Summer Garden

One of the reasons I plant this Eastern Prickly Pear is to enjoy the blooms. They last only one day over the course of a short week. Both last summer and this summer I've missed the display, but people have been sending photos so at least I could enjoy remotely. This year they put on quite the show, starting July 4.

We came back from Yondering to Toronto on July 20, and the first thing I did was tear into the garden to weed and water. Ended up getting stung by some bees when I was removing seed heads from the lambs ears. Ouch! I learned the hard way that our native bees have smooth stingers and can sting again and again. So when I staked the sea holly I wore full body protection (gloves, boots, mosquito netting hat, long sleeves etc.). So many different kinds of  bees, wasps, hornets and flies feeding on one plant. The 'common' European blue butterfly, so called because it's open wings are such a beautiful blue. The Great Golden Digger Wasp looks like a sting could really hurt, but they don't bother humans so much as grasshoppers, which they paralyze to feed their young. 

We were back to Yondering July 31, so I had  ten days in the July garden. Hours spent tending or enjoying the view. 

In other notes:

• I was happy to see the Tulip Tree and Grey Dogwood I'd planted in the ravine were still growing strong. Hopefully the rains continue into August. 
• A wet season brought some mushrooms that seemed to like the shelter of pots. iNaturalist identified as a species of mica cap.
• I'm trying to get the primrose to grow all in a row in front of the bench, so transplanted a few. They didn't seem to like it, hopefully their roots will find their way. Would like to create a space where we can enjoy watching them pop open.
• My brother Dave gave me a watering system that we're trying out in August in the back garden, set to water twice a week. We'll see how it goes. Most of these plants were chosen because they could withstand summer neglect and periods of drought, and it's been a wet summer.  Anyway, an experiment. Meanwhile we still rely on family to drop by and water the planters and the front in dry spells.
  
  
  
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Yondering in July 2026

We - almost - bought another boat in June, so spent a lot of time checking out the Prospect and getting Yondering ready to sell. After a full inspection and getting a good look at our Prospect's bottom, we cancelled the deal. Let's just say the owner had spent more effort in buffing up the wood than tending to damage on the underside.  What an emotional roller coaster! I already had a new boat name picked out and had visions of entertaining guests and sailing the Catalina 320 to Waupoos. But it was not to be. 

Yondering was looking pretty good after being spiffed up. Our 30' boat actually seemed to have more storage and sitting area in the salon than the 32',  but then again, there's no second cabin.

Anyway, aside from one very brief shake down sail on June 8, we'd spent more time thinking about buying and selling boats than we had sailing.

We departed for our summer adventures on June 28 and set sail motored to Cobourg Harbour. The next day we made Waupoos Marina in time to enjoy the moonrise in our slip. 

We were already calling the slip home. 

 

Lots of afternoon sails in Prince Edward Bay, and five nights anchored out at Little Bluffs, Van Deuson, or Waupoos Island. Weather was highly variable. Hot, cool, rainy, grey, sunny, windy, windless, stormy. 

When conditions were right for sailing, that's what we did; when not ideal, we explored the area by car. After we arrived, Rob took the train back to Toronto and then drove the car to Waupoos so we'd have it to provision. There's also no laundry facilities at the marina. Having a car is essential for any long term stay.

One rainy day we decided to venture to Kingston Marine Museum and check out the historic cruise ship Keewatin. When we were visiting the Murney Martello Tower, there was an unexpected Haiku Canada exhibit, with poems fluttering from stone walls and dangling from the ceiling.

We had the County at our doorstep. Time to check out the Lavender Farm, wineries, and enjoy a fine meal at Stella's Eatery. Great galleries as well - Mad Dog and Oeno - well worth the visit.

Forest fires brought an apocalyptic sky for a few days. We explored the County and a few different restaurants and galleries to gulp in some clean indoor air.

When we first arrived the water was 65 degrees, quickly climbed to 75 and then dropped again to "refreshing" temperatures. I love being able to jump from the boat or the dock for a swim.

Alex and Penny visited for three nights, timed with a celebration in Wellington for our nephew Ryan's 40th birthday. 

Griskit's fur was free of mats in early June so we didn't take her for a lion cut. We'd underestimated how much fur she'd shed in the boat. Long hair everywhere!  And by the end of June, her fur was clumping and pulling again. So a grooming appointment was made. Hopefully less fur flying when we return in August.

Three weeks in Waupoos before heading back in to Toronto. We had planned to stay a bit longer, but the weather was looking ugly. Besides, we wanted to be there to celebrate Nora's second birthday.

Full Buck Moon, July 2026

 The moon was full on July 29, and Rob and I were in the city, but we returned the 31st for this evening view from the dock.

2026 Theatre Notes

Our Town / Toronto Civic Light Opera Company CLO (July)

 "Our Town explores the relationship between young neighbors George and Emily, whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance, then marriage. With poignancy and amusing irony, this landmark of world drama, hailed by everyone from Edward Albee to Albert Einstein, shows what it means to appreciate life while we’re living it, and considers what awaits us after that." The Toronto Civic Light Opera Company.

I counted 14 actors on stage, and estimated 50 seats in the audience. I loved the intimate and spare setting. The actors were all perfectly cast for their roles. The next day Mike P sent us the e.e.cummings poem anyone lived in a pretty how town, wondering if the play might have inspired the poem. I definitely see the parallels.

