Grade Five...still walkin'

In 2016 I blogged how much I enjoyed walking with Margot to school. Well, four years later I'm still enjoying those walks. Margot is in grade five now and doesn't need me to walk her to school anymore. But she tells me she likes that I walk her...part of the way.

I don't hold her hand as much but I still walk her to the corner of Gladstone and St Francis street, which takes about three minutes. I then give her a hug and let her go on her merry way. It's short but in many ways a much more relaxing routine than it used to be when she was younger. Our mornings used to be a constant battle of Glosette Girl trying (and failing) to brush Margot's hair and get her out the door. It was incredibly stressful.

Now that's all in the past and often she has time to enjoy a little bit of Squat before we leave. Growing up, I remember walking to school with my brother and some local boys who would come over to our house.We were a geeky little crew but we had our fun. It was a rough and tumble start to the day and very different from Margot's experience. 

Sometimes I wish there were some neighbourhood kids around here that Margot could walk to school with. I think she would like that. She's half way there already because after school, she and a gaggle of friends walk home together  But secretly (well, not so secretly since I'm blogging about it), I'm glad I have all to myself in the mornings for just a little longer.

The One that Got Away

I've been trying to squeeze in some extended family time before fall/winter really hits and things possibly go into lockdown again. Luckily, my annual fishing trip with my brother and dad always falls on the shoulder seasons bordering summer: early June or late September.

This year we settled on a fall trip and visited Kirk Cove Cottages, on the shores of Big Gull Lake, which is just under 2-hours from my house.

As always with these fishing trips, it's easy to slip into the routine of enjoying nature, trying to catch fish (mostly without success) and just chillin' with my dad and bro. Hard to believe but this is our 12th year in a row doing these trips and we haven't missed a beat. 

The boys!

 So far we've tried:

• Talon Lake (near north, Ontario) - 2 times
• Christie Lake (eastern Ontario) - 3 times
• Brailey Lake (far north fly-in-fishing) once
• Hungry Lake (eastern Ontario) - 4 times
• Big Gull Lake (eastern Ontario) - twice

Sadly the annual fishing trip is often the only time I get to go on fishing, although this year was an exception. I tried city fishing with Margot on a couple of occasions early in the year, without much success (we still had lots of fun though and Margot really knows how to cast a line now!)

Speaking of lack of success, I would say this was one of the worst years fishing for me in a long time. Luckily "my boys" helped me out and eventually I caught a few smallmouth bass to get on the "board" (p.s fishing brings out lots of air quotes).

This guy was a tough lil' son of a gun to catch

 Regardless of the amount of fish I caught, being in such a pretty place for 48 hours reminded me how much I enjoy nature again. A perfect late summer/early spring gift to myself.

 

U.S Border Loophole

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to all non-essential traffic since March...but this past weekend we found a loophole!

On Saturday we visited the Thousand Island region of Canada, which is an archipelago of freshwater islands about 1.5 hours away from my house that separates Ontario, Canada from New York state, United States. In that region there are tourist boats that cross the border daily. For the time being, Canadian boats aren't allowed to stop on the American side and vice-versa, but the boats do technically cross the international border. 

On the Canadian side of the border, we wear masks...

That's how we were able to visit Boldt Castle, a 120-room mansion built by hotel magnate George C. Boldt (who owned the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City) between 1900-1904 at the end of the robber baron era.  We saw lots of other island mansions as well. It really does feel like a vacation playground from a bygone era, before planes allowed the rich to visit more exotic locales.

...but anything goes in the U.S.!

OK, maybe we technically didn't touch U.S. soil but I'm still one of the few people who can say they crossed an international border without a passport during a pandemic and didn't have to quarantine upon my return. Hmmm maybe I should wash my hands... 

Land of the free (and sick) and home of the brave (and sick)

Hintonburg Food Trucks

I've noticed an uptick in food trucks in Hintonburg since we first moved in. I can think of three within spittin' distance from our house:

• The Merry Dairy operates an ice cream one sometimes
  
• Frenchie's chip wagon, a poutine and burger place
  
• And most recently we went to Curb Appeal, another mostly fries truck, with a splattering of other moderately healthier options like...um... onion rings.

 

We went to Curb Appeal last week and I was fooled by the deceptively sized "large" fries. It didn't look so big so I ordered a large one for Glosette Girl, another large for Margot plus a poutine for me. We ate fries for days afterwards!

Food trucks have become a big hit in Ottawa in recent years. Although the ones around here are mostly standard fare, a little further afield you can find Thai, Mexican and other creative options - even Beaver Tails! It's kindof surprising consider how cold Ottawa can get but I guess it's just another example of how crazy (or desperate!) us Canadians can get.

Patio in January anyone?