Port Dover, Canada Day continued

After the boat parade, Rick and I dropped the folding chairs back at the car and then walked to Powell Park for the Dog Show.

Nothing like Crufts, this was pretty laid back, with spectators and participants sitting around "the ring".

 

As each category was announced the owners and dogs would duck under the flags

and into the judging area.

We watched the contest for Best Groomed,

Most Unusual Breed,

Best Ears (this little guy won),

Best Tail

That was a tough one and in the end was won by an adorable Spaniel, whose little docked tail never stopped wagging.

Most Obedient and

Best Tricks. That was very entertaining and ran the gamut from sit/stay and shake a paw all the way to police dog level.

All shapes and sizes.

Most handled by adults but some by kids.

Most were very well behaved but a couple, young dogs, were beside themselves with the excitement, crowds, cheering etc.

We walked back to the car, drove home and I rested because

that evening we went to the free concert

at Silver Lake Park. This photo was from when we arrived. It gradually filled up with many people up under the trees in case it rained.

We were too tired to stay there for the fireworks

But Mother Nature put on a show before we headed home.

I'm back - Port Dover, Canada Day, Boat Parade

 All 20 radiation appointments are now complete and fatigue took over after about day 7. My weekday mornings were spent driving 3 hours (there and back) for a 15 minute appointment and my afternoons were spent napping.  Weekends were recovery time with some energy in the morning and not much in the afternoon.Not much got done but Nic and Rick (after he recovered from 3 weeks of pneumonia) helped out with garden maintenance and driving me in, along with other friends. The napping helped me still be able to sail 2 evenings a week. I am glad it is behind me and hope to gradually recover my energy level.

This was my first Canada Day in Port Dover as the first one was my moving day and the second one didn't really happen due to Covid. So Rick and I parked at the marina and

 walked through the commercial harbour, past the fishing tugs getting ready,

to sit on that side

across from the crowds on the pier side.

The lift bridge opened up and

we were treated to a stream of red and white decorated boats. The first with a huge flag and playing Oh Canada.

My favorites are the metal tugs, many of them built locally.

Turns out that it is a tradition to do a donut on the way out, right in front of the pier, and all the cheering crowds. At first I thought it was just the tugs showing off but everyone, big or small, power or sail, did it. Along with a horn if they had one.

They would do their donut, blow their horn and then head out into the lake, to mill around until all had made their way out past the lighthouse.

Not to be outdone, a Canada Day, Canada Goose, Parade.

All kinds

of

boats.

Big

and small.

There was no organization, or registration

you just showed up with your decorated boat and joined the parade.

Everyone on the boats seemed

to be having a good time.

At least one in the audience found it to be a bit of a bore

but personally, it doesn't get much better than sitting in a folding chair, feet on a rock, on a comfortably warm summer day, watching boats go by.

As we walked over the lift bridge, on our way to the dog show (another post), we saw them all coming back into the river.

Paris Buttertart Festival.

Having played with Nic's camera taking sailboat pictures, it was time to try other subject matter, so I took it with me everywhere I went for a while:

 On a walk along the road ......

Sitting on the front porch......

To the Paris Buttertart Festival.......

(We were very restrained; one strudel, 6 raisin buttertarts, 6 pecan buttertarts (an order for a friend) and 6 gluten free buttertarts for Nic)

 

On a beautiful afternoon of sailing on Spellbound......

 

 

When Barn Swallows checked out my balcony for a nest location.....

When a storm moved in.....

 

The work on my bank down to the lake........

Fil and Sheila's, next door, is finished. Mine is nearly finished

and Dan's, next door on the other side, is just getting started.

I'll be glad when my driveway is no longer a site for the construction materials and I can use my garage again.

 

The camera performed well in every instance. Nic and I were scheduled for another hike on the Bruce (we had one every two weeks on the calendar) but my radiation was scheduled to start the same day so we may not hike again until September as we had decided not to hike during the hottest part of the summer. I have 3 radiation appointments done and 17 to go. If I am as tired as predicted I don't know how much blogging I will do.