Thornton Wilder won the Pulitzer for this in 1938, and CLO notes there is likely a production staged somewhere happening every day of the year. Mike P. saw the listing, so Rob and I joined Mike P, Karina, Mike B & Lynn for dinner and a show. 

It wasn't until I looked up The Videocabaret Deanne Taylor Theatre that I saw it frequently collaborates with nearby Crows and acts as a venue for Fringe. 

Primary Trust  / Crow's Guloien Theatre (June)

"Winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Primary Trust is a touching and tender play by Eboni Booth. The story follows Kenneth, a thirty-something man whose safe, predictable routine is upended when his bookstore closes, forcing him to confront buried grief, step out of his comfort zone, and embrace human connection." Crow's Theatre.

Rob and I brought Alex and Penny along for a night out. They are not as frequent theatre goers as we are, and thoroughly enjoyed the play. "What was the significance of that bell ringing?" "Great set." "How do the actors manage to memorize all those lines?" 

We really did empathize with Kenneth throughout the story, and when he revealed how his imaginary friend Bert came to join him when he was ten, I could see many people wiping the corner of their eyes. Kenneth really doesn't want Bert to leave him, but Bert somehow knows it is really the only way Kenneth will be able to make real ones. A tender-hearted story.

Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary / Crow's Guloien Theatre (April)

"Blending ancient scripture with her trademark incisive, contemporary wit, Erin Shields (You, Always) reclaims the stories of four women who stood at the gates of revolution—only to be sidelined by history." Crow's Theatre.

Feminism and religion can be a dangerous pairing. I thought it would be too moralistic, earnest and shrill. This was not one of my original picks for my season ubscription. A friend went, and said it was worth seeing. Tickets came my way, and I'm glad they did. 

This was a World Premiere. Definitely something I appreciate about Crow's is how they help develop and feature new works. The Surrogate another example.

I didn't love this play, but I agree it was worth seeing. There were a lot of things going on, it was a bit of a mish mash. It wasn't particularly cohesive. It alluded to biblical events, not always in sequence, and made strong conjectures (the miracle of the loaves and fishes was aided by women smuggliers). There is a dance scene - Salome's 7 veils - that seems a bit gratuitous but also turns out to be one of the highlights. The play's strongpoint to me is that it does make you wonder why women are so little-mentioned in the bible itself, when of course they would have played pivotal roles in the revolution that was taking place.

I always avoid reading reviews until I've seen the play, but headlines I glimpsed were not very flattering. Perhaps that was why the theatre was only about half full, but the actors performances' were as though playing to a full house. Now to read those reviews....

 Clyde's / Can Stage Bluma Appel (April)

Clyde's is a Broadway play written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. Premiering in 2021, this comedy-drama focuses on formerly incarcerated kitchen staff seeking redemption while working at a truck stop sandwich shop, often cited as a companion piece to her play Sweat. Cincinatti Playhouse in the Park

Loved the allegory of the quest for the perfect sandwich and the idea that prison is also a state of mind. Clyde's anger confines her and in the end becomes the catalyst that sets her workers free.

Fire and flames lit and licked the stage in the kitchen, conjuring hell and purgatory.

Fabulous ensemble cast; most gathered for a talk-back after the performance.

The Surrogate / Crow’s Nest Studio Theatre (March)

 

"Set over the course of a single sleepless night, The Surrogate is a 21st-century exploration of privilege, and the complexities of modern family-making in a world where the rules are still being written." Crow's Theatre.

Although themes were highly charged (ethics of surrogacy, state-side politics, nature of relationships) this didn't feel moralistic or didactic. Told the story and then left you reeling.

The Slotkin Letter review was critical of playwright Moishin Zaidi's debut  for having too many threads running through it at once; however I didn't feel it overwhelmed or clouded the story so much as depicted how complex and multi-faceted life and death can be. What a fabulous first effort!

The Studio Theatre was the perfect venue. The more intimate space suited the personal themes. A nice touch in the set design was drawing the audience in with the choice of seating - hard white chairs that would easily suit a hospital waiting room. Appreciated this detail.

Talk-back after with actors and director (Christopher Manousos) gave some insight into how the stage play was crafted and evolved.

Produced by Here for Now Theatre, Crow’s Theatre, House and Body and b current

You, Always / Berkeley Street Theatre, Can Stage (Feb)

Canadian playwright Erin Shields tackles some tough themes in this play about sisterhood: cancer, MAID, divorce, eating disorders. 

The stage was stark and minimal, which allowed it to morph easily from one place into another. 

The two actors were challenged to jump quickly between childhood, adulthood, and adolescence in a series of rapid vignettes, and they pulled off the transitions well, using a lilt in their voice or a shrug of the shoulders to help frame their age. 

Conflict between the two sisters gave rise to arguments beginning with "You, always...." While I know conflict is the dramaturge's friend, I could have used a few more scenes featuring their love and support for one another to even the balance. My favourite scene was when they donned the costumes from childhood stories, and it was well placed in the arc because their yelling at each other was getting a bit one note. 

By the end of the show, there were many people crying in the theatre but personally, I couldn't help feeling a tad manipulated. 

Sailor Moon - June!

The moon was full June 29 at 8:30 am. Elsewhere people were calling it the Strawberry Moon, but it was Sailor Moon for me! We set out for Waupoos early in the morning on the 28th and anchored by the Cobourg Pier, we watched it rise in the sky, red to gold to silver. When we were dockside at Waupoos marina on the night of the 29th we saw it rise behind the trees on Waupoos Island. Love these uncluttered night skies.