blogs from ottawa with BvT

Wintry Adventures

2012-01-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

We finally managed to coordinate our schedule with the Neills' and meet up for a wintry adventure in Ashdad. As you can see from the photos above, things were a little different the last time we were out here at the cabin. Winter has since washed away all the colour and left a wonderland that we were more than ready to take advantage of with our skis and snowshoes.

Friday evening was filled with chatter and adult beverages while the kids tobogganed up and down the laneway in the dark. Come morning Mike and I were not long in purchasing a couple of 4 shot espressos at the Neat Cafe to jump start our day. Cheers for that.

We arrived at the trail head around noon and while most of us opted to ski the short distance to the cabin with our snowshoes in hand, Mikey the mule volunteered to pull in the toboggan loaded with food and drink. From that point on it was a blur of skiing and snowshoeing with short breaks for food and warmth by the woodstove. The sun was toasty warm making the the -10C feel like +10C and we spent much of our cabin time soaking it in on the pond-side porch.

Photos always tell a story, and the story here is that the kids are growing more and more independent. As you'll notice from the pics, our ski and snowshoe adventure teams were always divided into two groups - adults and "children". (Note to self: Ask Maddie for some of her team photos that she snapped with her awesome new camera.)

Snow time

2012-01-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

Finally the snow arrived and the timing was right for a family outing on the xc skis. A little backlogged on our list of chores, we opted to stay close to home and hit one of the many trails in the Greenbelt. As you can see, the conditions were great with only the odd rock hiding underneath the freshly fallen snow.

After some Sunday morning footie, we cooked up a batch of chili and left it simmering on the stove while we hit the trails with some friends. Unfortunately not everyone had skis or snowshoes so we had to go old school... yes, walk. As per usual the birds swarmed us looking for handouts which we gladly provided. Jason was wise enough to plan ahead and came armed with some crushed nuts while my crew had to "borrowing" from one of the many feeders along the way. Hey, these birds aren't picky.

Hopefully the snow stays and continues to pile on covering up the remaining rocks and roots. Is that really too much for a Canadian boy to ask?

A White Christmas

2012-01-02T01:48:00.000-05:00

One again we made the trek back to Peterborough on Christmas day only this year it was looking like it would be a green Christmas as the snow still hadn't fallen in sufficient quantity in Peterborough to actually stick. Then BLAMMO! We hit the town of Madoc and the snow started to fall. Yeah!!

At first if was fun to watch the flakes as they floated down and melted on the windscreen. Then the wind picked up and the flakes got bigger and bigger. Then darkness fell.

"Oh look everyone, it's like we're in the Millennium Falcon and we've just reached hyperspace." Click. (high beams) "And back to regular speed." Click. (low beams) Yeah, fun. That is until the wind picked up even more and the snow fall turned to snow squall. Then we watched as the black top of the road turned white and all those comforting yellow lines disappeared. Slowed to a 40km/hr crawl the kids asked for another light speed encore as Mom shouted, "No Bryan!" Hearing my given name I knew this was getting serious. The 40km an hour dipped to 30 but like an optical illusion the blowing snow had us feeling like we were doing 110. The occasional drift into the left lane followed by the slump of the wheels off the right shoulder weren't exactly confidence boosting either. Time for the back up plan. Tail behind another car at a speed and distance that would allow me to avoid following him into the ditch. It was a good plan and after a slow 30 minutes we were turning off the highway to my parents' place and Christmas dinner.

And yes, I was one of those eejits wishing for a white Christmas. Um, thanks Mother Nature, now pile it on and leave it be until mid-April.

Enough of the chatter, enjoy the pics.

Happy 2012 everyone! Wishing you all health and heaps of happiness.

Christmas touques

Taylor Lake Yurt

2011-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Year two in the annual Gatineau Park sleepover. In contrast to last year's xc ski adventure this year's snowless December left us with little choice but to hike it in. While Ken and I were slightly discouraged by the lack of snow, Dave was secretly smiling as this would allow him to haul in his camp guitar or maybe he was simply relieved that he would be avoiding the bruises after another xc ski adventure. Either way, we were all equally excited to escape the workforce (note I didn't say family) and head into the backwoods for some time off the grid.

We arrived at Taylor Lake to find it frozen black. Not a splash of snow on top of the smooth icy surface. Unfortunately (or should I say fortunately) we didn't have our blades with us so we opted to play safe and not venture out beyond the point of no return.

The rest of the night was spent cooking and eating, listening to Dave rock on the camp guitar, and watching an episode of An Idiot Abroad and Louis CK's latest stand-up (available as a $5 download here).

Morning brought the fluffy white stuff. Luckily (at this point) it was only a couple of inches and nothing that would cause a problem for us hiking out. Cheers to the GAT sleepover until next year.

BvT's birth announcement

2011-12-14T17:22:00.002-05:00

My wife stumble across this in the basement a couple of days ago. I don't think I've ever seen it before. Good timing seeing as today is the day. Cheers BvT.

Sara's on a roll

2011-11-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Sara!

Rideau and Cataraqui Trail tour

2011-11-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

November 11th, time again for our annual hike/adventure boosting the streak to 7 years and counting (see blog links below). This year our crew was whittled down to just Ken and I, the core of the group if you will. Dave was unable to join us as he had another long running streak to keep alive (keep an eye on his blog where I'm sure he'll post the pics and GoPro video soon) and Mike stayed home to rake and fix his internet connection (boo).

Anyhow, our goal today was to explore a small cave that lies close to the Cataraqui Trail south of Westport, Ontario. Along the way we decided to hit a few of the various caches in the area that have popped up over the last 3 years. The section of the Rideau Trail in the Foley Mountain Conservation Area was our first stop of many. This area is well worth the visit as it home to some nice hiking trails, picnic areas, a small secluded beach, and a great lookout area overlooking the town of Westport and the Upper Rideau Lake.

Next stop, the cave. We arrived close to noon as planned so we packed up the stove for the soup, our sandwiches, and a couple of beverages. Last to go in our packs was our headlamps (helmets and knee pads being luxury items that "real spelunkers" don't bother with). The Cataraqui Trail is an old abandoned rail-bed that is now a great hike or bike trail in the summer and ski or snowshoe trail in the winter. Access is also granted to snowmobilers but not ATVers likely due to the fact that ATVs tend to cause a lot of trail damage in comparison to sleds on a thick bed of snow.

As we crossed the swamp to the narrows we could hear the rush of running water. As the sound got louder and louder, my enthusiasm started to waver slightly as I envisioned soaking wet feet knowing well that the option of turning back was something neither Ken nor I would consider. At last, we arrived to find a healthy flow but nothing that an off-duty engineer couldn't solve with a couple of strategically tossed rocks. It worked like a charm and before long we had crossed the underground creek at the mouth of the cave and were working our way inward. Once inside, we clambered up the rock pile and then wormed our way through the narrow entrance to the next chamber. It opened up to an area large enough to allow us to sit down and check out our surroundings. Very cool. There were small limestone stelleracktites, aka drippy things, hanging down from the ceiling and humongous black spiders in nearly all the corners. The far end opened to another smaller chamber but it appeared to be filled with water so we could go no further. After snapping a few pics, we headed back out for our reward; hot soup and cold pints of Pollenator from the Long Trail Brewing Co. Cheers to a successful mission.

After a relaxing lunch, we made our way back to the main road where we spotted nearly 30 wild turkeys at the side of the ditch. With some effort (read, my camera was stuck on the 10 sec. timer mode) I snapped a couple of pics while Ken tried to herd them up for a photo shoot. While they didn't turn tail back in my direction, some of them did manage to fly a few metres which is not something you see too often from large dodo like creatures. And before you ask, no I didn't manage to get a photo of them in flight which only confirms that I would not be the guy to bring on a Bigfoot sighting expedition.

Here's a quick review of our Annual Remembrance Day hikes over the last few years.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

Walking through Washington

2011-10-28T20:49:00.000-04:00

Last week I found myself in Washington on a business trip and decided to take advantage by soaking in some of the touristy spots. The first night was spent walking up and down M Street through Georgetown. The area was hopping but that was no surprise given that Georgetown University is nearby. Lots of young bodies grazing the late night shops, coffee holes, and watering holes. Surprisingly there were few actually English/Irish style pubs on our route but we made due with a good old American sports bar.

The next night found me strolling the grounds surrounding the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (the Wall), the World War II Memorial, and then back to my hotel before the witching hour. Though I felt safe enough throughout my night's journey it was obvious that as the last rays of sunlight descended there was a changing of the guard as the day's inhabitants headed home in their fancy business suits making way for an assortment of zombie like characters pushing shopping carts and babyless strollers. Out of my element, I darted back to the Starbucks near my hotel where I fed off their free wifi and coffee before retiring for the night.

On my last day I spent the morning walking the alphabet streets until 10am when all the museums opened. Now the beauty about Washington is that they have this area called the National Mall that runs east of the Washington Monument and is home to several Smithsonian museums. Oh, and they're free once you clear the metal detector. This indoor adventure had turned out to be a great plan as the weather had changed from sun to a little rain. I managed to make a whirlwind tour of both the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum. Both deserved better than my speedy walkabout but that said, I did manage to squeeze in an IMAX show of the Grand Canyon. Before long I was back at the hotel packing up and checking out before my 2pm late checkout. With suitcase in tow I decided to hop on the Metro to Arlington Cemetery to visit the grave of JFK and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier (of which apparently there are plenty). A great plan, if only in concept. As it turned out the streets of Arlington Cemetery aren't exactly ideal for pulling a small luggage bag with hard plastic wheels. I must of passed 50 signs reading, "Silence and Respect" followed by awkward glances from school kids and war veterans alike. Oh well, obviously I wasn't loud enough to wake the dead.

Map of downtown Washington DC:

Thanksgiving weekend

2011-10-10T15:38:00.000-04:00

This year's Thanksgiving felt like turkey in July thanks to temperatures breaking the 30 degree mark. It made for a very outdoors type weekend - hell, we even carved the turkey on the back deck and set up one of the dinner tables outside. At one point in the weekend I was even searching for some sunscreen. Anyhow, no complaints here...

Saturday morning was spent picking and peeling apples. After a total of 4 hours of peeling the girls were ready for a break so we hopped in the van and took a trip out to Campbellford. We arrived in the touristy little town along the Trent Severn Canal (this month seems to be canal month) with no real idea of what we were going to do but by the time we crossed over the town bridge we'd made a plan. First the Church-Key Brewery (priorities eh), then Dooher's Bakery, then the World's Finest Chocolate outlet. A well rounded adventure before heading back to bbq up some Pino's Italian sausage (that's to a friend that picked them up in Kitchener for us, thanks Kev).

Monday we had a little visit from Uncle Twiggy and his wee ones. We took them for a stroll on the property and Sara managed to catch a tiny baby bunny for the kids to hold. Some left over turkey, a chocolate sandwich, and a Bud or two and they were headed for home. And we were not long after. Good times.

Rideau Canal tour

2011-09-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

What with all the great weather recently, I decided to take a tour down the Rideau Canal not by boat but by bike and on foot. On day one I rode my bike as far as Manotick, or more specifically, Long Island Locks. Great spot to rest up and chat with the local fishermen. The one lad I spoke with was 85 and has been fishing the locks for many years in search of some pan fry and a free dinner. Doing quite well too apparently and more relaxing than his previous job as a medical photographer.

Day two I decided to drive down a little further south and pick up where I left off. This time I packed up my fishing rod with the hope that I might be able to find a moment to toss a line or two.

