Soph's Post for June

Greg left for work in Calgary just 3 short days after his return from Halifax, and so happened to be there for his 30th birthday. Aunt Helen & Uncle Jerry got right onto it and organized a party for him with the whole gang. It's been so great to be able to spend time with them, and Greg was especially happy to spend such a significant birthday with his amazing family! That was really special.

While Greg was in Calgary, my friend Cathy came to Ottawa from Winnipeg. We had spent the last month planning a canoe trip on the Coulonge River in Quebec, which we figured would take a little over a week. We rented a canoe in Ottawa, I got the food together, and Cathy brought a bunch of her camping gear with her, and we arranged for Marc (and Lori and Keelin) to drive us up to our drop-off point. Unfortunately that was the only part we hadn't planned too well; we didn't realize it would be about a 4hr drive - one way! (and it was raining, and the traffic was heavy...) We were safely dropped off, and got on our way, and spent the next 8 days meandering through lakes and portages, until we got onto the Coulonge, where we shot lots of rapids and communed with the black flies! There were moose and ducks and geese among the wildlife... it was really amazing to step out of the city world for those days and experience the natural world again! It's so awesome to have a friend like Cathy who nudges me out of my comfort zone.

Greg picked us up in Fort Coulonge, relieved we were in one piece! (He didn't like not hearing from us for those 8 days...) He had a chance to tour Chutes Coulonge, the falls where our trip ended rather abruptly; we knew it was coming, but it was hard to tell where exactly the river was going to drop off! (as you can see in the pic). There is a great chasm on the other side (pic), which we couldn't portage down, and we got some great help from a local who drove us and our canoe into town! Great hospitality... This area was set up as the end of the log drive which was part of this communities culture until just recently. The Chutes have been turned into a provincial park with a museum and the history of the log drive. Cathy and I were a bit stinky (although we couldn't tell, but Greg had to drive us the 2 hrs back to Ottawa!), but happy for our adventure, and glad that Greg could see a bit of what we'd experienced.


Cathy had slotted a good long trip out east, so we had lots of fun exploring Ottawa together, on bikes and walking. There was enough room in our little apartment, but she also had planned a bike trip from Ottawa to Montreal, and was off on that adventure for a few days before I went to join her in Montreal for St. Jean Baptiste day. This is a huge celebration in Quebec, the weekend before Canada day (their Canada day pales in comparison apparently). It's their chance to revel in their unique culture... and they're glad to share the festivities with whoever comes down! We camped near the city (and IN the city one night, in a dog park), so we could get the full experience, and on the Sunday morning headed to the Mont Royal for the Tam Tam (drumming circle). If you're ever in Montreal on a Sunday, don't miss it; it's a wild gathering of every which sort, with drums and dancing and so much more... We just set up a blanket and watched the show. (all those pics are on Cathy's camera...) It was awesome to have Cathy come to Ottawa to visit, and we definitely made the most of it.

Cathy left on the train for Toronto the next week, while Greg made it home late that same night from a 100+ hour work week in Allan Park. Greg and I finally had a chance to celebrate Canada Day in Ottawa, which was pretty wild. There were a million people (give or take), as well as a whole caravan of protesting farmers on their tractors, street performers (including a skate demo), a diving show, and several concerts around downtown, among other things. The day was muggy and warm, and it rained a bit in the evening, but we had our umbrella and were prepared, and enjoyed the show none-the-less (as did most). Then we got to see the great fireworks display exploding behind the parliament and Peace tower, which was especially cool! We had some pretty good seats on the parliament green. Greg's highlight came during a concert by "stars" in which the lead singer, Torq, took off his shirt to reveal "Harper's Bizarre" painted on his chest. A Canada Day in our nations capital is quite an experience...