CANADA GETS AN "A" , EH?!

On a hot sunny weekend when most creatures tried to stay in the shade, we had 4 American family members visit for Canada Day! It was a good chance to get reaction to our small-scale events from these Michigan urban-dwellers. Of course, Pat laid on meals extraordinaire. I tried to spook them with bear warnings and mysterious skulls. We inaugurated a memorial to their late father/grandfather. They got the local tour in the topless red car. But then we laid it on real thick with local sightseeing and the morning dockside celebration of Canada Day itself.

The tea-table artwork of the world's oldest active Women's Institute. Wiarton Willie. The old-time holiday town of Sauble Beach. The nesting sight of the piping plovers, returned after 40 years' absence. But the highlight had to be the very red, very heartfelt Big Bay Canada Day festivities. (This year's many tributes also included the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, a local wheelchair rugby player going to the London Olympics, bicentennial of the War of 1812, and returning military vets from old wars and new.) The 14-hour day was topped off with a bluegrass dance-along and the must-have fireworks.

The Americans were gobsmacked at the local beauty, diversity, low-key patriotism, and all-around hive of activities. In our Performance Review, Canada got an A, eh?!