Over all it was a relaxing adventure and a great way to unwind. Top it off with 25°C weather and it made for a great end of summer escape.

One week later...
Headed back out along the canal today with the family. Not the greatest of weather but at least it wasn't raining.

For those of you paddlers out there, here's something that you may find interesting and useful should you decide to take the tour by boat. Rideau Canal guides complete with maps.

moe.down XII

2011-09-05T20:12:00.005-04:00

This past weekend Mic and I made the trek to Mohawk, NY (aka moe.hawk) for the 12th annual moe.down festival. We left around supper on Thursday and somewhere along the way we decided to go all the way to the venue and queue up rather than do the usual Walmart sleepover. It was a great call as we landed ourselves a prime pole position for the opening Friday morning. The only draw back was, no sleep. As one can imagine, our fellow moe.rons were pumped and decided to party hard through the night by the side of their cars waiting for first light when they would open the pen and herd us in to the field/parking lot. The parking area was a little muddy from the recent fallout of Hurricane Irene but no worries for Mic and I as we were rolling JEEP style.

This was year 2 for moe.down at Gelston Castle and obviously they had listened to the fans' complaints and made a number of improvements. Larger parking area, improved roads and pathways, free hay wagon rides from parking to the top of the hill, a much larger camping area, a big screen between stages, and $5 showers. That said, Mic and I opted to avoid the rush to haul everything up to the camping area to score a site for the tent. The JEEP had already proved how comfortable (and dry) it could be so we decided to tailgate it all weekend. It was a brilliant move as the last day was a downpour followed by a mudfest, all of which we avoided. Winning!

Friday night's opener was Ween and as per usual Gene Ween stole the show with his strangeness and his voice. Thankfully it was not a repeat of what may have very well been his worst performance ever back in January for 3,000 Vancouver fans.

Saturday was another beautiful day. The annual afternoon set from moe. was light and fun with the highlight being the moe.ment that they brought up all the kids on stage to show off their costumes and crafts they made in the kids tent.

Saturday night brought TV on the Radio and 2 sets of moe.

Sunday started with a bit of rain and an impromptu shower for me (thank you Mother Nature) following by more sun and humidity... and more music.

Then came the storm. Finally the predicted forecast came to pass and the skies released a downpour. The Levon Helm Band wisely decided to push back their start as the skies were flashing with lightning and the sound of thunder never far behind. The man at the mic convinced the crowd to push back out of the kill zone, and rightfully so after three stage collapses this year one right here at Ottawa's Bluesfest. And of course, no weekend music festival is complete without a little impromptu mudslide (see pics at end).

Here's a little glimpse at some of the more colourful moe.rons. Enjoy.

Finally, it was only by luck that Mic and I managed to get out of the mud bath/parking area - JEEP or no JEEP. The cars were already jammed in at this point - some stuck in the mud, some slammed up against others as they tried unsuccessfully to navigate the slop. The tow trucks were useless until at least some vehicles (the few 4x4's) vacated the area and made space. Oh well, all part of the adventure.

Cheers and thank you moe. for another great .down.

Ausable Chasm, NY

2011-08-28T15:18:00.007-04:00

Some pics from our recent trip to Ausable Chasm, NY. We opted for the hike only for a mere $61 and change. Needless to say we took our time on the walk and I snapped more than a few pics. Should we have included the raft (or tube) ride for the full effect? Possibly but as it turns out we weren't dressed for the occasion... and I didn't have another $40 to blow on what is normally a free activity in the Great White North.

Testing out the zoom on my 60D.

And here are a couple from our campground at Ausable Point State Park.

Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower

2011-08-26T15:18:00.009-04:00

Of the planned 5 nights at Ausable Point State Park, this was the one showing the clearest skies and hence the day that we would hike to the Poke-O-Moonshine fire tower. As advertised, the trail leaves the abandoned campground at an incredibly steep pitch. Luckily it was only a 1.2mi hike to the summit. Luckily.

Once we reached the top we were greeted by a friendly Ranger/Guide/student dude who was on his last day of duty as our personal tour guide. Without being intrusive, he detailed the view giving names to other peaks in both the ADK and Vermont across Lake Champlain. He even met us again later at the top of the tower and explained how the Rangers of old would pinpoint a forest fire. Then he provided us with a short history of Lake Champlain and the war of 1812. Awesome.

With Poke-O-Moonshine under our belt, we are slowly beginning to chip away at the 23 fire tower treks in the ADK. Add another 5 fire towers in the Catskills and we will have ourselves a full fledged Fire Tower Challenge badge. At this rate, our kids will be pushing us up in wheelchairs for the finale. Still, what's life without a challenge or two?

Hanging with the Neills

2011-08-21T10:21:00.004-04:00

A window opened and we jumped through landing ourselves at the Neills. We swam, we caught up with the Neill adventure to Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec and we even managed to squeeze in a gig at the Neat Cafe with Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps.

Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps

On our way out we checked out Mikey's progress on the Ashdaddy cabin (aka "The Chapel"). It's gonna be sweet.

Owling at the Chapel.

Pancake Bay 2011

2011-08-12T10:22:00.092-04:00

Another great getaway at Pancake Bay on Lake Superior. Thankfully this summer was sunny and warm in comparison to last year's frigid with a side of gale force winds that turned the beach into a large sand-blasting experience.

At the beach...

This year we once again made our annual trek to Mica Bay for some shoreline exploration. Last year the water was too cold and the waves too large to allow us to swim or snorkel so we had to settle for a fire and lunch on the shoreline. This year the conditions were perfect and we took full advantage of the day - we even managed to conquer the "orange island" after a rock scramble, a swim, and a short wade. Unfortunately I wasn't able to bring the camera along for that adventure. Btw, the orange was due to a particular lichen that had grown over the rocks. Very colourful against the blues and greys.

Annual day trip to Mica Bay...

Every year we sit on the beach and stare off at the horizon and every year we ponder making a trek out to the western tip of Pancake Bay. Well finally this year we made the effort to tear ourselves out of our beach chairs and hike through the neighbouring Pancake Bay Provincial Park and out to the very tip of the western point where sand starts to turn to rock and where there is yet another bay waiting to be conquered. Actually while we all started out on the adventure there were two that broke formation and turned tail only minutes before reaching our destination. Thankfully they had the bacon and blueberry pancakes ready for us when we returned as we were ravenous after what turned out to be an 11km hike.

Hike to Pancake Bay's west point...

This year I decided to make use of a great backpacking tent that I originally purchased 3 years ago from SteepandCheap.com... it was sweet and definitely more spacious than jamming the 4 of us in one small room with only a double bed.

Until next year, Pancake...

Heart of York Soccer Tournament

2011-08-07T10:03:00.005-04:00

It was an interesting ride. The team started by playing their best soccer ever but then followed that up with what may have been their worst ever. That placed them in a "must win" situation for game 3 on Sunday. They were up 3-1 but after two poor calls by the ref ending in a direct kick and a penalty kick they shook hands to a draw. One point shy of advancing. The bright side? We got to start our trek to the Soo earlier changing our arrival time from 3am to a more respectable 9pm.

Always look on the bright side of life...

The Flying Nuns

Charleston Lake 2011

2011-07-18T14:01:00.004-04:00

Our first family camping trip of the season and where better to start then at Charleston Lake with the McMullans. It was stinking hot which really simplified our daily game plan - load up canoe with food, cold drinks, swim gear, fishing rods and paddle to the nearest cove or island. And that is exactly what we did. For 6 days straight.

The various jumping rocks were a definite highlight for both the kids and I. Even Sara managed to work up the courage to launch herself from a 4 foot overhanging rock. We all played it safe and kept our life jackets on knowing that at least one poor soul drowns in these waters every year. This summer it was a 15 year old high school boy from Ottawa, Hay Mu Tha Kyu. He was born in a Thailand refugee camp and moved to Canada when he was 11. Sad to think that after a difficult start to life he was finally heading towards a much brighter future and then one jump off a rock on a hot summer's day and it's all over. My advice... bad shit happens, play safe.

Good times in the summer of '11.

Voetbal

2011-07-09T22:49:00.020-04:00

Some snaps from a couple of recent soccer tournaments.

Nepean City Storm - Kingston, ON

OSU Power (call-up) - Syracuse, NY

Montreal Soccer Tourney

2011-06-19T21:37:00.028-04:00

Great weather, a funky hotel (Aloft), a new age soccer facility (Terra Cotta Park), and 16 girls going the entire tournament undefeated - all made for a great weekend in Pointe Claire, QC. The girls (and parents) all had a great team building experience and managed to further develop their game over the course of the 3 matches.

The first match was a 2-2 tie against Lakeshore followed by a 3-0 win in the afternoon over Lachine. After a late night and an early rise we managed to pull off yet another 3-0 win Sunday morning against Ahuntsic. Alas, it just wasn't quite enough as only one team was destined to advance out of the pool (Lakeshore) and they managed to score 3 more goals than us over the 3 games.

All matches took place on synthetic surfaces in a new facility in Terra Cotta Park, Pointe Claire (west side of Montreal). Three fields and three levels of government funding for a mere $4.5 million dollars. Jokes aside it was a pretty sweet playing surface though the pitch we were on was a little busy having been lined for soccer, lacrosse, football, and rugby. It would explain some of the missed offside calls that's for sure.

Anyhow, all in all we had a great time and we're already looking forward to the next away tournament in Kingston/Syracuse/Toronto.... yeah, it's gonna be a busy summer.

One nighter at Murphys Point

2011-06-12T12:48:00.003-04:00

Finally a chance to camp but as it turned out only Sara and I were able to swing it. So while Emma shuffled off to a double-sleepover and mom slunk down to the basement to churn out report cards, Sara and I packed the tent and some grub and zoomed off to Murphys Point Provincial Park.

The weather forecast was sketchy but as it turned out it was more than adequate with the bulk of the rain falling during the night while we were snuggled up in our 3-man tent.

Upon arrival, we set up camp and than walked over to the beach - me with my new comfy chair and Sara with her newly patched rubber dingy. We were only there a few minutes when Sara came walking back with her first watersnake of the season (and first of 4 on this trip). Good catch Sar.

The mosquitoes seemed to come in waves but and mainly around our campsite. No worries though as the park was relatively deserted allowing us to wander down a couple of sites to one with more sun and breeze and far less bugs. The beach was also bug-free thanks to the dive-bombing dragonflies.

The animals kept us busy/entertained. Kato the raccoon (Sara named him) showed no fear as he zoomed in and out of our campsite looking for stray scraps or unattended babies. We scared him up a tree a few times but he would always come back looking for a bite of our yummy "Pete & Gus" sausage. It got a little tense when he walked to within 2 feet of me like he wanted to check my pockets. It was at that moment that Sara decided to yell, "He's got foam around his mouth Dad!". LOL Sara. I thought I couldn't jump any higher until later that evening as I was rummaging for my toothbrush I looked down with my headlamp to see 2 large June bugs crawling up my jacket only inches from my mouth. Now, those things are scary up close!

The other entertainer was Zig-Zag the snapping turtle (I named him) who we managed to save from certain death 3-4 times. The first time we spotted him on the road we stopped and I picked him up and carried him to the side that he appeared to be heading for. Moments later we drove by again that he was - smack in the middle of the road. This time I quickly moved him to the other side. A few laughs later and we found ourselves coming back down the road to find you know who hanging out on the pavement. Ok, enough already. This time as we approached he popped up like a Fred Flinstone car and his little legs just started motoring. It was hilarious. Luckily Sara managed to get it on video with her new iPod. Anyhow, we went to bed that night knowing that we would have made Ranger Rick proud.

