Madly Off in All Directions - the 2025 Canada thread

124»

Comments

  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    In other news, I searched for “Granados” on the Ship this afternoon, and slightly to my alarm, there wasn’t a single instance found. So I will make a pitch for Alicia de Larrocha’s RCA set of Granados’ piano works, available for not too much money on 3 CDs. Listening right now to the Goyescas, inspired by mostly unidentified paintings by Goya.
  • BurgessBurgess Shipmate
    Maybe not too interested that we got burnt out from that forest fire at Denare. We got a trailer for now. Lots of kids going fishing so thats good. Sask premier did pretty bad job about it, went golfing they say. Think that's pretty racist to leave us out. All the old people and young ones are okay so thats good. This my second time for burnt out. Oh well. Been now out for a couple months where we taking care of the people. Leave that there. Don't pray send laughter which is a saying. Means caring and cheering up.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    Sorry to hear that @Burgess. Am I right in thinking you’re in northeast Saskatchewan? My mother grew up in The Pas on the Manitoba side and still has extended family in that part of the world. I think they have escaped a direct hit but there were fires worryingly nearby.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Oh my goodness @Burgess - I'm so sorry to hear that. Prayers ascending that you'll find somewhere safe to live very soon.
  • We are back to more temperate temperatures here.

    Hoping to get to the McMichael Gallery (north of Toronto) sometime soon to see an exhibition of James Wilson Morrice’s Venice paintings. He was a Canadian artist who lived most of his life in Europe, painting in a post-impressionist style. I had never heard of him until the National Gallery in Ottawa put on a special exhibition of his works some years ago (before Covid).
  • Got up to see the Morrice exhibition today. If anyone was thinking of making a trip into the Greater Toronto Area between now and November this would be a good reason to do so. He is surprisingly obscure given the quality of his work.

    https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/james-wilson-morrice-montreals-original-bohemian

    https://mcmichael.com/event/morrice-in-venice/
  • Had an interesting Tuesday. My employer, the federal Department of Minor Affairs has given me the opportunity to take French lessons on the department's dime. I am currently on Module 14 of 15. While returning from the study booth I met the Director of my programme. She is a Franco-Ontarian and we started into a French conversation. She was impressed and invited me to practice with her every so often for an hour.

    I must be moving up in the world.
  • Congratulations SPK!
  • We are surely in new meteorological territory this week with peak temperatures up to 28°C again today. A wonderfully extended allergy season!
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    It's 20 here on the coast in Saint John and 100 kms inland it is 30 in Fredericton.
  • Lily PadLily Pad Shipmate
    28 degrees Celsius or so here in Anne's Land. Beautifully warm. I wore shorts and sandals today and will likely do so tomorrow too. The mosquitoes are back but acting quite sluggish. Apparently, seasonable temperatures return on Wednesday.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    Supposed to go into deep dive here sometime tomorrow, with thunderstorms to mark the occasion. As always the big picture is worrying but in the absence of any ability to do anything about the big picture right here and now might as well enjoy some nice weather…

    I remember we had a very nice weekend at end of October last year. Warm enough for dinner in the garden.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Crikey - those temperatures are just silly! :flushed:
  • My son, who has never been to Canada before, is this week working as an H&S consultant at the World Downhill Cycle championships at Mont-Saint-Anne, near Quebec City. It will be interesting to hear of his experience when he gets home.
  • I hope he has time to spend in Québec City - a lovely place.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    Will be interested to hear back with impressions. As @Stercus Tauri says Quebec City itself is definitely worth the visit.

    Back to seasonal temperatures now. Was wet and rainy yesterday and encountered several skunks while out on my evening walk. They seem to like wet ground.
  • 0°C last night. Who is in charge here?
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    To be fair, 0° sounds rather more "seasonal" than 30°!

    Quebec City was on our bucket list, but sadly, didn't happen. :cry:
  • Quebec City is awesome! In my opinion, as close to European as exists in North America.
  • 0°C last night. Who is in charge here?

    The great theological question…

    I wore my late fall jacket for the first time yesterday, but failed to account for our building’s HVAC systems which seemed to be under the impression that it was still summer.

  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    -1 this morning and going up to 17 early next week.
  • TrudyTrudy Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    We've had a lovely week of unseasonable temps (low 20s) here, but as we approach Thanksgiving things have turned seasonal again -- it's about 4 out today, and very windy, but with the sunshine and blue skies that show off the autumn leaves to perfection. This year I am on a crusade to attempt to learn to love fall, or at least accept that it can only be summer for 2 months of the year and it's pointless hating the other 10 months, so I am being resolutely cheery about this.

    Who is cooking a turkey this weekend? We are doing ours today, because my Thanksgiving policy is always "cook Sunday, clean up/recover Monday" (although it's my husband who does the actual cooking of the turkey).

    This year we are modifying our celebration, usually held at our house with all the extended family, because my 90-year-old aunt now finds it too difficult to visit the home of anyone who has steps leading to their house. Fortuitously (though the reason that occasioned it was very un-fortuitous) after a fire this summer in her condo building, she has temporarily moved to an apartment in the same building my dad lives in, and we have booked a lovely, well-lit function room in that building so everyone including our elders can attend without needing to go outside or climb steps. It does mean transporting the turkey and some other things a short distance to the location but I am looking forward to the new venue!

    Happy Thanksgiving!
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    edited October 12
    Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!
  • I hope he has time to spend in Québec City - a lovely place.

    Sadly I doubt it.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    edited October 12
    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 🙂🇨🇦
  • Thanks Piglet. We sort of forgot it was Thanksgiving so I am making a pasta just for myself and Ms. Marsupial this evening. Temperatures have been a bit all over the map but we are adjusting...
  • LeafLeaf Shipmate
    Happy Thanksgiving, compatriots!
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!
  • We served over 130 people at the Community Table - huge servings of turkey and all that goes with it. And then slept all afternoon.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Well done you! :)
  • Getting cooler here. Ms Marsupial is in a race against incoming winter to plant all the plants we didn’t manage to get into the ground during our hot droughty summer.

    Listening to early Dvorak music for string quartet - an early set of short pieces called Cypresses. Very tuneful in a Dvorak kind of way.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Dvorak's 9th was my first real introduction to classical music.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Sounds like a very good introduction! As David used to say, lots of memorable tunes. :)
Sign In or Register to comment.