A Grey(t) Day For A Walk On The Beach

I received an email from my friend Ron inviting me to join him in “The County” for lunch on Saturday. I like lunch so, of course, I said yes. Ron had been busy promoting the upcoming Lake Scugog Studio Art Tour and as part of his master plan had also visited many of the major wineries in the area before lunch, dropping off pamphlets. The plan for after lunch was to tour a bit more of Picton then head off to visit a couple of the lesser vineyards. As luck would have it the smaller wineries are more seasonal and were not open to the public. So, what else is there to do on a cold, grey day in March – I know, let’s go to the beach!

Unfortunately the balmy +24 C temps of last week are history and it was cloudy, damp and barely +9. So why, you ask, would anyone want to go to the beach (aside from just being in the neighborhood?) This is Sandbanks Provincial Park, and if you’ve never been and you ever happen to be in the neighborhood you must plan a visit. Besides, I’ve never been to the beach (here at least) in March (it could be a bucket thing!)

We were standing on the edge of the world’s largest fresh water, baymouth sand barrier with mountainous 25 metre dunes; mega piles of sand left behind 25,000 years ago, the after effect of a glacial ice dam burst. The main park was closed but we managed to park and walk into one of the smaller beaches accessible from county road 12 (now if I’d only remembered to turn the GPS on I could have pinpointed the spot exactly – note to self for next time I’m sneaking into a beach!)
I'll have to come back in summer - though there was something peaceful about being on this deserted beach in March.

Around every point - more and more rolling dunes reach down to the lake

Pussy Willows growing everywhere amongst the dunes

...And every spring it worries me,
I cannot ever find
Those willow cats that ran away
And left their toes behind.

Mother Nature ... Are You Kidding Me?

The good news is, the robins are singing and the frogs are chirping ... the bad news is, the mosquitoes are already making life outside, beyond 6pm, unbearable (Hey folks, it's still March, this isn't supposed to be happening!)

So the rest of Canada is waiting for spring and we've skipped right into summer. Today, for the third day in a row, we have enjoyed temperatures above 20 C. I don't think I've ever been outside wearing a tank top on the 20th of March, not to mention (just for you Bob) bare feet ... Mother Nature has to be kidding?

Happy spring?

The real oxymoron: For the home commute I had to turn on the air in the SUV (for the second day) and it's still wearing snow tires!

I really can't help thinking Mother Nature is just teasing. Is she planning a nasty surprise - maybe next week - a sudden dump of snow?  If not, I'm gonna have to make a call and get that little VStar out of storage, I'm tired of listening to the bikes zoom by!

Home Again Kathleen .... (or whoever)

I'm home and the weather has turned to wet and cold and dreary ... good excuse to fancy up the final holiday post and edit the video," Tourist in New York  ".

900 photos and 2.5 gig of video, no wonder this little job took all day. A Tourist back from New York... What next?

 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

The Museum and The Park

Okay, so the Dyson Vacuum wasn't my favorite exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art but it certainly was the most memorable... oh, and for the record, the Met - home of the worst hot dog in America as well.

Waffles and Dinges Food Cart (more Eat Street Fame) in Central Park

Me in the park enjoying my mini wafelini with strawberry, banana and chocolate (no coat, the temp is unbelievable +18 C) 

Portraits in the Park 

Donald Trump's Custom Chopper - built by American Choppers and now in the Lobby of Trump Tower (Probably won't get many miles on it there).

Tourists ride the park in style - right out of the movies eh?



Day Three - 32 km Walked To Date

China Town - Monday Morning

New York Stock Exchange - Wall Street

The Broker and the Bull

The New Tower Rises - Looking over Ground Zero

 Manhattan Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge

Grimaldi's Brooklyn - Best Pizza in NYC

 East River Taxi - Brooklyn to Manhattan

 Off to Bloomingdales

Fanellis Cafe - Established 1847



Around About Town - NYC

Sunday morning - Soho

Hell's Kitchen - Flea Market

Chicken Tikka Masala - Biryani Food Cart (of Eat Street Fame)

High Line Pedestrian Walkway - An Oasis in the Desert of NYC

  

Greenwich Village

Wall of Tiles

Hello New York ...

Day one ... The market at Union Square, a walk about and dinner at Onieal's - Grand Street. 

NYC ... Here I Come (Again)

NYC 2011

"They say life's what happens when you're busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you're waiting for a table"  (Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw / Sex and the City)

Tonight, life is ... making plans for NYC ... 4 more sleeps!

In Like A Lion

So ... it seems to be a bit windy here today!
(strong winds of 60 km/h with gusts up to 90 km/h)

March has come in like a lion and it hasn't stopped roaring

for three days. Hopefully this wind will blow away the final bits of winter as easily

as it has blown the tree branches across the roads.