Mountain Jam 2011

2011-06-08T23:09:00.015-04:00

Mule with Luther Dickinson (guitar), Cody Dickinson (electric washboard), Hook Herrera (harp)
Mountain Jam Festival VII
Hunter Mountain Ski Lodge
Catskills, NY
Google map
Festival schedule

This year was stellar. The bands rocked, the company rolled, and even the weather cooperated. The only thing missing was our pal Mic who was locked into a training gig with his new job. This year joining Glenn and I was Twiggy and Sue thanks to a small donation to the cause in the form of a wedding gift. ;)

New this year was an extra day of music allowing us to make it down a day earlier than about 90% of the gen pop crowd. It was a chilly evening so we opted to stick with the gigs inside Colonel's Hall - The London Souls, Soulive, and Big Gigantic. The London Souls rocked it hard followed by Eric Krasno who more than impressed with Soulive as they rolled through a jazz funk tribute to the Beatles.

Friday's line-up was impressive. Tim Reynolds threw down and definitely impressed. For those of you not in the loop, Tim is the lead guitarist with the Dave Matthews Band. Eric Krasno sat in with Toubab Krewe and then later rejoined Soulive for an afternoon set. We also squeezed in a few songs by Chris Barron (The Spin Doctors) on the Awareness Stage.

The evening headliner this year was not Gov't Mule but Warren Haynes with his solo project. Not bad at all though my preference is definitely with the heavier side he brings to MULE.

Now for me, Friday's highlight was the Late Night Set with Lotus. Running non-stop from midnight to about 3:15am these guys know how to kick it. This was my third time seeing Lotus but this 3 hour face melt was definitely the first time that I was catching them in their element. Again, for those of you interested in what they're all about, cause instrumental electronic jam band just doesn't begin to describe, check them out here.

Saturday was again something to get excited about. The Avett Brothers, Charlie Hunter, Zach Deputy, North Mississippi Allstars Duo, and of course Gov't Mule's one and only tour date of the year.

Mule. What a night. Warren said things would get crazy and they did. The first set came out strong with Railroad Boy and ending with War Pigs. The second set was a mix of covers starting off with Floyd's Money and Have a Cigar starring Ron Holloway on sax and Matt Abts on vocals for Cigar. Then the Dickinson brothers stepped up on stage with Hook Herrara on harp for a couple of bluesy tracks. Sweet. Warren then calmed the crowd down a bit with a cover of the Stones' Angie before ending the evening with a few more Mule tracks. A great set for what will likely be their only gig for 2011.

Top the night off with a Late Night Set with Umphrey's McGee and it just doesn't get a whole lot better than this. Joining Umph on their 3 hour tour was John Oates for a few tracks, Zach Deputy, and they even pulled off a switch between Ryan Stasik (bass) and the bass player from The New Deal who were also playing a Late Night Set over in Colonel's Hall. Well done.

Sunday. Day 4 and still more on the menu. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals pulled off another high energy stage show which the crowd (and especially the males) absolutely loved. Finally headlining the night was Jim James' My Morning Jacket. This is one band that you have to see live. Jim was all over the stage, a rolling ball of energy creating a huge stage presence. Loved it.

Finally, I leave you with the people of Mountain Jam. Equally as entertaining as the bands themselves. Enjoy.

Spring in the GAT

2011-05-11T21:51:00.003-04:00

Finally decided to take a day off work and soak in some of this great spring weather that has slipped into the mix of cold and rain. It was glorious.

The following three photos are all of the same spot at the top of the hill on Trail 9 heading down to Western Hut. Not the same ride in the spring as it is in the winter on xc skis. Those old fogies below would have been diving for their lives with the sound of an out of control BvT barreling down on them.

Spring 2011

Winter - February 2010 and March 2011

By lunch I had completed a reasonably sized loop earning myself a couple of cheese and onion bun sandwiches and a Bavaria. I wasn't entirely sure where I was going to sit back and enjoy said lunch until I can across the big "X" beside a small runoff cascading over the side of Eardley Escarpment. Sweet. And to top it off there was a perfect breeze keeping the blackflies at bay.

I saw a bear!! Just as I was spinning around to eye up a picture of a trail sign, when I spotted (and heard) a black bear bolting across the trail only metres away from where I was moments ago. Cool! And boy was he big too! I tried to follow but I was making way too much noise to even hope to get close to him. I went back and snapped the pic to mark the moment. And for the record, no I wasn't able to get a picture - the bear was that quick.

Go JAGS!!

2011-05-10T18:41:00.000-04:00

I dropped by Sara's school today to catch their season's first touch football exhibition game. It was interesting. Both teams looked strong in the warm-ups - throwing, catching, running - everything appeared to be well oiled and ready to roar.

Well once the whistle blew, things changed a little. There were fewer completed passes a more Hail Marys situations. As an outsider it appeared as if the girls were always waiting for a full scale tackle rather than a friendly touch followed by a raised hand and the ref's whistle. It made for some comical pics.

In the end the match was won by St. Pats on the last play of the game. (boo) Luckily they have a couple more exhibition games on the schedule before they start their 2 week season. GO JAGS!!

Nepean Storm 5 km Race

2011-05-07T19:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, officially it is the The EpiPen® TAKE ACTION EVENT (previously the Allergy/Asthma Information Event) but given that there were players from 5-6 different Nepean City Soccer Clubs I think the title fits.

Sara finished 3rd overall (out of 250) and first for her team with a time of 22:55. Emma was not that far behind with a finish of 26:38. Well done girls! We celebrated with a Tim Horton's smoothie (no milk allergies in this house).

This was the second year entering the event as part of the team's spring conditioning and I'm sure they'll sign up again next year. As parents we love the small size and the great location and parking. It makes for a quick and painless morning... of course we didn't run so we can say that honestly.

Easter weekend

2011-04-24T22:32:00.003-04:00

Easter weekend has come and gone and yep, you guessed it, we were once again in the Peterborough area visiting family and friends. Here are a few photos capturing the event...

Spring is in the air

2011-04-15T21:29:00.003-04:00

Again, it has been a while so here's a little mix and match of the various events that have been keeping us busy lately.

The signs were telling me the season was done but the conditions on this late March day were just shy of marvelous.

Both kids had their year-end Futsal tournaments. One finished in second place and the other in third. Emma even managed to pick up some hardware for being "Top Scorer" in the regular season. Well done girls... now on to the summer season (which is already well under way).

We've also managed to squeeze in a couple of walk-and-feeds on the nearby Greenbelt trails. If the hunger of the chickadees is any indication, spring is well under way.

March Madness

2011-03-21T15:11:00.004-04:00

March break was hectic once again this year. We managed to squeeze in a visit with friends in different corners of the province and we even made a trek back to Peterborough to see family.

Early in the week, we drove west to visit with the McMullans. On day 2 of the visit, they brought us to the Purple Woods Conservation Area north of Oshawa where we hiked the semi-self-guided maple syrup tour ending with a feast of pancakes and fresh syrup. As we were leaving, I did shots of the little paper cup filled syrup containers, this medium blend syrup was like liquid gold. Needless to say, I was wired for the rest of the day.

The trip to Peterborough brought out the usual suspects... less one wee man, Luke. After mentioning that we'd come in contact with a bad case of the pox, they'd decided to play it safe and keep baby Luke at a safe distance ... safe as in Skype visits only. :( See you at Easter Luke.

Just a quick explanation on that last photo above. It's a shot of Opa showing the kids how yellow birch tastes like wintergreen. Give it a try sometime.

Once back home, I baked a tasty loaf of beer bread (recipe) and enjoyed a slice or two under the extra large full moon that everyone was tweeting about. Though to be fair, without any perspective, my moon shot isn't really all that impressive but it did give me a chance to break out my tripod that I thought I'd lost.

Snowshoe to Annapurna

2011-03-14T20:05:00.023-04:00

Again we seem to be tackling the days between the rainfall but beggars can't be choosers. As it turned out this was a postcard day for a snowshoe run back into the Neill's Annapurna hunting cabin.

The next morning brought sunshine and a monster breakfast of homemade waffles, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs with salsa, sausage, grapes and strawberries. Loaded up we decided to make for one more hike on the nearby snowmobile trails. Snowshoes were left in the van as we gingerly shuffled down the icy road leading to the trails. Once on the compacted ski-doo trails we leisurely strolled through the rolling hills soaking in a heavy dose of vitamin D. All along the way we noticed different animal tracks crisscrossing the trail - mice or moles, squirrel, coyote, fisher or fox, ruffed grouse, deer, and of course dog (aka Charlie). We even left a mark or two of our own in the snow that unfortunately can not be posted here on this family friendly blog (Hi Grandma!) ;)

A great start to March Break 2011.

Winter wind down

2011-03-11T19:25:00.010-05:00

A couple ski trips to the GAT before the rain falls. One to Lusk Cabin and another to Western Hut. Both great trails, but the solitude of the Lusk-Taylor lake loop just can't be beat.

A few days after my success at Lusk I decided to head to Western via Shilly Shally and Huron. The return flight down black diamond 9, complete with three sections flagged off with "DANGER" tape, was a blast. Another great day highlighted by the fact that I didn't sustain any injuries.

The weekend dropped a few more inches of snow on top of a couple days rain but just enough for the family to get out into the local Greenbelt. It was a dull gray day but the snow conditions were near perfect. Sadly this may prove to be our last family xc ski outing. Time will tell.

Snowshoeing through a storm

2011-02-28T20:56:00.079-05:00

A storm was coming. Would it be rain or snow? By morning, our neighborhood was pouring rain while in Ken's neck of the woods it was snowing. Hmmm, what to do? Snowshoe or ski? Or stay home entirely and let it pass? A flip of the three sided coin and... snowshoes! Decision made, we made our separate ways through the storm(s) to Gatineau's P15.

With some difficulty I arrived at the parking lot to find Kenmore patiently waiting. Then as luck would have it, I opened the back of the van to find not my new funky televator equipped snowshoes but my wife's less than awesome, but also red, snowshoes waiting to be put to the test. A minor setback as there was no stopping us know. And for the record, they proved to be more than adequate.

Upon arriving at Healey we were none surprised to find that we had the hut all to ourselves. Sweet. However, it then became our task to start up the woodstove so we could heat our tinfoil wrapped lunches and boil some water for hot beverages. I say "we" but I was in charge of tunes so that left Ken to man up to the task, and that he did. He also supplied a chilled beverage to pass the time while we waited for our lunch. Bonus points to Sherpa Kenmore.

Healey refused to release us from its lure. We must have spent 2 hours here relaxing and enjoying the shelter from the storm. At one point we counted 15 Blue Jays outside at the feeder. They offered a nice contrast of color to what was an extremely gray day.

On our way out the snow let up and we even had a glimpse or two of sunshine. A great finish, and btw, thank you Mother for the snow.

Snowshoe testing

2011-02-22T22:08:00.000-05:00

Finally conditions were just right (read: ski conditions sucked) to test out the snowshoes that Santa brought us all for Christmas. I opted to head up to the Kanata Lakes area again as it's only about 20 minutes from the house whereas Gatineau Park is closer to 45 minutes. It turned out to be a great choice.

The snowshoe and ski trails weave through this area making for a great day of exploration. We brought some snacks and water and, over the two days, we easily spent 5-6 hours here enjoying the great weather. We spotted lots of animal signs but thanks to the crunch crunch of 4 pairs of snowshoes we didn't see many deer. We did however find a couple of porcupines curled up for their daytime sleep - one family in the small rocky crevice and one high up in a tree.

