or something but don't want to take the time. So. Next Saturday, October 20, we'll be carting goodies out bright and early for our eight to twelve sale. See you there?

Moving On--Finally!

We've done it! After two and a half years of on again, off again, we're selling, we're not selling, the house is finally sold. And we are jubilant. Smiling, singing, laughing--and planning a huge garage sale in a week. I am so ready to pare down and refocus. Maybe by decluttering (the new tv buzz word) our house, we can simplify our lives. Oh, we're not going to give up too much. I'll still have my beading, knitting, sewing and painting supplies, as well as a few of my favorite books, and hubby will still have a few tools and books, but a lot of our hoarded collections will go.
Below our realtor is as happy as I to finally be able to put up the Sold sign.


In the seventies--read MANY years ago--I had a wonderful subscription to the Canadian Author and Bookman magazine, and I still have all of the back issues, kept because I've always known I would write some day and would reread them. Imagine! Thirty years of saving them and Thursday I decided to put them in the pile of things to go.

Our many LP's will be in the garage sale, too, unless I can think of somewhere else to get a little more money for them. We have Sinatra and Louis, Coniff chorals and many other records that we used to love to listen to in the seventies. I remember when we were living up north in Schreiber and our son was a year old we would put on the records, pick him up and dance around the room, his little feet kicking for more whenever we would stop.

The basement is a treaure trove of memorabilia, Coke and old car stuff, sixties posters, funky art pieces--even a picture of old cars whose tail lights turn on when you plug in the cord. All of it has to go, I'm afraid. There is no more room in our lives for collecting--too many things to clean and dust.

Our garage sale is next Saturday and may even be worth a major trip from Vancouver, California, Scotland, Carolina--wherever you are! Well, maybe not Scotland!
Here are a few memories in picture format for me to sigh over:

Doors Open Oxford Still

Another of the places we visited during Doors Open Oxford was Windmill Hill, a private residence where the results of a lifetime of collecting and creating are evident. As we walked in the driveway we were met by this 'garden' along side the house. Lights flashed, whistles blew as we walked by a certain point, and metal flowers bobbed in the wind.

On a table in front of old gasoline pumps pride of place went to this eight-horse hitch and wagon, a reminder for me of the pair my mother had specially made for my father one year for Christmas. They were recreated from pictures of the actual horses my dad had used for many years.

And of course, memories are what this collection is all about. The residents' garage looks more like an old time service station.

This metal sign, a giant cog of a thing, beautifully painted like those saws you sometimes see, announces the name of the place and people.

In the back yard is a lovely garden of kitsch and flowers. It is so full I hardly knew where to snap next.

Here are more angles of the same garden. I cannot put a theme on this except to say it is all kitsch. There is even a camel!

This metal palm tree called to have its photo taken as we have a car wash/laundromat with several of these. They are obtrusive enough in the day but at night, fully lit, they jump right out of the black at you.

From Windmill Hill we moved on to the old County Jail in Woodstock, now beautifully renovated and housing the Health Unit. As we stood in the back courtyard talking to the first host, a friend, I looked up and saw this amazing shot.

Inside we heard about the five hangings that took place on the property, saw the place where lawyers would interview their clients, and even were guided by one of those lawyers who had done this many years ago. The renovation has kept enough of the history but opened the space up to uses for this day, a difficult feat but one the architects have achieved.

Outside we saw this picture of the death mask of the first person to be hanged on the grounds. Apparently a novice was entrusted with the calculations so that the gallows was set up outside the north door and, true to the custom of the time, a crowd gathered to witness justice being done. When the trap door opened the prisoner's head snapped off and flew into the crowd, probably giving the onlookers much more than they expected. After that the hangings were held inside the grounds.

At that time in England and elsewhere heads were often staked for everyone to see as a deterrent to further crime. In keeping with that tradition a death mask was made of this first prisoner to be hung at the Oxford County Jail. The picture below is of that mask.

Doors Open provides a multitude of different events and places to see, and changes every year. We'll be going next year for sure. In the meantime, London has its Doors Open next weekend. We'll be taking in several of the attractions. Will you?

