Joyful June

It turns out that the frenetic pace of May was just a warm-up for June!  What a month it’s been!

I posted a couple of weeks ago that Son #1 got married at the beginning of the month (and I still don’t have any photos), but all the other action this month has been on the trail.  In spite of having decided in May to give up the TransCanada trail, that’s exactly where I’ve spent most of the month.

I got to spend some rare time with my younger sister as we walked along the trail which rims the lake in downtown Barrie.

The Spirit Catcher – a statue 21 metres high (65 feet) on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay on a very chilly and blustery day in June.

I managed to get in a single hike with Helen at a small but picturesque conservation area  in Rockwood, northwest of Toronto.  It is a stunning place with its massive stone cliffs, but it was another chilly day and we eventually cut our visit short when it started to rain.

Not on the TransCanada Trail – or the Bruce Trail – but worth the visit on its short hiking trail.

I had a couple of opportunities to be downtown in Toronto and I’m always able to find something new or interesting to photograph.

This interesting garden along the Waterfront deserves its own post one day.  I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea of using landscaping as a device to interpret a piece of music.

This one is for Jude at Under A Cornish Sky who asked me to visit the Dog Fountain in Berczy Park.  This was my first chance to see it actually operating.  The dogs which ring the 3 levels are all eyeing the golden bone on top.

In Berczy Park, downtown Toronto

In a bold move – even by my standards – I set off alone for a 4-day cycling trip along a section of the TransCanada Trail north of Montreal, called the Petit Train du Nord.

The journey both started and ended in the town of St-Jerome at km 0.  This is where I picked up a shuttle that took me to my starting point 130 km away and I gradually cycled my way back.

For more photos and stories about this trip, you can visit my other blog at Following A Bold Plan.

It was a trip of magnificent scenery – if you love old, rounded mountains and rushing rivers.

I don’t know what was originally here, but these large stone pillars, flanking a fast moving river, reminded me of silent sentinels – long forgotten but still on duty.

Based on all the photos I took, it seems I never got tired of all the water, water, water.

The highlight of the trip though was spending a day with the Thursday Doors creator Norm Frampton from Norm 2.0 who journeyed north from his Montreal home to cycle the last day with me.

But my month still wasn’t over.

From St-Jerome, I then headed back north to Mont Tremblant to meet up with my husband, son, new son-in-law, and 2 friends for the Ironman 70.3* race in Tremblant.

The newlyweds, Jordan and Dempsey in Mont Tremblant with the Canadian and Quebec flags in the background.

Jordan, Gilles, and ‘adopted son’ Trevor, will all be racing in the full Ironman in August – Jordan and Trevor’s first – and this was a ‘tune-up’ race to assess the training plan to date.

Tremblant is an outstanding venue for a race.  It’s a beautiful location nestled in the Laurentian mountains and worthy of a visit at any time of year – especially in winter if you’re a skier.

 

 

Still quiet in the village before the chaotic energy of race day

Jordan, Gilles, and Trevor all had great races which is encouraging as they enter the final big training weeks leading up to the full Ironman.  For me however, the highlight of the weekend was the view from our 2nd floor balcony of the rented condo where we were staying.

A visit by a doe and her baby had us quietly enthralled as they meandered through the small green space.

June has been a glorious month and summer has just started!!  There is still so much more ahead.

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Changing Seasons is a monthly photo feature hosted this year by Su Leslie at Zimmerbitch.  It’s never too late to join in!

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* If you aren’t familiar with the Ironman, it is a triathlon comprised of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, and 42.2 km run (2.4 miles, 112 miles, and 26.2 miles respectively).  A 70.3 race is a Half Ironman.