Btw, they are making a mess of the trees in some spots as they chisel off the outer bark which they consider to be good eats. Between the porcupines and the beavers, the Kanata Lakes volunteers may want to consider a relocation project or two. Just saying...

Lake Curling

2011-02-16T20:23:00.001-05:00

Two weeks later and we were back on Hurds Lake for some outdoor curling with the Neills. The rink was cleared and the rings were sprayed in a bright red. As instructed we had all froze our family size OJ containers and after a few practice shots we were ready to curl. Game on.

Immediately the chants and disses started up from the backbenchers. "We're lord of the rings!" and "You couldn't hit your own bellybutton!" were two of the faves. Team Mikey and Sara ended up winning the round robin but hey all things considered, we were all winners that afternoon.

The rest of the day consisted of boot hockey, tobogganing, wieners by the fire, and chitchat. All said and done we spent nearly 6 hours in the great outdoors. Good times.

Sadly enough the weather took a turn on the drive home as it poured rain all the way back to Ottawa. Booo!!

Super snow daze

2011-02-06T22:50:00.010-05:00

Happy day on the trails!!
After the season's first official snow day on Wednesday the weekend melted into a mix of cross-country skiing, soccer, Futsal, more skiing, mega snow slide-making, and the odd snowball fight. All great fun, and no worries, no eyes were lost.

Gatineau ski to Herridge Hut
We had to get a little creative in our attempt to access the Kanata Lake Trails network as the parking lot was closed due to the anticipation of some construction in the area. This huddle had me leading the family on skis down some windy snowshoe trail (yes, I had just removed the snowshoes from the van the day before) but eventually we hooked up to the main trails that were fresh with the night's fallen snow. It was a great afternoon followed by homemade waffles and maple syrup.

Kanata Lake Trails
After a quick bite the kids suited back up and took advantage of the packy snow making a good-sized snow slide in the front yard. I tested it out and it rocks!

Winter is fun

2011-01-30T22:37:00.016-05:00

This weekend we headed up to the Neills to catch up on tall tales and enjoy the great outdoors. We skied, we tobogganed, we played hockey, we roasted wieners over an open fire. There is no doubt a-boot it, Canadian winter is fun.

Sunday turned out to be a glorious day thanks to some fresh snow and sunshine. After a monster sized breakfast, we all piled into the Neills' 4x4 vehicles and drove out to a friend's cottage on Hurds Lake. We skied around the lake while Mike hung back and sparked up a fire. After the ski, the kids played a few hours of boot hockey on the lake with the odd Charlie chase when he decided that the orange plastic puck was too hard to resist.

This place is a winter wonderland. We were well sheltered from the wind up on the shoreline and when the sun decided to tuck behind the clouds we had a roaring fire of pressure treated wood to warm our frosty fingers.

As perfect as the afternoon was I can't wait to come back and test out the orange-juice-jug curling and the corn broom broom-ball events that are already in the hopper. Good times.

A cold cold day

2011-01-23T22:45:00.010-05:00

Woke up this morning to a sunny but bitterly cold day -39°C. Ouch. Decided to test out an idea I had with the kids. We boiled up a kettle and then stepped out back and tossed a few cups to the sky. Poof!! Instant fog. Very cool. We tried to colour one of the cups but that didn't amount to much.

Later that same afternoon I was getting cabin fever again so I headed out for a two hour ski in the Greenbelt. It was still bitterly cold but that just made the hot chocolate taste that much better. Cheers.

A backwoods ski

2011-01-23T10:59:00.015-05:00

Today I self-diagnosed myself with a double dose of Mother Nature. I had been fighting at least two different colds now since Christmas. It hasn't been a very enjoyable time for either myself or my family. As mentioned in previous blogs, my personal "cure-all" is a jaunt in the great outdoors.

Originally my intention was to head up into Gatineau Park but after spending 20 minutes in a traffic jam I bailed and opted for another ski location Ontario-side.

The Kanata Lake Trails have been fending off the encroachment of urbanization for several years now. I skied down each and every side trail I could find and several were cut short by various construction projects in mid-stride making the odd bushwhack necessary but that just added to the day's adventure.

One of my side treks brought me to a large rocky hill with lots of nooks and crannies, one of which was home to a family of porcupines. The babies were all jammed inside making some very loud grunting noises while mom was left forming a rather uninviting door with her backside. I took a short video but unfortunately the microphone was turned down low from the last moe. concert I filmed. Anyhow it was an interesting find and I'm thankful that porcupines can't really throw their quills or I'm sure I would have been plucking a few out of my camera after this close up.

As a side note, we still need more snow. My skis took a couple of nasty nicks thanks to some rocks that were camouflaged under a thin blanket of powdery snow. Arg.

A dusting of snow

2011-01-09T22:05:00.005-05:00

We finally got a dusting of snow on the ground. Barely enough to work with but as they say, beggars can't be choosers.

Friday I took a stroll around the neighborhood to check out the new OC Transpo route yet to be opened. I found an entry point to the Transitway extension and walked the length of it without spotting a single person - worker or pedestrian. Snowshoes were not required.

Saturday was the start of the new and improved Futsal season for the kids. Top teams have been promoted to tougher divisions in an attempt to re-balance and improve the state of competition. So far so good. They both lost their matches.

Sunday was a xc ski day. Despite the recent snowfall we are still in dire need of more white stuff to cover all the sticks that are still poking up through the trail. Nevertheless we enjoyed the outing.

More snow please.

Christmas turns to 2011

2011-01-01T19:49:00.091-05:00

Christmas morning was another hit all around. The highlight would have to be a toss up between the round of new snowshoes for the family or the ringing present that proved to be my daughter's new cell phone.

After the over-hyped unwrapping of presents we settled into the all too familiar routine of cleaning up, packing suitcases, eating lunch, and loading up the van for out trip to Peterborough for Christmas dinner. And yes, it's as tiring as it sounds.

Boxing day was slightly more relaxing. We all slept in until about 9am and then pulled ourselves together for some visitors. First the McMullan clan (less Steve as he was working) and then the Weirs (complete with three wee ones). Luckily the weather was holding up and we were able to keep the kids outdoors while the adults got to unwind and sip adult beverages.

Here are the girls sporting their newly knitted touques from Oma. Not bad.

Thankfully the weather was great and we were able to get out for a cross country ski and even a test run on the snowshoes. A little holiday exercise is helpful in combating the extra calories consumed.

We also managed to fit in an Arsenal vs Chelsea match with a gaggle of friends at the local Peterborough sports bar. The core crew consisted of Glenn and Donna and ourselves but we were joined by various other high school friends throughout the afternoon/evening. Froggatt, Swinson, Brennan, Dixon, Adams, and various (non-Kenner) spouses sat around sharing stories, drinks, and even a meal next door at Gertie's Pub. Oh, and fyi, the Gunners won the match 3-1.

All in all it was a busy holiday but well worth the effort. It's going to be tough holding my nose to the grindstone next week... well, tougher than usual.

A night in Lusk

2010-12-20T17:48:00.043-05:00

Finally, after years of debate, we committed to spending a winter's night in Gatineau Park. Ken rented the best cabin of the bunch and after a couple of rounds of emails we managed to hook one more of the gang on the idea. Although Dave had never xc skied before he was not going to let that small detail stop him from an adventure.

Strapping on the packs and slapping on the skis we headed out for Lusk Cabin from P19. BLAMMO! Man down! Dave took his first tumble in the parking lot only a dozen feet from the car. I assume it was simply an early attempt to get the hang of getting up off the ground with skis and poles flailing and pack swinging side to side. Not an easy feat I'm sure but one he would master by trip's end.

We made a pit-stop at Renaud to rest up before the big climb to Lusk. The cabin was sauna-like and full of rowdy woman playing card games. After a quick snack and a slight redistribution of pack weight, we pushed on.

We arrived at Lusk Lake right at the official time when the cabin flips between day-use to overnight lodgers. Opening the door we were hit with a warm wave of air thanks to the already burning woodstove. It was plenty warm - so much so that we immediately cracked a few windows to let some heat out. Celebrating our safe arrival we each had a shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Nice.

And out rolled the food (mostly homemade, I might add)... jalapeno poppers, stuffed peppers, cheese and parmesan garlic Triscuits, corn bread, chili, and a beverage or two. Dave was in charge of dessert - cream cheese brownies and monster-sized Swiss cake rolls. All said I'm sure we had enough for two or three nights. The end result was a much lighter pack on the ski out.

Most of the night was spent relaxing and listening to tunes off my iPod. We also rolled through a couple of episodes of "The Life and Times of Tim" and one of "An Idiot Abroad". Very funny stuff.

Finally we all crashed on our separate bunks for a well deserved night's rest. The bed was plenty comfortable and luckily I had a wall with a window that allowed me to get some cool evening air. Dave was on the top bunk which I can only imagine was sauna-like despite our attempt to keep the woodstove to a dull roar. Regardless we slept well and woke to the sound of various workday alarms going off which I found both annoying and satisfying at the same time. Waking on a Monday morning in the middle of Gatineau Park is always a good start to the day.

Birthday ski 2010

2010-12-15T17:15:00.018-05:00

This year was nearly a complete miss due to lack of snow but finally right on my birthday we got our dump to start the xc ski season. That said, I opted to wait a day until the traffic let up and the trail groomers had done their work.

I decided to start the season with a light ski trek to Healey from P19. The wind chill was up around -24 C but once the first first hill was conquered I was thankfully surrounded by trees that cut down on the wind's bite.

Upon arriving at Healey, I settled in and started to unpack my lunch only to be interrupted by a gaggle of retired snowshoers on their weekly outing. Hoping for a little more solitude, I quietly reversed my efforts and before long I was arriving at the next hut down the trail. At Herridge I was greeted by a warm fire and a single couple of skiers. I settled in with a cup of coffee and a toasted sandwich.

All in all it was a fine start to the season. Next trip, Lusk Cabin for a sleepover.

Winter is coming

2010-11-28T22:26:00.002-05:00

Winter is coming. Soon the snow will stay and we'll finally get to pull out the cross-country skis, the snowshoes, the canal skates, and all our favorite toques.

As well, the snow will bring out all the favorite winter foods. Soup, chili, turkey, gingerbread and molasses, and of course a pint of Guinness to wash it all down. Hmmmm, I think I've started the food part early this year...

Now bring on the snow.

PS: Speaking of "Winter is coming."... Check out some of the early clip's from HBO's Game of Thrones to be released in 2011. Should be awesome.

Busy beavers

2010-11-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

Gatineau Park: P7 to Keogan
P7 Kingsmere: N45 32.221 W75 53.968
Keogan: N45 30.353 W75 52.816
Click here for a trail map.

The snows still haven't fallen over the nation's capital but at the same time the great weather has allowed me to slip in one more hike. This time of year is great for hiking in Gatineau Park. Normally the foliage is so thick it's like walking through a living green tunnel but this late in the fall there are no leaves on the trees whatsoever making it a hell of a lot easier to spot the wildlife. Another obvious benefit to fall outdoors is that there are no bugs which helps to encourage one to relax and stop from time to time to soak it in. Like I need encouraging...

This hike had me zigzagging around some of the smaller side trails (with a couple of unwise bushwhacks) as I made my way from P7 to the Keogan hut. The stealthiness of my solo adventure certainly helped me catch a couple of beavers hard at work prepping their house for winter. One of them was so busy that I very nearly stepped on him as he sat on the shoreline chomping down on a bark salad.

