Canada day.

Huh, I forgot it was coming and my only plan is to meet Doug and Stringer for a downwinder at 3:00pm. Don't know what to do with myself.
Coffee? check. Book? check.
To the couch!


I couldn't really lay on the couch for too long. I actually fell asleep for a bit but when I woke up, was desperate to get out of the house. I didn't feel like waiting until 3:00pm to paddle. I headed down to the club not knowing if it would be open or not. They have the Dominion Day regatta today - 125th anniversary, I believe. Anyway, with the city workers on strike, there are no ferries to Toronto Island so they moved the event to Welland.
I was in luck! Not only was the club open, it was busy. Jess and Del were just loading their boats onto the car, Pete had some clients, some dbers had set something on fire between us and the rowing club (okay it was a bbq). I put my car keys in my dry bag and headed out onto the lake - straight into a perfect south-west wind. Paddled out for 4km, rode waves back in for 2km, turn, repeat, turn, repeat. It was great. I came off the water, put my boat away, grabbed a Starbucks and then wandered over to the park where the annual PC CD festivities were happening.
After a walkaround town, I realized I was starving. Normally, that meant a stop at Burrito Boyz but I wasn't feeling it so stopped by the crazy-guy hot dog stand by the totem pole. As usual he was ranting on to no one (or possibly his dog) about politics, specifically the Quebec referendum. I just ignored him and tried not to make eye contact while I waited for my sausi-dog.
Walking back to my car, Chris pulled up. There was no parking anywhere near the club but since there were pylons put out for the club trailer, I just moved one enough to fit his van in. There was still a ton of room for both truck and trailer but Chris figured he'd be back in before they returned anyway.
I left those guys unloading their boats - I wasn't quite ready to go back on the water. I left my car there though and walked home. I'll probably head back around 6:00 for a leisurely evening paddle and don't want to fight for parking (I need my car since I can't carry my ama and iakos on my bike). Hopefully there'll be fireworks.

Around 5:30, I rode my bike back to the club. Chris Abbott was just leaving but there were still paddlers on the water so the club was open. Forgot to pack my GPS, watch and ipod but this was just going to be an easy paddle anyway. The lake had flattened out considerable since this afternoon but the wind was still from the south-south-west. I had checked the weather network and NOA websites but all they could tell me was that there would be thunderstorms sometime today. I could see thunderheads waaaay off in the distance - probably Chatham area but we all know how quickly a storm can move in. A much better gauge was the sailing regatta going on just off Lakeshore Promenade. I knew they'd head for the marina if there was any radio indication of an incoming squall. I just did a few km on the lake before the clouds moved in - I must be getting better at reading them, the rain hit just as I got to the dock.
There was a really good Neil Young cover band at the park so I took my time putting my boat away. As I stood up on the dock, I looked up the river and was presented with one of the most stunning scenes I've encountered - the sun and rain combined to create what looked like a trail of diamonds meandering up the river. Of course my first thought was "where's my camera" but I knew I could never capture this phenomenon. So I just stood there staring, creating a mental image. It was spectacular!

Rory, Darryl and Tamlyn were just leaving the club. Tamlyn was making fun of Rory for wearing maternity pants when she doesn't look at all pregnant yet. They were very stylish jeans, but she lifted her shirt and, yep, there was that ugly spandex panel. Too bad, because I was about to aske her where she got them. Anyway, I totally get why she's wearing them. The people around us are never aware of how "thick" a pregnant woman's waist gets before she gets the baby bump. I give her 2 weeks.

Now I'm at home listening to the neighbourhood fireworks and remembering how my dog used to tremble on any Victoria or Canada Day. Someone should create earplugs or headphones for dogs to protect them for the fireworks terrors - they'd make a fortune!