Monday, September 22, 2014

St Catharines Invaded by Badgers

St Catharines, Ontario, was invaded by homecoming Silver Badgers last Saturday. 
My fellow human, Rob, and I followed three of the most dangerous creatures, Eleanor, Jane and Bill on their circuit through the helpless town.
Like animals they returned to their old watering hole.
 The Manor House wasn't open yet, so Eleanor, the fiercest of the three badgers, knocked at the door and the cleaner, fearfully, let us in.
 It was much as they remembered it.
Next stop was an attempt to find Eleanor's old apartment. 
 We found the building. Standing on St Paul Street, Eleanor had an idea.
She rang the superintendant. 
 "Hello, my name is Eleanor Beattie and I lived here 50 years ago. I wondered if I could come up and look around."
 The super paused before saying, "Give me a few minutes." It was a Saturday morning.
 This charming young man appeared at the door and invited us up to see an apartment that was for rent.
 From windows at the back of the apartment, we spied another group of badgers gathered at the building site of the new Performing Arts Centre. 
This was another stop on our itinerary so we set off to see if we could join them.
 Past the old Canada Haircloth Company building, which will become part of Brock's new Theatre  Arts Building.
Unable to get down to the official tour and standing next to the new Theatre Centre site, the badgers remembered their appetites so we set off in search of grub.
Luckily St Catharines has a stunning farmers market on Saturdays overflowing with Niagara produce.
The badgers decided to go Mexican for lunch.
Jane said we couldn't top these à la minute quesadillas.
Eleanor and Jane pose with the photographer before we head off to the Brock University Champagne Reception for the original Brock graduates, the Silver Badgers.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Brock Badgers 50th Anniversary Reception

John and I walked into Brock University's Silver Badger Champagne Reception last Saturday with our friends Eleanor, Jane and Rob.
We were pleased to meet up with former classmates including English major, Craig Doyle. 
 Fifty years ago, in 1964, Brock University opened it's doors to it's first hundred students. The first graduating students in 1967/68 were named the Silver Badgers. Here are a few portraits by John.
Craig Doyle
Marilyn Williams
Garth Reid
 John Ingram
Philip Beaudoin 
Our Jane Laughton
l
Our Eleanor Beattie 
 My very own William Kimber
The Badgers set in to chatting and catching up for the next two hours. Here's Eleanor Beattie catching up with Juan Fernandez, her former Spanish professor.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

A Visit to Ward's Island

 On Labour Day Weekend, John and I were invited to visit Q and her daughter, Hilary, on Ward's Island. Our friend, Shelley, was invited too but didn't know the way to Q's so we accompanied her as guides.
 Cameras were at the ready.
 There's a pretty little beach just to the left of the Ward's Island docks
 with a great view of the Toronto skyline across the harbour. 
 We gave Shelley a quick tour of the Island settlement
 before heading to Q's street.
 Q and Hilary are all unpacked now.
 Hilary's work table and new bookshelves. The place looks great!
 Soon the picnic table in the yard was being piled with our potluck brunch
 and conversation swirled around the kitchen.
 The picnic table was laden with good things to eat
 and we all dug in. Nancy and Stephen in the background.
 Our friend Cathy arrived just as we began
 and brought a salad decorated with nasturtiums.
 We drank proseccho and mineral water.
 Here's Cathy's portrait of the Tomatoes From Canada.
 After some chat we headed off to see the Ward's Island Beach.
 Sand, sun and Lake Ontario.
 Cathy and Q got into bathing suits and ran into the water.
 John and I hope to return to this little bit of summer soon.
Then it was back to Rebecca's for desserts! A galette of raspberries, cherries and blackberries, a peach crisp and a tarte of peaches and blueberries. Everyone had some of them all! Lucky us!
After six hours of fun on the island we headed back to the dock
to catch the ferry to the mainland in a glow of the setting sun. What a lovely way to end the summer!