Lunch was at Keogan hut. This time I opted to sit indoors out of the wind where I enjoyed a bowl of soup, a turkey sandwich, and some crackers all washed down with a pint. Not surprisingly I had the hut to myself so I hooked up my iPod with HBO's, "The Life and Times of Tim". Simple humor, but hilarious nonetheless.

Annual Remembrance Day hike

2010-11-11T23:35:00.042-05:00

Gatineau Park: P19 Lac Philippe to Lac Taylor (12-13 km)
P19 Lac Philippe: N45 37.394 W76 00.546
Lac Taylor: N45 36.292 W76 02.741

November 11th, time for our Remembrance Day hike in the GAT. This year Mike, Ken, and I decided to head up to Lac Phillippe to soak in the last of the hiking season before the snow falls and we slap on the skis. The day was beautiful, sunny and 11 degrees, thus providing me with the perfect opportunity to test drive my new camera. Yep, I finally decided to throw my money at a DSLR. I opted to stick with Canon and jumped at the new 60D with its awesome flip-screen that I have come to love so much in the Canon point and shoot series. That said, I have no clue how to operate this monster. Give me time...

Lunch time was timed perfectly for our arrival at the new Lac Taylor yurt. After Ken won his battle with the cook stove we warmed up some soup and cracked a pint. Afterward, I peaked inside the yurt to see that it had six beds, a skylight, a propane stove, AND a fridge. Sweet. Unfortunately they lock this haven in the hills up tight - guess they don't want somebody skiing off with that new fridge.

While hiking one of the back trails that we normally only ski, we (well at least some of us) noticed the old ruins of a long ago farmhouse. If only these old stones could talk... and would they be bilingual?

Cheers to the GAT! Now bring on the snow.

Here's a quick review of our Annual Remembrance Day hikes over the last few years.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T21:18:00.003-04:00

Another successful snowy Halloween come and gone. Boo.

And of course we made our regular Halloween stop at the neighbor's house of horrors. The one house we always check out but never ask for candy. This freak show is worth more than a bag of chocolate hands down.

First snow 2010

2010-10-30T21:42:00.003-04:00

Finally a splash of snow. Sara couldn't wait til morning and quickly rushed outside to make a vampire snowman in her pajamas. Happy Halloween!

Strolling the Jack Pine trails

2010-10-17T21:34:00.007-04:00

A spot of warm sunny weather made for a relaxing 2 hour stroll through the local green space. Birds were a bit of a bother but luckily we were able to fend them off with seed raided from the various homemade feeders hanging along the trail.

Thanksgiving weekend 2010

2010-10-11T21:54:00.035-04:00

Once again Thanksgiving weekend was spent back on my folk's hobby farm. We did a lot of visiting (including some face time with new baby Luke), some hiking, loads of eating, and very little relaxing. All said and done, we had a good time.

Here are a few photos snapped over the 3 days (some were taken by Sara and Emma, can you guess which ones?).

moe.down at Moe.hawk, NY

2010-09-08T23:56:00.009-04:00

[To skip directly to a slideshow of moe.down 11 photos, click here.]
moe.down XI
Gelston Castle - Mohawk, NY
Festival schedule

moe.down 2010 rocked it out this year. And to think that I very nearly skipped it... what a moe.ron.

As it turned out it wasn't until the very last possible minute that I finally decided to go for it. By Friday morning I had rented a car, packed up, and was driving straight south to Mohawk, NY for moe.down 11 (yeah, moe.hawk, how appropriate eh).

I arrived without a ticket and as I was waiting for the maintenance dude to fix the ATM, somebody started yelling "Tripper!" from the long line of cars. Enter Sean and Maria (and crew). Sweet. It was truly great timing (Sean lent me the cash) and an excellent start to the weekend.

After 10 years of moe.down at Turin, NY (Snowridge) this was a new location. Between the two my preference is obviously Turin - it's an hour closer and much more convenient in terms of proximity between camping, stages, and the parking lot. I do admit the views here at Gelston Castle are somewhat nicer but if it was views I wanted I'd be hiking another 46er in the ADK. For me it's about the music, the people, and the convenience and for that Turin gets my vote.

The weather forecast was sketchy but in the end it only rained the Friday night making for some very cool effects while moe. was jamming late into the night. I certainly got wet but I was by no means soaked.

The number of bands at moe.down this year were a little scaled down compared to previous years. I would have loved to have seen Perpetual Groove, Particle, Donna the Buffalo, Railroad Earth, and Nate Wilson added to the venue but instead they were on the list of attractions the week prior at the first (and doubtfully annual) Snowridge Jamfest aka moe.down's old location. Apparently it was a flop with only about 100 attendees (read news article here). That said, moe. still managed to nail down some solids with Grace Potter, Black Keys, Built to Spill, and Lotus among my personal highlights. Some of the smaller stage bands also impressed - Turbine, Orgone, The Brew to name a few.

And then there's Grace. Grace Potter not only rocks hard, she's extremely photogenic - she can even make a wanker with a cheap camera look like they have some talent. Thanks Grace, you were amazing. And no worries, just because I saw you a few months ago at Mountain Jam doesn't mean I'm stalking you. (Or does it?)

And finally moe., a band that never fails to impress. They played six sets and nearly 10 hours of pure jam adrenaline. Awesome. Thank you.

Cheers to the gang - Sean, Maria, Timmy, Nicole, Eric, John, Mark, Brad, Kate, Lewis, Heidi, Jessica, Jessie, Randy, Michelle. Thanks for a great weekend and see you next year eh...

PS: Check out a slideshow of photos here.

A random round-up

2010-08-29T00:05:00.003-04:00

August was a busy month for us. We had some visitors, another Marconi-catered wedding, a few days on the shores of Lake Superior, and an overnight camp-out at Murphys Point.

Here are a few random photos taken over the last month.

Our trip up to the Soo for a family wedding and then 4 nights on the shores of Lake Superior...

A one-night stop at Murphy's Point...

Hannah & family take a tour of the town...

Cheers.

Big bully

2010-07-31T23:26:00.002-04:00

Just a quick pic of Emma with the big bullfrog she caught while fishing the Jock River. And yes, for those of you wondering, it was the only thing we caught that day.

Chillin' at Charleston Lake

2010-07-30T20:20:00.040-04:00

Our annual summer trip to Charleston Lake always provides a bundle of great memories with the McMullans. This year we added a few more to the vault - the day trip picnics with the canoe, the campfire stories by the glow of the iPhone, the fish tales (complete with photos), multiple trips to the beach (only 50 feet away), rock jumping, gourmet suppers, and of course the snake catching. Good times.

Fishing was good this year, though maybe we only noticed because this time we actually unleashed the poles for a change. We caught several smallies, some large mouth bass, a couple of pike, and the boy even scored a nice sized lake trout while trolling with Steve along the shoreline. Well done.

I spotted this large northern water snake just as we were leaving our camp for a day on the water. Sara wanted to catch it but mom said we needed to get going. I kept quiet and snapped the pics.

Another year come and gone... I can't wait to book 2011.

Silver at the MIST

2010-07-18T22:24:00.010-04:00

The 2010 Mississippi Invitational Soccer Tournament took place over the July 17-18 weekend. The U11 Nepean City cohort is actually split into two teams of equal skill. Both entered the tournament but it was our wee Emma's team (Thunder) that pulled into the finals and "won" the silver. Well done girls!!

PS: After Holland's loss in the World Cup Final I'm starting to think this is the running theme for the month.

Bluesfest 2010

2010-07-18T17:54:00.001-04:00

This year flipped through the bands I wanted to see at Bluesfest and crunched the numbers and BLAMMO! I bought the package deal for the entire 12 nights. It was an easy decision as I was well over the break even point with 5-6 nights on my must see list. In the end I sold off nearly every ticket I wasn't using and made even more of my money back - of course that profit margin was cut down drastically with $6 beers.

I managed to make it down for Iron Maiden, Rush, Furthur, John Butler Trio, Gord Downie, John Hiatt, Steve Winwood, Santana, Robert Randolph, Levon Helm, and a few others on the side stages. Here are a few pics...

Non-headliners...

Headliners...

Camping at Watkins Glen

2010-07-05T21:20:00.043-04:00

This year we hooked up with the McMullans again and headed across the border for some camping at Watkins Glen State Park. After two back-to-back summers in Cape Cod we decided to try something different. Watkins Glen was the pick due to it's equidistant from both Ottawa and Toronto. As it turned out it was a great pick...

The first stop on our list was to hike the Gorge Trail. It's a very impressive geographical feature complete with hand cut tunnels and a suspension bridge.

Take note that Watkins Glen State Park does not have a beach. It does have a pool but that can get real busy - especially on July 4th weekend. After a trip to the local beach on Seneca Lake, we reviewed the map and decided to head to Robert H. Treman State Park to check out the swimming at the base of Lower Falls in Enfield Glen gorge.

As luck would have it, it wasn't until the very last day that Connor and I discovered a secret swimming hole along the Finger Lakes Trail. After returning back to camp and sharing this tidbit, the rest of the crew decided to join us for a dip in nature's pool.

By trip's end we'd realized that we still hadn't checked out the buzz of the nearby Indy track or taste tested one of the 80 wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Next time...

Hup HOLLAND!!!

2010-07-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

This picture was taken following Holland's win over Brazil. It was an excellent match with a very stressful first half. The second half was very entertaining as the Brazilian players imploded and completely lost their composure. For us it was very much like a mini-World Cup final.

We watched the match from a small bar in the Seneca Lodge at Watkins Glen State Park, New York. The owner was kind enough to open it up just for us... unfortunately he was not serving beer at 10am. Nevertheless we were extremely thankful. Cheers.

Hup Holland Hup!!

U13 Nepean Storm wins GOLD

2010-06-27T23:01:00.001-04:00

The 2010 Cumberland Cobras Snakebite Tournament took place over the June 26-27 weekend. Here's the write-up posted on the Nepean Storm website.

U13 Storm Girls Win 2010 Snakebite Gold! [July 10, 2010]

Congratulations to the U13 Storm Girls who won Gold at this year's Snakebite Tournament, defeating Kanata Lightning 2-0 in the final!

The solid efforts by Alana, Haley, Sara, Chelsea, Sierra, Michelle, Melissa, Lauren, Sophia, Marilyn, Naomi, Sophie, Shannon, Lindsay, Callie, Elizabeth, Caitlin, and Jade made for exciting and entertaining games.

The team competed well with only 12 players on Saturday, earning a 0-0 draw vs the Kanata Lightning Level 4 team, and losing a close 0-1 game vs Ottawa Internationals.
With reinforcements arriving to bolster the ranks on Sunday, the team went on a winning streak. They played a close first match against Glengarry, winning 1-0. Despite going a goal down during their second game, the girls showed resilience and continued to play our team's game. They "stormed" back with 3 unanswered goals in the second half to stun Sudbury 3-1. The win set up the team for the Gold medal match - their best match of the tournament. The girls confidently took control right away, scoring an early goal at the beginning of the first half. They sustained the pressure on their opponents for the rest of the game, scoring an insurance goal to secure first place. Thank you, girls, for an outstanding weekend of soccer, and for exhibiting good sportsmanship and Fair Play throughout the tournament!

Mike, head coach, on behalf of the U13's, thanks the coaching staff of Murray, Bruce, and Wendy for their work motivating and encouraging the girls, and for preparing the team prior to playing. Thank you to Kirsten, our team manager/trainer, for setting us up in the tournament, keeping us on track, and supporting the players. And thank you to the parents and Storm fans for lending helping hands and cheering on the team!