The Amazing Six-Horse Hitch at Paris Fair

Labour Day weekend in rural Ontario gives lots of opportunities to get out and enjoy the weather and my husband and I visited the horse show at Paris Fair for yet another look at the absolutely gorgeous six-horse hitch class. The day was hot but the sky was blue so we headed for the grandstand to better view this class. Now we really know nothing about the whole thing, just that we like seeing it so we have no idea who is a good driver or whose horses are better specimens. This first shot is of a team waiting to go into the 'ring' in front of the grandstand. Notice the people calming and watching the horses. Usually someone is on the sidelines or the rider jumps down from the wagon when they are stopped to keep the lead horses still. I loved this team of black Percherons all decked out in silver and blue to match their wagon. Very beautiful.

Here is a team of Clydesdales trotting by our seats in the grandstand. The Clydesdales can easily be distinguished from the Belgians by their long white hairs on each of their feet. These are a real struggle to keep clean.

This shot below is my favorite because of the wonderful action of the horses. These are all heavy horses and when a team of six go running by, you almost feel the ground shake.

Here is another hitch of Clydes followed by the white and maroon wagon.

The judge has the teams line up diagonally in front of the grandstand where he (or she) walks around each team checking them all out.

Here is the same team heading off after the judging.

There were ten teams in the six-horse-hitch class that day and they were shown in two heats of five as there just isn't room for all of them to be on the track at once. (My Belgian pictures weren't as good so I've added this link so you can see another breed of heavy horses.)

We learned first hand how dangerous this sport can be as there was a collision of two wagons as they were rounding the bend to the left of the grandstand. I heard the crack of wood breaking and others saw one of the drivers fall right off the wagon, leaving the horses to run wild.

The team was stopped very quickly by people running and forcing it into the side of a truck parked alongside the track. Then someone was able to jump up and get hold of the reins. The hapless driver, reportedly one of the most experienced out there, suffered no great damage from his long fall and, after a tense wait, the ambulances drove off the track and the announcer told the good news.

There are lots more fall fairs coming up, one almost every weekend, so feel free to go out and check out the horse shows and if they have a 'six' class, check it out.

The Lemp House in Tavistock

On Saturday my husband and I struck out for a day of touring and driving. It was Doors Open Oxford and we had a couple of errands to do as well. We started our Doors Open tour in Tavistock at the Lemp House, a delightful labour of love over the last 25 years or so by the owners. Set back from the road the house is shaded by lovely trees which soften the impression of the intricate woodwork, the 'gingerbread' some call it. I wasn't the only one jockeying for a good shot.

Inside we were met by Dan, the owner and craftsman who had lovingly worked on this home. He hasn't kept it totally to its original state--that was impossible--but has done some wonderful things all the same. There is a cupboard in the sitting room which he made that totally matches its surroundings. Here is the upstairs hall banister with its original intricate carving. Fantastic.

Looking down to the lower floor you can see the newel post at the bottom. This is in perfect pristine condition just as it was when the house was built about 125 years ago. Amazingly not even a coat of varnish was needed in the restoration, the lady of the house told us.

In the front 'parlour' lovely carved door trim caught our attention and Dan told us that he and some friends had copied the original on the right below to make the one over the door on the left, a door which had been added before he took possession of the house. He wanted to make it match, so added the woodwork. As you can see there is little difference.

Also in the parlour I noticed the intricate inlaid floor made of different woods to accentuate the design and the lovely roll top desk which perfectly fit in the room.

We felt especially privileged to see inside this house as it is a private dwelling and not generally open to the public. This is one of the wonderful things about the Doors Open project. In two weeks we may do some more of this as we take in the London Doors Open events. Meanwhile I have a few more pics to post in the coming days.

Dragon Boats in Victoria Harbour

On the last Saturday of our visit to Beth's home in Victoria we hustled down to the harbour and watched the Dragon Boat Races from both the bleachers and later from a boat. Very cool and fun. I really liked getting the sea plane in this shot.

The buildings across the harbour never fail to attract me and I applaud the architects who planned such suitable designs for the space.

This heron was entranced by the activity on the water and took a break to study the strange goings on.

What is it about water that makes ordinary things seem so much better? Here the blue-roofed buildings enhance the watery wonder.

Finally we see a duller background which complements the reds of the rowers. Magically nature seems to know how to compose pictures.

Tomorrow's pictures will take a totally new bent so farewell to Victoria for now.