Val arranged an amazing bike trip for us again this summer. We just got back after six days of riding, starting in Cambridge and ending in St. Catharines.
Since the last day is freshest in my mind, I’ll start with it: the Welland Canal. Both Val and I (but more Val) love large industrial things. For instance, we enjoy going to the lift lock in Peterborough. Well, it’s mini compared to the gigantic locks in the Welland Canal which I have never seen. Val, he’s an old hat at it. We spent at least an hour, maybe more, watching a ship – the Algoma Equinox – enter into Lock 7 at Thorold, rise as the lock filled, and exit on its way to Thunder Bay to pick up grain. It was awesome to see.
All photos by Val Dodge, with permission.
As summer whittles away, I try to appreciate the time I’ve had with Richard and Shadow. While Shadow is not photogenic and doesn’t actually like interference in her affairs, Richard is only too happy to look up at the camera with his big green eyes.
With more time to read, I’ve recently finished Ross King’s Mad Enchantment. It’s the story of Claude Monet and the painting of his water lilies. Obviously I’m a fan of Ross King having read five of his other art history books. I quite liked the style of this one but I can’t quite say the same for Monet. A person can love his art yet think he was a big whining old fart. At least in the later stage of his life, Monet was a disagreeable codger who got a lot of favours done for him during World War I. Otherwise, it’s an interesting portrait of Georges Clemenceau, a figure I knew little of.
I’m nearly done Jack Weatherford’s Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, a really intriguing book. To say that Temujin had a hard life is a gigantic understatement. But to say that he was smart is too. The author is fairly heavily biased toward the great khan, but he backs it up with a lot of details about how he unified the Mongols. Unfortunately not all of his children and grandchildren were so intellectually inclined. I’m just at the part now where Kublai Khan takes over China. It’s quite a different story than what we read in the textbooks. Where the truth lies, I’m not sure. I’ll have to research that more. One thing that has struck me is the religious openness of the Mongols – aside from their own form of spiritualism, there were also Mongol Christians, Buddhists and Muslims. In this book the Mongols are painted as early globalizers. Fascinating and timely.
I’m well into The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. However, I can’t seem to keep with it. I absolutely love the writing and am enamoured of the main character, Aminata; it’s just too sad. It’s rare for me to read fiction so I’m kind of daring myself to finish it despite the horrible subject matter.
I had some friends over to the cottage for a bbq and forgot to serve the bean salad. It sat languishing in the fridge after I had worked to perfect the tarragon dressing using our own tarragon from the herb garden. And so, the bean salad deserves its due: a study in bean salad.
You’ll notice that I propped it up, de-propped it, moved locations, changed lighting conditions, and, finally, ate it.
Fabulous weather for a slow-moving parade. Happy Canada Day!
Uncategorized
The end of school has finally arrived, again. Here are a few pics. Thank you everyone!
CHY4U class
Last StuCo meeting (my literal last).
With Ryan and Andy and my giraffe-themed gift box:)
My amazing co-staff advisor, Ms. P., with Ryan and Andy.
Bonding.
My amazing guidance colleagues on the occasion of Ms. O’s retirement.
How could I have made it through the year without Karim? A million thanks.
Uncategorized
Cuts will hurt our students.
Uncategorized
Fletch – 19 years old. A very good boy. We had to say goodbye to him today.
Fletch should be remembered as the cat who cured himself of diabetes and lived through three near-death experiences at the emergency vet.
Fletch was my first cat. He’s the first cat I was allergic to.
He is lovingly remembered by Val, his best friend and loyal companion who brought him home from the Humane Society at age 1, his aunt Felicity, who cat-sat him often and just loved him to pieces!, and by me, his adopted dog person.
Fletch was pre-deceased by Bailey, step-dogs Hopi and Zuni, and survived by Shadow (his best cat friend) and Richard, his nemesis.
Fletch – good-natured, friendly, cuddly and sleepy!
Goodbye old man.
Love,
Risa and Val, Shadow and Richard
Comments (0) 
Themocracy