Go Storm!

PS: Our wee Sara scored the winning goal to win the gold medal.

Happy Father's Day weekend

2010-06-22T23:39:00.001-04:00

A great weekend of football (aka soccer). I spent nearly the entire weekend either watching football, thanks to the World Cup, or playing football with my kids on the nearby pitch. Throw in a beer or two and a couple of stellar meals and you have a complete Father's Day recipe. Oh and watching Holland advance to the Round of 16 was just icing on the cake (first team to do so btw).

Saturday's meal was a test run of a small Indian restaurant across from the Coliseum on Carling and Wylie. Little India Cafe. It was a hit. Very tasty with just the right amount of spice.

As you can see in the photo above, Sunday's meal was steak (from the local butcher, Pete and Gus) and a fresh spinach salad washed down with a Blackberry Wheat from Long Trail Brewing. Delicious.

Cheers.

PS: Did anybody notice my new keychain in the pic? Thanks Em.

Mountain Jam 2010

2010-06-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

Mountain Jam Festival VI
Hunter Mountain Ski Lodge
Catskills, NY
Google map
Festival schedule

After our successful adventure to last year's Mountain Jam V, Steve and I were pumped to see what Warren had in store for 2010. The line-up this year was looking stellar. Aside from the usual two nights of Gov't Mule (as if six hours of Warren jamming with occasional guests wasn't enough) the highlights for me were the Drive-By Truckers, Derek Trucks, Grace Potter, Les Claypool, Michael Franti, Lettuce, Jackie Greene, Jay Farrar (Son Volt) and of course the grand finale birthday special with Levon Helm et al. including Donald Fagen and Steve Earle.

Once again knowing sleep would not come easy, we hit road early Thursday evening and heading due south for the Catskills via our favorite Walmart sleepover stop in Cobleskill, NY.

Joining us on the mountain this year was our old high school buddy Glenn (Eskimo). While Steve and I were leisurely driving down from Ottawa, Glenn was flying from London, England crossing British Airways' picket lines and holding his breath through the deadly volcanic ash. Despite the obstacles Glenn arrived right on time and only managed to miss the setting up of the tent in our VIP camping area.

And then the music started...

Equally entertaining as the musicians on stages are the folks that gather around the mountain side and camp out in the hills. Here's just a small flavor...

As per usual Warren Haynes shared the stage with many of the other artists performing at Hunter Mountain - Grace Potter, Les Claypool, Derek Trucks, Patterson Hood, Ray LaMontagne, Jackie Greene, Dave Mason, Matisyahu, Lettuce, and of course the grand finale with Levon Helm and all his special guests (Steve Earle, Donald Fagen, Allison Moorer, and Sam Bush). A right musical marathon guitar god, Warren is one of a kind.

Of note, Grace Potter was a definite highlight of the weekend. The icing on the cake was when she stepped up to join Gov't Mule on Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman". Grace and Warren belted out an incredibly soulful version of a Stevie Nicks classic. Grace's sensuality was pouring over the edge of the stage. Warren's... um, not so much. Here's a youtube clip from the 2008 Jammys - good but not nearly as perfected as it was that night on Hunter Mountain.

A three hour birthday party for Levon Helm wrapped up the weekend. Levon was in top form playing drums and occasionally singing lead vocals on what was mainly a long list of classic songs from The Band. He as all smiles and showed his appreciation at the end of each song to each and every person that dropped by to pay their respects.

Here's a tidbit for you - Levon grew up on an Arkansas cotton farm in a tiny hamlet called Turkey Scratch. Seriously.

Anyhow the weekend was another huge success all around. Great weather, great company, and a great selection of bands. Again VIP was the way to go. Hands down. And the slight adjustments and tweaks to the VIP package did not go unnoticed. Awesome job guys.

Finally a massive thank you Warren and Gov't Mule.
Left to right... Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Jorgen Carlsson, Danny Louis.

Icebreaker 2010

2010-05-31T21:48:00.003-04:00

This weekend was the Ottawa Icebreaker Tournament. This soccer tournament is second only to the World Cup. It consists of about 160 girls teams and 120 boys teams.

The end result was loads of soccer for the kids and a whack of shuttling back and forth between fields for the parents. Regardless it was a blast. The kids had a great time and mom and dad enjoyed watching every second of it. Even the stressful moments of the penalty kick shootouts - all five of them!

This is the last year for Emma's team on the mini-pitch. Their skill levels and speed have improved immensely over the last couple of years and the result is a fast paced game with lots of scoring chances.

As for Sara's team, this is only their second year on the full-sized pitch and they're slowly starting to get used to their positioning and building up their cardio for the long runs on the attack and defense. This tournament should give them a jump on some of the other teams in their division as they played a total of 6 games that will prepare them for the upcoming season. They also have a couple of new players that proved to be working out quite well.

By time the weekend wrapped up we were all a little tired but our spirits were easily picked up with some refreshing ice cream. We're already looking forward to the next tournament... and luckily it will not involve both kids at the same time again.

Spring swimming

2010-05-24T19:01:00.001-04:00

Fresh after our return from Murphys Point we hit the road again (wife/mom included) to spend day with our friends the Neills at their river cabin. It was another warm day and despite the chilly water conditions the kids swam nearly non-stop. Even Mikey and I took a plunge to cool off.

It's always fun to visit the Mad Cabin. Nothing to do but chat, swim, canoe, cook on the barbie, and pluck on the six string.

A great start to the summer even though it's still technically spring.

May 24 at Murphys Point

2010-05-22T22:58:00.004-04:00

With all the hot sunny weather in the forecast I decided to take the kids for a night at Murphys Point to start off May 24 weekend. Great choice too as we had a great time biking, swimming, snake hunting, turtle chasing, coon cussing, and we even managed to slip in some R&R.

The kids were eager to kick off the snake catching season so not long after setting up camp we hopped on the bikes and made our way to the beach. Strangely enough we had it all to ourselves for the entire afternoon. Sweet.

The trip was a simple plan with relatively few items forgotten back at home (sorry about your air mattress Emma). Dinner was wieners and Bush Beans with a side of Cape Cod chips and Garden Herb flavored Triscuits - a menu that only seems to work well when served in the great outdoors.

NOTE:
It turned out that Murphys Point was one of the 44 provincial parks with an alcohol ban in effect for the weekend. And as a warning to others out there, this ban is taken seriously and strongly enforced. Our neighbors were evicted only 2 hours after arriving. They were a quiet looking couple of about 45 years of age but that didn't matter none when the Smokey rolled by and spotted the case of Keiths in the trunk. Ouch. They had barely finished setting up the tent when he slapped them with a ticket and an escort to the front gate.

Emma runs a cold, wet 5 km

2010-05-08T22:25:00.005-04:00

The gauntlet had been thrown down by her older sister the week earlier and in true character Emma happily accepted the challenge. Pouring rain and hovering only slightly above zero, the weather was far from perfect but that wouldn't slow down our little footballers. As Emma and her Nepean Storm teammates stretched and hopped on the starting line to keep warm Sparta Cat struggled to get his huge paw around the air horn to sound the start of the race.

Opening the "Share the Power of a Wish/Walk Run" was the National Capital's RCMP Pipe and Drum band. The bagpipes blasting in the pouring rain made it feel like we were in the Scottish highlands but alas we were in downtown Ottawa alongside the Rideau Canal. Coincidentally Sara was exactly here yesterday with her school trying to break another Guinness Bear Hug record. (not sure if they were successful or not)

Well after a mere 25 minutes Emma crossed the line only seconds behind two of her teammates. And yes, she beat her sister by about 2 minutes who is currently in protest as the time was not officially recorded using RFID chip technology and the digital timer at the finish line failed more than once during the race. Alas we'll have to settle for our approximation but I have a feeling we'll have a rematch someday.

Well done Emma and congrats to all the Nepean Storm girls. I'm sure this cardio workout will translate onto the pitch come soccer season.

Race day for Sara

2010-05-01T23:25:00.007-04:00

Today Sara and a few of her Nepean City Storm team members ran the 5 km Allergy and Asthma Awareness Race along the Ottawa River. Considering this was her first event ever, she did alright finishing 28th overall and 9th for the women (and first for her team). In fact all of the Storm girls did extremely well. Congrats!

It was a fun morning and gave the girls a chance to relax and enjoy something together other than soccer. A definite team building moment for those that participated. Maybe next year they'll encourage all the girls to run and follow up with a trip to the nearest DQ. Hell, it might even work for me.

Stay tuned, next week is Emma and her Storm team's 5 km race.

Colour returns to the GAT

2010-04-26T22:22:00.001-04:00

Gatineau Park: Bleakney and Wood Trails (11 km)
Parking (Larrimac Golf): N45 33.251 W075 49.700
Tunnel crossing: N45 32.816 W075 50.561

A great day of hiking in Gatineau Park (as are all Mondays). The sun was shining and still the bugs were sleeping. More importantly the colours of spring have begun to pop up through the rusty dead leaves.

This was a new trailhead leading into the GAT for me. I parked at the Larrimac golf course and strolled down the cart path to the start of the trail. My full concentration was on spotting the entrance to the woods as I crossed the green adjusting my pack. My focus broke when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and realized that it was a 70 year old man patiently doing practice swings at the tee. Yikes. Starting the day with a golf ball to the side of the head would not be a good thing.

The highway crossing to the park is two massive tunnels under the divided highway. Whoever designed this must have been a hiker and/or skier. Though I have seen photos of wildlife overpasses used regularly by bear and deer before so I imagine they'd appreciate these tunnels too (as would the drivers).

The hike consisted of a lot of ups and downs (and unders) and several beaver dam crossings between ponds. No doubt a couple of weeks from now this area will be swarming with blackflies though I have no intention of coming back then to verify that theory.

My lunch stop was smack in the middle of the trail on a sun warmed stretch of exposed rock. A relaxing day all in all.

Weekend in VT

2010-04-25T20:49:00.000-04:00

Google Map: Ottawa to Burlington, VT

This weekend was our long planned and overdue trip to Vermont. The kids had a PD day on Friday so we made the most of it and pulled the trigger on another great hotwire.com hotel deal. Bang!

I wasn't too fond of the idea of driving through Montreal's Friday morning traffic so we crossed at Cornwall and headed straight for the Lake Champlain Ferry at Cumberland Head. A mere 15 minutes later and we were on Vermont soil. Sweet.

Minutes later we were browsing the aisles of Burlington's Costco and scoring a deal or two before heading down to our hotel on the waterfront.

View from the top floor of the Hilton hotel.

The weekend forecast brought blue skies and sunshine providing the perfect backdrop for this picturesque town.

Saturday morning we took a drive out to the nearby mountains and on Kenmore's advice we made the climb up the switchbacks to the viewpoint at Appalachian Gap. To get a feel for the road, check out this guy's Appalachian Gap youtube clip taken on his motorbike.

On the way back we passed through a small town where the kids spotted a rather colourful cow. Not able to resist the photo op I turned the van around the stopped to chat with the artist painting this unique masterpiece. Turns out there will be a few of these types of images strategically planted here and there across Vermont. This one will be heading to the Burlington area. Keep an eye out for it.

Marc Hughes website
It was a great weekend and in hindsight our timing was perfect as just days later Vermont was hit with a big dump of snow. Nearly 12 inches in some areas.

For our next visit we plan on soaking in VT with a little more hiking.

