Hanging out

6 a.m. Sunday morning

“Did you see the swan hatchlings?”

click to  enlarge

People at the club were all aflutter about the new cygnets.  Just a day old, little grey balls of fluff wobbling about, hiding under their mother’s protective wing. Except for one that was adventurous and heading off to the edge of their island platform.  Not quite sure who is rejecting who, but time will tell.  The father sat a distance away, preening its feathers.  I think I counted 5 chicks in all.

Alex and Penny joined us for the best dinner yet of the summer.  Two wonderful salads (pumpkin stuffed pasta with garlic  and fresh Ontario strawberries with St. Augere blue); roasted red pepper and grilled steak.  Rob tried rubbing olive oil on the meat prior to barbecuing and it held in the juices nicely.  For dessert:  ½ a chocolate and pecan tart with a spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream.  Mmmm.  

Photo credit

As night was falling, a beaver was sighted waddling onto shore.  I approached as quietly as I could, managing to get about 5 feet before trying to take a photo.  Glossy black and HUGE, it retreated to the water, swimming a bit and then heading back in to pick up a twig or two.  5 or so humans chasing after it like shorebirds, trying to get a decent shot.  Dusk was descending, so I only managed to capture an image that looked like the Loch Ness, all fuzzy and out of focus.

(aside:  Bob C. was passing by when I said “best tart ever” which started a cascade of tart jokes.  Imagine the creative riffing that took place when the beaver was sighted!  I felt like I was at a stand-up comedy club for a bit.) 

Slept overnight on the boat and woke up to this glorious day.