Falls and Fire Tower Tour 2010

2010-04-19T22:32:00.003-04:00

Gatineau Park: Luskville Falls and fire tower (5.8 km)
Parking Luskville: N45 31.965 W75 59.840
Fire tower: N45 32.669 W75 59.753

It's that time of the year again. Spring has arrived and so has the time to hike up Luskville Falls to the fire tower. Joining us this year to mark year five was Ken, Mike, Dave, and Bryce.

Once again the weather was spot on. After the usual halfway pitstop we continued on to the top where we really kicked back and relaxed while we enjoyed some lunch and beverages.

All too soon we were packing up and heading back down to the parking lot. You just can't beat a spring hike on a sunny day. Soon the foliage will be back on the trees (greatly limiting the views) and the bugs will be thirsty (greatly limiting the desire to stop for the views). You learn to take it while you can I suppose.

Cheers until next year!!

Here are links to the previous annual Luskville Falls and Fire Tower hikes.
April 21, 2006
April 21, 2007
April 21, 2008
April 25, 2009

Early spring hike to Lusk

2010-04-11T17:19:00.004-04:00

Gatineau Park: P19 Lac Philippe to Lac Lusk (12 km)
P19 Lac Philippe: N45 37.394 W76 00.546
Lac Lusk: N45 35.100 W76 00.772

The last two years on this day or later I've skied into Lusk Cabin. Both times we were able to make the entire trek from P19 to Lusk with out having to take off the boards and walk. This year there was not a splash of snow in sight. Hiking season is open!

Dave and I laced up the boots and headed out from P19 around 10am. We were the only car in the parking lot (what's up with that?). As we were getting out of the van I noticed one of the workers unlocking the gate that blocked the road down to the campground. My hopes started to rise as I thought we were going to be able to drive down to a better (read closer) parking spot and save ourselves the boring trek on the paved road. Alas it was not to be. They unlocked, drove through with their truck, and quickly locked the gate behind them. Turns out they were collecting the xc ski signs. Guess that makes it official - ski season is over. :(

After a brief stop at Renaud Cabin we arrived at Lusk Lake around 12:30. Just in time for some lunch. For me it was turkey and salami on freshly made cheese bread washed down with a pint of Grolsch. Very tasty. Dave opted for a Subway sandwich and some of his kids' chocolate Easter bunny washed down with a couple of cans of Pepsi Max. None of this sounds overly healthy but we knew we were going to burn it all off by the end of this hike so wtf.

For contrast, here are the blogs from the previous two years. What a difference.

year 2008: Last ski of the season in Gatineau Park
year 2009: Lazying at Lusk

Easter weekend 2010

2010-04-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

This year's Easter brought some amazing weather. With temperatures reaching 28°C, we spent the entire weekend in shorts enjoying the sunshine and a bug-free outdoors.

Every visitor that dropped by my parent's house was greeted with several demonstrations of Amber's new hay bale jumping trick. One by one the guests filtered through - the Shepstones, the Weirs (and one Corrigan-soon-to-be-Weir), the Fifes,... it was a steady flow. Luckily this dog is eager to please. She didn't even flinch when the landing bail dwindled down to about half its original size thanks to everybody feeding it to the cows. Do they ever stop eating?

After the dog tricks, guests were divided into groups - some received pints on the back deck and others were treated to rides on the pet cow, BBQ. Thankfully the groups were selected on age and not random draws.

Walks were a pleasure given the lack of mosquitoes and black-flies. Even the low lying swampy bits were surprisingly bug-less. And if the earsplitting racket being made by the frogs is any indication, it just might stay that way.

Finally Easter morning arrived and we all raced out to find chocolate eggs. The race was mainly against the heat of the sun before it melted everything and we had to hand out straws. Good times.

Warsaw Caves hike

2010-04-04T22:19:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we decided to take advantage of another stellar weather day and head out to Warsaw Caves. The actual caves were still a little too cold and ice filled to do any spelunking so we stuck to the hiking trails.

Everybody enjoyed themselves and we'll have to make an effort to return for some spelunking once the caves warm up.

March break with the Mics

2010-03-19T21:06:00.003-04:00

Once again we spent the March break with our friends the McMullans but unlike so many other March breaks, this year we stayed right here in Ottawa. Given the warm weather and lack of snow left on the ground, staying in town wasn't such a bad idea.

After a round of hiking boot purchases for the majority of the crew we headed straight for the Greenbelt trails to test them out. Though not quite spring, we did spot many signs of the season knocking at the door. Butterflies, hungry chickadees, and even a garter snake which Sara quickly scooped up.

Sometime during the week we made the obligatory trip to the Bruce Pit dog park where Izzy got to run wild and sniff up the other dogs. Some of the breeds must have seemed alien to her but without a single racist bone in her body, Izzy just continued to skip from one dog greeting to another (except for the basset hound but he was a stubby obnoxious barking SOB and got exactly what he deserved).

On St. Patrick's Day the parents all donned their green and headed towards downtown in search of a pub. Our first choice was the Heart and Crown in Little Italy (don't ask) but the line-up was already around the bend. From there the next closest pub was The Royal Oak on Wellington where there was no wait and a live band. Perfect. To top it off we somehow managed to score a table with a view of the band too so we parked it for the night.

The band was quite good, playing all the Irish classics and more importantly the Guinness was cold and company warm. Later in the evening we were joined by René (a friend and co-worker of mine from way back) and much later by Erin McMullan (Steve's neice) and Jason. More pints, more food ("did I order my supper already?") and plenty'o'good times.

And still home in time to tuck the kids in bed.

Po' Girl with JT Nero

2010-03-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

What better way to kick off March break than with a trip to the Black Sheep Inn? Tonight it was Po' Girl hitting the stage again with some help here and there from JT Nero from Chicago. The end result was more than adequate, in fact it was verging on spiritual.

Po' Girl is in the middle of their No Shame Tour that will see them on stages in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The night before they were in my hometown Peterborough where they apparently impressed and enticed some of the fans to actually hop in the car and check out this evening's show in Wakefield. The start of a dedicated fanbase maybe? Call them Po'Heads?

Po' Girl are multiple instrumentalists. There was rarely a break between songs where the members weren't switching the tools of their trade. Banjo, slide guitar, electric bass, clarinet, accordion, wash bucket bass, glockenspiel, piano, and even bicycle bells (which sound surprisingly musical when left in the hands of these girls). Very impressive. What I love the most is the way they make these changes without pointing out the obvious to the fans like so many other bands often do. Well done.

Great music, good friends, and a round or two of micro-brewed beer. Cheers guys now bring on St. Patty's Day!!

Check out the last time I caught Po' Girl at the Black Sheep back in October 2008.

Grass heads

2010-03-06T15:22:00.003-05:00

If this weather keeps up we will soon be planting these two cheery grass heads outdoors.

Snow falls on the GAT

2010-02-24T22:58:00.003-05:00

Gatineau Park: P10 to Western (18 km)
P10: N45 31.141 W75 51.234
Western: N45 30.840 W75 55.045
Click here for a trail map.

I decided to take Wednesday off in order to make the most of the fresh snow before the weekend rain washed it all away. Marc joined me on this adventure making this his first chance to test out his new xc ski gear.

The morning started off with some sticky snow making our trip up Trail 3 a real lung burner. Technically some parts were more of a snowshoe walk than a ski. Still, the scenery was spectacular and I'm sure the doctor would give me two thumbs up for the cardio benefits.

The groomers were hard at work though with the heavy snow fall it was actually difficult to tell in spots. Regardless, their efforts are appreciated.

We started out with no real destination or plan and in the end we ended up skiing the reverse loop of my last ski trip to Western. P10 start to Trail 3, to Trail 1, and then from 1B down black diamond 9 to the Western Hut. A highly recommended route.

These last few photos were taken only days apart and should give you a bit of an idea of the difference a fresh snow fall can make.

Update: The snow is wet and slowly melting but so far the rain is holding off.

Walking the dog

2010-02-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

My parents were in town visiting the grand kids and dropping off imported stroopwafels from the motherland. Saturday morning we watched the kids play Futsal and then rushed back home to catch more of the Olympics.

Sunday morning we took Amber for a stroll through the Bruce Pit dog park. Having never really been around this many strange dogs before (only cows) Amber fared quite well. After only a couple of barking incidents in the parking lot she was as good as gold and thoroughly enjoyed the multi-dog-cultural tour through the park.

We had brought along a couple of tennis balls but with so many new sights and smells (don't ask) there was no way that this dog was going to fetch a boring old ball. Needless to say she slept well Sunday afternoon.

Pond hockey

2010-02-15T22:51:00.002-05:00

Family Day... a great day for some pond hockey.

The kids and I packed up some gear and a thermos of hot chocolate and headed out to play some hackey (not to be confused with hockey) on one of the many ponds in the Marlborough forest. I was out here the Monday before when the ice was windswept and clear of snow but since then we'd had a few centimeters that required a bit of shoveling off with the hockey stick. Normally a lot of work but knowing that the kids had never played pond hockey before (and that I didn't have the lungs for a full NHL rink) we only cleared a small patch of ice for our big match.

I grew up playing road hockey and backyard rink hockey so it was nice to relive some old memories. We had a great time and the kids are already asking if we can head out again.

Winterlude 2010

2010-02-14T21:33:00.003-05:00

Today we decided to take advantage of the sun and warm weather to strap on the blades and skate the Rideau. We started late in the afternoon from Dow's Lake and skated the entire length (7.8 km) to Confederation Park.

Conditions were perfect so it was no surprise that today was likely the busiest day on the canal that I've seen in a long time. The Beaver Tail line-ups were enormous and even the skates between the touristy spots were thick with skaters of all shapes and sizes and ages. That said, I was surprised to see that the ice was holding up quite well.

Once we reached Confederation Park we packed up the skates and waded through the crowds to see the ice sculptures and other Winterlude activities. I think we had just missed the throat singers when we arrived but having seen this freak show once before on Canada Day I was counting myself lucky on that one.

By day's end we decided to take the shuttle bus back to Dow's Lake in order to make it home in time to cook up some supper.

Sundown on Dow's Lake

Marlborough meander

2010-02-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

Slipped out to get some fresh air after playing nurse for my wife who is working her way through a nasty flu bug. Given the late start I decided to drive away from the city centre and head south to the Marlborough Forest.

They call this a forest but it's really more swamp than forest. In the summer the bugs make it completely unapproachable. Spring time is prime for some mudfest mountain biking. Fall is duck season and gun happy hillbillies. Personally I enjoy the Marlborough area most in the winter - no bugs, no buckshot, and lots of ice making it easy to navigate the swampy bits.

Spring mudfest

Winter clean fun

The last time I hiked through here was in March of last year with the kids. (see blog) We had a great time sliding around on the stump riddled pond and roasting wieners by the shelter. I keep meaning to bring some skates out here but have yet to actually carry that thought through. Maybe this weekend....

Wild weekend with the Weirs

2010-02-07T20:51:00.004-05:00

This was Weirzee Weekend. Planned a year in advance with much hype and anticipation. There were a couple of bumps but in the end we didn't let them slow us down and we managed to turn it around into another van Tol-Weir success story.

Saturday the van Tol clan hit the indoor pitch for 3 games of soccer while Sue's cousin Heather popped by for a visit. By noon it was obvious that Cassie was not going to be up for the planned festivities so Twig hung back while the rest of the gang headed to Dow's Lake for some Winterlude action.

After our tour de Winterlude I took the older kids to Bruce Pit for some toboggan races. Always fun. And this time nobody got hurt which is always a bonus. Click here for a short video.

Outdoor action wrapped up it was time to dig into the famous Twigman's mammoth lasagna. Tasty.

Later that night the "adults" managed to get a second wind before slapping on the axe and hammering out some classic tunes on Guitar Hero. Nice to see I still have it after my 2 year hiatus.

Twig (Feb 2010) and Tripper (Dec 2007)

Sunday was a short day as the Twig-Sue and crew had to leave by noon. That said the kids stayed indoors and did some electronic bonding.

Update... this flu bug is still knocking off attendees of the Weirzee Weekend one by one taking out an additional two last night (one from either side). Let's hope they feel better soon and more importantly let's hope that this is the end of the nasty virus. Fingers crossed.

Groomers work their magic

2010-02-05T13:40:00.005-05:00

Gatineau Park: P7 to Huron (13 km)
P7 Kingsmere: N45 32.221 W75 53.968
Huron: N45 30.342 W75 53.980
Click here for a trail map.

We had some out of town company coming for the weekend so I decided to squeeze in some "me time" on the trails. The weather was spot on and even though we still hadn't had any fresh snowfall, the groomers were still able to work their magic. Hats off to them, but seriously, how long can this go on? We need snow!!

With only a small window of opportunity, I chose to ski out from P7 knowing that it would leave me with several hut options for my lunch time break.

The approach is steep but the view is well worth it.

Passing Keogan I noticed that nobody had yet started the fire so I kept on skiing to the lookout before checking in at Huron.

Huron was fire-less (boo) and empty (yea). Rather than spark up the wood stove I decided to test out my new backpacking stove. It worked like a charm and minutes later I was sipping a chicken noodle supreme cup-a-soup with a side of toasted grill cheese on rye.

On the way back I noticed that somebody had started a fire in Keogan so I skied down and stepped inside to enjoy the warmth and a pint. There were two mothers inside with their wee ones enjoying what appeared to be a smorgasbord. All four were enjoying themselves which proves again that Gatineau and the outdoors is for all ages.

Shortly after, we were flooded by a gaggle of grade 7 and 8 students on a day pass. Very busy. Time to go.

Skating with ghosts

2010-01-30T23:19:00.004-05:00

Another night skating at Ben Franklin. Still cold but not cold enough to scare mom away this time as she donned several layers of fleece and Gortex and joined us for our late night skate.

A fun evening topped off with a round of hot cocoa and a couple of shots of my homemade Dutch licorice vodka (ok that was just for Papa bear).

Note: I googled and discovered that this "Dutch licorice vodka" has already been invented by the Finns in the 90s. They called it "Salmari or Salmiakki Koskenkorva" complete with it's own urban legend about a teenager suffering a heart attack after drinking it. You learn something every day albeit some things are more useful than others (I'll let you decide which category this tidbit falls in).

Cheers... or as the Finns would say, Kippis!

A Kanata Lakes ski in -33

2010-01-29T17:33:00.004-05:00

Ski: Kanata Nordic Ski Club (ski trail conditions)
Skate: Outdoor ice rinks in Ottawa

The day was forecast to be killer cold. Our original Gatineau ski plan was downgraded to an afternoon on the Kanata Lakes' trails in order to let the morning warm up. Decision made, the kids and I waited until after lunch before heading out and despite a shining sun it didn't warm up a single degree from the early morning. Oh well, we wouldn't be able to call ourselves Canadian if we let a little nip in the air slow us down.

Technically the temperature reached -21°C today, which is cold enough, but it was the strong winds that were the real hazard as they pushed up the wind chill effect to -33. We could feel it slicing through us and gnawing on our exposed faces whenever we found ourselves out in the open skiing across the meadows and along hydro lines. But in the woods we were well protected and it felt more like the warm -21 it was meant to be.

The trick to not only surviving such cold weather but to actually enjoy it is all in the way you dress. Two words, lay and ers - or more specifically, fleece and Gortex. I thank them both along with my LIFA long johns. Unlike the touque-less teens I see standing at the bus stops in cotton hoodies on my way to work, this family knows how to gear up for winter weather.

And if skiing in -33 wasn't foolhardy enough, later in the evening I took the kids for an hour and a half skate on the Ben Franklin ice rink (their idea, not mine). By then it had reached -35 and unlike the ski trails there were no more trees to hide behind.

For the record, we didn't see another soul on the ski trails this afternoon and nobody joined us on the ice later in the evening either. So if you're looking for solitude, let the thermometer be your guide.

Sun's nice but we want snow!

2010-01-24T22:52:00.011-05:00

P15: N45 19.359 W75 43.648
Link to online map of trails in the Greenbelt.

Another weekend with no fresh snow. And to top it off they're calling for rain tomorrow. This is January, is it not?

Between Saturday morning Futsal and Sunday afternoon's OHL game (free tickets eh) our windows of opportunity were small and few. That said, we still managed to get out both Saturday and Sunday for a short ski in the Ottawa Greenbelt. Ok, technically it was to help our daughter put together a short video for her school project on Sara Renner the xc skier who will soon be competing in her third straight Winter Olympics. We had fun (mostly). Check it out...

The trails were icy and fast and with no new snow to freshen them up, they were littered with many small twigs and pine needles. It was nothing to serious though and we remain hopeful that the winter of 2010 is not over yet.

We end this with a message to Mother Nature...

Enough already. BRING ON THE WHITE STUFF!!!

Skiing on shards of glace

2010-01-15T22:31:00.001-05:00

Gatineau Park: P12 to McKinstry (20 km)
P12 Meech Lake: N45 32.221 W75 53.968
McKinstry: N45 33.218 W75 58.387
Click here for a map showing the trails from P12 to McKinstry Cabin.

It was raining when I left home and I was starting to think that my co-workers had the right idea when they bailed to today's planned ski in Gatineau Park. However for me the deciding factor was, well... umm... a bad day on the trails is better than a good day in the office. (seriously, you had to see that one coming)

As I made my way to the park I decided to cancel my plans to hit Lusk Cabin and decided to try one of the other trails a little closer to home. P12, Meech Lake . As I left the empty parking lot I was happy to discover that the trails were groomed this very morning. Then about 15 minutes down said trail, or more appropriately "up", I started to notice the sound of the falling ice covered branches getting louder. Soon the trail was littered in shards of fallen ice and broken twigs. Below is a picture of one of the ice chunks and it was by no means the largest piece I could find.

Luckily it didn't slow me down too much (after all, just how slow can one man ski?) and after stopping to snap a pic or two (never under tree cover) I continued on my way to McKinstry.

At the junction where trail 24 meets trail 1, I stopped and had a quick chat with an old lad who was applying a thick layer of wax to his skis. Apparently he was having great difficulty with the fallen ice shards scrapping off all his ski wax (luckily I chose my waxless skis this morning). He also mentioned that he'd already had a couple of tumbles thanks to an ugly groove that the snowmobile made in the middle of the trail (in a rather unfriendly zigzag manner I might add). I made a mental note of this and thanked him as I turned towards the last leg to McKinstry.

By the time I hit the top of Wolf Hill I knew I was going to be the first to visit McKinstry which meant that I'd also have to start up the woodstove myself if I wanted a toasty sandwich. Oh well, no free rides today.

As I had suspected, McKinstry was empty save for a cold woodstove. I quickly set to work and choppety-chop I had a roaring fire in no time. Not waiting for the surface of the stove to heat up, I threw my tinfoil wrapped sandwich inside to toast last night's BBQ chicken topped with garlic sauce and cheese. Washing it down with a splash of Heineken, it was quite tasty and well worth the effort.

One of the two skiers that stopped in to warm up by my fire was Bill McGee (yes, that started off the "Me and Bobby McGee" song in my head which then slowly changed to "Me and Billy McGee" by the time I made it back to the parking lot). Anyhow, he turned out to be an interesting fellow talking about his years of hiking and skiing through the park. Cheers to the history lessons Billy.

On the way back I managed to keep up with Billy until Wolf Hill at which point I left him behind as he decided to snap off the skis and walk down. A good call too as it wasn't long after that I succumbed to the snowmobile groove and took my first tumble of the year. Doh!

The last steep hill takes you right into the P12 parking lot and if you're not careful you'll could find yourself using the side of somebody's Subaru as a stopping device. About 3 or 4 years ago I nearly cleaned out a little girl and her table of hot chocolate that she was selling. I felt so bad that I actually bought one - sorry I did too, as it was neither hot nor chocolaty. Lesson learned.

NOTE: It's pure coincidence I assure you, but this is year 3 of what is now my annual January visit to McKinstry Hut. Guess I'll have to put it on next year's calendar.
McKinstry 2008
McKinstry 2009

Summer snakes

2010-01-13T20:14:00.004-05:00

I was cleaning up the kids' cameras and stumbled across some summertime photos that Emma took of Sara with one of the many ("many" as in 41) snakes she caught during our camping trip in Algonquin Park. This one was a Northern Water Snake and a very colourful one at that.

How appropriate that the last photo shows Sara's "Snow Boarding" shirt given that it's winter. Let's hope that the forecast for a rise in temperature this weekend doesn't cause too much damage to our plans to go xc skiing.

Lazy ski and crazy forts

2010-01-10T23:05:00.003-05:00

This weekend we returned to the Saturday morning Futsal schedule. Although both the kids' teams seemed to be at the bottom end of a Christmas sugar crash they still managed to pull off a win and a tie. And to top it off both Sara and Emma managed to each score a goal. Well done girls.

By the time Sunday rolled a round we realized that we didn't have as much "free" time as we had originally hoped for. This resulted in a downgrade on our morning ski trip - Gatineau out, Greenbelt in. You just can't beat proximity though we would all like to see a few more hills dropped in the Ottawa Valley. Now which political party was that? Rhino?

Once home the kids then proceeded to take advantage of the cold weather to pimp up the snowfort in the front yard. Using some imagination, a few buckets of water, and a shovel they quickly created a small network of tunnels. It's no Quebec Hôtel de Glace, but I'm sure with a proper roof and some well placed advertising we could rent it out for afternoon sleepovers.

Fresh holiday snow

2010-01-03T22:48:00.005-05:00

We spent the better part of the holidays visiting friends and family. It was definitely time well spent but it also meant that we had to do a fair bit of driving in some less than ideal conditions. Luckily we had four new winter tires and four new iPod Touches to help see us through the ice and snow. Thank you Santa.

Every year I load the van with our skis alongside the Christmas presents and extra layers of winter clothing. This year my intention was to revisit the trails in the Kawarthas, trails I haven't skied in 15 years, but once again the weather took a turn for the worst. Rain, rain, and freezing rain kept the skis buried in the van until we returned to Ottawa where we were welcomed with a fresh snowfall making for a winter wonderland.

After a day of rest and tidying up in Ottawa we again hopped back in the van, this time to visit our friends in Burnstown. The deciding factor that convinced me to get back behind the wheel was the lure of some adults only skiing on the local Burnstown trails. It was a great plan. The bough breaking blanket of snow on the trees made for some spectacular winter scenery. After about an hour and a half, we returned to base camp where the kids quickly jumped on their toboggans and zoomed down the hills for the remainder of the afternoon.

Finally just before returning to work and school we managed to squeeze in another family ski on the nearby Greenbelt trails. Though not professionally groomed like the Gatineau trails they are respected by the local hikers and snowshoers and left relatively intact. We had just received a few centimetres of snow the night before so everything was still fluffy fresh with many of the trails still waiting to be broken. It was a great family outing to end the holidays.

Lastly, I leave you all with a photo of our wee friend Maddie and her most awesome sleeping cap. I already have plans to make one for my Gatineau ski adventures. I'm hoping it will help me ski fast fast like a bunny. ;)